Will a pixie a-la-Michelle Williams make you look chic or chubby? Will a trendy full fringe bring out your features or square off your face? These are important questions you should think about before running to a stylist toting a picture of a celebrity haircut you just have to have. Or worse, before you hastily grab scissors on a slow weekday night and go to town on your poor, defenseless hair. Any stylist will tell you that it's your face shape that determines which haircut will flatter you best.
So to help you prep for your next big snip, we went to Tommy Buckett from the Marie Robinson Salon in New York City to find out which haircuts work for each specific face shape. He shares advice on how to determine your face shape by breaking it down from jawline to forehead girth. Cruise through his expert advice and get matched with a celeb-inspired cut that works for your face, so that you never make a face shape haircut mistake again.
And remember, if for some crazy reason you don't heed this advice and end up with a bad haircut, go ahead and speak up to your hairstylist and give them the opportunity to fix what is bothering you. "They would much rather hear your thoughts and make it right so you leave happy and return. Satisfying the client is the number one priority for any stylist/colorist," says celebrity stylist and New York City salon owner Marie Robinson.
Pull all your hair back in a headband. Look at your hairline and chin line. If it helps, draw a few dots with eyeliner to help you see the shape. "Be honest about what you see," says Buckett. "Not everyone has a perfect, oval-shaped face." Although the right attitude can help you pull off any cut, Buckett, who has styled Ashley Olsen and Rachel McAdams, offers these basic guidelines for getting the hair you want with the face you've got.
Now find a style that will work for you...
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Shape: Heart
How to tell: Wider forehead and narrow chin What suits your shape: Forget blunt bobs and super-short styles. To flatter a heart-shaped face, Buckett suggests a combination of a side part accented by bangs, and chin-length (or longer) all-over layers. "Adding pieces that hit at the jaw fools the eye into seeing a more oval shape instead of a pointy chin," he says. Heart-shaped stars:
Long: Reese Witherspoon
Side-swept, fringy bangs with a side part and flowing layers
Medium: Christina Ricci
Eye-skimming, soft bangs with face-framing, long layers
Short: Jenny McCarthy
A deep side part that sweeps hair across the forehead, combined with choppy, chin-length layers
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Shape: Square
How to tell: Angular jawbone and hairline What suits your shape: Lots of face-framing layers and a side part can soften angular facial bone structure. "It draws attention to the cheekbones and makes an angular face seem less severe," Buckett says. Square-shaped stars:
Long: Gwyneth Paltrow
A side part camouflages a right-angled hairline, and pulled-forward long layers cover a square jaw to make it seem less prominent
Medium: Jennifer Garner
Tousled waves with long, face-framing layers partially cover the jaw to downplay angles and add fullness
Short:
A shaggy, layered cut with a deep side part balances the strong angles of the jaw
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Shape: Round
How to tell: Same-width forehead and lower face, with prominent cheeks What suits your shape: Round-faced women can minimize fullness with a cut that features a middle or slightly off-center part and face-framing layers. "Flowing pieces of hair that cover the sides of the face temper full cheeks and make the face appear longer and leaner," Buckett says. Long, side-swept bangs that end at the cheekbones also help create a more chiseled illusion. Round-shaped stars:
Long: Jennifer Hudson
Tumbling curls with shorter layers that cover the sides of the face and add volume to the back sections help to further slim Hudson's face
Short to medium: Cameron Diaz
Worn straight or wavy, face-framing side sections help camouflage roundness by covering the sides of the face
Pixie: Renee Zellweger
Longer pieces on top with close-cut locks in the back help make cheekbones look more angular and less full
Will a pixie a-la-Michelle Williams make you look chic or chubby? Will a trendy full fringe bring out your features or square off your face? These are important questions you should think about before running to a stylist toting a picture of a celebrity haircut you just have to have. Or worse, before you hastily grab scissors on a slow weekday night and go to town on your poor, defenseless hair. Any stylist will tell you that it's your face shape that determines which haircut will flatter you best.
So to help you prep for your next big snip, we went to Tommy Buckett from the Marie Robinson Salon in New York City to find out which haircuts work for each specific face shape. He shares advice on how to determine your face shape by breaking it down from jawline to forehead girth. Cruise through his expert advice and get matched with a celeb-inspired cut that works for your face, so that you never make a face shape haircut mistake again.
And remember, if for some crazy reason you don't heed this advice and end up with a bad haircut, go ahead and speak up to your hairstylist and give them the opportunity to fix what is bothering you. "They would much rather hear your thoughts and make it right so you leave happy and return. Satisfying the client is the number one priority for any stylist/colorist," says celebrity stylist and New York City salon owner Marie Robinson.
