Find the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape
Getty Images and Maria Asare-Boadi/Allure
Additonal reporting by Abbie Kozolchyk.
Getty Images1/17For Round Faces: Long Layers
"If you want to wear a center part, the way to make it work for a round face is to have hair a few inches past your shoulders with layers that hit at the jaw," says hairstylist and Los Angeles salon owner Chris McMillan. "Ask your stylist to cut in a bit on the sides to create subtle angles," as Selena Gomez has. Prevent short layers from frizzing, which can add bulk around your face, by smoothing on a serum like the Pureology Smooth Perfection Smoothing Serum.
Getty Images2/17For Round Faces: Asymmetrical
"A round face looks really good with an uneven cut, meaning a mix of lengths," says McMillan. (Kirsten Dunst's is a good example.) "If you add a deep side part and long, side-swept bangs, you'll look slimmer." Use a light finishing cream, such as Sachajuan Finish Cream, to coax — and keep — bangs to the side.
Getty Images3/17For Round Faces: Piecey Bob
The key to wearing hair above the shoulders is styling it imprecisely, says hairsylist Jimmy Paul. Think of Jennifer Lawrence when she has a bob. "It's a soft, layered cut worn intentionally mussed," Paul adds. Use a thickening spray like the Kristin Ess Instant Lift Thickening Spray and a round brush on damp hair "to add a bit of movement and wave."
Getty Images4/17For Round Faces: Defined Pixie
Try a pixie like Ginnifer Goodwin's, suggests Paul, but make sure to keep the ends choppy. "All those little pieces help emphasize the cheekbones and eyes," he says. "It's almost as if you build in cheekbones with this cut." Apply a pomade (we like Ouai's Matte Pomade) to damp hair for definition and texture.
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Getty Images5/17For Round Faces: Angled Bob
"Try long, dramatic layers that sweep along the chin, and a shortening of the hair as you go back to the nape of the neck," says Paul. "This cut gives you structure and angles. The hard lines of it balance out the soft lines of a round face." Use a volumizing spray, such as Briogeo Blossom & Bloom Ginseng + Biotin Volumizing Spray to add body at the roots for extra slimming, but be wary of adding any at the sides — that can widen the face.
Getty Images6/17For Oval Faces: Center Part
A center part on hair that's shoulder-length or longer and all one length is "nice against an oval backdrop," says hairstylist Ted Gibson. To help avoid looking too blunt, add some soft waves, like Jessica Alba's, with a beach hair-mimicking spray like the Sexy Hair Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray. If you want a bit more texture, wrap random sections around a large-barrel curling iron. "The effect is incredibly romantic," he adds.
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Getty Images7/17For Oval Faces: Long, Blunt Bangs
"If your face tends to look long, cutting straight bangs across the brow line can break up the length by creating the illusion of width," McMillan says. Keep them blunt, but side-swept like Jessica Biel's with one or two passes of a flatiron.
Getty Images8/17For Oval Faces: Shaggy Pixie
Katy Perry's latest piece-y crop is perfect for oval faces. "It's definitely a 'notice me' look," Paul notes, so if you're feeling daring, go for it. "There's something very sexy and feminine about showing off your neck and ears with such hard lines." Use a medium-hold gel like Davines's This Is A Medium Hold Modeling Gel to give the hair separation.
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Getty Images9/17For Oval Faces: Bob With Side Bangs
"A bob with side-swept bangs helps break up a long face and add softness," says McMillan. Lizzy Caplan's fits the bill. Keep bangs in place with a pea-size drop of light gel such as Amika's Haute Mess Texture Gel.
Getty Images10/17For Square Faces: Tousled Lob
Go for a lob with body, says Paul. Mandy Moore's is a good example. Use a styling cream such as the Suave Professionals Luxe Style Infusion Water Proof Cream to emphasize layers and de-emphasize squareness.
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Getty Images11/17For Square Faces: Long and Straight
"The way Demi Moore wears her hair — really straight and long — softens square angles," says McMillan. And the center part "opens up the middle of her face, drawing attention away from the jawline."
Getty Images12/17For Square Faces: Long with Wavy Ends
This cut is similar to Demi Moore's. The only difference is you don;t have to break out a flat iron all the time if you don't have naturally straight hair. "Try waves from the ears down, which helps obscure any severity in the jawline," says McMillan. Keira Knightley's is a great example of this look on long hair. Use a large round brush to smooth hair, then spritz on a wave spray like John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray.
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13/17For Square Faces: Thinned-Out Bob
"A soft, tapered bob that hits right around the chin works beautifully on a square face," says Gibson. To add texture like Olivia Wilde has and offset any severity at the jawline, mist a dry shampoo through your roots (try the Batiste Dry Shampoo), then flatiron the ends.
Getty Images14/17For Heart Faces: Bouncy Bob
For a heart-shaped face, "hair that hits right below the jaw helps fill in the area around the chin, and de-emphasizes the triangle," explains Gibson. To blur those lines even more, add a bit of body, as Kerry Washington has, with a round brush and volumizing spray.
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Getty Images15/17For Heart Faces: Mid-Length With a Deep Side Part
When it comes to Reese Witherspoon's mid-length hair that is heavily layered around the face and strong side swept bangs, Matt Fugate, a Kérastase celebrity hairstylist, says it's all about balance. "The cut sort of closes off her forehead, giving her more balance and drawing more attention to her eyes and cute little chin," he explains. The bangs, in particular, help change the shape of Reese Witherspoon's face for a "bolder look", he adds. To add volume to the cut, Fugate recommends flipping your hair over when blow-drying it. Then, boost shine and smoothness with a spritz or two of Kérastase's Elixir Ultime Bi-Phase Spray Oil. "Using a spray oil is better than hairspray or else it looks dated and rigid," he says.
Getty Images16/17For Heart Faces: Pixie With Pushed-Back Bangs
A pixie with soft pushed-back bangs "softens any hard features," says Paul. Ruby Rose is a classic. Finger-comb a light styling cream like the Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream before going over hair with a round brush and blow-dryer for smoothness.
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Getty Images17/17For Heart Faces: Long, Layered Waves
"You want a few pieces of hair to fall in the area between the ears and the nose to offset the width of the 'heart,' and you want the longer layers to fill in around the chin," McMillan says. And any waviness should be kept from the ears down, as it is on Zoë Saldana here. "Fullness on top only emphasizes the point at the bottom," he explains.
