What Your Face Shape Tells of Your Personality

One of the most basic concepts that are easy to use in Mian Xiang, or the Chinese study of Face Reading, is the recognition of face shapes. Just by identifying someone's face shape, we can tell the person's basic personality and characteristics.

A Water face shape is loose and "bubbly" - the kind with wobbly, fleshy skin. This type of face usually has darker complexion. A Water face shape usually belongs to an entrepreneur or strategist.

If you have a face that is broad at the top and narrow at the bottom like an inverted triangle, then you have a Wood face shape. People with Wood element faces make good teachers and project developers.

On the other hand, a face that is narrow at the top and broad at the bottom is a Fire shape face (as the Fire element rises to the top). Those with Fire shape faces are usually good as entertainers and in any job position that requires them to literally be the "life of the party"!

A face that is generally broad and slightly angular is an Earth shape face. As these face owners are practical, careful and good at money management, they make good managers and thrive in positions requiring practical decision-making.

Lastly, those with oval faces are considered having a Metal shape face. As the Metal element connotes taking action and making decisions, an oval face (which is usually fair in complexion as well) belongs to a doer, implementer and good communicator.

Do not be surprised if you find difficulty in discerning face shapes as it is common that faces have *combined* attributes. However, there will usually be a shape that is dominant with qualities of one of the five elements.


Toh Kong Eu
MA Instructor