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  4. Your Guide to the Perfect Haircuts for Your Face Shape

Your Guide to the Perfect Haircuts for Your Face Shape

By InStyle Staff Updated Aug 20, 2021 @ 3:00 pm
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Haircuts for Face Shape
Credit: Eva Szombat/Getty Images

It sounds like a corny Pinterest quote (and it probably is), but it's the truth: Confidence is all you need to pull off literally any haircut. 

And while we think you should go with whatever style you want, there's also nothing wrong with taking note of your face shape before deciding on a look. This approach will help to draw attention to your unique, gorgeous facial features — and it might also just give you some peace of mind as you sit and wait for the finished product.

Here, we rounded up the best short, medium, and long haircuts for every face shape. Keep scrolling to see them on your favorite celebrities, along with the best styling tricks for each hairstyle. 

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Diamond Face Shape: Short

Best Haircuts For Each Face Shape
Credit: Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram

A chin length bob, like Kourtney Kardashian's new chop, can help "widen the look of the jaw creating harmony and style to the look," says Adriano Cattide, creative director at New York City-based salon, The Drawing Room.

Blow it out with a round brush to create the tousled look. Try the Hot Tools Professional Ceramic Spiral Round brush. 

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Diamond Face Shape: Medium

Best Haircuts For Each Face Shape
Credit: Getty Images

A medium length cut with a deep side part, like Jennifer Lopez's 'do here, will "help to rebalance the proportions of this type of face shape," says Cattide.

Part your hair deeper than usual on one side of your head and straighten, curl, or tousle to style. Use Living Proof Flex Hairspray for lightweight texture and hold.

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Diamond Face Shape: Long

Best Haircuts For Each Face Shape
Credit: Getty Images

Long waves or curls parted down the middle like Megan Fox's can help deliver a softer appearance. "Important characteristics of this shape are wide cheekbones and narrow a forehead and jawline, so you want to soften the sharped angles," explains Cattide.

Try styling with a big barrel curling iron, like the Paul Mitchell Express Ion Curl+ XL Curling Iron for soft, bouncy waves.

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Round Face Shape: Short

Round face Short Hair
Credit: Dan MacMedan/Getty

Try a pixie with spiky layers sliced all around the crown like Ginnifer Goodwin's chop.

"If you're going to go short, go short all the way," says celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of R+Co Garren. "The choppy pieces up top add height, lengthen your face and emphasize your eyes."

For a straighter, piece-y look like Goodwin, use the Eva NYC Mini Healthy Heat Ceramic Flat Iron. Because of its miniature size, you can actually grasp your shortest strands.

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Round Face Shape: Medium-Length

Round Face, Medium-Length
Credit: Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic

Show off your features with a choppy, layered bob like Taraji P. Henson.

Honey Artists hairstylist Michael Lollo says short hair is particularly flattering on those with a round face shape. "It works here because she's chosen a side-part, so it gives something for the eye to follow," he says. If you have bangs and want a side-part, the stylist says the first piece of your bang should break at your eye.

Add in beachy waves with T3 Whirl Trio, a product we swear by with interchangeable barrels. 

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Round Face Shape: Long

Selena Gomez - Round Face, Long Hair
Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty

Try long, barely there layers that hit at the jawline.

Selena Gomez's long, staggered layers are an easy way to make your hair seem fuller. A scattering of light layers on the bottom "keep the volume controlled and add shape and framing around the face," says Cattide.

You can play up your natural texture (and avoid damaging heat) by adding in a bit of product. We prefer Pantene Pro-V Level 4 Extra Strong Hold Texture-Building Hairspray for all-day volume and extra hold.

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Heart Face Shape: Short

Halle Berry - Heart Face, Short Hair
Credit: Chris Weeks/WireImage

An evenly clipped pixie on the sides and nape of the neck with short layers on top like Halle Berry's tousled, choppy cut, balances out the jawline. 

To extend the life of your tousled pixie, try Verb Sculpting Clay. It's weightless so that your strands stay upright without any crunchiness or stickiness.

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Heart Face Shape: Medium-Length

Reese Witherspoon - Heart Face, Medium-Length Hair
Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

A collarbone-length cut with sweeping bangs and uniform layers, like Reese Witherspoon's shoulder-skimming layers, draw your eyes away from the chin area and add balance.

