def separateFaces(faces):
    """ Separates a list of faces and returns a mesh for each face, in the same order """

    faces = cmds.filterExpand(faces, sm=34, expand=True)
    cmds.polyChipOff(faces, kft=False, dup=False, ch=False)

    # Can't figure out how to get the -rs flag to work properly unless the faces
    # to separate are selected
    cmds.select(faces, r=True)
    mesh = faces[0].split('.')[0]
    sep_meshes = cmds.polySeparate(mesh, rs=True)
    polysep = sep_meshes.pop()
    # The number of shells in the inputMesh
    shell_count = cmds.getAttr('%s.icount' % polysep)
    # An array of shellIds specifying the shells to separate
    # If None, all shells are separated
    separated_shells = cmds.getAttr('%s.remShells' % polysep)

    # mapping of {mesh.f[#] : #}
    face_map = {}
    for f in faces:
        faceid = int(f.split('[')[-1].split(']')[0])
        face_map[f] = faceid
    faces_sort = [k for k, v in sorted(face_map.iteritems(), key=lambda x:x[1])]

    if separated_shells is None:
        # All shells were separated
        # The returned meshes are ordered based on shell id
        if len(sep_meshes) > len(face_map):
            # sep_meshes and face_map will only be the same length if every face in the mesh
            # is selected and separated. Otherwise, there will be one extra mesh that
            # contains all the unselected faces, and we need to find out at which index
            # that mesh is located and remove it.

            # Since the returned meshes will be ordered by the lowest face id of each shell,
            # the lowest face id that isn't in our selection will be the lowest face id of
            # the "extra", unseparated mesh. That face id's ordered position in our face_ids
            # list will tell what it's index in sep_meshes is.
            # e.g. face_ids = [0, 1, 3, 6, 12]. The lowest id not in that list is 2, which
            # would occupy the 2-index ([0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12]) Thus the 2-index of sep_meshes
            # is the leftover mesh
            face_ids = face_map.values()
            # +2 to account for the possibility that the other mesh's first faceid is
            # higher than the highest faceid of the separated faces
            face_id_range = set(range(max(face_ids) + 2))
            remaining_ids = face_id_range.difference(face_ids)
            lowest_rem_id = min(remaining_ids)
            face_ids.append(lowest_rem_id)
            face_ids.sort()
            idx = face_ids.index(lowest_rem_id)
            # idx is the leftover mesh, remove it from our separated meshes
            del sep_meshes[idx]

        meshes = dict(zip(faces_sort, sep_meshes))
    else:
        # Not all shells were separated, meaning one of the resulting meshes contains
        # multiple shells. The mesh with multiple shells will be the last of the returned meshes;
        # the rest will be ordered by shell id
        meshes = dict(zip(faces_sort, sep_meshes[:-1]))

    return [meshes[face] for face in faces]