Face-framing hairstyles are so flattering, but they're not one size fits all. The best style for you depends not just on your personal preference, but your hair type, your face shape, and where you like to part your hair.
Like a portrait, face-framing hairstyles complement and accentuate your face. Celebrities, most of whom work with professional stylists, have gifted us with plenty of cuts and colors to pick from. Go ahead and pick your favorite.
Jodie Comer
One might think "face-framing" equates to "lots of layers," but it's often about finding the right hairstyle for one's face shape. The center part offers some nice symmetry for Jodie Comer, and the shoulder length perfectly frames her head and neck.
Jourdan Dunn
While short hair doesn't frame the whole face, per se, it does add shape and dimension to the head. In Jourdan Dunn's case, the volume on top only accentuates her perfectly ovular face (oh, to be a supermodel) and adds a little visual interest in the form of volume.
Sandra Oh
Curls are naturally face-framing, given their soft shape, and Sandra Oh's curls are a thing of beauty. She has lots of layers here forming a soft circular shape, and the chin-grazing length helps to foreground her features. If you have this curl pattern, this cut is terrific inspiration.
Anne Hathaway
Bangs can be very face-framing, and they can range from wispy and small to thick and blunt. Anne Hathaway opts for bangs with medium thickness: it doesn't create a wall of hair, and she has longer wisps on the side. It looks a little undone but also very chic.
Kerry Washington
A bob with minimal layers might not initially seem like a perfect face-framing cut, but Kerry Washington demonstrates how flattering it can be. It essentially provides contrast to her face by adding volume horizontally. And a center part allows for symmetry.
Jennifer Aniston
Starting with "the Rachel," Jennifer Aniston has perfected face-framing haircuts. In fact, she often maintains angled front pieces, like this, as a softer and more classic version of her Friends cut. Those pieces, when angled inwards, mimic the shape of her face.
Gigi Hadid
"Old Hollywood" hair—with pieces intricately curled—is a naturally face-framing style. With some shorter pieces in the front and a little bit of her natural color showing through at the roots, Gigi Hadid keeps this look feeling modern instead of a total throwback.
Penélope Cruz
Volume can be a great face-framing device (and if you're not blessed with such full locks, extensions can be a nice alternative). With some long layers throughout, angled pieces around her face to emphasize her features, and a touch of natural gray at the top, this cut on Penelope Cruz has dimension.
Kate Moss
You can still frame your face effectively if your hair is straighter and thinner. Highlights (and lowlights, depending on the context) work well for making hair look thicker and more voluminous. By including shades of her natural dark blonde, Kate Moss makes the lighter wheat color feel integrated.
Halle Berry
The queen of short pixie haircuts, Halle Berry also looks great with a bob. By adding curls, some highlights for warmth, and some layers, she creates a diamond shape (crucially different from a flatter, triangular shape, which isn't particularly flattering for most faces).
Jenna Ortega
Bouncy curls are a terrific look if you have the length and hair density. Here, Jenna Ortega has a butterfly cut, which consists of long, dramatic layers at the front—the shortest pieces begin above her chin and the longest pieces extend well beyond her shoulders.
Stephanie Hsu
An updo can be face-framing! By brushing the hair back and securing it gently at the nape of the neck, the effect is a gentle circular shape. This look complements Stephanie Hsu's heart-shaped face instead of competing with it, falling gently into the background and letting those earrings take center stage.
Ariana Grande
Curtain bangs, so named because they are pulled to either side like a stage curtain being opened, are a nice way to have face-framing layers but keep them out of your eyes. Ariana Grande has a short, youthful cut here, with highlights to complement her light makeup.
Teyana Taylor
Long curls can be face-framing, even when there aren't any angled pieces in the front! Here, Teyana Taylor uses the shape of her curls to add volume everywhere. Her heart-shaped face draws the eye up, and her hair draws it back down towards the rest of her outfit.
Kaia Gerber
A half-up hairdo can frame the face, so long as the hair isn't pulled back tightly and there are some pieces pulled out in front. As we see here with Kaia Gerber, with the right styling this look can feel very chic and upscale (instead of the half updo you might have had growing up).
