This is part 1 of a 6 part series of articles on hairstyles that flatter the shape of your face. And as with all of the privileged few, we begin with the envy of the face shape world, the oval. 

An oval face is considered the ideal shape because it is perfectly symmetrical, and has well-balanced proportions. And that means oval faced girls can wear just about any hairstyle.

 

 

 

Don't have an oval face and don't feel like waiting for the next installment? Get a preview of what's to come by checking out the article that inspired all this face shape madness here.

 

 

How to measure your face 

There are several ways to measure your face, but getting the true shape of your face may require trying each of these methods to ensure accuracy. 

 

Outline your face - not scientific: 

1. Pull all of your hair back away from your face. 

2. Stand close to a mirror and trace the outline of your face on the mirror, using a bar of soap, eyeliner, or lipstick. 

3. The outline you traced should reflect the correct shape of your face.

 

The simple ruler method - not scientific:

1. Measure the length of your face with a ruler, from the tip of your hairline down to the bottom of your chin and divide the length by 3.

2. Measure the length from the bottom of your nose to the bottom of your chin. 

3. If the measurement from #2 (your nose to your chin) is larger than #1 (the full length of your face), you probably have a oblong face.

4. If the measurement from #2 (your nose to your chin) is less than #1 (the full length of your face), you probably have a round face.

5. If the measurement from #2 (your nose to your chin) is equal to #1 (the full length of your face), you probably have an oval face.

 

The scientific method using a tape measure:

1. Measure the length across the widest part of your cheekbones, placing the tape measure in a straight line across the bridge of your nose, all the way to where your ears connect to your face.

2. Measure the widest points across your jawline.

3. Measure the widest points across your forehead, which is usually above your eyebrows, but half way down from your hairline.

4. Measure the tip of your hairline down to the bottom of your chin.

5. Write down all of your measurements and see if they fit into the oval shape category, which is described in the next section.

 

 

Oval faces: you're a good egg

An oval face is considered the ideal shape because it is well-balanced, similar to the shape of an egg:

* The length of your face measures 1-1/2 times longer than the width

* Your jawline is slightly narrower than your temples, and you're gently rounded at the hairline 

* Your chin and forehead are proportioned evenly: i.e., the distance between your hairline to your eyebrows and your eyebrows to your chin is equal

  

Styles that flatter an oval face 

Hitting the face shape jackpot means you can rock almost all hairstyles - long, short or medium - because your face is so well balanced. But as a general rule, you look best when your hair is styled hair off of your face.

 

cuts that work for you & don't detract from your great features

* blunt bobs 

 

 

* cropped cuts

 

 

* layers

 

 

best tresses to show off your features

* updos & chignons 

 

 

 

* completely slicked back hair or hair pulled away from your face 

 

 

 

* tousled, beachy waves, especially if your hair is long 

 

 

 

bangs that accentuate your features & don't hide them

* side swept bangs 

 

 

* short bangs that don't cover your entire forehead 

 

parts

Oval faces can part their hair any way and still look great. That means oval faces can get away with a sharp center part, hair parted slightly off center, side parts — anything goes when you have a well-proportioned oval face. 

 

 

hair type & texture tips

* If your hair is curly, you'll look chic with a shorter style.

* If your hair is thick or coarse, keep hair from weighing your face down with bangs

* If your hair is thin or fine, keep hair from looking flat or lifeless against your great features with long, soft layers throughout your hair

 

 

hair color tricks to accentuate your features

If you color your hair, or get highlights, ask your stylist to weave in highlights or lowlights around the frame of your face — they will draw attention to your lovely oval features.

 

 

Styles to skip

Avoid covering up your perfect face shape with heavy bangs or wearing your hair on your face. Why hide a work of art?  

  

  Don't do what Heidi and Tyra did - they've covered up their great features with all that hair

 

Think twice before you style your hair in a way that covers up your perfectly proportioned face behind a lot of hair. That means try to avoid any style that:

* will hide your features, like heavy bangs

* adds too much weight to your face, like a lot of face-framing fringe

 

Also keep in mind that very long hair or a lot of volume at your crown can detract from the perfect symmetry of your face and make it look longer than it actually is. But if you must go long:

* add long, wispy bangs to break up the distance between your forehead and chin, creating the illusion of a shorter face 

* get a few long layers, just below the cheek, and also just below the chin to bring back symmetry and balance to your face 

* avoid a center part and instead, part your hair on either side to divert the eye away from the full length of your face 

* pull your hair back in a ponytail, or pull hair back behind your ears to make your face the focus, and not the length of your hair

 

How to accessorize an oval face 

eyebrows

It shouldn't come as any surprise to find out that oval faces can sport any brow shape. The main reason is that eyebrows should be shaped to help balance your face, and oval faces are already well-balanced on their own. 

Instead, focus on what you're trying to achieve with your eyes when choosing the best shape for your brows:

* If your eyes are small or too wide-set, don't tweeze the inner corner of your brows — doing so will only accentuate the feature you're trying to mask

* If your eyes are small, but not wide-set, a higher arch will help open your eyes up — this will also help balance out a prominent nose or wide mouth

* If your eyes are close-set, you should tweeze the inner corner of your brows to make them look wider apart

 

 

sunglasses

Same rule applies to sunglasses as to hair for oval faces: virtually any shape frame will look good on you. But sunglasses that contrast your face shape are  usually the most flattering.

Pick frames that: 

* are the same width or slightly wider than the broadest part of your face

 

Avoid frames that:

* are completely off-scale with your facial proportions

* are so large that they hide your features

 

 

earrings & necklaces

A general rule of thumb is that opposites attract, and ordinarily you would choose jewelry that help camouflage any unflattering facial features. But oval faces have absolutely nothing to hide, so you only have a few things to keep in mind.

Earrings & necklaces that work: 

* Stud and hoop earrings look great on oval faces. But teardrops and triangular-shaped, or chandelier earrings, are even more flattering because the contrasting angular shape draws more attention to your well-balanced features. 

* Chokers, short or mid-length necklaces, and super long opera-length necklaces will look great on you.

 

Earrings & necklaces to avoid:

* Earrings that dangle too low from your earlobe, like shoulder dusters. The same rule applies as with hair that is too long — anything too long will detract from the perfect symmetry of your face and make it look longer than it actually is.

* Since oval faces can wear any style of necklace, consider the length of your neck when picking necklaces. That means stay away from chokers or short necklaces if you're trying to elongate your neck.

 

fashion tips — necklines

* Both wide necklines and close-necked collars bring out the best features in an oval face.

* However, if you have a short neck and want to elongate it, stay away from close-necked collars, and instead choose v-necks or wide necklines to create the illusion of length.

 

makeup

You're probably sick of hearing it, and I'm sick of saying it — oval faces are well-balanced, so there's really no real trick to applying makeup to create the illusion of contours. Just apply blush to the apples of your cheeks and you'll look even more perfect than you already do.

 

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Celebs and models with oval faces:

Jessica Alba

Courtney Cox Arquette

Tyra Banks

Halle Berry

Mariah Carey

Cindy Crawford

Cameron Diaz

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Trish Goff

Kate Hudson

Ashley Judd

Heidi Klum

Beyonce Knowles

Heather Locklear

Elle MacPherson

Jada Pinkett Smith

Britney Spears

Sharon Stone

Charlize Theron

Uma Thurman

 

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I don't know about all of you, but spreading all this sunshine and fawning over the never-ending perfection of the oval faced among us is making me nauseous. So in the next installment, we'll finally get to discuss a few more flaws as we cover oblong and rectangular faces.