To find your face shape, slick your hair back or tie a scarf around it, then trace the outline of your face on the mirror with a washable marker or lipstick. Then, look for these shape-specific clues:
Round
Your chin blends in with your jaw, and your full cheeks make your face seem about as wide as it is long. Note that round doesn’t mean chubby. You share this shape with Renee Zellweger and Kate Bosworth. The haircut that flatters you is side-swept bangs, which will elongate your face. Longer hair also helps to thin out your face, so aim for a cut that’s below your shoulders.
Long
Your face appears significantly longer vertically than horizontally, and your forehead measures more than 2 1/2 inches from your hairline to the bridge of your nose. For some, the chin may be defined, like Sarah Jessica Parker and Gwyneth Paltrow. The haircuts that flatter you are eyebrow-skimming bangs that hide a high forehead. Stick to a haircut that gives width somewhere around chin level with face-framing layers.
Square
Your sharp, strong jaw is your standout feature. (It’s almost parallel to the floor.) Your hairline may look squared off too. Some women find this face shape masculine, but it can be softened with the right cut. You share this face shape with Demi Moore and Rosario Dawson. The haircut that flatters you is long, layered bangs that add a delicate, feminine touch and shift the focus from your jaw to your eyes.
Heart
Your narrow chin juts out and is the focal point of your face, even when you’re not grinning. You may also have high, prominent cheekbones. You share this face shape with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. Haircuts that flatter you are face-framing layers, which are key to creating an illusion around your cheekbones to add width and take the emphasis away from your jaw.
Oval
Your forehead is slightly wider than your jaw. Your jaw and hairline are rounded and your face is slender. You share this versatile, proportional shape with the likes of Natalie Portman and Cameron Diaz. The haircuts that flatter you are all bangs and bob-ish cuts from chin length to the bottom of the neck. Another option is longer hair parted down the middle, which shows off more face.
By Jet Rhys
