Understanding face shapes holds the secret to refining one’s appearance. From haircuts to grooming choices, aligning these decisions with natural features creates a noticeable impact.
Exploring different face shapes reveals ways to elevate style without losing personal identity.
How to Measure & Determine Your Face Shape
To determine your face shape, follow these steps:
- Forehead: Measure the width at its widest point, usually midway between your hairline and eyebrows.
- Cheekbones: Measure the distance from one outer corner of your cheekbone to the other across your face.
- Jawline: Measure the distance from the tip of your chin to the point below your ear where your jawline angles upward, then multiply that measurement by two to determine your total jawline length.
- Face Length: Measure the distance from your hairline (or the point where it used to be if it’s receding) down to the tip of your chin.
Interpreting Your Measurements
Once you have your measurements, compare them to the facial shape categories below:
- Oval Face: If your face length is greater than the width of your cheekbones, and your forehead is slightly wider than your jawline measurements, you likely have an oval face.
- Square Face: If the width of your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are nearly equal, and your jaw has sharp angles, you likely have a square face.
- Round Face: If your face length and cheekbone width are similar, and your jawline and forehead are softer and less angular, your face shape is round.
- Rectangle/Oblong Face: If your face length is noticeably greater than the width of your cheekbones, jawline, and forehead, you have an oblong face shape.
- Diamond Face: If your face length is the largest measurement, with cheekbones wider than the forehead and jawline, and your chin is pointed, you have a diamond face shape.
- Heart Face: If your forehead is the widest measurement and your jawline narrows to a pointed chin, you have a heart-shaped face.
- Triangle Face: If your jawline is the widest part of your face, followed by your cheekbones, and your forehead is the narrowest, you have a triangle-shaped face.
By comparing your measurements against these categories, you can confidently identify your face shape and move on to selecting hairstyles, eyewear, and facial hair that highlight your best features.
Face Shapes
By measuring your face and identifying your shape, you have the foundation for choosing the perfect hairstyle, eyewear, and facial hair. Whether you aim to balance strong features or enhance your natural proportions, these recommendations ensure you can step up your grooming game with confidence and style.
Oval Face Shape
Oval face shapes are characterized by balanced proportions, where the forehead is slightly wider than the chin, complemented by softly rounded jawlines. Notable celebrities like Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, Kendrick Lamar, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cole Sprouse, Bright Vachirawit, and Jaden Smith possess oval-shaped faces.
Hairstyle Tip: Avoid adding too much volume on top, as it may elongate your face. Opt for a textured quiff or a side part that complements the balanced proportions.
Best Eyewear: Nearly all eyewear styles work for oval faces, but aviators or square frames are top choices as they maintain the balance.
Best Facial Hair: A neatly trimmed stubble or light beard style enhances natural symmetry without overshadowing your features.
Square Face Shape
Square faces are defined by wide foreheads, angular jawlines, and well-proportioned features. Celebrities like Zac Efron, Cillian Murphy, Charles Melton, Sebastian Stan, Daniel Radcliffe, Timothée Chalamet, Elijah Wood, and Jacob Elordi demonstrate the allure of a square face shape and strong jawline.
Hairstyle Tip: Soften the face with layered styles, or add height with a faux hawk or textured crop. A buzz cut also accentuates the sharp jawline, giving a powerful look.
Best Eyewear: Round or oval frames soften the angularity, contrasting the strong jawline.
Best Facial Hair: A full beard can help soften the sharp angles, while a short beard enhances the jawline.
Round Face Shape
Round faces feature softer edges and balanced proportions. is an excellent example of someone who has utilized sharp cuts and structured styles to enhance the definition of a round face. Jonah Hill, Post Malone, Tyrese, Ed Sheeran, and Will Smith also have round faces.
Hairstyle Tip: Add height and structure with a pompadour or undercut to elongate the face. An angular fringe or messy fringe adds dimension and contrast.
Best Eyewear: Rectangular or square frames add angles, helping to break up the roundness.
Best Facial Hair: A goatee or beard with sharp lines adds structure and creates the illusion of a longer face.
Rectangle/Oblong Face Shape
Oblong faces are longer than they are wide and are characterized by prominent foreheads and chins. Gael Garcia Bernal’s face shape exemplifies balancing length with fuller hairstyles. Additional celebrities with rectangular faces include Brad Pitt, John Cena, Glen Powell, Tom Hiddleston, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., and Jason Bateman.
Hairstyle Tip: Avoid adding height; focus on creating width with textured cuts or fringe styles. Keeping the sides fuller will help balance out the elongated face.
Best Eyewear: Wide rectangular frames shorten the appearance of the face by adding width.
Best Facial Hair: A medium stubble or short beard creates width at the chin, balancing the face’s length.
Diamond Face Shape
Diamond-shaped faces feature narrow foreheads and chins complemented by prominent cheekbones. Adam Driver illustrates how individuals with diamond faces can benefit from hairstyles that create width at the forehead and chin. Eddie Redmayne, Jared Leto, Bill Skarsgård, Ed Skrein, and Penn Badgley have diamond faces, too.
Hairstyle Tip: Opt for textured fringes or longer layers to balance the narrow forehead. Side parts or shaggy layers help soften sharp angles and emphasize the cheekbones.
Best Eyewear: Oval or rimless frames soften the angles, avoiding styles that widen the cheeks.
Best Facial Hair: A goatee or chin strap helps balance the narrow chin while emphasizing the cheekbones.
Heart Face Shape
A heart-shaped face is characterized by a wider forehead that narrows to a pointed chin. Henry Cavill demonstrates how to use haircuts to balance the upper and lower sections of the face. Keanu Reeves, Jude Law, Chris Hemsworth, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kit Harington, Zayn Malik, Tom Holland, and Chris Pine are other famous figures with heart-shaped faces.
Hairstyle Tip: To enhance the appearance of hairstyles for men with heart-shaped faces, focus on adding volume at the jawline with tapered cuts or longer layers. A side part that creates volume at the temples can help balance the wider forehead effectively.
Best Eyewear: Rounded or oval frames balance the forehead’s width while softening the face’s lower part.
Best Facial Hair: A light stubble or beard can fill out the chin area, adding balance to the tapering shape.
Triangle Face Shape
The triangle face shape is marked by a wider jawline than the cheekbones and forehead. Justin Bieber showcases how this shape can benefit from hairstyle choices that add balance to the top. Other celebrities like Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, and Louis Tomlinson also have triangle-shaped faces, defined by their broader jaws and narrower foreheads.
Hairstyle Tip: Add volume at the forehead with fringe styles or textured quiffs. This will balance the broader jawline and create a more proportional appearance.
Best Eyewear: Top-heavy or browline frames add width to the forehead and balance the jawline.
Best Facial Hair: A full or medium-length beard helps balance the wider jawline by softening its prominence.
