I’mma be real with you for a sec: This hairstyle-for-your-face-shape thing is not at all necessary for any human being in the world. Because the haircut and style that’s going to look best on you is the one you feel most comfortable wearing, and that almost never comes down to a scientific, geographic formula.
BUT, not everything you know is a complete lie, because there are certain haircuts and styles that are, technically, more visually appealing to the eye, thanks to angles and lines and the maths of the world. So to get you inspired for your next cut, we turned to our favorite celebs, below, for the hairstyles that look especially excellent on long faces.
1. Iman
A deeply swooped side ponytail, like Iman's actual masterpiece, visually cuts a long face in half...diagonally in half, at least.
2. Gisele Bündchen
A textured ponytail, like Bündchen's, with softly teased sides adds a bit of width to a narrow face structure.
3. Sarah Jessica Parker
Normally, a center part tends to draw the eye upward—which, on a longer face, can give the illusion of even more length—but Parker's face-framing blowout actually splits the edges off her forehead, giving her face a more angular structure.
4. Joan Smalls
Okay, we're not suggesting you magically wake up with waist-length curls, but adding a ton of voluminous waves—whether through a curling wand or by cutting short, choppy layers around the face to encourage a curl—helps to "fill out" a leaner, longer face.
5. Liv Tyler
A long lob with soft bends around the face (plus that ultra-deep side part) will square off an oval shape, like Tyler's.
