When deciding on the right hairstyle, each client’s face shape is just as important to take into account as her individual personality and style. As stylists, we create hairstyles that help transform clients’ faces into the perfect shape.
Since ancient Greek times, beauty was attributed to mathematical proportions. Known as the “Golden Proportion,” the golden ratio of the face determined beauty, and people regarded the ideal face to be two-thirds wide as it was tall, with the distance between the eyes no shorter than the length of the nose. Additionally, the perfect face was believed to have three evenly divided segments: from the tip of the forehead to between the eyes, from between the eyes to the end of the nose, and from the end of the nose to the end of the chin. The oval face is also ideal for its versatility, as virtually any hairstyle will complement the face.
Whatever the face shape may be, the goal is to give the face an illusion of being oval, which is achieved through variations in hair length, fringe, and texture.
Oval
The ideal oval shape allows freedom to style the hair in virtually any way, whether it be a textured updo like Charlize Theron’s or a sleek bob like Jessica Alba’s, as seen above.
Square
For square faces, the cheek bones and jaw bones are the same width. With Michelle Pfeiffer, the texture of the curl around the face softens the angles, and the waves also add body and movement to give a rounded look.
Heart
In heart-shaped faces like that of Reese Witherspoon, the face becomes narrow and angular at the jaw and chin. To create the oval illusion, layers and curls give width around the ears and bring out the jawline, diminishing the angles.
Round
With round faces, the hairstyle will want to draw the eye downwards rather than outwards. Long hair suits round faces the best, as we see with Amanda Seyfried. Layers are kept away from the jawline, and her hair hangs down past her cheek. Texture appears in the lower 6 inches of the hair, and for Amanda, her curls are well below the shoulder to create width at the bottom. The sideswept fringe also helps give angles to the face.
Oblong
Similar to the square shape, the oblong face also has the strong jaw that is the same width as the cheekbone, except the jaw is elongated. For those with oblong faces, such as Rosie Huntington, hair is flat at the top and parted straight down the middle to create angles through cheekbones, forming a horizontal line.
***
We always try to achieve the perfect face shape for clients, but we also understand that every client is an individual with distinct personal styles and character. When choosing the right hairstyle for our clients, physical features are only one of many other factors that we consider. In the end, the hairstyle shouldn’t only satisfy the face shape, but also express the client’s lifestyle and individuality.
Related Posts:
Creating the Right Look: Understanding the Client
Creating the Character: Hair in Prêt-a-Porter Design
Bangs: Timeless, Young and Versatile
Creating the Right Look: Hairstyles for Different Face Shapes
When deciding on the right hairstyle, each client’s face shape is just as important to take into account as her individual personality and style. As stylists, we create hairstyles that help transform clients’ faces into the perfect shape.
Since ancient Greek times, beauty was attributed to mathematical proportions. Known as the “Golden Proportion,” the golden ratio of the face determined beauty, and people regarded the ideal face to be two-thirds wide as it was tall, with the distance between the eyes no shorter than the length of the nose. Additionally, the perfect face was believed to have three evenly divided segments: from the tip of the forehead to between the eyes, from between the eyes to the end of the nose, and from the end of the nose to the end of the chin. The oval face is also ideal for its versatility, as virtually any hairstyle will complement the face.
Whatever the face shape may be, the goal is to give the face an illusion of being oval, which is achieved through variations in hair length, fringe, and texture.
Oval
The ideal oval shape allows freedom to style the hair in virtually any way, whether it be a textured updo like Charlize Theron’s or a sleek bob like Jessica Alba’s, as seen above.
Square
For square faces, the cheek bones and jaw bones are the same width. With Michelle Pfeiffer, the texture of the curl around the face softens the angles, and the waves also add body and movement to give a rounded look.
Heart
In heart-shaped faces like that of Reese Witherspoon, the face becomes narrow and angular at the jaw and chin. To create the oval illusion, layers and curls give width around the ears and bring out the jawline, diminishing the angles.
Round
With round faces, the hairstyle will want to draw the eye downwards rather than outwards. Long hair suits round faces the best, as we see with Amanda Seyfried. Layers are kept away from the jawline, and her hair hangs down past her cheek. Texture appears in the lower 6 inches of the hair, and for Amanda, her curls are well below the shoulder to create width at the bottom. The sideswept fringe also helps give angles to the face.
Oblong
Similar to the square shape, the oblong face also has the strong jaw that is the same width as the cheekbone, except the jaw is elongated. For those with oblong faces, such as Rosie Huntington, hair is flat at the top and parted straight down the middle to create angles through cheekbones, forming a horizontal line.
***
We always try to achieve the perfect face shape for clients, but we also understand that every client is an individual with distinct personal styles and character. When choosing the right hairstyle for our clients, physical features are only one of many other factors that we consider. In the end, the hairstyle shouldn’t only satisfy the face shape, but also express the client’s lifestyle and individuality.
Related Posts:
Creating the Right Look: Understanding the Client
Creating the Character: Hair in Prêt-a-Porter Design
Bangs: Timeless, Young and Versatile