How to determine your face shape (what’s your face type)

What’s my face shape? How do I determine my face shape? Hah, that’s one of the most frequent asked questions we get on Missminimalista! Determining your face shape is really not that hard, but it might take some time.

Your face shape is everything when it comes to choosing the best hairstyles, the best glass frames for your very own face, or when choosing the most complementary makeup looks. You will discover that some haircuts look amazing on your friend but the same will not look flattering on you.

This does not mean that you should have to rectify your face shape with makeup and hair. If you love the face of your shape, by all means, work with it; there is nothing wrong with rocking it loud. Simply put, your face is the frame for reference. However, determining your face shape is pretty much easier said than done.

How to determine your face shape

To determine your face shape, begin with being aware of the several basic shape classifications. Try to recognize your face shape with some measurements, and use what you discovered to help you choose your hairstyles, accessories that will flatter your face and even makeup styles.

Measure your face

Take a flexible measuring tape. You will require the soft type of tape measure, which tailors normally use in order to measure your face. They are readily available at many department stores. It is not necessary for the ruler to be specifically in centimeters or in inches. What is of utmost importance is how the measurements will eventually compare to each other, not the precise numbers.

If your hair is long, get it out of the way. Alternatively, you may put it up and tie it back; for shorter styles, slick back your hair or clip it up.
Always keep in mind that you should not measure your face using a stiff retractable measuring tape. This will be very difficult and you might possibly hurt yourself when you unintentionally retract the tape during a measurement.

Take a pencil and paper

For you to know your face shape with the obtained measurements, you will have to record each measurement as you proceed so that it will be easier for you to compare all of them when you are finished. Get a paper or something to write down your measurements with.

Position yourself in front of the mirror

It is very easy to take measurements of your face when you see what you are doing. Sit or stand in front of a clear and large mirror in a room that is well lit. It is better to do that facing the mirror front on with your chin level.

Take measurements across the widest part of your forehead
You can locate the widest part of your forehead as the midway between your upper hairline and your eyebrow. Write down the result after taking the dimensions straight across from the hairline on one side of the forehead to the other.

Measure across your cheekbones

This measurement can be a little bit tough. First, feel the most pronounced part of your cheekbones with your fingertips. This part is typically located almost below the outer corner of each eye. After you have established the right spot, take measurements across from one cheekbone to the other.

Always remember that the bridge of the nose will push out the tape measure and as a result, the width will appear to be more than it actually is. To have a more accurate measurement, place the tape measure right across in front of your eyeball and face where it lines up with your cheekbone. When you do this, make sure you hold the measuring tape away from your face for the rest of the measurements as well.

Take measurements from the tip of your chin to each end of your jaw.

Put one end of the tape measure at either corner of your jaw right below the ear then bring the other end close to the tip of your chin. You may repeat the same with the other side and sum up the results or you can simply multiply the result of the first measurement by 2. This will show you your total jawline length.

Measure the length of your face

Take the tape and take measurements from the middle point of your upper hairline up to the tip of your chin. In case you have a shaped head or a receding hairline, make an approximation of where your hairline could be.
If you have a protruding nose, this will throw off your length measurement. It is advisable to hold up the measuring tape straight up and down in front of your face and eyeball at the exact point where it lines up with your chin and hairline.

Compare each measurement to recognize your face shape

After making all the measurements and writing them down, establish which measurements are the smallest and which ones are the greatest. Analyze the size of your face with those ordinary to common face shapes.

For instance, if your face is almost as long as it is wide, it is most likely round or square. A square face has a more angular jaw and is wider than a round face.
In the event your face looks longer than it is wide, it may be oval, oblong, or rectangular. Look at how your jawline, cheekbones, and forehead measure up to determine which shape it is among the three.

When your measurements gradually get narrower from the forehead to the jawline, your face is oval or heart-shaped; but if they remain the same all the way down, your face is likely rectangular, oblong, or square.

Your face is triangular in case your face becomes wider from the forehead to the jawline.

Do you know what face shape you have? Or how to determine your face shape? Here are some easy tricks (you’ll also get my best tips) to easily and quickly determine your face type for women. What types of faces do you have and what types of faces are you talking about? Learn to determine whether you have an elongated face, a round face, an oval face, a square face, a triangular face,…

Why is it useful to know your face shape? It is very useful to know your face shape if you want to have a new haircut done with your hairdresser, if you want to know which pony fits your face shape, which (sun)glasses fit your face shape, which hairstyle fits your face shape,….

These are very useful guidelines, but don’t let these rules do the trick! Of course you keep deciding for yourself what you like best.
These tips are specific to women, but read here how you can determine your face type as a man.

