Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Measure your face
• Method 2 of 3: Flatter your face shape
• Method 3 of 3: Determine the basic shape of your face
• Tips

The shape of your face can determine which hairstyles or spectacle frames are best for you and how you can make the most of your makeup. To determine the shape of your face, you will first need to know which basic shapes exist. Determine the shape of your face by taking a few measurements and use this knowledge to more easily choose a new hairstyle or accessories that flatter your face and determine the best make-up.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Measure your face

1. Grab an inch. You need a flexible centimeter to measure your face; one that tailors use. If you don't have an inch at home, you can easily find one at most department stores. It doesn't matter which unit of measurement (centimeters or inches, for example) the centimeter uses exactly. The important thing is not what the exact numbers are, but how the measurements relate to each other.
2. Get your hair out of your face. If your hair is long, put it up or in a ponytail. Draw shorter hair back or secure with clips.

   Tip: Don't try to measure your face with such a rigid retractable tape measure. This makes it a lot more difficult, and you could also hurt yourself if the measuring tape accidentally pulls back during the measurement.

   
   
3. Grab pencil and paper. To determine the shape of your face by measuring it, you have to write down each measurement you take so that you can compare them all at the end. So take something to record the measurements.
4. Stand in front of the mirror. It is easiest to measure your face when you can see what you are doing. Sit or stand in front of a large mirror in a well-lit room. Look straight into the mirror with your chin horizontal.
5. Measure the widest part of your forehead. Usually this is the part halfway between your eyebrows and your top hairline. Measure the distance straight across your hairline on one side of your forehead to the other. Write down the result. Question and answer V.

   A wikiHow user asked the following question: "When measuring the width of my face, should I measure all the way to the hairline?"

   
   

   Take a measurement over your cheekbones. This measurement can be a bit tricky. Feel with your fingertips where the most prominent part of your cheekbones is. Usually this is just below the outer corner of your eye. Once you find the right spot, measure straight ahead the distance from one cheekbone to the other.

   Tip: Keep in mind that the bridge of your nose can push the centimeter out a bit, which can make the distance appear wider than it actually is. To measure the distance more accurately, hold the tape measure directly in front of your face and your eyeball so that it lines up with your cheekbones. When doing this, keep the tape measure off your face for the other measurements.

6. Measure from each end of your jaw to the tip of your chin. Place one end of the tape measure at the corner of your jaw under your ear and bring the other end to the tip of your chin. Do the same on the other side and add the results or multiply the first measurement by two. The result is the total length of your jawline.
7. Measure the length of your face. Take the centimeter and measure from the center of your top hairline to the tip of your chin. If you have a pulled back hairline or if you have shaved your hair, estimate where your hairline would be.

   Note: If you have a fairly large nose, you can measure the length of your face less precisely. In that case, instead of following the contour of your face exactly, keep the centimeter from top to bottom straight in front of your face and your eyeballs so that it is in line with your hairline and chin.

   
   
8. Determine the shape of your face by comparing the measurement results. When you have taken all the measurements and noted the results, determine which dimensions are the largest and which are the smallest. Compare the proportions of your face with those of the standard face shapes described below.
   • For example, if your face is about as long as it is wide, you probably have a round or square face. A square face has a wider, more angular jaw than a round face.
   • If your face is longer than it is wide, it can be elongated, oval, or rectangular. To determine the exact shape of your face, look at how your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline relate to each other.
   • If the measurements gradually narrow from your forehead to your jawline, your face will be heart-shaped or oval. If the dimensions are exactly the same, you may have an oblong, square, or rectangular face.
   • When your face widens from your forehead to your jawline, it is triangular.

