FACE SHAPE

Face shape

How to measure and determine your face shape, and even more
importantly how to choose the right hair style to fit your face shape.
Your face shape is the starting point to choosing a new hair style. Your hair type is the next
consideration. Is your hair naturally straight, wavy, curly or kinky? Is your hair texture fine,
medium or thick? Lastly, take the volume of the hair into consideration.
It's hard to be objective about your own face shape, but here's a sure fire way to be sure your not
letting bias influence your own analysis. Hair designers are the ultimate judges of your face
shape, but if you need a little help try this experiment.

There are lots of suggestions on how to figure out your shape. These include everything from
outlining your face shape on a mirror with lipstick to draping it with a towel and asking others to
help you guess the shape. But, there is actually a scientific way to determine your face shape
once and for all.

To find out the shape of your face, measure it with a tape measure or ruler. You will take the
following measurements.
1. Measure your face across the top of your cheekbones. Write down the measurement on
a piece of paper.
2. Measure across your jaw line from the widest point to the widest point. Write down the
measurement.
3. Measure across your forehead at the widest point. Generally the widest point will be
somewhere about halfway between your eyebrows and your hairline. Write down the
measurement.
4. Measure from the tip of your hairline to the bottom of your chin.
Oval Face - Length equal to one and a half times width.
Round Face - Your face is as wide as it is long. This may vary a little but generally the
measurement is close.
Oblong - Longer than it is wide.
Heart - Narrow at jaw line, wide at cheekbones/and or forehead.
Square - your face is about as wide as it is long.
Diamond - Widest at cheekbones, narrow forehead and jaw line of approximately equal widths.

Oval
Only slightly narrower at the jaw line than at the temples, with a gently rounded hairline.

Try
A variety of styles. Just about any hair shape looks good on you. Your "perfect" features
allow you to wear a wider range of styles than any other face shape. Have you ever
noticed the majority of models fall into this shape? Have you noticed how many different
hair styles they can wear?

You can wear short, medium and long hair styles. Your face shape is well "balanced", or
in even proportion. You will look best when styling your hair off your face. Most oval face
shapes can wear slicked-backed looks as well.
Avoid
Hair styles that cover up your "perfect" features with heavy bangs, or too forwarddirected styles.
In wearing your hair style on your face, you'll lose your face shape behind the hair. This
may appear to add weight to your face.

Click on the name to see a picture of celebrities with oval faces:

Jennifer Aniston Cameron Diaz Mariah Carey Cindy Crawford Jewel Heather Locklear
Sharon Stone Uma Thurman Julia Roberts Courtney Cox Arquette Elle MacPherson Tyra
Banks

Rectangular or oblong
Long and slender, about the same width at forehead and just below cheekbones. May have a very
narrow chin or a very high forehead.

Try
Styles with short to medium lengths. Fullness at the sides of your face and wispy bangs
soften the look of longer face shapes. You'll want to balance the look of a long and
slender face. Soft wispy bangs will shorten the appearance of the length. Fullness at the
sides of your face will add width to the look of your face shape.
By cutting the hair into a short or medium length, the outline of the cut will also shorten
the look of the length of the face. Layers work great with your face shape, as they will
add softness to the straight lines in your face. Try side parts, and you may be able to
wear straight back styles.
Avoid

Too much hair length . . . this will make your face will look even longer! Too much height
lengthens your face. Center parts look great on people with a rectangular or oblong face
shape. When your hair grows past your shoulders, there is a good chance it is doing
you more harm than good. The models with rectangular face shapes and long hair get
by with it only because they have an "on call" hairdresser. This professional is at the
models disposal and can usually be found busily primping and teasing, setting and
styling to add fullness to the hair. Since most of us dont have this luxury, my suggestion
is keep it above shoulder length.

Click on the name to see a picture of celebrities with rectangular faces:

Gwyneth Paltrow
Seymour

Kirstie Alley

Janet Jackson

Gabrielle Reece

Niki Taylor

Stephanie

Round
Full-looking face with a round chin and hairline. Widest point is at the cheeks and ears.

