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EveryFaceShape

Makeup and face art

Kajal and kohl, contouring, Kathakali and Kabuki makeup, thanaka and face paint. 30 face guides on EveryFaceShape so far.

Makeup and face art cover everything applied to the face: kohl and kajal around the eyes, blush and contour, the white oshiroi of Japan, thanaka paste in Myanmar, and the painted faces of Kathakali, Kabuki and Peking opera. Some are everyday beauty, some are faith or festival, and some are stage conventions that tell an audience exactly who a character is.

Old everyday makeup

Kohl was used in Egypt more than 5,000 years ago, made with galena and malachite. In South Asia, kajal is made at home from lamp soot and ghee. Thanaka, ground bark paste, is worn daily on the cheeks in Myanmar. White face paints were worn in Japan and in Renaissance Europe, where the lead in ceruse harmed wearers. Contouring came from the stage and became a mass fashion in the 2010s.

The painted stage

Asian classical theatres made face painting a language. In Kathakali from Kerala, green faces are noble heroes and red-marked ones proud villains. In Kabuki, kumadori lines in red mark heroes and in blue villains. In Peking opera, red is loyalty, black integrity and white cunning. Sichuan opera adds bian lian, changing masks in a split second. In Mexico, faces are painted as calaveras for the Day of the Dead.

Famous makeup face guides

KohlEye paint since ancient EgyptThanakaBark paste worn in MyanmarKumadoriKabuki's painted linesOshiroiJapanese white face makeupBian lianSichuan opera face-changingContouringShading to shape the faceCalaveraSkull designs of the Day of the Dead

Still to be written: Kathakali.

Further reading

SuitsOval facesRound facesSquare facesHeart-shaped facesDiamond facesOblong facesTriangle facesMost faces
OriginInherited featuresGrown and groomedWornAppliedMarkedChanges with age
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest first
🇨🇳 ChinaSichuan opera A Chinese theatre form from Sichuan known for mask changing and distinct makeup.Makeup · 1700 🇯🇵 JapanOhaguro A Japanese tradition of blackening teeth with iron and tannins.Makeup · 1000 🇯🇵 JapanKumadori Theatrical makeup for kabuki actors using coloured stripes to show character traits.Makeup 🇯🇵 JapanHikimayu A pre-modern Japanese practice of removing natural eyebrows and painting new ones on the forehead.Makeup 🇨🇳 ChinaBian lian A Sichuan opera technique where performers change masks or colours instantly to show emotion.Makeup 🇮🇳 IndiaTilaka A traditional Hindu forehead mark applied with paste or ash to signify faith and spiritual identity.Adornment 🇲🇽 MexicoCalavera Decorative or edible skulls made for the Mexican Day of the Dead.Adornment 🇨🇳 ChinaJing A Chinese opera role for mighty men, defined by heavy face painting.Makeup 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreBindi A coloured dot worn on the forehead in South and Southeast Asia.Adornment · Most faces 🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreTeeth blackening A traditional custom of dyeing teeth black to signify adulthood and beauty.Makeup Día de los Muertos face paint 🇲🇽 MexicoDía de los Muertos face paint Skull-style makeup worn during Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations to honour ancestors.Makeup · Most faces · 1913

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: the face guide of the day, new pages on EveryFaceShape, and the conferences and anniversaries of the week ahead.