diff --git a/src/hb-face.cc b/src/hb-face.cc
index 7bde50df5..bf11df203 100644
--- a/src/hb-face.cc
+++ b/src/hb-face.cc
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@
  * @short_description: Font face objects
  * @include: hb.h
  *
- * Font face is objects represent a single face in a font family.
- * More exactly, a font face represents a single face in a binary font file.
+ * A font face is an object that represents a single face from within a
+ * font family.
+ *
+ * More precisely, a font face represents a single face in a binary font file.
  * Font faces are typically built from a binary blob and a face index.
  * Font faces are used to create fonts.
  **/
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@
  * hb_face_count:
  * @blob: a blob.
  *
- * Get number of faces in a blob.
+ * Fetches the number of faces in a blob.
  *
  * Return value: Number of faces in @blob
  *
@@ -96,11 +98,16 @@ DEFINE_NULL_INSTANCE (hb_face_t) =
 
 /**
  * hb_face_create_for_tables:
- * @reference_table_func: (closure user_data) (destroy destroy) (scope notified):
- * @user_data:
- * @destroy:
- *
+ * @reference_table_func: (closure user_data) (destroy destroy) (scope notified): Table-referencing function
+ * @user_data: A pointer to the user data
+ * @destroy: (optional): A callback to call when @data is not needed anymore
  *
+ * Variant of hb_face_create(), built for those cases where
+ * client programs are primarily concerned with querying the
+ * font tables, rather than with full shaping.
+ * 
+ * Creates a new face object from the specified @user_data and @reference_table_func,
+ * with the @destroy callback. 
  *
  * Return value: (transfer full)
  *
@@ -182,12 +189,13 @@ _hb_face_for_data_reference_table (hb_face_t *face HB_UNUSED, hb_tag_t tag, void
 
 /**
  * hb_face_create: (Xconstructor)
- * @blob:
- * @index:
+ * @blob: #hb_blob_t to work upon
+ * @index: The index of the face within @blob
  *
+ * Constructs a new face object from the specified blob and
+ * a face index into that blob.
  *
- *
- * Return value: (transfer full):
+ * Return value: (transfer full): The new face object
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -222,9 +230,9 @@ hb_face_create (hb_blob_t    *blob,
 /**
  * hb_face_get_empty:
  *
+ * Fetches the singleton empty face object.
  *
- *
- * Return value: (transfer full)
+ * Return value: (transfer full) The empty face object
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -237,11 +245,11 @@ hb_face_get_empty ()
 
 /**
  * hb_face_reference: (skip)
- * @face: a face.
+ * @face: A face object
  *
+ * Increases the reference count on a face object.
  *
- *
- * Return value:
+ * Return value: The @face object
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -253,9 +261,11 @@ hb_face_reference (hb_face_t *face)
 
 /**
  * hb_face_destroy: (skip)
- * @face: a face.
- *
- *
+ * @face: A face object
+ * 
+ * Decreases the reference count on a face object. When the
+ * reference count reaches zero, the face is destroyed,
+ * freeing all memory.
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -283,15 +293,15 @@ hb_face_destroy (hb_face_t *face)
 
 /**
  * hb_face_set_user_data: (skip)
- * @face: a face.
- * @key:
- * @data:
- * @destroy:
- * @replace:
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @key: The user-data key to set
+ * @data: A pointer to the user data
+ * @destroy: (optional): A callback to call when @data is not needed anymore
+ * @replace: Whether to replace an existing data with the same key
  *
+ * Attaches a user-data key/data pair to the given face object. 
  *
- *
- * Return value:
+ * Return value: %true if success, false otherwise
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -307,12 +317,13 @@ hb_face_set_user_data (hb_face_t          *face,
 
 /**
  * hb_face_get_user_data: (skip)
- * @face: a face.
- * @key:
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @key: The user-data key to query
  *
+ * Fetches the user data associated with the specified key,
+ * attached to the specified face object.
  *
- *
- * Return value: (transfer none):
+ * Return value: (transfer none): A pointer to the user data
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -325,9 +336,9 @@ hb_face_get_user_data (const hb_face_t    *face,
 
 /**
  * hb_face_make_immutable:
- * @face: a face.
- *
+ * @face: A face object
  *
+ * Makes the given face object immutable.
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -342,11 +353,11 @@ hb_face_make_immutable (hb_face_t *face)
 
 /**
  * hb_face_is_immutable:
- * @face: a face.
+ * @face: A face object
  *
+ * Tests whether the given face object is immutable.
  *
- *
- * Return value:
+ * Return value: True is @face is immutable, false otherwise
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -359,12 +370,13 @@ hb_face_is_immutable (const hb_face_t *face)
 
 /**
  * hb_face_reference_table:
- * @face: a face.
- * @tag:
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @tag: The #hb_tag_t of the table to query
  *
+ * Fetches a reference to the specified table within
+ * the specified face.
  *
- *
- * Return value: (transfer full):
+ * Return value: (transfer full): A pointer to the @tag table within @face
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -380,11 +392,13 @@ hb_face_reference_table (const hb_face_t *face,
 
 /**
  * hb_face_reference_blob:
- * @face: a face.
+ * @face: A face object
  *
+ * Fetches a pointer to the binary blob that contains the
+ * specified face. Can only be used on faces created with
+ * hb_face_builder_create().
  *
- *
- * Return value: (transfer full):
+ * Return value: (transfer full): A pointer to the blob for @face
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -396,10 +410,13 @@ hb_face_reference_blob (hb_face_t *face)
 
