Okay so last Tuesday, I was scrolling through old Hollywood photos when that iconic Audrey Hepburn shot from Breakfast at Tiffany’s popped up. Got me wondering – why does her face feel so perfect? Like seriously, it’s not just pretty, it’s balanced magic. Decided to deep dive into her face shape thing for my weekly research project.
Starting the whole face shape hunt
First I printed like 10 different photos of Audrey – front views, profiles, smiling shots. Pinned them on my corkboard with pushpins. Grabbed a whiteboard marker and started tracing the outline right on the photos like some art student. Noticed her forehead width matches almost exactly with her cheekbones and jawline.
Comparing with common face shapes
Pulled up basic face shape charts online:
- Oval? Close but her jawline’s more defined
- Heart? Too pointy
- Round? Nope, angles are sharper
Then it clicked – her structure’s actually a perfect square rectangle. But softer because:
- Her hairline’s gently rounded not flat
- Jaw corners have that subtle curve
- Cheekbones sit high but not sharp
Testing why it photographs so well
To check this theory, I did an experiment with my camera setup. Made three collages:
- One showing how side bangs frame her square forehead
- Another comparing her jawline against Marilyn’s round shape
- Close-ups of how her eyebrows follow the natural brow bone
The balanced proportions became super obvious when flipping through them fast. Like architectural symmetry but on a face.
Realizing why it worked for her style
Here’s the kicker – her features EXPLAIN the iconic looks:
- Cat eye liner? Enhances the lifted outer corners
- Blunt bangs? Mirrors that straight forehead line
- V-neck dresses? Extend the vertical line from jaw to collar
Tried draping fabric squares vertically and horizontally against her photos – boom, vertical draping always won.
Finished the whole thing around midnight with marker stains on my fingers. Final conclusion? Audrey’s magic isn’t about conforming to one shape category – it’s how she used that balanced canvas. Her team instinctively knew how to play with lines and shadows to emphasize the symmetry. Probably why modern makeup artists still study her photos! Anyhow that’s my nerdy deep dive for this week.