What face shape do I have? (Women)

As I mentioned above, there are different types of face shapes: oval, round face shape, elongated face, heart-shaped, square face,… sometimes the face shapes have a different name and you read about an inverted triangle, for example. I’ll use the different names below so you can find out which face shapes are actually the same. Also very handy: I also tell you which celebrities have certain facial forms, which is always very useful to get inspiration. Below we’ve made a super handy step-by-step list so you’ll know what your face shape is within minutes. Are you in doubt? Then it is very useful to do this together with a friend, your mother, your friend, ….

source photos: 1 – 2 – 3 (Shutterstock)

How to determine your face shape: step by step
Make a bun or a tail, get all your hair out of your face (including your pony – see nice hairstyles with pony here)
Make a frontal selfie (i.e. one frontal from the front): your ears must be visible.
Take a tape measure and start measuring (and note down briefly 😉):
measure the widest part of your face (by your forehead)
measure the longest part of your face from your hairline to the tip of your chin

sources photos: 1 – 2 – 3
Also discover: hairstyles 2020, hair colors 2020, short hairstyles 2020

What’s my face shape?
What face shapes are there?

Oval face shape

An oval face shape has been regarded as the ‘ideal’ face shape for many years. Why? Well, this face shape can have almost anything in terms of hairstyles, glasses,… because there are no conspicuous protrusions such as a wider forehead or an angular chin.

Is your forehead just a little bit more than your round chin (you certainly don’t have an angular chin)? Then you probably have an oval face. What’s the difference with a rectangular face shape? You’re actually the same size, but your face has rounded shapes and no corners. Some other ladies with an oval face shape are Blake Lively, Kerry Washington, Jessica Alba and Olivia Munn. So if you’re looking for even more inspiration for your face type, then you should definitely look for their names on Pinterest.

your forehead is slightly narrower than your round chin
Your chin is round
your hairline is round
the length of your face longer than the width

Celebrities with an oval face shape / face type:

Jessica Alba has an oval face shape (Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock)

Round face shape

A round face is just round. However, it is best to measure your face as I recommended above. With a round face shape, the width of the face is about the same as the length of your face. Your face is quite full, with a round chin and a round hairline and often convex cheeks.

The widest part of your face is near your cheeks and ears. A round face is the same as a square face, but with more curves. Your chin is round and your cheekbones are the widest part of your face. Your celebrity inspiration: Tiffany Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Olsen, Jennifer Goodwin, Ashley Benson and Jennifer Lawrence.

Your face is about as wide as it is as long.
by your cheeks and ears, your face is the widest.
and there’s your cheekbones in there, too.
like a square face, but you have curves in your face (chin, hairline,…)
Your chin is round

Celebrities with a round face shape / face type:

Round face of Tiffany Amber Thiessen

Oblong face shape

An oblong face shape resembles the oval face shape a little and is long and narrow. So what’s the difference with the oval faces? The elongated or oblong face shape has a much tighter jawline. The forehead is about the same width as the cheekbones. The jaws are often wide and run parallel to the forehead, and the chin is narrow. Usually it has an elongated shape.

What makes a face shape really elongated? The face is almost twice as long as it is wide.

You can get your facial inspiration with ladies like Sarah Jessica Parker, Alexa Chung, Joan Smalls.

twice as long as the width
softer forms
large forehead
face equally wide from jaws to forehead
Celebrities with an elongated face shape / face type:

Sarah-Jessica Parker has an elongated face and understands very well which hairstyles suit her and which do not (and ooh, her beautiful eye makeup) (S Bukley Shutterstock / Tinseltown Shutterstock).

Heart shaped face

Next Up: The heart-shaped face. This face type is the widest at the temples and cheekbones, but very narrow at the chin. Your chin is narrow, sharp and pointed.

So, is your chin pointed? Is your forehead the widest part of your face? Then you have a heart-shaped face. In terms of celebrities, your face resembles that of Chloe Grace Moretz, Reese Witherspoon, Kelly Osbourne and Sarah Hyland.

Hairline with inlet (heart shape)
pointed chin
Widest of your face: At the temples and jaws, the
Don’t you have a hairline with inlet? Then you have a triangular face

Celebrities with a heart-shaped face shape / face type:

Kelly Osbourne has a typical heart-shaped face, just like Reese Witherspoon (Featureflash Photo Agency / shutterstock).

Square face

How do you know if you have a square face? A square face has a straight and angular jawline with a straight hairline. The face is often as wide as it is long (like a round face, but then the ‘angular version’). J

The sides of your face are straight and your jawline is slightly curved. Your face is about as wide as it is long. Olivia Wilde, Gigi Hadid, Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bullock also have a square face shape.

straight, angular jawline
face as wide as long
the square version of a round face
often also a straight hairline, no round
your jaws are as wide as your forehead
Square-faced cell burns / face type:

Gigi Hadid (Tinseltown / shutterstock) and Olivia Wilde (Featureflash Photo Agency shutterstock)

Diamond-shaped face

How do I know if I have a diamond-shaped face? Your cheekbones are high and your chin is pointed. The big difference with a heart-shaped face is the hairline: your hairline is narrower. Some celebrities with a diamond-shaped face: Ashley Green, Vanessa Hudgens, Jennifer Lopez.

pointed chin
high cheekbones
your hairline is narrower (as opposed to the heart-shaped face)
Celebs with a diamond-shaped face

Jennifer Lopez has a diamond-shaped face (Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock)

And what now that you know what type of face you have?

