Words to Describe Character's Face & Facial Features
Note: The trick is to observe actors on TV and people around you, and look for the diversity of expressions and facial gestures they make in different situations. Without observations, you won't be able to accurately describe your character's face and facial expressions. This guide will only provide you words to better express what you have observed.
Facial Shapes
Heart-shaped, squared, round, oval, triangular, chiseled, sculpted, high forehead, blocky, flat, fine-boned, beefy, bestial, hawkish, horse-faced, haggard, homely, malevolent, shifty looking, nondescript face, poker face, snobbish, malevolent.
Skin
alabaster, pale, fair, pallid, waxen, ashen grey, faded, albino, pasty, porcelain, sallow, rosy, amber, ebony, bronze, flawless, ageless, youthful, sunburned, peeling, freckled, washed-out, wrinkled, lined, smooth, pimpled, leathery, silken, scaly, chalky, scarred, weathered, tattooed, blemished, beauty marks, liver spots, covered in acne, bloodless, blanched, flushed, green with nausea, covered in makeup, full of pores.
Hair
Hair
short, buzzed, military hair cut, pixie cut, cropped, curly, straight, permed, comb-over, shoulder length, long, thinning, balding, bald, has a widow’s peak, streaked, dyed, middle part, side part, braided, in a bun, glossy, shiny, messy, tousled, dry, wet, oily, brown, blonde, black, grey, red, salt and pepper, silver, snow-white, flaxen, yellow, golden, honey blonde, dark blonde, ginger, strawberry-blonde, copper, auburn, tawny brown, raven black, jet black, unusual colors, spiky, frizzy, shaggy, twirled around her finger, pulled on her braid, hair hung over face, pushed her hair back from her face, wore her hair loose, put her hair in a ponytail.
Eyes Behaviours
Eyes Behaviours
eyes opened wide, eyes narrowed, eyes pinched, eyebrows raised, arched eyebrows, skin around eyes wrinkled, staring, glaring, red-rimmed, squinty, steely, “bedroom” eyes, beamed, covered by makeup (which could look good or bad), rolled her eyes, teared up, looked stormy, wore glasses, wore different colored contacts.
Eyes
Eyes
almond-shaped, big, protruding, narrow, wide- or narrow- set, slanted, bulging, beady, hard, drab eyes, thin eyebrows, bushy eyebrows, long eyelashes, thick lashes, plucked lashes, hooded , sparkling, dull, sunken, swollen
Eye Colours
Eye Colours
blue, green, brown, Arctic blue, ice blue, baby blue, sky blue, cornflower, robin’s egg blue, azure, aquamarine, cerulean, river blue, turquoise, sapphire blue, denim blue, steel blue, indigo, midnight blue, mint green, clover green, leaf green, moss green, emerald, army green, viridian, hazel, rust, sepia, amber, copper, sienna, mahogany, coal, ebony, obsidian, midnight black, cloud grey, silver, smoky, gunmetal grey, charcoal grey, stormy grey, gold, lavender, unusual eye color
Ears
stick out, large, low, small, looks like an elephant’s ears, broad, pointed, elfin, delicate, triangular, slanted, prominent, close to the head, asymmetric, deformed, feminine, lop-eared, floppy, pierced (describe piercings), hairy, ears reddened, tugged on her ear, tucked hair behind ear, covered ears with hands
Nose
big, crooked, beaky, aquiline, pointed, snub nose, bulbous, wide, flat, pointy, dainty, cute, Roman nose, hawk-like, aristocratic, distinctive, sharp, vulpine, prominent, short, thin, tiny, pert, turned up, asymmetric, straight, broken, craggy, reddened, nose ring, nose flared, she picked her nose, she scratched her nose a lot
Cheeks
oval, square, round, sharp cheekbones, high cheekbones, sculpted, chiseled, hollow cheeks, plump, sallow, sunken, angular, flawless, radiant, broad, youthful, gaunt, thin, lank, smooth, chubby, puffy, dimpled, furrowed, bulging, broad, fleshy, glowing, healthy, clean, soft, fair, tender, delicate, florid, fresh,wrinkled, withered, sunken, ruddy, reddened, rosy, burning, dull, greyish, colorless, tears rolled down her cheeks
Mouth
thin lips, thick lips, big lips, dimpled, whiskered, missing teeth or toothless, gap toothed, underbite, overbite, squared jaw, jutting jaw, weak jawline, big jowls, Cupid’s bow mouth, half open, frowned, smiled, lips pressed firmly together, chapped lips, wore lipstick, stuck out her tongue, chewed on her lips, made a kissing face, licked her lips, lip smacks
Nose
big, crooked, beaky, aquiline, pointed, snub nose, bulbous, wide, flat, pointy, dainty, cute, Roman nose, hawk-like, aristocratic, distinctive, sharp, vulpine, prominent, short, thin, tiny, pert, turned up, asymmetric, straight, broken, craggy, reddened, nose ring, nose flared, she picked her nose, she scratched her nose a lot
Cheeks
oval, square, round, sharp cheekbones, high cheekbones, sculpted, chiseled, hollow cheeks, plump, sallow, sunken, angular, flawless, radiant, broad, youthful, gaunt, thin, lank, smooth, chubby, puffy, dimpled, furrowed, bulging, broad, fleshy, glowing, healthy, clean, soft, fair, tender, delicate, florid, fresh,wrinkled, withered, sunken, ruddy, reddened, rosy, burning, dull, greyish, colorless, tears rolled down her cheeks
Mouth
thin lips, thick lips, big lips, dimpled, whiskered, missing teeth or toothless, gap toothed, underbite, overbite, squared jaw, jutting jaw, weak jawline, big jowls, Cupid’s bow mouth, half open, frowned, smiled, lips pressed firmly together, chapped lips, wore lipstick, stuck out her tongue, chewed on her lips, made a kissing face, licked her lips, lip smacks
Facial Hair
no facial hair, unshaven, clean shaven, mustache, beard, sideburns, mutton-chop, goatee, five o’clock shadow, stubble, day-old stubble, pencil-thin, thin, thick beard, bushy, long, voluminous, pointy, lumberjack-like, clean, groomed, oiled, neat, closely trimmed, sculpted, greasy, patchy, scraggly, badly trimmed, tangled, stroked his beard, (same colors as the hair)
no facial hair, unshaven, clean shaven, mustache, beard, sideburns, mutton-chop, goatee, five o’clock shadow, stubble, day-old stubble, pencil-thin, thin, thick beard, bushy, long, voluminous, pointy, lumberjack-like, clean, groomed, oiled, neat, closely trimmed, sculpted, greasy, patchy, scraggly, badly trimmed, tangled, stroked his beard, (same colors as the hair)
