The most flattering haircut for your face shape

While the ultimate determiner of a good haircut is how it makes you feel, certain hairstyles do tend to flatter different face shapes. To find out what the most flattering haircut is for your particular face shape, we’ve created a handy guide with help from Julia Hannappel, hairstylist and creative director at the Pony Club. To enhance your natural beauty, these are the haircuts you should get to suit your face shape.

“People with oval faces are lucky because they tend to suit everything,” hairstylist Julia Hannappel explains.

A-lister inspiration: Ashley Graham, Kate Middleton, and Bella Hadid.

For women with square-shaped faces, Hannappel recommends hairstyles that soften the edges of your face, including layered haircuts, waves, and side bangs. “Center-parted styles with curls create the illusion of a diamond shape,” explains Hannappel, which translates to a flattering cut. The stylist recommends staying away from pixie or chin-length styles.

A-lister inspiration: Lucy Liu, Margot Robbie, and Olivia Wilde.

Like their oval counterparts, those with diamond face shapes can typically pull off a wide range of styles. To best flatter a diamond face shape, Hannappel recommends chin-length cuts that softly frame the face or fringed pixie cuts.

A-lister inspiration: Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, and Taylor Swift.

Those with heart-shaped faces look great with side or curtain bangs that frame the forehead, explains the hairstylist. “The ‘Rachel’ cut” from Friends is perfect for heart-shaped faces,” according to Hannappel. In addition to bangs, hairstyles with a middle part are flattering for the shape.

A-lister inspiration: Miranda Kerr, Reese Witherspoon, and Jessica Alba.

Women who have a trapezoid face shape look great with a short shag cut (think an early ’90s Meg Ryan) or a bob with the bulk of its volume above the cheekbone line. Hannappel recommends those with trapezoid/pear-shaped faces to stay away from pixie cuts and rather style their hair wavy with a middle part.

A-lister inspiration: Kelly Osbourne, Kate Walsh, and Raven-Symoné.

“All cuts and hairstyles that make the [face] appear narrower are suitable for round faces,” according to Hannappel. A long bob with side bangs, bangs that frame the face, and straight, shoulder-length hair are flattering to a round face shape.

A-lister inspiration: Gemma Chan, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Kate Upton.

Bold, straight-across bangs, dramatic side bangs, and long hair with a centre-part are flattering for those with a triangular face shape, according to the hairstylist. “Anything that creates more volume on the sides [of the face] looks great,” Hannappel told Stylight.

A-lister inspiration: Tyra Banks, Scarlett Johansson, and Shailene Woodley.