 /**
  * hb_face_set_index:
- * @face: a face.
- * @index:
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @index: The index to assign
  *
+ * Assigns the specified face-index to @face. Fails if the
+ * face is immutable.
  *
+ * <note>Note: face indices within a collection are zero-based.</note>
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -415,11 +432,13 @@ hb_face_set_index (hb_face_t    *face,
 
 /**
  * hb_face_get_index:
- * @face: a face.
+ * @face: A face object
  *
+ * Fetches the face-index corresponding to the given face.
  *
+ * <note>Note: face indices within a collection are zero-based.</note>
  *
- * Return value:
+ * Return value: The index of @face. 
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -431,10 +450,10 @@ hb_face_get_index (const hb_face_t *face)
 
 /**
  * hb_face_set_upem:
- * @face: a face.
- * @upem:
- *
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @upem: The units-per-em value to assign
  *
+ * Sets the units-per-em (upem) for a face object to the specified value.
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -450,11 +469,11 @@ hb_face_set_upem (hb_face_t    *face,
 
 /**
  * hb_face_get_upem:
- * @face: a face.
+ * @face: A face object
  *
+ * Fetches the units-per-em (upem) value of the specified face object.
  *
- *
- * Return value:
+ * Return value: The upem value of @face
  *
  * Since: 0.9.2
  **/
@@ -466,10 +485,10 @@ hb_face_get_upem (const hb_face_t *face)
 
 /**
  * hb_face_set_glyph_count:
- * @face: a face.
- * @glyph_count:
- *
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @glyph_count: The glyph-count value to assign
  *
+ * Sets the glyph count for a face object to the specified value.
  *
  * Since: 0.9.7
  **/
@@ -485,11 +504,11 @@ hb_face_set_glyph_count (hb_face_t    *face,
 
 /**
  * hb_face_get_glyph_count:
- * @face: a face.
+ * @face: A face object
  *
+ * Fetches the glyph-count value of the specified face object.
  *
- *
- * Return value:
+ * Return value: The glyph-count value of @face
  *
  * Since: 0.9.7
  **/
@@ -501,14 +520,16 @@ hb_face_get_glyph_count (const hb_face_t *face)
 
 /**
  * hb_face_get_table_tags:
- * @face: a face.
- * @start_offset: index of first tag to return.
- * @table_count: input length of @table_tags array, output number of items written.
- * @table_tags: array to write tags into.
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @start_offset: The index of first table tag to retrieve
+ * @table_count: (inout): Input = the maximum number of table tags to return;
+ *                Output = the actual number of table tags returned (may be zero)
+ * @table_tags: (out) (array length=table_count): The array of table tags found
  *
- * Retrieves table tags for a face, if possible.
+ * Fetches a list of all table tags for a face, if possible. The list returned will
+ * begin at the offset provided
  *
- * Return value: total number of tables, or 0 if not possible to list.
+ * Return value: Total number of tables, or zero if it is not possible to list
  *
  * Since: 1.6.0
  **/
@@ -542,8 +563,11 @@ hb_face_get_table_tags (const hb_face_t *face,
 #ifndef HB_NO_FACE_COLLECT_UNICODES
 /**
  * hb_face_collect_unicodes:
- * @face: font face.
- * @out: set to add Unicode characters covered by @face to.
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @out: The set to add Unicode characters to
+ *
+ * Collects all of the Unicode characters covered by @face and adds
+ * them to the #hb_set_t set @out.
  *
  * Since: 1.9.0
  */
@@ -555,10 +579,11 @@ hb_face_collect_unicodes (hb_face_t *face,
 }
 /**
  * hb_face_collect_variation_selectors:
- * @face: font face.
- * @out: set to add Variation Selector characters covered by @face to.
- *
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @out: The set to add Variation Selector characters to
  *
+ * Collects all Unicode "Variation Selector" characters covered by @face and adds
+ * them to the #hb_set_t set @out.
  *
  * Since: 1.9.0
  */
@@ -570,10 +595,12 @@ hb_face_collect_variation_selectors (hb_face_t *face,
 }
 /**
  * hb_face_collect_variation_unicodes:
- * @face: font face.
- * @out: set to add Unicode characters for @variation_selector covered by @face to.
- *
+ * @face: A face object
+ * @variation_selector: The Variation Selector to query
+ * @out: The set to add Unicode characters to
  *
+ * Collects all Unicode characters for @variation_selector covered by @face and adds
+ * them to the #hb_set_t set @out.
  *
  * Since: 1.9.0
  */
@@ -708,6 +735,9 @@ hb_face_builder_create ()
 
 /**
  * hb_face_builder_add_table:
+ * @face: A face object created with hb_face_builder_create()
+ * @tag: The #hb_tag_t of the table to add
+ * @blob: The blob containing the table data to add
  *
  * Add table for @tag with data provided by @blob to the face.  @face must
  * be created using hb_face_builder_create().
diff --git a/src/hb-face.h b/src/hb-face.h
index e8ff090d5..d88285a50 100644
--- a/src/hb-face.h
+++ b/src/hb-face.h
@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@ hb_face_count (hb_blob_t *blob);
  * hb_face_t
  */
 
+/**
+ * hb_face_t:
+ * @blob: A pointer to the #hb_blob_t that contains the binary blob of a font file
+ * @index: The index (zero-based) into the font file that points to the face
+ *
+ * Data type for holding font faces.
+ *
+ **/
 typedef struct hb_face_t hb_face_t;
 
 HB_EXTERN hb_face_t *