Post better examples first.

This is just different lighting

The cheek shadow is very much a factor of the size, position and shape of the cheekbones IMO. The skin is "sucked in" under the overhang of the cheekbone and that's what creates the shadow. 

Look at the difference in the shadow shape on my cheek from Cech's, because of the different size and position of our cheekbones. Without wanting to "dox" myself too much, here's one cheek for you  😉 

Mine almost looks like 5 o'clock shadow at times. 

Actually I've just noticed that in different lighting (more from the side), I have shadows more like the second guy's, with the diagonal going in the same direction that you've drawn. But I most certainly don't have a "pretty boy face"  🤣 

Yes, it's just cheekbone position and lighting. 

Mirin dem robust facial proportions @alphaminus

Yeah man @alphaminus did you already have those strong cheekbones? just curious to know

Posted by: rocoloco

Yeah man @alphaminus did you already have those strong cheekbones? just curious to know

I think I've always had them - they became more prominent in my early 20's when my face became leaner. I've heard "oh good bone structure" from people many times over the years without really registering what they meant, but I guess they're referring to my cheekbones and possibly the prominent brow as well. 

I'm kind of lame when you head further south though - weak projection and underdeveloped jaw, slight overbite. Lower jaw bone is bulky and jawline is tight, but just doesn't come out enough. For a few years when I was a kid, I had allergies and developed a mouth breathing habit. So that's probably where that comes from. 

But here's the curious thing. Those cheekbones? Don't think anyone else in my family has them quite so big. So why did I end up with kind of overdeveloped ones (in comparison to the lower third of my face)? Possible answer: when I was a kid, even though I was a mouth breather and had poor tongue posture, I did used to explore my palate with my tongue quite obsessively during waking hours. I'd prod it, run the suction force back and forth from front to back, explore all the ridges etc. Quite forcefully too, to the point where I'd often develop a painful sore which lasted a couple of days. Perhaps all of this palate prodding contributed to the pushing up and bulking up of my cheekbones? Would be interesting if it did! If only I'd kept my damn tongue up there during the night, too >:(