锥子脸
What Does 锥子脸 Mean?
Awl Face describes the hyper-pointed, V-shaped chin that became the signature look of Chinese internet celebrities around 2015 — often achieved through jaw-shaving surgery or aggressive beauty filters. Emerging around 2014, the term pokes fun at a cookie-cutter beauty standard where everyone's face narrows to an almost weaponized point. If you've ever seen a selfie where the chin could pick a lock, you've witnessed "锥子脸" in its natural habitat.
Origin Story
锥子脸 (Awl-Shaped Face / V-Line Face) emerged around 2013-2014 as the term for the extremely pointed chin aesthetic popularized by Chinese beauty apps (like Meitu) and Korean plastic surgery trends. The '锥子脸' became synonymous with internet celebrity culture (网红), where women used filters, makeup, and cosmetic surgery to achieve the same unnaturally sharp facial shape. The term was almost always used critically — to describe the homogenization of beauty standards and the uncanny sameness of influencer faces. It sparked debates about authenticity, beauty standards, and the psychological impact of beauty-filter technology.
Cultural Context
China's booming live-streaming and social media economy in the mid-2010s created enormous pressure on young women to conform to a single idealized face shape. Plastic surgery tourism surged, and beauty apps like Meitu made extreme V-line editing effortless. 锥子脸 emerged as both a descriptive term and a subtle critique of how platform algorithms and advertiser aesthetics were homogenizing Chinese beauty standards. The term originated and spread primarily on Weibo.
Similar Expressions in English
二次元颜值即正义小鲜肉
How Is It Used?
Chinese Explanation (中文解释)
指下巴极尖、脸型呈锥形的网红脸，多因整容或美颜滤镜形成，带有审美批评意味。