Finding My One Perfect Haircut...and Letting You Vote on It

Life Hair Cut Definition - Haircut for Face Shape — (Image credit: Kathryn Wirsing)

One time during a haircut, I started ugly-crying so violently the stylist was like, "I'm outta here, and I'm taking my scissors with me. You seem unstable." So all the other times I've gotten haircuts, it's been 1) on a whim and 2) at places that take walk-ins so I can say, "you get what you pay for" with a shrug when my ends turn out uneven or whatever.

As you can tell, I've got a very "whatever" relationship with my hair, mostly because it just does what it wants and I really don't mind. Except...my favorite beauty blogger Michelle Villett once put it into my head that everyone has a Life Cut, AKA the one perfect style that suits you better than any other. Mine obviously isn't the tumbleweed you see here—which last got guerilla-trimmed randomly one day during Fashion Week, um, Spring 2015—so I called on three top hairstylists to send me their ideas for my Life Cut. Which you're then going to vote on.

Here's my before:

Cut #1

From Benjamin Mohapi with Benjamin salon: "A long bob with graduation to accentuate texture and increase volume. Long sweeping bangs give a versatility to styling and flatter the face with a heavy, sexy feeling."

Cut #2

From DJ Quintero with John Frieda Salons: "Because of wavy texture, we need to keep layers longer and softer to add to the texture and give personality to the hair. "Rounder faces" look great with a longer fringe that cuts your face shape in half to make the appearance seem not as round. Both fringe and length can vary 2–3 inches, longer in summer, shorter in winter."

Cut #3

From Ryan Cotton with Serge Normant: "I would recommend you grow it out about 4–5 inches longer. It's at a nondescript length now, and I think it would more conducive as a style much longer and worn either blown out straight or air-dried for a little texture. Very minimal face-framing layers would be nice but no shorter than just below your jawline. Maybe have a keratin treatment done to smooth and create less volume in the hair."

Cool. Now you pick.

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You should also check out:

Everything You Need to Know About Hair Contouring

The Latest Jaw-Dropping Celebrity Hair Transformations

You Have to Cut Your Hair to Grow It Out, and 8 Other Beauty Ironies

Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at Marie Claire. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.