Face shape is part of everyone’s genetic make up, and some people use it to help determine what hairstyle or glasses suit them best, or even how to best apply their makeup – especially when it comes to contouring.
But I have a confession; before I started this edit, I wouldn’t have been able to confidently tell you my face shape. I could rule out ‘square’ and ‘triangle’ but that was about it. That’s why I’ve created this guide to help you determine what yours is – if that’s something you’re curious to work out.
I’ve found out a lot about face shape since I started researching this piece – but I’ve also stumbled upon a lot of questions. There’s even a lot of conflict about just how many different face shapes there are. So, before I dive into explaining how to work out your face shape, I want to cover a few of these misconceptions.
Which Face Shape Is Best?
All of them. There’s beauty in every face shape, no matter how many sources might try to persuade you otherwise. Some articles claim that oval shapes are the most attractive; however, there are plenty of articles that contradict this, too, which only goes to show that no one face shape is better than the other – it really is subjective.
It’s also important to note that some people’s face shapes can even be a blend of two face shapes; we’re all unique – and personally, I think there’s beauty in that.
Can Your Face Shape Change?
Another common query is whether your face shape naturally changes over time. As you age, your face shape may appear to alter as skin sags, while some research seems to suggest that the bone structure can lose volume slightly as you get older.
Natural weight fluctuations can also mean that the shape of your face may appear to change, but this isn’t based on the bone structure itself, which is what determines your face shape. Of course, these are normal and natural changes that you shouldn’t feel bad about – as I’ve said before, all face shapes are beautiful as they are.
If you’ve reached this far and you’d like to know what your face shape is – maybe to guide you before you switch up your hairstyle or maybe just because you’re intrigued to find out, then you’re in luck; we’ve reached the question that you want answered…
What Face Shape Do I Have?
It will be useful to have a flexible tape measure to hand to answer this query. If not, check out the key features of each face shape outlined below.
- Start by pulling your hair out of your face and measuring your forehead.
- Run the tape measure vertically along the widest point of your forehead, from hairline to hairline.
- Measure the distance between your upper cheekbones.
- Run the tape measure from your jawbone (about an inch below your ear) to the middle of your chin and double the measurement to work out your jaw length.
- Lastly, measure from your central hairline to the end of your chin to work out length.
Once you’ve got the numbers, read below to see which face shape best describes you…
Oval
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Key Feature: Egg shape.
Forehead: The width of your forehead is narrower than the width of your cheekbones.
Cheekbones: The cheeks are the widest part of your face.
Jawline: The jaw and chin should be soft, without any sharp angles.
Length: Your face is slightly longer than it is wide.
A celebrity with this face shape: Beyoncé.
Round
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Key Feature: Rounded jawline.
Forehead: You have a rounded hairline.
Cheekbones: The width of your face is roughly the same as its length; the cheekbones should visually look like the widest part of your face.
Jawline: It should be evenly rounded.
Length: Your face is as long as it is wide.
A celebrity with this face shape: Chrissy Teigen.
Diamond
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Key Feature: Prominent cheekbones.
Forehead: Your forehead is narrower than your cheekbones.
Cheekbones: They’re wider than your forehead and jawline.
Jawline: You have a narrow, pointed chin and a jawline that’s slimmer than the width of your cheekbones.
Length: Your face should be as long as it is wide.
A celebrity with this face shape: Anna Kendrick.
Heart
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Key Feature: Pointed chin and dipped hairline.
Forehead: It should be wider than your jawline. Your hairline will dip in the centre of your forehead (think: widow’s peak).
Cheekbones: The width of your cheekbones is similar to the width of your forehead.
Jawline: You have a narrow jawline with a strong, pointed chin.
Length: Your face should be slightly longer than it is wide.
A celebrity with this face shape: Kourtney Kardashian.
Square
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Key Feature: Straight hairline and jaw.
Forehead: Your hairline will be a straight line; it should be roughly the same width as your jaw.
Cheekbones: Your cheeks aren’t curved.
Jawline: Your jaw is strong, bold and squared.
Length: Your face is as long as it is wide.
A celebrity with this face shape: Sandra Bullock.
Rectangle
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Key Feature: Squared jawline and tall forehead.
Forehead: Your hairline is straight and your forehead is roughly the same width as your jaw. You’ll have a taller forehead than someone with a square face shape.
Cheekbones: Your cheekbones aren’t round or prominent.
Jawline: You have a squared jawline.
Length: Your face can be roughly as long as it is wide, or appear slightly longer.
A celebrity with this face shape: Meryl Streep
Triangle
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Key Feature: Wide jaw.
Forehead: Your forehead is narrower than your jaw.
Cheekbones: Your cheekbones aren’t prominent.
Jawline: You have a strong jawline that’s wider than your forehead. You also have a square or flat chin.
Length: Your face is longer than it is wide.
A celebrity with this face shape: Minnie Driver.
