Diamond-Shaped Face? These Haircuts Work Best

About to take a hair leap of faith and try a new look? Not so fast. One thing you should know before you change your style is the shape of your face and which cuts flatter it (and which cuts definitely don't). This post goes out to all of you diamond-faced among us staring at your hair in the mirror and wondering if you can really pull off messy, textured hair (spoiler alert: you can, so go for it!).

First: HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR FACE SHAPE?

Figuring out the shape of your face isn’t actually that tricky. All you need to do is take an old lipstick and trace around the outline of your face (excluding your ears), then look in the mirror and assess. What do you see?

THE DIAMOND FACE

The differences between a diamond and an oval or round face shape are subtle. The diamond face’s widest points occur at the cheekbones, with the forehead and chin both appearing more narrow. Let Victoria Beckham be the poster girl for this facial structure.

CHOOSING A CUT

Long

“You need lots of layers – texture that's going to break up the widest points of the face at the cheekbones,” says celebrity stylist Randi Peterson. Layers keep the diamond face looking "open" and keep the emphasis away from the wide cheekbones and chin.

Short

There was a reason Posh’s angled cut was such a hit: It’s perfect for her face shape. “Angled bobs work really well with the diamond face shape,” says Peterson. Halle Berry also makes the diamond shape look amazing with her structured short style.

NOW STYLE IT

Diamond face shapes can pull off multiple styles — smooth and sleek as well as messy boho. However, heed this expert advice: “With any length, If your hair is naturally straight, keeping it off the face will make it looks less narrow,” says Peterson. Add soft texture in the form of loose, flowing waves.

Diamond face shapes also often come with a widow's peak — that tiny tuft of v-shaped hair that sits on your forehead. If that's a characteristic you have, Peterson says, "don't try and force a bang - it'll look silly and pop up even more and look like a waterfall." Good advice!