Do you want to know which style best suits your type of face?
Surely you have ever found information in which faces are classified by comparing them with shapes, such as square or oval.
It may seem like a scientific classification, but its origin is very different. Have you ever wondered where this classification comes from? Do you want to know what is the use of comparing faces to geometric shapes?
In this article we will talk about the different types of face shapes, but we will also explain the origin of this classification, which appeared as we know it today in Hollywood in the 1930s.
- The shape of the face is not everything: “Skin types: what is yours and how to take care of it?”
Origin of face types
The classification of faces according to shapes is hardly something new. It is easy to see a person with smooth or rounded features and compare their face with a circle, for example. Having a square face is also an expression used to denote that the person in question has hard or angular features, especially their chin.
Even so, the types of face that are considered in cosmetics today have their origin in the United States, in the 30s.
It was Ern (de Ernest) Westmore, a Hollywood makeup artist, who established a classification of faces based on 7 ideal types of face shapes , which he named with geometric shapes to facilitate their identification and the use of their classification. This Westmore classification was accompanied by makeup tricks and rules for each facial type.
In addition, each type of face was represented by different Hollywood actresses of the time. This gave the classification more credibility, since if it was linked to the film industry people would be less reluctant to use it. Approaching our closest ideal facial type through makeup, according to Westmore, would make us more beautiful than trying to mark features that are inappropriate for our ideal face type.
The 9 face types
The 7 initial face types, presented by Ern Westmore, are still used to advise on aesthetic issues, such as hairstyle, glasses or makeup techniques that we should use to take advantage of our facial shape.
Westmore himself dropped 2 of these face types later in his career, to simplify the classification to just 5 types. Nowadays up to 9 ideal types of face are considered among aesthetic circles , but over time these ideas are losing favor. An increasingly heterogeneous and interconnected world has opened the doors to more facial morphologies than those that were common in 1930s Hollywood.
The 9 different face types currently in use are as follows.
1. The oval face
Considered by some the ideal face, this face style can wear any type of glasses or hairstyle without worrying about your features. Women with this type of face are not recommended to wear bangs.
An example of a Westmore-era Hollywood actress with this facial type would be Janet Gaynor.
2. The round face
The hairline is rounded, as is the chin. Women with this facial type are not recommended to use straight eyebrows or exaggerate the shape of the lips . Slightly curved eyebrows are recommended and the makeup of the lips should be delicate and as wide as possible.
When wearing glasses, they are recommended to be more angular, to compensate for facial roundness and give a more balanced image.
- It might interest you: “Teeth whitening: the 4 most effective options (and their prices)”
3. The square face
With a square jaw and straight hairline, this face has similar proportions in length and width . It is best to try to draw the features with a slight curve and that the hairstyle camouflages the jaw.
As far as glasses are concerned, the general advice is the opposite of that for round faces, the rounder the glasses, the better.
4. The oblong face
A long face, similar to oval, with emptier cheeks. This type of face in women required avoiding adding “length” to the face, opting for techniques that made her features slightly wider and horizontal.
The classic example of this type of face would be that of Loretta Young , whom Westmore used more than once to exemplify this facial type.
5. The triangle face
Similar to the square face in terms of jaw, which would be the base of the triangle, this face narrows as we go from the jaw to the forehead. Fringes were avoided, since it was not convenient to hide the low forehead. Attempts were made to hide the jaw with make-up and hairstyle .
For example, horizontally lengthening the mouth area.
6. The inverted triangle face
A face with characteristics opposite to those of the triangle face, as its name suggests. In this type of face, it is important that the eyebrows are visible and as natural as possible, since most of the “mass” of the face is in the forehead.
It is recommended that they use hairstyles with little volume on the top of the head, increasing in volume from the area of the ears. A classic example from Westmore’s day would be Geraldine Fitzgerald .
7. The diamond face
Also called diamond face, it refers to the diamonds used in the French deck. This means that the chin and forehead are narrow, although they have wide cheekbones.
It is recommended in this type of face that the hairstyles do not have their maximum volume in the ears , but narrow it precisely in this area. It is one of the face types that Westmore himself abandoned when he changed his classification from 7 face types to 5.
8. The heart face
A modern face classification, it is described as having a long face, although similar to the inverted triangle. The widest point is the forehead, decreasing in width as you go down the features. His chin is pointed.
This style tries to minimize the width of your face, especially at the level of the cheekbones.
9. The elongated face
Another modern classification, tremendously similar to the oblong face. It is also known as rectangular face. This type of face does not have excessively prominent features , but makeup and hairstyles that reduce the long appearance of the face are also recommended.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.