How To Determine Your Face Shape

Let’s ‘face’ it, the shape of our face – like our fingerprints – are unique attributes that tell a thing or two about our beautiful selves. Even when we have a hard time putting a name to a face, we survive the awkward moment remembering the face.

In fact, your face shape plays a major factor from deciding hairstyles to sunglass styles. Knowing your face shape can also help you better understand how makeup placement can create different effects. Follow along as we break down the 6 face shapes, how to measure, and what your unique shape means for your beauty routine.

We’re probably all guilty of showing a stylist a pic of some hot hairstyle on some celeb that we’re dying to try only to discover it looks like a hot mess on our selves. It could be a bad stylist, but chances are the style is not for your face shape. Perhaps you’ve grabbed the latest big bee-eye sunglasses only to catch yourself in the mirror and then fly faster to put them back. Face shape, friends.

Depending on your specific beauty goals, determining your face shape can also help you understand how to apply contour and highlight more easily to enhance your best features. It also allows you to emphasize certain angles and curves of your face, or de-emphasize areas you’d prefer to minimize.

As we’ve mentioned, your face shape plays a big factor on how certain hairstyles and sunglasses will look on you, and especially in the placement of makeup. There are 6 basic face shapes with unique attributes.

Now you might be thinking that’s great, but which one do I have? Grab a mirror and read on as we describe each one and drop a face-shape-celeb lookalike for you!

An oval face shape is narrow, elongated, and elegant. They’re sometimes 2x longer than they are wide, have no pointed features, and a narrow chin. You won’t see the squared jaw or forehead as you would with rectangular faces.

If you have an oval face shape, you'll recognize the following characteristics:

• Face:
  Length is longer than it is wide.

• Forehead:
  Width of your forehead is smaller than the width of your cheekbones. May also have a tall forehead.

• Cheekbones:
  Your cheekbones are the widest part of your face.

• Jawline:
  No sharp angles on your jaw or chin.

We love round things: donuts, boba pearls, the moon – and of course, lovely round faces! If you have a round face shape, the width and the length of your face are approximately the same. Soft facial features like a rounded jawline can lend to a more youthful look.

If you have a round face shape, you'll recognize the following characteristics:

• Face:
  Length is essentially the same size as the width.

• Forehead:
  Rounded at the hairline.

• Cheekbones:
  May be round and give a youthful, fuller appearance.

• Jawline:
  Rounded with very subtle or soft angles.

You know what they say about diamonds being a girl’s best friend. In this case we mean that almost literally, as a diamond face shape has some of the best natural angles to work with. Whether it’s hairstyles, hats or sunglasses, almost any style works with this dazzling face shape.

If you have a diamond face shape, you'll recognize the following characteristics:

• Face:
  Have a narrow forehead and a small chin.

• Forehead:
  Width is smaller than the width of your cheekbones.

• Cheekbones:
  Significantly wider than your forehead and jawline and sit nice and high.

• Jawline:
  Have a narrow chin area that tapers to a strong point.

A heart-shaped face – think Reese Witherspoon – is just as cute as it sounds, and is one of the most easily identified. The most common characteristics are a face that's widest in the middle (near the cheeks), along with a pointed chin.

If you have a heart face shape, you'll recognize the following characteristics:

• Face:
  Slightly longer than it is wide, and gets more angled towards the chin.

• Forehead:
  A larger, wider forehead than your jawline. May have a widow’s peak or not – think an upside-down triangle.

• Cheekbones:
  Width about the same as your forehead, if not wider.

• Jawline:
  You have a slender jawline and the chin area will drop to a point without any squared off corners along the jaw.

There’s lots to love about a square face. The sharp angles of the jaw, a face width that makes the eyes look more unique, and natural angles in perfect balance with soft features of the nose and eyes.

If you have a square face shape, you'll recognize the following characteristics:

• Face:
  About as long as it is wide.

• Forehead:
  Hairline follows a straight line. Forehead is about the same width as your jaw.

• Cheekbones:
  Minimal curves to your cheekbones.

• Jawline:
  You have a strong, squared jawline. Sides of your face follow a straight line from your jaw to your forehead.

You’ll know you have a rectangular face shape if the widths of your forehead, cheeks, and jawline are all relatively parallel. Your jaw will likely be more square, and your face will be longer than it is wide.

If you have a rectangle face shape, you'll recognize the following characteristics:

• Face:
  Is twice as long as it is wide. Have a square resemblance but appear slightly longer.

• Forehead:
  Hairline follows a straight line and is about the same width as your jaw.

• Cheekbones:
  Minimal curves to your cheekbones and the sides of your face follow a straight line from your jaw to your forehead.

• Jawline:
  Strong, squared angles.

Now that you’ve got a list of characteristics and you’ve likely stared in the mirror for a while to make a face shape match, it’s time to gather your face measurements so you’re able to create the perfect look that makes you feel best.

Before you start, tie your hair back, and pull your hair off your forehead so you can see your entire face. Use a flexible measuring tape, like the kind used by a tailor, and be prepared to take yourself back to third grade math, though a rough estimation would also do just fine. Then, measure the four key distances of your face, listed below.

Step 1. Forehead Width: Measure the distance across your forehead at the widest point, from hairline to hairline.

If your face is the widest at your forehead and slowly gets more angled towards your chin, you probably have a heart-shaped face. This is also called the inverted triangle.

Step 2. Cheekbone Width: From your hairline above your cheekbone, measure the distance across your face to the same spot on the other side.

Is your face widest near your cheekbones? Then, in this case, you have a diamond face shape.

Step 3. Jawline Width: Start at the base of your jaw (underneath your ears). Measure the distance along the edge of your jaw until you reach the middle of your chin. Continue to measure the other side or simply multiply that number by two.

You have a triangular or pear face shape if your jaw is the widest point of your face. When you have a rounded jaw, you probably have an oval or a round face shape.

Step 4. Face Length: Begin measuring at the center of your hairline and bring it all the way down until it reaches the tip of your chin.

If your forehead, cheekbones, and jaw are all equal, then the chances are that your face shape could be either oval, square or round. Sometimes, when the jaw doesn’t appear to be that strong, you could also be a diamond face shape or triangle.

Understanding the shape of your face is the first step in creating hairstyles, accessories, makeup, and more that fully envelops your best features. Since our faces are often responsible for first and lasting impressions, it’s nice to know how to use it to your advantage. Now it’s time to go out and put your best face forward!