A Comprehensive Guide to Facial Features: Lips

Among the five facial features, the mouth is considered the "financial officer," also called Mercury. A person's lips are closely tied to their character. As the saying goes: "Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, when stirred within, must show on the outside."

In short, the mouth should be on the larger side; as the saying goes, "A broad mouth that can hold a fist befits generals and ministers." However, a large mouth without restraint suggests poverty, so it should be broad but not excessive. Proportion also matters: a large mouth on a small face, or a small mouth on a large face, does not signal nobility. The mouth should be well-formed, full, and square, and should avoid being crooked, pointy, or tiny. "A pointed mouth belongs to a thief." Teeth should not show; "A mouth that shows teeth has secrets that are hard to keep." Such people cannot keep confidences, so do not share secrets with them or you may regret it.

"Lips are the fortress of the mouth," so the mouth and lips are inseparable. The shape, fullness, and color of the lips are very important when assessing a person.

Full, rosy lips are ideal, and symmetry between the upper and lower lips is considered attractive. Thin, small, retracted, damaged, or pointed lips are undesirable. Lips that are curled, uneven, dark (dark lips indicate a poisonous heart), blue, or pale (blue or pale lips suggest a short life) are all seen as inauspicious.

From the standpoint of lip shape, people with thick lips are often associated with wealth and longevity, and they tend to have artistic talents. However, lips should not be excessively thick, as overly thick lips can indicate low status. Those with broad, thick lips may have strong personal desires, and those who are overly generous may have strong carnal desires.

• Thin-lipped people tend to be argumentative, clever, and alert; they may appear strong outwardly but are timid inside, generally calm, and often lack emotional depth.
• Long-lipped people are highly competitive, practical, and capable.
• Short-lipped people are idealistic, lack decisiveness, and are easily swayed.
• People with drooping lip corners tend to be depressed, pessimistic, negative, eccentric, irritable, and stubborn.

Regarding lip color, people with rosy lips likely have good digestion and nutrition, contributing to an energetic, active, and extroverted personality. Those with pale or bluish lips may have health or digestive issues, often appearing lazy, negative, and lacking determination. People with dark lips may harbor malice and are not suitable companions in times of ease.

In ancient times, lips were categorized into types such as cherry lips, square lips, fire-blowing lips, and boat-shaped lips:

• Cherry lips: Typically feminine; such people are beauty-loving, gentle, and affectionate.
• Square lips: Typically masculine; somewhat square with even corners, indicating strong ability, practicality, and a love of enjoyment.
• Fire-blowing lips: Lips like someone blowing fire, indicating weak ability, indecisiveness, and a lonely life.
• Boat-shaped lips: With drooping corners (lips like a boat), these people are cunning, greedy, and cruel.
• Crescent-shaped lips: With upturned corners (like a crescent moon), these people are optimistic, exceptional, and often achieve remarkable success.

When observing a person's lips, another key feature is the vertical groove from the nose to the upper lip, commonly known as the philtrum. People with a short philtrum tend to enjoy compliments and are extremely sensitive. The best way to deal with them is through praise. Do not criticize or blame them; they are very sensitive, and even well-intentioned criticism can make them uncomfortable and lead to negative outcomes.

People with a long philtrum often doubt the sincerity of compliments. While they may not dislike praise, they tend to believe others have ulterior motives when complimenting them. A positive trait of such people is that they do not hold grudges. With them, excessive flattery is unnecessary; fair criticism is acceptable, but avoid nitpicking. If you have this trait, be aware of your weakness—being overly suspicious. Long philtrums are relatively rare; most people have a short philtrum, so if you are unsure about the distinction, it is better to praise more and criticize less.