Yes! Now you know exactly what type of face you have! This is a good basis for looking further into these topics:

which glasses suits my face
which sunglasses suit my face
what bangs suits my face
which hat fits my face
which haircut fits my face

Choosing a complementing hair length for your face shape

The length of the hair affects how wide and long your face looks. Opt for a length, which tends to balance out the dimensions of your face.
A good example is long, straight hair for square and round faces since it will minimize the width and add length. Exceptionally short cuts that are more voluminous at the top like a pixie cut also lengthen short faces and focus more attention on the eyes and the cheekbones.
Short and medium cuts like the shoulder-length bob or the chin length bob make faces with long shape look shorter and bring about additional fullness to the face. This is an excellent choice for oblong or oval faces.

Style perfect bangs to suit your face shape

Your face shape is extremely important when it concerns the kind of bangs that look best on you; that is if you have them. Keep in mind the following important factors when deciding your bangs.
Feathery and long looking bangs, which frame the forehead in an A-shape, will help soften the appearance of a square face. The side-swept bangs look amazing on quite a number of face shapes like the heart-shaped, oblong, or round. Long, blunt, straight across bangs can make narrow heads look wider and it minimizes the length of long faces.
If you wear glasses, pick frames, which will balance out your face shape. Glasses can alter the look of your face a little bit. Look for frames, which will flatter the shape of your face rather than overdo it. It is recommended to keep the balance of a more oval face using frames, which match the width of your face. For long faces like rectangular or oblong shapes, go for wide frames that have low bridges and colorful temple elements, which add width. When you have a heart-shaped face, reduce the breadth of the upper half of your face with rimless or lightly colored frames. You can also look for frames that are wider at the bottom.
For narrower faces especially on the top like triangular faces, get frames that are wider on a top lie the cat-eyes. Look for narrow frames if you have a wide or short face shape, such as oval or square. For those with round faces, angular frames will work best while curved frames perfectly balance out angular faces. Finally, choose oval frames to soften the appearance of an angular diamond shape.

Flatter the shape of your face with complementary makeup

When you wear makeup, make it your aim to apply it in methods, which will balance the dimensions of your face and enhance your outstanding features. Ways to do this include adding width to an oblong face by applying blush on the apples of your cheeks and blending out to the temples. Minimize length by adding bronzers to the jawline and hairline. You can preferably use a bronzer on a heart-shaped face to minimize the width of the forehead.
Provide structure by adding bronzer around the entire outer perimeter of a round face and beneath the cheekbones. Apply highlight on the central part of the face that includes the bridge of the nose, middle of the forehead, chin, and high point of the cheeks.
In addition, contour the forehead, jawline, temples, and add highlighter to the cheeks to soften square faces. For face shapes that feature narrow foreheads like triangles and diamonds, widen the space a little in between your brows to give the illusion of greater width at the top of the face

How to recognize basic face shapes

To recognize oval faces, look out for a slight tapering from the forehead to the jaw. Oval faces are more likely to be 1 ½ times longer than how wide they are. Picture an egg put upside down and you will notice all oval faces have foreheads that are a little bit wider than their curved chin.

To identify a round face, look for width across the cheekbones; they are widest across the cheekbones, with rounded jawlines and foreheads. A rule of thumb is, the round face has the same length from the hairline to the chin as the width from cheekbone to cheekbone. A round face is similar to a square-shaped face but with softer angles.

To spot a heart-shaped face, look for a narrow jaw and a wide forehead because heart-shaped faces are widest across the forehead and slowly narrow down as you move down to the chin. The forehead must be wider than the cheekbones, and the jaw should be narrower than the forehead and the cheekbones. Moreover, the chin must be pointed and your forehead must be the widest part on your face.

You have a diamond-shaped face if you have a narrow forehead and jawline; moreover, for a diamond-shaped face, you will spot a long face that is widest at the cheekbones and narrower towards the chin and forehead. These faces also have high cheekbones and pointed chins. One major difference between a heart-shaped face and a diamond-shaped face is the hairline will be narrower for a diamond-shaped face.

An oblong face has a rounded forehead and jawline. Such faces are long, but they are also round at the top and bottom. They have almost equal width across the jawline and cheekbones. They are almost the same as a square-shaped face but longer than their width. The cheeks, forehead, and jawline will have the same width and a very slight curve on your chin.
Look for a wide forehead and jawline to identify a square face. Square faces are likely to have a jaw which is about the same width or even wider than, the cheekbones. A wide forehead is also a characteristic of square faces. The tilt is normally gentle from the corners of the jaw to the chin, and the chin is generally wide, instead of pointy or rounded. In addition, the sides of your face will look straight with the jawline somewhat angled with a very minimal curve.

Look keenly to check if the square jawline has a long face. Similar to round faces, square faces are just as wide as they are long. If you have a longer face with a square jaw, your face shape is more rectangular than square shaped.

A wider jawline indicates you face is triangular. Sometimes, a square jawline is also a feature of a triangular face. Your face shape is also triangular when your forehead and cheekbones are comparably narrower than the jawline.

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