Determining your face shape
Most women will say that their face is round, but most faces are usually one of six basic shapes. The easiest way to determine your actual face shape is to pull your hair back away from your face, and take a good look in the mirror.
Ask yourself: What's the widest part of your face — your forehead or your jaw? Or maybe it's neither and your cheekbones are the widest. Look at your chin, is it pointy, round or square?
Picture an imaginary line going around your face. What shape is it?
Here are the six different face shapes and their distinct characteristics:
- Oval: The length of your face is about one and a half times its width. Your forehead is slightly wider than your chin.
- Round: You have prominent (perhaps chubby) cheeks, and the length and width of your face are about equal.
- Square: You have a prominent jaw and square chin. Your forehead and jaw line are approximately the same width.
- Oblong: Oblong is often confused with oval, however this shape is slightly longer and not as wide. You may also have a pointy chin.
- Heart: Both your forehead and your cheekbones are wide. You have a narrow jaw and pointy chin.
- Diamond: Both your forehead and your jaw line are narrow with your cheekbones being the widest part of your face.
Oval face shapes
Image: FayeVision/wenn.com
If you have an oval face shape, your face is slightly longer than it is wide. Your face shape is like an inverted egg — wider at the top than the bottom. Your jawline is slightly rounded.
Square face shapes
Image: FayeVision/wenn.com
If you have a square face, the sides of your face are straight and your face is nearly as wide as it is long. You have a defined, square jawline, and your hairline is probably straight.
Round face shapes
Images: Nikki Nelson/wenn.com
If you have a round face, your jawline is round and full, and your face is nearly as wide as it is long. Your cheekbones mark the widest part of your face.
Heart face shapes
Image: Adriana M. Barraza/wenn.com
If you have a heart-shaped face or an inverted triangle-shaped face, your face is longer than it is wide. Your jawline is long and pointed, and is the narrowest part of your face.
Oblong face shapes
Image: Apega/wenn.com
If you have an oblong face shape, your face is longer than it is wide. Your forehead, cheeks and jawline are all the same width, and your jawline is probably rounded.
Diamond face shapes
Image: Lia Toby/wenn.com
If you have a diamond face shape, your face is slightly longer than it is wide, and your jawline is pointed. Your cheekbones are high-set and are the widest part of your face.