How to Determine Your Face Shape

When you look in the mirror, you probably don't think much about the shape of your face. You might study your features or flaws. Maybe you tweeze stray hairs or try to cover up blemishes. But knowing which face shape you have is important because your face shape determines which hairstyles and accessory styles are most flattering on you. It can also help you with makeup techniques that work best for your facial features.

There are six face shapes- oval, rectangle, round, square, heart, and diamond. Each shape can have variations among facial features but everyone's face is one of these shapes.

To figure out which face shape you have, follow these three easy steps:

1. If your hair is long enough, pull it back behind your ears. You want to capture the features of your face as much as possible to get an accurate analysis.
2. Take a photo of your face from mid-neck up. (If you wear glasses, remove them.) Make sure you are looking straight, keep your face relaxed, and don't smile, as this can alter the position of features like cheekbones. In order to see your facial features as clearly as possible, find a solid, neutral-colored background and ensure that the lighting is natural and bright.

3. Analyze your photo using the descriptions of each face shape below to determine which one is yours. You should be able to draw an imaginary outline around the shape of your face to confirm that your face shape is correct.

Oval

The oval face shape is the most proportional, making it easy to choose a hairstyle and/or accessories. You really can't go wrong with any style because oval faces allow for versatility and mixing things up a bit.

Rectangle

Since a rectangle face is long, you want to soften and widen the appearance of the face to help it look more balanced. Stick to hairstyles that are shoulder length or shorter, and consider getting bangs to add width to your face.

Opt for circular or round-shaped jewelry with soft edges, since it will not elongate the face and will help to soften up your features.

Round

A round face doesn't have any angular features and is well-proportioned. With this face shape, you want to add length and dimension. Stay away from hairstyles that add volume to the areas around the sides of your face. Instead, go with something that lengthens and creates definition.

For accessories, go for geometrically shaped pieces with hard edges that elongate and balance the facial features.

Square

Square faces tend to have a more defined forehead and jawline, so side-swept bangs are a great style to try. Loose, tousled bobs are also great because they soften your face. Add length with a hairstyle that falls below the shoulders.

Because of the strong features of a square face, jewelry and accessories should be delicate and soften your look. Long necklaces and dangly earrings will add a bit of length, which will help give your face a more balanced look.

Diamond

To create a better-balanced diamond face, seek to add width to the forehead and chin. Show off your cheekbones with a short bob that frames your face, or with longer hair, stick to something blunt and super straight.

Soften and lengthen with dangly earrings and long necklaces with no sharp details help to balance out your look.

​Heart

The heart face is top-heavy and therefore, you want to add the illusion of width to the bottom half of the face. Long to medium-length hair with layers that distract from the weight of the forehead is ideal.

Earrings that highlight the cheekbones can be very flattering on a heart-shaped face. Necklaces should be on the shorter side, to try and balance out your facial features by adding more width.

Determine Your Season

Now that you know your face shape, you can draw attention to your best features by choosing a hairstyle and accessories that are most flattering. Read the corresponding Vocal article for your face shape that gives a more in-depth analysis to gain a better understanding of how to highlight the best parts of yourself.

Take things a step further by figuring out how to determine your season, so you can also make sure to choose pieces in colors that best complement your skin tone, eye color, and hair color.

Combining the ideal hairstyle, accessories, and colors for your face shape and season will bring out the best in you, and remind you of just how beautiful you are.

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