Method 2 of 3: Flatter your face shape

1. Choose a hairstyle that flatters your face shape. Choose a style that enhances the shape of your face. The length of your hair can affect the length and width of your face. Therefore, choose a hairstyle that balances the dimensions of your face.
   • Long, straight hair is a good choice if you have a round or square face, as it makes your face look a bit longer and less wide.
   • Also very short hairstyles with more volume on top, such as a so-called pixie haircut, can also make a short face look a bit longer and emphasize your eyes and cheekbones.
   • Medium to short haircuts, such as a chin or shoulder length bob, can make a long face appear shorter and draw attention to your eyes and cheekbones. These styles therefore go well with an oval or an elongated face.
2. Also wear your bangs in a way that suits your face. To determine what kind of bangs are best for you, and whether you should have bangs at all, it's important to consider the shape of your face. When choosing bangs or not, keep the following in mind:
   • Long, feathery bangs that frame your forehead in an A shape can help soften the expression of a square face.
   • Side bangs look great with a variety of face shapes, including round, heart, oval or elongated face.
   • Long, blunt, straight-cut bangs can make a narrow forehead look wider and make a longer face appear a bit shorter.
3. If you wear glasses, choose a frame that fits the shape of your face. Glasses can change the look of your face quite a bit. If you wear glasses, choose frames that don't exaggerate the shape of your face, but complement it. For instance:
   • Balance an oval-shaped face with frames that fit the width of your face.
   • If you have a heart-shaped face, make the top half of your face look less wide with a light-colored or rimless frame. You can also opt for frames that are a bit wider at the bottom.
   • If you have an oblong or rectangular face, you can make it look a bit wider by choosing a wide frame with a low bridge, or a frame with temple-like decorations.
   • If your face is a bit narrower at the top, i.e. a triangular face, choose a frame that is a bit wider at the top, for example so-called cat eyes.
   • If your face is short and wide in shape, i.e. square or oval, opt for a narrow frame. Frames with round shapes suit fairly angular faces, while angular frames go well with a round face.
   • Opt for an oval frame to soften an angular, diamond-shaped face.
4. Flatter the shape of your face with matching make-up. If you are using makeup, make up in a way that balances the proportions of your face and emphasizes the benefits of your face. For instance:
   • Make an elongated face a bit wider by applying some blush to the apples of your cheeks. Wipe it out towards your temples. Reduce the length of your face with some brown or terra-colored powder, aka bronzer, on your hair and jawline.
   • If you have a heart-shaped face, use bronzer to flatten your forehead.
   • Add some texture to a round face with bronzer around the entire outer edge of your face and under the cheekbones. Mark the center of your face (with the center of your forehead, your bridge of the nose and the highest point of your cheeks and chin) with the powder.
   • Soften a square face by contouring your forehead, temples and jawline and accentuating your cheeks.
   • If you have a face shape with a narrow forehead, such as a diamond-shaped or triangular face, you can widen the space between the eyebrows to make your forehead appear larger.

Method 3 of 3: Determine the basic shape of your face

1. To spot an oval face, see if it tapers a bit. If your face is elongated, but tapers slightly from your forehead to your jaw, you may have an oval face. An oval face is usually about one and a half times as long as it is wide.
2. To identify a round face, look at the width above your cheekbones. Round faces are widest above the cheekbones and usually have a rounded forehead and rounded jawline. Another good rule of thumb is that a round face from the hairline to the chin is about as long as it is wide (from cheekbone to cheekbone).
3. Check to see if you have a heart-shaped face or if you have a broad forehead and narrow jaw. A heart-shaped face is widest on the forehead and gradually narrows towards the chin. If you have a hair-shaped face, your forehead is wider than your cheekbones, while your jaw is narrower than your cheekbones and forehead.

   Note: This face shape is often associated with a pointed chin.

4. Notice if you have a narrow forehead and jawline to see if your face is diamond-shaped. If your face is elongated, widest at your cheekbones, and narrows towards your forehead and chin, you have a diamond-shaped face.
5. Determine if you have an elongated face by looking for a rounded jawline and rounded forehead. An elongated face is not only long, but also rounded on the top and bottom. Long faces are usually about the same width across the cheekbones and jawline.
6. Check for a square face by checking that you have a wide jawline and forehead. In square faces, the jaw is often about as wide as, or even wider than, the cheekbones. Square faces also usually have a wide forehead. The corners of the jaw blend smoothly to the chin, and the chin is usually quite wide, rather than pointed or rounded.
7. Notice if you have a longer face in addition to a square jawline. Like a round surface, a square surface is usually about as wide as it is long. If you have a square jaw and a slightly longer face, your face is more rectangular than square.
8. Determine if your face is triangular by looking for a wider jawline. A square jawline can also be a feature of a triangular face. If your forehead and cheekbones are much narrower than your jawline, your face is triangular.

Tips

• To look your best, keep your face shape in mind when deciding how to get your hair cut and make up. Also take into account the shape of your face when choosing accessories such as a hat or glasses.
• Some face shape articles claim that certain face shapes are "ideal" or "most desirable". However, these kinds of judgments are completely subjective. It's really not that certain face shapes are better or more beautiful than others.
• Determining your face shape is not an exact science, even if you take it with the help of very precise measurements. Ultimately, based on your own judgment, determine the shape category that most closely matches your face.