Shapeshifter: How to figure out your facial shape

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So you want to know your facial shape? Maybe its because youre considering a new haircut and unsure whether it will suit you? Or maybe its because youre looking to contour your face but dont know how to best go about it.

Or perhaps you just want to know for the sake of it. There are six different kinds: the heart, diamond, oval, round, square and rectangle shapes, with minor differences between each.

So, if youve found that items that suit your family or friends dont suit you, or perhaps youre likened to a celebrity, heres your chance to find out why. Whatever your reason for wanting to know, were here to help you figure it all out.

Much like knowing your clothing or shoe size, knowing your face shape is helpful for your everyday life. It helps to determine what will be flattering on you, such as eyebrow shapes, makeup types, and accessories. However, no longer are we locked in with the face shape we were born with, with many people opting for such procedures as a facelift to find a more desirable look.

Over the years, different facial features have come and gone in popularity. Whilst a healthy-looking face with plump cheeks may have been desirable in the past, today an angular face is the bone structure people crave.

This has led to such trends as the fox eye trend with women, in particular, going under the knife in order to gain a more lifted eye shape, akin to a fox, hence the name.

Along with this eye trend, to match it, hollowed-out cheekbones and a strong, sharp jawline has been growing steadily in popularity for the last several years, making angular oval-shaped faces the favoured style. There are three determining factors in order to figure out what your shape is. The widest part of your forehead, your jawline, and the length of your face.

If you have an oval-shaped face, then your forehead would only be slightly wider than your chin, which is curved in shape. Your cheekbones would be the widest part of your face and your face is longer than it is wide.

A round face resembles both an oval and a square-shaped face, with minor changes. It is similar to the square just with softer edges, rather than pointier angles, much like the oval-shaped face, however, your chin is rounded. But, much like the oval shape, your cheekbones are the widest part of your face.

If you have a square face, then your face will be straight on the sides and your jawline is angled but only slightly, with only a small amount of curve. Much like a square, your proportions are relatively uniform with your face being almost as wide as it is long. Your features are very sharp and well defined, with a prominent jawline.

A rectangular face is similar to a square-shaped face, with the exception being that a rectangular-shaped face is longer than it is wide. The forehead, cheeks and jaw lines are all a similar length and usually narrow in appearance. To soften your face shape, your jawline had a slight curve at the end.

A heart-shaped face is the most romantic sounding of all the face shapes. The forehead is the widest part of the face, quickly followed by the cheekbones, and then meeting at a pointed chin, resembling a heart, hence the name.

To further the resemblance, heart-shaped people can be found to have a widow's peak, although this is not a mandatory factor to be classified as heart-shaped.

Then finally there is the diamond-shaped face. This face shape closely resembles the heart, with wider cheeks and a narrow, pointed chin. However, the difference is not in the bone structure, but rather the hairline. Whilst a heart shape will have a wider hairline, a diamond shape has a narrow one, creating an outline that resembles the precious jewel.

Each face shape is equally as beautiful as the other with varying features coming in and out of favour, depending on factors such as popular celebrities and makeup trends.

By figuring out your face shape you can learn which hairstyles and accessories look best and suit your features the most which will have a domino effect of you feeling more confident, which is the overall aim.

If youre still unsure as to what shape your face is, looking to celebrities youve been told you resemble is a great way to easily figure it out. Alternatively, if youre looking to change your face shape to one you deem more desirable, using make-up tricks or various procedures can bring you closer to looking your desired way.