How to find out your face shape
Round, oval, angular – our face shape decides what really suits us. Find out which face shape you have so that you know which glasses and sunglasses shapes suits you best, or how to style your hair, your eyebrows or your beard.
The first step in picking the correct pair of glasses and sunglasses is to measure your face.
For practical reasons try not to use a metal tape measure. Instead use a plastic tape measure (usually used in tailoring), as it is flexible.
Grab a notebook, stand in front of a mirror or the selfie camera of your phone and start measuring, recording each measurement.
STEP 1. TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS
Start with your forehead
With the help of the tape measure, measure your forehead from hairline to hairline and make sure the tape measure is placed at the widest point.
Check out the cheekbones
Start just behind the outer angle of one eye, stretch your tape measure over the bridge of the nose to the outer angle of the other eye. The tape measure should be straight and just above the cheekbone.
Measure the jawline
Find the base of your jaw right under your ear. Run your tape along the edge of your jaw until you reach the middle of your chin. Continue to measure the other side or simply multiply this number by two. Include this number as your jawline measurement in your notes.
Finally, the face length
Place the tip of your measuring tape in the middle of your hairline and stretch it downwards until it reaches the tip of your chin. If used correctly, the tape measure should run directly over your nose.
STEP 2. FIND YOUR FACE SHAPE
You've probably got a round face shape if…
… your cheekbones and face length have similar measurements. They are larger than your forehead and jawline, which also have a similar measurement. The angle of the jaw is soft and much less defined. The most important feature of this face shape is that the contours are very soft and feminine and the chin area is rounded.
All in all, a round face shape has
- Face (top to bottom) and cheekbones have same length
- Forehead and jawline have same measurement
- But forehead and jawline are smaller than the length of face and cheekbones
You've probably got a square face shape if…
… all measurements are fairly similar. The angle of the jaw is sharp rather than rounded. The chin area is only slightly angled and has a minimal curve.
All in all, a square face shape has
- Similar measurements
- Sharp jaw
- Chin has minimal curve
You've got probably an oval face shape if…
… the length of your face is greater than the width of the cheekbones, and your forehead is wider than the jawline. The angle of the jaw is rounded rather than sharp. This face shape is comparable to the square shape – but the edges are much softer and overall the contour looks very harmonious. The lower half of the face is slightly longer than the upper half.
All in all, an oval face shape has
- Longer face than the width of the cheekbones
- Your forehead is wider than the jawline
- The angle of the jaw is rounded rather than sharp
You've probably got a diamond-shaped face if…
… you connect the middle of the hairline with the cheekbones and the line continues to the chin. Because then you get the shape of a diamond. Women and men with this shape have a pointed chin and the cheekbones are the widest and most prominent part of the face. Thus, your face length measures largest.
Then, in descending order:
- cheekbones
- forehead
- and smallest is jawline
You've probably got a heart-shaped face if…
… the chin is pointed and rather narrow. The forehead, on the other hand, is the widest part of the face. Sometimes people with this face form also have a widow's tip, i.e. a pointed hairline. Compared to the oval face, the cheekbones are higher. This contour is sometimes described as triangular.
All in all, a heart-shaped face shape has
- Pointed and narrow chin
- Wide forehead
- Higher cheekbones
You've probably got a triangular face if…
… your jawline is greater than your cheekbones, which measure larger than your forehead.
All in all, a triangular face shape has
- Greater jawline than the cheekbones
- Cheekbones larger than forehead
Some people have a combination of these types of faces, like a long square or rounded heart. Choose the most dominant one and use it to find out what sunglasses glasses and sunglasses suit you best.
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