If you’ve ever left the salon wondering why that “It-girl bob” didn’t quite hit the Bella Hadid mark, chances are you weren’t working with your face shape. While the right haircut can’t change your bone structure, it can enhance it – and the difference between lacklustre and life-changing can be as simple as learning to work with your angles.
We asked celebrated stylist and creative director of Salon Her, Michael Kelly, to break down the most flattering styles for every face shape in 2025 – plus how to actually figure out what your face shape is in the first place.
How To Find Your Face Shape
Before you start collating inspo pics to show your stylist, take a good, honest look in the mirror – ideally with your hair tied back. Michael recommends tracing the outline of your face on the mirror with a lip pencil or eyeliner to get a better sense of your proportions.
What You’re Looking For
- Where your face is widest: forehead, cheeks, or jawline?
- Is your face longer than it is wide?
- Are your features more soft or angular?
Once you’ve determined the answer to the above, use this cheat sheet to decode your face shape.
Oval = balanced proportions
Round = wider cheeks with soft edges
Heart = broader forehead, narrow chin
Square = strong jawline, equally wide forehead
Diamond = high cheekbones, narrow chin and forehead
Michael’s biggest tip? “Don’t get too fixated on one category. Most people are a blend of shapes. Work with a stylist who sees the nuances in your features and brings out your natural architecture with shape, texture, and movement.”
Best Haircut & Style For Oval Face Shapes
If you’re lucky enough to be the proud owner of an oval face shape, then you’ve got a range of styles and cuts to work with. But, while the options are varied, that doesn’t necessarily mean every style will suit. “Oval faces are incredibly versatile; they can wear almost anything.”
“This face shape is evenly balanced, so it’s all about working with the hair’s natural texture and the client’s personality & their sense of style.”
What To Ask For
- Blunt-cut bobs with internal layering
- Low-maintenance shags with movement and curtain bangs
- Sleek centre parts – “think Daisy Edgar-Jones – a timeless winner.”
What To Avoid
While nothing is strictly off limits, admits Kelly, it’s best to steer clear of overly heavy, face-hugging styles that can obscure your cheekbones.
“You want to show off that naturally balanced shape,” not play it down.
Best Haircut & Style For Round Face Shapes
In order to get the most out of shape, opt for height at the crown with soft vertical lengths and strategic layering for movement and shape. “The goal with a round face is to create elongation by adding subtlety to your existing angles,” says Kelly.
“Think our girl Lola Young, her layered and textured look really adds depth to her facial structure.”
What To Ask For
- Layered lobs with a side part or curtain fringe
- Pixie cuts with volume up top
- Long layers that frame the face vertically
What To Avoid
While the urge to replicate the Gracie Abrams bob is one we can all relate to, it’s a cut that doesn’t work for everyone. “Avoid chin-length bobs with no layering,” suggests Kelly. “They can make the face appear even rounder
But that doesn’t mean bobs – or blunt fringes – are off the cards. Instead, he says, make sure the stylist knows how to work with your features to customise the cut to your shape and natural hair type.
Best Haircut & Style For Heart Face Shapes
When it comes to heart-shaped faces, it’s all about balancing the width of the forehead with the narrowness of the chin.
“Styles that soften the upper face while adding volume around the jawline are ideal,” says Kelly, citing Jennifer Lawrence as a great example of this.
What To Ask For
- Side-swept bangs
- Soft face-framing layers
- Mid-length flicked-out cuts
- Textured bobs with curtain bangs
What To Avoid
Kelly suggests heart shapes should steer clear of styles that add volume at the crown, likewise slicked-back or tight styles that pull away from the face.
“These styles can really emphasise the width of the forehead and make the chin appear sharper,” says Kelly.
Best Haircut & Style For Square Face Shapes
Angular and pronounced, square face shapes usually carry strong jawlines and broader foreheads. The key to working with these features, says Kelly, lies in softening the angles with layered styles that diffuse the proportions.
“You want cuts that add movement and gentle curves. We love Margot Robbie for these moments.”
What To Ask For
- Layered mid-length styles
- Side parts and tousles waves
- Wispy bangs or a soft curtain fringe
What To Avoid
Unless you’re wanting to emphasise a strong jawline – as is your right and power to you tbh – then avoid blunt bobs that end exactly where the jaw sits.
This can have the effect of accentuating squareness. Likewise, says Kelly “sharp, geometric fringes will compete with already-strong features.”
Best Haircut & Style For Diamond Face Shapes
Diamond face shapes feature high cheekbones, a narrow chin, and often a narrower forehead. The aim is to soften the cheekbones and create width at the forehead and jaw.
“A cut that adds softness around the jaw and fullness through the crown brings gorgeous balance,” says Kelly, who counts Megan Fox and Gracie Abrams as good examples of how to style hair for a diamond shape.
What To Ask For
- Tousled lobs with side parts
- Shag-inspired cuts
- Curtain bangs that open up the face
- Styles that add fullness at the crown and jawline
What To Avoid
The key to maintaining a balance with the proportions of a diamond-shaped face is to avoid overly narrow styles. Similarly, cuts that tuck too tightly behind the ears, or focus too much volume on the crown can also be ill-fitting for some heart-shaped faces.
“These can make the cheekbones look overly dominant and elongate the face too much,” says Kelly.
What If You Still Can’t Decide?
If you’re stuck between shapes (which, honestly, most of us are), it’s less about rigid rules and more about proportion and movement.
Salons are already seeing an increase in clients requesting more natural-style cuts, particularly ones that work with the hair’s inherent flow, rather than against it – just like these examples.
The best kind of haircut is the one that works the best for your hair type, texture and importantly – lifestyle. A haircut is only as good as your ability to style it, and if you’re not able to maintain a high-needs number, then look to your stylist to recommend a cut that can enhance your hair’s individual characteristics.
Whatever your requirements, there’s a style to suit, and armed with this handy guide, your best hair days are on the horizon.
Related articles:
- Get It-Girl Hair: The Trending Styles, Colours And Cuts To Request In The Salon
- The Latest Hair Trend? Going Back To Your Roots
- What To Know Before Committing To A Fringe
