Square, Round, or Oval? How To Determine Your Face Shape Effortlessly

Finding the perfect pair of glasses can mean spending hours scrolling and trying on different frames. There are seemingly countless designs, colors, and styles to choose from.

What if we helped you majorly narrow down your search?

Understanding your face shape will help you determine what frames are going to flatter your features the most. We're going to walk you through figuring out your face shape. We also have some great recommendations for eyewear to complement your features. You'll be feeling fabulous in your new glasses in no time.

Why Is Understanding Your Face Shape Important?

How often have you thought you found the best pair of glasses that check all your boxes, only to try them on and realize they're not a perfect match?

You may wonder why they look so good on the model, but not your face. It can be a frustrating experience that leaves you wanting to throw in the towel and stick with the same basic pair you've been wearing for years.

Maybe what you're missing is consideration of your face shape. You would only buy a pair of shoes if you knew your size, and you should know your face shape in order to pick out glasses. The wrong frames can overpower your face or accentuate features you may want to downplay.

Your face shape is the blueprint for understanding your angles, curves, and proportions. There are six main face shapes to consider: square, round, oval, diamond, heart, and rectangle. When you know which shape is yours, you open yourself up to a world of styling possibilities.

The right pair of glasses can bring balance to your facial features. You can make better decisions about more than just your eyewear.

Styling your hair and doing your makeup to complement your face shape can be a game-changer. Stop trying to guess what may look best and take the steps to discover your face shape. Once you know what it is, you can search for glasses made for you.

How To Identify Your Face Shape

There are several ways to determine your face shape, including looking at yourself. It doesn't get easier than that, so go stand in front of a mirror (or look at a photo on your phone if you don't want to get up) and compare your features to the following face shapes.

Square

Square face shapes have bold, striking features. Think Emma Mackey or Margot Robbie – these stars rock their strong jawlines. Square face shapes have foreheads that align with their jaw and are proportional in length and width.

Rectangle

A rectangular or oblong face shape is similar to a square in that they are the same width from top to bottom, but they are longer than they are wide. Famous faces with this shape include Sarah Jessica Parker and Bella Hadid.

Round

Round faces have soft curves and gentle angles. Jawlines are round as well, and you may have been told you have a baby face a time or two. The cheekbones tend to be the widest part of a round face. Celebrities with this face shape are Selena Gomez and Madison Bailey.

Oval

The oval face shape features balanced proportions, rounded contours, and a forehead that's neither too wide nor too narrow. They have a slightly wider forehead than chin, and their cheekbones are generally the widest part of their face. Consider yourself in the same category as Beyoncé or Ryan Gosling if you have this face shape.

Diamond

Are you a diamond in the rough? Diamond face shapes have high cheekbones, a narrow forehead, and a pointed chin. If it looks like you could draw lines from the center of your hairline to your cheekbones and down to your chin and end up with a diamond, this is your face shape. Jennifer Lopez and Charli D'Amelio have diamond face shapes.

Heart

People with heart shaped faces have wider temples, a narrow jawline, and a pointy chin. Some heart shapes have a widow's peak on their hairline, but it's not a requirement. Think of an upside-down triangle instead of an actual heart. Reese Witherspoon and Sydney Sweeney have heart-shaped faces.

How To Measure Your Face

Break out the measuring tape if you're ready to take things one step further and say goodbye to guesswork. Measuring your features can help you determine the shape of your face. You'll want to use a flexible tape measure to get accurate measurements.

Forehead Width

Start by measuring the width of your forehead at its widest point. Place the tape measure across your forehead and take note of the measurement from hairline to hairline.

Cheekbone Width

Next, measure your cheekbone width. Place the tape measure across your face, starting from the outer corner of one cheekbone to the outer corner on the opposite side, going over the bridge of your nose.

You may need to feel for the highest point of your cheekbone to know where to place the measuring tape. If you have a high nose bridge, it may throw off the cheekbone measurement. Instead, eyeball where the measurement lines up and record one side at a time.

Jawline Width

Moving on to the jawline, measure the width of your jaw from one corner to the other. Place the tape measure along the bottom edge of your jawline, just below your ears, and record the measurement.

Jawline Length

Measure your jawline length by placing one end of the tape measure on the corner of your jaw near your ear and the other end on the tip of your chin. Repeat these steps on the other side of your face. Add these measurements up to find your total jawline length.

Face Length

Measure the length of your face from your hairline to the tip of your chin. Position the tape measure vertically in the center of your hairline and down to your chin.

Chin Width

Finally, measure the width of your chin by holding the tape measure across the base of your chin.

Now that you have all your measurements, you can analyze your results. Compare your face proportions to the characteristics of different face shapes. If your cheekbones are wider than your forehead and jawline, you may have a heart-shaped face. Is your face significantly longer than it is wide? You might have a rectangle face shape.

These measurements are only a starting point to determining your face shape. If you still need clarification, feel free to seek out the advice of a professional optician or stylist who can help you identify your unique facial structure. Once you know your face shape, you can look for frames and the best hairstyles to complement it.

