Have you ever found your dream haircut, made the salon appointment, but left the chair feeling disappointed and wondering why it doesn’t look how you imagined?
Chances are, you’ve been picking out the wrong hairstyles to compliment your unique and beautiful face shape.
With that in mind, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to ensure you love every one of your future haircuts.
Keep scrolling and learn how to determine your face shape, which haircuts will suit you best, and even which celebrities have the same face shape as you.
How To Know What Face Shape You Have
The simplest way to understand your face shape? Look over the categories below and compare the characteristics of each with your face in the mirror. If you want to confirm the exact dimensions, you can take more extreme measures – literally.
Be sure to use a flexible fabric tape measure (never a retractable metal one!) to determine the widest part of your face. It’s usually your forehead or your cheekbones but could be your jawline.
Then, measure from your hairline to the tip of your chin and note down your findings. Use these measurements against the guides below to reveal your face shape, then decide which corresponding haircut you like best.
What Are The Different Face Shapes
If you’ve always thought face shapes were long, short, round, or square, think again. There are many different shapes and categories and knowing which you have is the first step in finding the right hairstyle for you.
Just remember, much like body shapes, these categories are subjective. We are all unique and your face shape may not correspond to just one category, it could be a mix of two.
Our advice? Get to know your face shape and recommended haircuts, but don’t let it put you off choosing a style you really love. You can always check with your stylist beforehand if you’re really unsure.
Now, let’s look closer at the names and characteristics of the most common face shapes out there.
Oval
If your face is longer than it is wide, you probably have an oval face shape. Other characteristics include a forehead and cheekbones just slightly wider than your chin. An inverted egg shape if you will.
Celebrities with an oval face shape: Samara Weaving, Karlie Kloss, Blake Lively, and Jennifer Lawrence.
Best Haircuts For An Oval Face Shape
Having an oval face shape is kind of like winning the lottery when it comes to choosing a haircut. Practically every style you think of will suit you.
Of course, there are styles we highly recommend to accentuate your features and make the most of your face shape. The main trick is to choose a cut with some horizontal volume. This will complement and balance out a long oval face shape.
So, if you’ve been coveting summer’s top requested butterfly haircut, you’re in luck.
The multiple rounded layers will look great with the curves of your face. Meanwhile, the shorter pieces nearer the top accentuate your jawline and cheekbones.
Mid-length cuts with lots of subtle layers will also look amazing, especially will all the gentle lift and movement they create.
If you want something shorter try a blunt-cut bob that sits above your shoulders. Again, ask your stylist to include some face-framing pieces to really nail the look.
Round
A round face is usually on the shorter side.
Your forehead and cheekbones will be roughly the same width though your cheekbones are still the widest part of your face. As for your chin, it appears rounded with soft angles.
Celebrities with a round face shape: Emma Stone, Chrissy Teigen, and Kirsten Dunst.
Best Haircuts For A Round Face
We recommend haircuts with long layers to add a little perceived length to the face and compliment this shape.
Keep your hair long or wear it on the shorter side, just make sure the pieces around your face sit an inch or two below your chin so as not to shorten your face further.
Soft curtain bangs with tapered ends will also look amazing on you, creating angles that draw the eye diagonally.
For shorter styles, think bobs and lobs with plenty of volume in the roots. Like the long layers, these cuts will add length to your face, but this time at the top instead of the bottom.
Heart
If your forehead is the widest part of your face, you likely have a heart-shaped face. You’ll also notice a prominent and pointed chin.
A widow’s peak also contributes to the characteristics of this face shape though not everyone with a heart-shaped face has one.
Celebrities with a heart-shaped face: Sofia Richie-Grainge, Selena Gomez, and Reece Witherspoon.
Best Haircuts For A Heart Shaped Face
To complement and balance a heart-shaped face, we recommend a stylish long bob (a lob). This haircut is eternally chic and simple to style.
It also works to draw attention to the lower half of your face but still lets your cheekbones shine. We love it straight but think it looks even better with curls for heart-shaped faces.
Prefer something a little edgier? A wolf haircut is perfect for you. With tons of texture, movement, and the creation of new lines, it’s made for a heart-shaped face.
Meanwhile, if you want to draw all the attention to those amazing cheekbones of yours, be daring and opt for a pixie cut. Adding height to the top of your head will also add balance to your super-sculpted chin.
Diamond
Think you have a heart-shaped face but your forehead is on the narrow side? You probably slot better into the diamond face shape category.
This face shape also boasts killer cheekbones that sit just slightly wider than the rest of the face – like a diamond!
Celebrities with a diamond face shape: Eiza González, Megan Fox, and Jennifer Lopez.
Best Haircuts For A Diamond Face Shape
Good news: a diamond face shape will work with pretty much any haircut you choose. However, we have some recommendations to properly showcase your enviably symmetrical face shape.
First, for longer locks, think long and flowing styles. They’ll instinctively highlight the proportions of your face, especially when paired with a center parting and long layers.
If shorter haircuts are your style, opt for a lob or a shoulder-length cut. Both haircuts are softer than a bob which can sometimes clash with an angular face shape.
Square
Think you have a square face? Look for straight lines from the temples to the jaw and an angled jawline with little to no curve.
Also, if the length of your face measures roughly the same as the width, you probably have a square face shape.
Celebrities with a square face shape: Olivia Wilde, Margot Robbie, and Katie Homes.
Best Haircuts For A Square Face
If you’re hoping to cut your hair shorter for summer you’re about to be very happy. The French bob is everywhere right now and looks incredible with square face shapes – with or without bangs!
Ask your stylist for a cut that allows for curling—this will add even more texture and movement to soften yet compliment the straight edges of your jawline.
If you want to keep your hair long, consider wearing it long and straight with a few face-framing pieces. These will graze your chin and draw attention to your strongest feature.
Rectangle
A rectangular face shape is much like a square face shape, with straight sides and a forehead and jawline that are the same width. The only difference? Your face is a little longer on the sides.
Celebrities with a rectangular face shape: Liv Tyler, Kate Winslet, and Anne Hathaway.
Best Haircuts For A Rectangle Face Shape
For a square-shaped face with a little extra length, try curtain bangs.
Not only will they draw some much-deserved attention to your fabulous defined jawline, they’ll also bring a beautiful balance to the length of your face.
If you’d rather go for full bangs, these will work perfectly too but we suggest keeping them on the longer side. This way they sit just on or just above our brows, bringing harmony to your face-shape.
The best part? Both styles work with long or short hair.
Inverted Triangle
Look out for a wider forehead and narrow cheekbones or a narrow chin/jawline. Sometimes you’ll notice both, but either way, you have an inverted triangle face shape.
Celebrities with an inverted triangle face shape: Scarlett Johansson, Natalia Dyer, and Ariana Grande.
Best Haircuts For A Triangle Face Shape
Layers, layers, layers. Whether you want to go shorter or plan on growing your hair longer, layers are key to accentuating and highlighting the beauty of your triangle face shape.
Longer tresses will benefit from face-framing pieces or even side-swept curtain bangs. Shorter styles with longer layers falling just below the chin have a similarly dazzling effect.