How to Determine Your Face Shape

The shape of your face can influence your choices for hairstyles, eyewear, and makeup to look your best. Begin by getting familiar with the basic face shapes. You can determine your face shape with a few measurements and use the knowledge you gain to choose hairstyles, makeup styles, and accessories that highlight your facial features.

Use a flexible tape measure. To measure your face, you'll need a soft tape measure, like the kind used by tailors. These can be easily found at grocery stores. It doesn't matter whether you measure in inches or centimeters; what’s important is comparing the measurements to each other, as exact numbers aren't necessary.

Pull your hair back. If you have long hair, tie it up or pull it back. For shorter hairstyles, you can use wax or clips to keep it in place.

• Avoid using a tape measure for your face. Not only is it harder to use, but you might accidentally injure yourself if the tape measure snaps back during the measurement.

Get a pen and paper. To determine your face shape with measurements, you’ll need to write down each measurement and compare them once you’ve finished. Find something to record the numbers.

Look in the mirror. Measuring your face will be easiest if you can see what you’re doing. Stand or sit in front of a large mirror placed in a well-lit room. Position the mirror directly in front of your face at chin level.

Measure the widest part of your forehead. This area is usually around the middle of your eyebrows and hairline. Measure across the forehead, from one side of the hairline to the other. Write down the measurement.

Measure across your cheekbones. This step is a bit trickier. Use your hand to feel for the highest point of your cheekbones, typically just below the outer corner of each eye. Once you’ve located the exact spot, use the tape measure to measure across from one cheekbone to the other.

• Remember that the bridge of your nose might push the tape measure up, causing the width to appear larger than it is. For a more accurate measurement, keep the tape straight in front of your face and align it with your cheekbones. Ensure the tape doesn’t touch the inside of your face during each measurement.

Measure from the jaw angle to the chin tip. Hold one end of the measuring tape at the jaw angle below the ear and extend the other end to the tip of the chin. Repeat this process on the other side of the jaw, then sum the two measurements, or simply double the first measurement. The result will give you the total length of the jawline.

Measure the face length. Measure from the center of the hairline at the top down to the chin tip. If your hairline is receded or shaved, estimate the hairline position.

• This measurement might not be accurate if you have a prominent nose. Instead of measuring along the facial curves, hold the measuring tape vertically from above and line it up at the point where the hairline and chin align.

Compare each measurement to determine the face shape. After taking measurements and recording them, identify the largest and smallest measurements. Compare your facial proportions to the basic face shapes.

• For instance, if the width and length of your face are equal, it is likely round or square. A square face tends to have a wider, more angular jawline compared to a round one.
• If your face is longer than it is wide, you may have an oval, rectangular, or oblong face. To determine the exact shape, examine the forehead, cheekbones, and jawline measurements.
• If your measurements decrease from the forehead to the jaw, your face might be heart-shaped or oval. If the measurements are the same from top to bottom, your face could be elongated, square, or rectangular.
• If your face widens from the forehead to the jaw, you likely have a triangular face shape.

Choose a hairstyle that complements your face shape. The length of your hair can make your face appear longer or wider. You need a hairstyle that balances the proportions of your face.

• Straight, long hair is an excellent choice for round or square faces as it adds length and reduces width.
• Short, voluminous styles on top, like a pixie cut, can elongate a short face and draw attention to the eyes and cheekbones.
• Medium to short hairstyles, such as chin-length or shoulder-length bob cuts, can make a long face appear shorter and fuller. These styles are great for oval and elongated face shapes.

Choose the right bangs style for your face shape. Your face shape plays a crucial role in determining which bangs will suit you best (or whether you should even have bangs). Consider the following when deciding to add bangs to your look:

• Long, thin bangs that form an A shape on your forehead can soften a square face.
• A side-swept fringe works well with many face shapes, including round, heart-shaped, oval, and elongated faces.
• Full, straight bangs can make a narrow forehead appear wider and shorten a long face.

Select glasses frames that balance your face shape if you wear glasses. Your glasses can dramatically change the appearance of your face. When choosing frames, pick those that create balance rather than exaggerating your face shape. For example:

• For an oval face, choose frames that complement the width of your face.
• If you have a heart-shaped face, use light-colored or rimless frames to minimize the width of the upper face, or choose frames that are wider at the bottom.
• For a long, oval, or rectangular face, opt for wide frames close to the nose with decorative sides to make your face appear broader.
• For a narrow face shape, such as a triangle, select frames that are wider at the top, like cat-eye glasses.
• For short, wide faces, such as square or oval shapes, small frames are best. Curved frames help balance angular faces, while angular frames work well for round faces.
• Soften the angles of a diamond-shaped face with oval frames.

Enhance your face shape with makeup. Makeup can help balance your facial proportions and accentuate your best features. For example:

• To widen a long face, apply blush on the cheeks and blend out towards the temples. To shorten the face, contour along the hairline and jawline.
• Use contouring powder to narrow the forehead on a heart-shaped face.
• For a round face, contour around the edges of the face and under the cheekbones. Apply highlighter to the center of the face (forehead, nose, highest points of the cheeks, and chin).
• Soften a square face by contouring along the forehead, temples, and jawline, and highlighting the cheekbones.
• For faces with narrower foreheads, like diamond or triangular shapes, widen the space between the eyebrows to make the upper face appear broader.

Identify an oval face shape with a slim contour. If your face is long and tapered from the forehead to the jaw, you likely have an oval face shape. Oval faces typically have a length that is one and a half times the width.

Observe the width of your cheekbones to identify a round face. A round face has the widest width across the cheekbones, with a rounded forehead and jawline. A good rule of thumb to determine a round face is that the length (measured from the hairline to the chin) is equal to the width (measured across the cheekbones).

Look for a wide forehead and narrow chin to identify a heart-shaped face. A heart-shaped face features the widest width at the forehead, narrowing down to the chin. The forehead is wider than the cheekbones, and the jawline is narrower than both the cheekbones and forehead.

• A heart-shaped face often has a pointed chin.

Pay attention to a narrow forehead and jawline to identify a diamond-shaped face. A diamond-shaped face is long, with the widest part at the cheekbones, narrowing towards both the forehead and chin.

Identify an elongated face by looking at the rounded forehead and jawline. This face shape is long but rounded from top to bottom. An elongated face typically has equal width at the cheekbones and jawline.

Recognize a square face by observing the wide forehead and jawline. A square face often has a jawline that is as wide, if not wider, than the cheekbones. This face shape also tends to have a broad forehead. The slope from the jaw to the chin is relatively flat, and the chin is usually wide rather than pointed or rounded.

Observe if a square jaw is paired with a long face. Just like a round face, a square face tends to have width equal to length. If you have a square jaw and a long face, it’s likely that your face is rectangular rather than square.

Shape your face into a triangle by focusing on the wide jawline. A square jaw can also be a feature of a triangular face. If your forehead and cheekbones are much narrower than your jaw, it means you likely have a triangular face.

• Some articles about face shapes claim that certain face shapes are "ideal" or "desirable." However, these opinions are entirely subjective. There is no face shape that is more beautiful than another.
• Identifying your face shape is not an exact science, even if you use measurements. Use your judgment to figure out which face shape most closely resembles yours.
• To look your best, keep your face shape in mind when deciding on hairstyles and makeup. Additionally, consider your face shape when selecting accessories such as hats and glasses.