Ready for a major hair makeover but can't decide what cut will suit you best? Instead of being a slave to the hair trend du jour—or morphing into a hairbot—let the shape of your gorgeous face be your guide.
We spoke to five celeb hairstylists to get their pro advice on what the perfect cut for your face shape is, along with tips on how to style and maintain it.
LONG FACE
Face Shape: Forehead, cheekbones, and chin are a similar width.
Hairstyle
Guidelines: “When it comes to long faces — celebs like Kim Kardashian,
Gisele and Victoria Beckham are known for theirs — it’s best to break up
the elongation with architectural lines; so bangs and blunt bobs are
great (think French girl vibes), but deep parts also work because they
create asymmetric balance and make the face appear less long,” explains
celebrity stylist Matt Fugate.
Remember how many blunt bobs and
asymmetrical cuts Posh Spice has sported over the years? There’s a
reason for that. One thing to keep in mind with these types of styles is
maintenance, however. “Once the focal points start to fall, it can pull
the face down, so regular bang dustings and end trimmings are
necessary,” he adds. As for which textures are suitable for these cuts…
pin straight is perfect for a deep part, whereas wavy can handle a blunt
bob (or long Gisele’s layers) and bangs can go either way.
ROUND FACE
Face Shape: Facial width and length are roughly the same size.
Hairstyle Guidelines: According to celeb stylist Paul Labrecque of Paul Labrecque Salon and Spa, layers of any kind should be a round face’s go-to cut a là Selena Gomez or Emma Stone. “This type of styling gives off the illusion of a softer, more oval face shape and wherever the face holds weight, it’s always a good idea to soften that area,” he explains. “Your stylist can easily do this with layers to help create a frame and this will eliminate some of the heaviness our eyes see.” For touch-ups to keep your style fresh AF, layers must be put back in shape to maintain their health every 6-8 weeks. Another case for layers? They work well on almost any texture from wavy or naturally straight to medium-to-coarse thickness.
HEART FACE
Face Shape: Forehead is wider with a sharp chin.
Hairstyle Guidelines: When it comes to heart-shaped faces, celeb hairstylist at Rita Hazan Eugene Toye prefers short cropped pixies, long flowy layers and mid-cut long bobs. “Halle Berry has a heart face so she gets a lot of volume up top and the layers add texture and fullness, which soften her jawline. As for Scarlett Johansson, long sexy layers with side bangs help to give the face softness, especially around the forehead and Reese Witherspoon’s mid-cut with layered ends around the clavicle help give the illusion of a shorter jawline and soften her pert chin,” he says. While maintenance is a given for shorter cuts, especially pixies (every 4-6 weeks), longer cuts can last 8-12 weeks since they grow out nicely.
SQUARE FACE
Face Shape: Forehead, jawline, and cheekbones are all the same width.
Hairstyle Guidelines: “Bangs can be a great way to accentuate square face shapes and my favorite are curtain bangs (like Alexa Chung’s) that are shorter in the middle and longer around the corners,” says Dove celebrity stylist Cynthia Alvarez. Squares can also frame their face with updos (like Shay Mitchell, the queen of updos) to soften a strong jawline. “Try a tousled side-swept chignon or a perfectly messy low ponytail secured with discreetly placed pins or ties, letting a few tendrils fall around the crown,” adds Alvarez.
“Graduated lobs that fall slightly beneath the jawline (like Sevyn Streeter’s) also work really well with a square face since they complement the natural bone structure and the varying length in layers creates a lot of movement. To add more dimension, you can ask your colorist for highlights or stylist for side-swept bangs, or you can simply part your hair down the middle for a nice effect.” For bangs and graduated lobs, schedule a trim every six weeks to maintain a fresh cut and if you feel your hair is feeling flat after day two or three, Alvarez recommends using Dove Refresh+Care Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo ($5) to remove any unwanted oils and add a boost of volume.
OVAL FACE
Face Shape: Forehead is slightly wider than the chin, with high cheekbones.
Hairstyle Guidelines: “Most women are far more unique and individual than their basic face shape, but if you happen to have an oval face shape it’s likely that you don’t need to use any architectural illusions with your hair to camouflage an awkward disproportion,” says celebrity hairstylist and Oribe educator Adam Livermore. AKA you have one of the most versatile shapes, congrats. Should you still want a recco (or two) for what to do with your ‘do though, Livermore is loving these styles on oval gals right now: long rounded fringe to accentuate beautiful cheekbones (like Bella Hadid’s), short bangs to showcase bright eyes and strong eyebrows (like Rooney Mara’s), a rounded layer cut on an exuberant curly texture (like Thandie Newton’s), and a chic little bob for an elegant long neck and shoulders (like Taylor LaShae). As for product picks to play up these looks, Livermore suggests Oribe Curl Control Silkening Crème ($39), Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse ($39) and Straight Away Smoothing Blowout Cream ($44).