Jennifer Lopez
A soft, semi-messy updo can be awesome to balance out a more formal and intricate outfit (like here on Jennifer Lopez). With pieces seemingly haphazard but also laid so as to graze the side of the face perfectly, it's a nice balance between done and undone.
Emily Ratajkowski
A side part can be face-framing—but there will be more framing on one side, as we see with Emily Ratajkowski. These Old Hollywood waves are expertly styled, with the curl on the right perfectly outlining her eye and cheekbone. It's literally framing her defining features!
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo takes inspiration from the '90s, and this updo is no exception. Two chunky pieces are pulled out to the front and given a gentle curl. Rather than having all the hair pulled back, those two pieces frame the face and make the whole look "softer."
Bella Hadid
Like a few side parts on this list, the face framing comes in on one side. Bella Hadid has a very symmetrical face, so the side part and short front pieces add a little dimension without looking bizarre. She wisely keeps the rest of the look simple.
Zoë Kravitz
For hair that's long and styled away from the face, bangs and front pieces can be a great way to break up that visual line. Zoë Kravitz opts for both; the pieces look a little random (which is very in line with her casual boho style) but simultaneously thoughtfully placed.
Mikey Madison
With very long hair that doesn't have a lot of layers, it can help to cut a few pieces shorter in front. Mikey Madison has a very simple long haircut, but the addition of just a couple strands curled at the front changes the shape and look entirely.
Kendall Jenner
Very, very thin strands of hair that are delicately pulled forward have a similar effect as bigger, chunkier pieces. This looks quite delicate on Kendall Jenner here, with the longest tendrils extending down to her shoulder bone. It's a thin "frame" but very effective.
Dua Lipa
With a deep side part, all the face-framing pieces can drape beautifully to one side, forming the letter "c" around the face. Since Dua Lipa doesn't have a ton of highlights in her hair here, she has to rely on shape to make the cut look interesting.
Sabrina Carpenter
If you're growing out your bangs but still want the hair to frame your face, pull them to the side like Sabrina Carpenter does. here The sweet clip on one side makes the hairdo look thoughtful and intentional and ensures there aren't any pesky flyaways.
Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson has made thick, soft, perfectly face-framing bangs an important part of her signature look. The look is aided with some shorter angled pieces on the side; Johnson's hair is thick, but if yours is not, you could add highlights throughout.
Julia Garner
Julia Garner wears her hair quite short and sharp to complement the gorgeous angularity of her heart-shaped face. This short asymmetric pixie extends the lines of her face on one side, making the whole look coherent and dramatic. If you have short curly hair, ask a stylist if this will work for you.
Sienna Miller
Sienna Miller has long, '70s-style hair that is a great pick for anyone who wants a face-framing cut. She only has layers at the front, but they're dramatic without looking that way. The shortest pieces are at about eye level, but the longest ones go to her ribcage.
Tracee Ellis Ross
When you have 4a to 4c hair, it can be naturally face-framing so long as you have the right layers and shaping. Tracee Ellis Ross, who's a great source of curly inspiration, has layering throughout but also some curly bangs in front to draw attention to her face. It's very glam.
Shay Mitchell
When styled precisely, an updo can almost look sculptural. Shay Mitchell has pieces delicately draped at the top of her head and in front. Even within those front pieces, the hair is deeply layered, which gives the hair more body than if it were all one length.
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion is absolutely nailing this blunt cut. Such a dramatic 'do is not for everyone, but it is extremely face-framing. The key is to get a precise cut that ends at the bottom of your chin—and then get regular haircuts to preserve that shape.
Hailey Bieber
This might be the best example of a modern lob (long bob). The hair is just around shoulder length and given a gentle wave throughout. There are no face-framing pieces, but the cut itself (and the side part) are sufficient to highlight Hailey Bieber's features.
Suki Waterhouse
Suki Waterhouse's butterfly cut is probably the best example of a face-framing hairstyle. The bangs frame the top of her head, the short layers frame her jawline, and the longer layers frame her neck and shoulders. If you're ever in doubt, this is a safe bet.