For a full-bodied look like Witherspoon's, we swear by the ghd Air Hair Dryer. It's powerful enough to cut down on drying time while leaving hair soft, shiny, and frizz-free.

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Heart Face Shape: Long

Heart Face, Long Hair
Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty

Lollo recommends trying long hair with longer layers or fringe. "I definitely think for women with heart-shaped faces, going longer is great," says Lollo. "But one thing you want to do is have some layers that break at the cheekbone and the chin to bring some of the attention to that area." 

For tousled waves like Ciara, try a texturizing spray or let your hair air-dry with a product like Living Proof Perfect Hair Day In-Shower Styler. It enhances your hair's natural texture and leaves hair softer and shinier. 

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Oval Face Shape: Short

Long/Oval Face, Short Hair
Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Go for a strong lob with a little bit of face-framing like Rihanna. "This face shape is the easiest to carry off any kind of haircut," says Lollo. 

Because this cut is blunt by nature, play up your natural texture in the styling and stick with a center part. If you have curly hair, try OUAI's Wave Spray in your styling routine. It enhances natural curls and bends, all while keeping the hair super moisturized. 

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Oval Face Shape: Medium-Length

Long/Oval Face, Medium-Length Hair
Credit: Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage

Kate Middleton's layers may look uniform, but the difference is there. The subtle variations in length keep your strands from lying flat against your head and helps your hair look more voluminous and thicker.

For a high-gloss finish like Middleton's, we're turning to Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Strengthening Treatment Hair Oil.

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Oval Face Shape: Long

Emma Stone - Long/Oval Face, Long Hair
Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Side-swept bangs like Emma Stone's can balance out oval faces just as effectively as a bob. This way, though, you won't lose any length. "You're covering the area between your hairline and brow, removing several inches from your face," says Garren.

You can easily create old-fashioned waves with a large-barrel curling iron, a paddle brush, and hair pins. Curl, gently brush, and pin back the sides to get the look. 

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Square Face Shape: Short

Cameron Diaz - Square Face, Short Hair
Credit: Tony Barson/WireImage

Cameron Diaz's short layered bob with subtle bangs brings the focus higher and puts the emphasis on your cheekbones, rather than your jaw.

Before blow-drying, spritz in Moroccanoil Perfect Defense to eliminate heat damage. This is especially important if you have a platinum hair color similar to Diaz. 

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Square Face Shape: Medium-Length

Olivia Wilde - Square Face, Medium-Length Hair
Credit: Jeff Vespa/WireImage

Feathery layers (which can be achieved with a razor) and sweeping bangs like Olivia Wilde's here, flatter a strong chin. Celebrity hairstylist Garren recommends parting at the side for an asymmetrical effect, which also balances out the squareness of the jaw.

Even if you don't have a wavy hair texture like Wilde's, you can still get that effortless bend with Bumble & bumble Surf Spray.

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Square Face Shape: Long

Jessica Simpson - Square Face, Long Hair
Credit: Amy Graves/WireImage

Jessica Simpson's collarbone-skimming strands with slight bangs is a flattering style for those with a square shaped face.

Avoid a "simplistic" look with blunt ends, says Garren. He adds the light scattering of layers softens the entire face, top to bottom. 

The Bio Ionic Long Barrel Styler Pro Curling Iron works like a charm and this one with a 1" barrel will give you loose curls like Jessica Simpson's. Just be sure to gently brush the curls out when you're done with the iron. 

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    1 of 15 Diamond Face Shape: Short
    2 of 15 Diamond Face Shape: Medium
    3 of 15 Diamond Face Shape: Long
    4 of 15 Round Face Shape: Short
    5 of 15 Round Face Shape: Medium-Length
    6 of 15 Round Face Shape: Long
    7 of 15 Heart Face Shape: Short
    8 of 15 Heart Face Shape: Medium-Length
    9 of 15 Heart Face Shape: Long
    10 of 15 Oval Face Shape: Short
    11 of 15 Oval Face Shape: Medium-Length
    12 of 15 Oval Face Shape: Long
    13 of 15 Square Face Shape: Short
    14 of 15 Square Face Shape: Medium-Length
    15 of 15 Square Face Shape: Long

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