Face
Start with the overall shape, then notice the details that make it theirs.
01Face shape
oval · round · heart-shaped · square · long · angular · diamond-shaped · broad · narrow · delicate · full · fine-boned · a face made of planes and hollows
Shape in context
a narrow face beneath heavy hair · a broad face softened by round cheeks · an angular face made sharper by shadow · a long face that looks different when they smile
02Forehead
high · broad · low · smooth · creased · furrowed · a widow's peak · a frown line carved between the brows · a brow that catches the light
Small details
fine lines appearing when they concentrate · hair falling over the forehead · a scar disappearing into the hairline · sweat gathered at the temples
03Cheekbones & cheeks
Cheekbones
high · sharp · prominent · soft · hollowed · rounded · flat planes · cheekbones like a blade under the skin
Cheeks
apple cheeks · full · hollow · flushed · sunken · soft · freckled · cheeks that redden easily
In motion
cheeks lifting with a smile · color blooming across them · hollowing when they bite the inside of the mouth
04Jaw
Strong
square · chiseled · firm · clenched · defined
Soft
rounded · gentle · slightly slack · tapering
Other
angular · heavy · stubbled · a jaw that juts when they argue · a jawline gone soft with age
In motion
jaw clenches · works while they think · tightens before an answer · shifts from side to side · goes slack with surprise
05Chin
pointed · cleft · dimpled · square · receding · rounded · tucked
Characterful details
a chin that lifts when they lie · a stubborn tilt · a dimple visible only when they grin · stubble darkening beneath it · a small scar at the point
06Overall impressions
- Striking
- a face you look at twice
- Open
- a face that hides nothing
- Severe
- all angles, no softness
- Gentle
- soft lines, a kind arrangement of features
- Weathered
- lined by sun and wind, a face that has been outside
- Youthful
- unlined, rounded, still unfinished
- Tired
- hollow under the eyes, drawn, pale at the temples
- Memorable
- one feature slightly out of proportion, an asymmetry that makes the rest work
- Forgettable
- a face that slides out of memory
07Facial hair & grooming
Use this section for visible grooming choices that affect the overall face.
clean-shaven · a day's stubble · neatly trimmed beard · patchy beard · salt-and-pepper beard · close-cropped beard · mustache · mustache waxed at the tips · sideburns · razor nick at the jaw
Grooming details
freshly shaved · uneven stubble · beard shaped with obvious care · whiskers missed beneath the chin · makeup worn precisely · makeup smudged from the day · bare-faced · carefully powdered · sunscreen shining at the nose
08Asymmetry & distinctive features
a crooked nose bridge · one eyebrow higher · a gap between the front teeth · one eyelid sitting lower · a mole beside the mouth · a chipped tooth · a faint scar through the brow · one cheek fuller than the other · a smile that pulls harder to one side · a dimple on only one cheek
09Face in motion
the jaw works as they think · their face goes blank and still · features rearrange into something polite · the whole face tightens · a muscle jumps in the cheek · color rises from the collar · the forehead creases · cheeks lift before the smile fully arrives · expression shutters closed · the face softens when they recognize someone · tension drains from the mouth and jaw · their expression changes before they can hide it
10Examples in a sentence
Shape
“She had a narrow, angular face softened by full cheeks.”
Cheekbones
“High cheekbones caught the window light and left the rest of his face in shadow.”
Jaw
“His jaw was square and usually relaxed until someone mentioned his brother.”
Overall impression
“There was nothing conventionally dramatic about her face, but people remembered it.”
Distinctive feature
“One eyebrow sat slightly higher than the other, lending every neutral expression a trace of skepticism.”
Movement
“His whole face tightened for a second before settling back into politeness.”
Age & wear
“Sun and wind had etched fine lines into the skin around her eyes and mouth.”
Minimal
“The clerk had a round, open face and a cleft chin.”
11Writing notes
- Describe the face as a whole before inventorying every feature. Readers usually need an impression, not a police sketch.
- Pick what is memorable. One crooked feature, unusual proportion, scar, or repeated expression often does more than a paragraph of measurements.
- Let the face move. A character becomes more vivid when their features change during thought, speech, and emotion.
- Avoid equating attractiveness with morality. Beautiful characters are not inherently good, and unconventional features are not shorthand for villainy.
- Avoid using ethnicity as a shortcut for facial structure. Describe the individual features you actually want the reader to see.
- Let viewpoint shape the description. A lover, rival, stranger, child, and detective may notice entirely different things about the same face.
- Don't repeat the full description. Establish the overall face once, then return to specific details naturally.
- Allow asymmetry. Small irregularities often make a character easier to picture and remember.
- Match detail to importance. A background character may need one impression; a protagonist can accumulate details throughout the story.