What Are the Best Glasses for a Square Face Shape?

People with square face shapes exude confidence. If you have strong angles, a wide forehead, and a broad jawline, there's a whole world of options to complement your features.

Eyewear can help balance your proportions by softening sharp angles.

Consider glasses with round edges or curved lines. Pair Eyewear offers a variety of oval and round frames that perfectly complement square-shaped faces.

• Round Glasses: Opposites attract, and these round glasses can balance out your bold features. The Reese frames are narrow, modified round glasses that flatter many face shapes, including square.

• Oval Glasses: Oval glasses have the necessary curves to soften square facial features. This style of eyewear is typically wider than round frames, so it's a good choice if you're looking for a different look.

• Cat-Eye Glasses: Cat-eye frames can complement angular features. The Quinn frames are extra-wide, modified cat-eye glasses that will bring feminine charm to your square face.

That said, you don't have to avoid angular frames altogether. If you're not feeling rounder styles, rectangular-shaped frames can actually complement a square face shape quite nicely.

Look for square lenses featuring slightly rounded edges or softer lines for the best of both worlds. Avoid frames that are too boxy if you don't want to accentuate the sharpness of your features.

• Rectangular Glasses: The Kirby frames are medium, modified glasses. The bottom edges of the frames are rounded, making them ideal for square face shapes.

Bigger isn't always better when it comes to the size of your frames. Choose glasses that are proportionate to your face. Frames that are too small can get lost amidst your bold features, and oversized frames can overwhelm your face.

Seek a happy medium that balances out your features and enhances your appearance without being too overpowering.

What Are the Best Glasses for a Round Face Shape?

Round faces don't have many angular features, but with the right eyewear, you can achieve a more structured look. Look for frames with strong lines to help elongate your appearance. Classic rectangular frames are among the most flattering styles for round faces.

These glasses create contrast with the curves of your face, helping define your features while adding symmetry. Choose frames a little wider than your face to make your face look longer and slimmer.

If you're not feeling the rectangular frames, round glasses are still an option. Opt for round frames that aren't oversized, as they can exaggerate your round features even more.

Here are a few of our favorite frames for round faces:

• The Larkin: The Larkin rectangular frames are narrow, modified fan favorites.

• The Jessie: The Jessie frames are wide and have a polished modern feel. They are ideal for slightly bigger round faces.

• The Casper: Round faces on the smaller side may find The Casper frames are the perfect size. These glasses are medium-width and versatile.

• The Wanda: Cat-eye frames look great on round faces. The upswept corners have a lifting effect, which can flatter fuller cheeks and round jawlines. They also draw attention to the eyes and browline. The Wanda frames offer the perfect amount of flair to your appearance.

• Clear Glasses: Transparent frames are trendy and can look fabulous on round faces. They don't stand out too much and still offer the balancing and contrasting benefits of other styles. Pair Eyewear provides crystal clear, pink clear, and blue clear options for all our frames.

• Square Glasses: Very similar to rectangular frames, square glasses also work well on round faces. They offer geometric corners and straight lines to bring structure to the face.

What Are the Best Glasses for an Oval Face Shape?

All face shapes are beautiful, but people with oval-shaped faces may have it the best. They can rock almost any style of eyewear. Their facial proportions are already balanced, and with no harsh angles, the world is their oyster.

If you have an oval shape, don't shy away from trying out different styles. Select glasses that aren't too big or too small. Frames a similar width as the widest part of your face will help you maintain a balanced appearance.

Even though an oval face shape can pull off almost any frame shape, there are particularly flattering styles.

We have some recommendations if you're looking for a new pair of glasses:

• Rectangular Glasses: The combination of an oval face with rectangular frames works great. The style offers sharp angles and lines to otherwise soft features. Try The Finley frames, which can give you structure without overwhelming the face.

• Round Glasses: Even though round frames are a similar shape to oval, they're different enough to provide contrast. Plus, round frames have a retro feel you can't get elsewhere. We love The Otis frames, which are designed with a modified round frame for their vintage touch.

• Cat Eye Glasses: Cat-eye glasses are another timeless shape that compliments an oval face shape. The subtle rounded lenses draw attention to the features of an oval face. This style is also fun and can add dimension and a little drama. The Harper cat-eye frames are a sleek and retro-chic option.

Try on any pair of glasses virtually with our try-on feature. It lets you see exactly how our frames will look on your face shape.

A Perfect Face

Finding the perfect pair of glasses starts with understanding your face shape. There are six common face shapes to consider. Using a measuring tape can be helpful to figure out the width of your face and which face shape is yours. Once you can answer "What is my face shape?" we can help you find eyewear to complement your best features.

Sources:

How to Find Your Face Shape in 3 Simple Steps - 2024 | MasterClass

Anatomy, Head and Neck: Face - StatPearls | NIH

A Guide to Widow’s Peaks: Meaning, Causes & Myths | Wimpole Clinic

What is the Golden Ratio of Facial Aesthetics? | Maningas Cosmetic Surgery