Try
Hair styles with fullness and height at the crown. Off center parts help reduce the
roundness. Short hair styles with a swept-back direction or hair styles that are longer
than chin length. By layering the top to achieve fullness and keeping the rest of the cut
relatively close to the face, your round face shape will appear longer and narrower.
Avoid
Chin length hair with a rounded line that mirrors faces round shape. Center parts tend
to accentuate roundness. Also avoid styles with short-short crops, or straight "chopped"
bangs. Fullness at side of ears also accentuates the round shape. A rounded haircut
ending at the chin will certainly add weight to your already round face shape. Because
the widest part of your face is at the cheeks and ears, you need to avoid having the
fullness of the cut here, as it will make your face appear wider. I've written more about
round face shapes in my article Round Face Shapes can be Slimmed, Hairstyles a
round shape and Hairstyles for Round Face Shapes.

Click on the name to see a picture of celebrities with round face shape:

Ingrid Bergman Roseanne Barr

Christina Ricci Charlotte Church

Kate Winslet

Natalie Merchant

Drew Barrymore

Square
A strong, square jaw line and usually an equally square hairline.

Try
Short-to-medium length hair, especially with wave or roundness around the face. Wispy
bangs will soften the angular shape. Off-center parts with height at the crown look great
on square faces. You want to soften the square look of your face with layers and wispy
looks around the face. Height at the crown will elongate your symmetrical shape. If your
hair is straight, you may want to consider a body wave, as some curl or wave to the hair
will achieve a nice balance to the straight features of your face shape.
Avoid
Long straight styles that accentuate the square jawbone. "Linear" straight bangs or
center parts aren't the best choice. A straight bob ending at the jaw line is the wrong
thing to do for your face shape. You can wear a layered bob, however it should end
above or below the jaw line, not at the jaw. Make sure in styling that you achieve some
roundness to the shape and some height at the crown or bangs, and you will be on the
right track.

Click on the name to see a picture of celebrities with square faces:

Kristin Scott Thomas

Rosellini

Holly Marie Combs

Sandra Bullock

Demi Moore

Isabella

Heart
Face is wide at the temples and hairline, narrowing to a small delicate chin.

Try
Chin-length or longer styles work well with a heart shaped face. Other styles to try: sideparted hair styles or swept-forward layers around the upper face, with gently wispy
bangs. A chin length bob is great on your face shape! This creates a balanced look by
giving fullness where you need it. You can wear shorter styles; however, if you are a
dramatic heart shape you need to leave weight in the back nape area. This will achieve
more balance between your dramatic cheekbones and more narrow chin.
Avoid
Short, full styles that emphasize the upper face. Stay away from styles with too much
height at the crown. Severe, slicked back looks are too harsh for this shape too. If you
are a dramatic heart shape, the short, full styles with tapered necklines, which
emphasize the upper face will make you look top heavy. Too much height at the crown
will give the appearance of a longer and narrower chin. Just remember if you have a
dramatic heart shape face, you have great cheekbones to emphasize! Don't miss the
boat by getting a cut which is too top heavy.

Click on the name to see a picture of celebrities with heart faces:

Michelle Pfeiffer Ashley Judd Jennifer Love Hewitt

Emmanuaell Beart
Juliette Binoche
Lisa Kudrow
Campbell

Claudia Schiffer
Lucy Lawless
Naomi

Triangular
Reverse of the heart-shape . . . a dominant jaw line with narrowing at the cheek bone and temples.

Try
Shorter hair that balances prominent jaw line. Styles that are full at the temples and
taper at the jaw are perfect for triangular shapes. Off center parts, wedges and shags
look great on you, too. You need lots of layers to achieve fullness through the upper part
of your face. By wearing styles which are full at the temples and taper at the jaw line,
you achieve a balance that can be striking in accenting features otherwise understated.
Try tucking hair behind your ears, as this will draw attention to your eyes and add the
illusion of width in this area.
Avoid
Long, full hair styles that draw attention to jaw line. Center partsoff-center is more
flattering to triangular shaped faces.
Stay away from styles with too much height at the crown. You also want to avoid putting
most of the weight of a haircut at the jaw line and below. This will give the appearance
of added weight to the face.
If going with long hair, it should be kept tight at the nape.

Click on the name to see a picture of a celebrity with triangular shaped face:

Kathy Ireland

Diamond
A cross between heart and a dramatic oval. Widest at the cheekbones, and narrow equally at the
forehead and jaw line.

Try
Your face shape is balanced and dramatic. Experiment with a variety of styles. Almost
everything works with your face (as long as you are a true diamond). You can wear
shorter styles. However, if you are a dramatic diamond shape, you need to leave weight
in the back nape area like someone with a heart shaped face. This will achieve more
balance between your dramatic cheekbones and more delicate chin line.
Avoid
You can do just about everything, but try not to wear too much hair on your face,
thereby hiding your great features.