When selecting a style, for example, a beard style, hairstyle, or clothing there are a number of factors to consider from colour to how it will look on your body or your face shape, and anything in between. Typically there are sets of guidelines or suggestions for what might be most “flattering'' on specific body types and face shapes. When it comes to determining what is considered flattering, it often comes back to balance and trying to create balance with the style we have chosen in hair, beard and clothes. Generally, when styles are recommended for specific shapes they are looking to mimic an ideal shape as closely as possible, for example in men that is often the inverted triangle body and the oval face shape. When it comes to women the hourglass shape as the figure and the heart-shaped faces are often modelled when making styling choices.

Just as people are unique, so are our face shapes. People come with a variety of different face shapes

Oval Face Shape

The oval face is one that is characterized by a subtle roundness at the bottom and the top of the head and is slightly long but not oblong. There is some jaw definition but it is not as defined as it is with the square face shape. This face shape tends to look good with any hairstyle or beard style and can pull off a wide variety of looks with ease. In this case, it is easier to play around with more experimental looks like funky mustaches, bushy beards, fluffy sideburns and bold brows. Due to the overall mostly even balance of the oval face shape it is universally compatible with most styles and looks.

Most beard styles look good on the oval face

Oblong or Rectangle

The oblong or rectangle face shape can be identified by its longer features and emphasis on either the jaw or the forehead in terms of width. With this face shape, there is often either a classic egg shape to the head with a wider jaw and a narrow forehead or a more “Megamind type look with a wider forehead and narrower jaw. As the overall goal is to create balance, the style recommended will be based on whether there is a broader jaw or forehead. An egg-shaped head would have a beard that is shorter than the head hair to improve overall symmetry, whereas a narrow jaw would have a bigger beard than a hairstyle to create balance in the appearance. It is like magic the way certain styles can help things balance out and align harmoniously!

It is better to keep the beard trimmed and neat to keep the face length shorter and more balanced

Square Face Shape

As the square face shape has more harsh angles and lines, the most balancing style tends to be those with the main bulk of the beard being centred in the middle of the face, closer to the chin. It is recommended to have less hair on the sides of the face, such as along the jaw and down the neckline to keep it trim and tidy. There is a focus on trying to avoid an abundance of thickness, growth or fullness near the sideburns and the cheeks as this can further enhance the square jawline creating a boxy or block-like look. The addition of greater volume on the area that already is the focal point further throws off the balance of the face instead of aligning it. Of course, these are just guidelines and you are more than welcome to rock whatever style you like.

Round Face Shape

Who doesn’t love a good round face, sometimes known as a moon face, noticeable by its soft jawline that travels up into the hairline creating a shape that is the roundest of the face shapes, thus its name. This face shape also tends to be accompanied by a less pointed jaw than is present in other face shapes, for example, the square. Similarly to the square face shape, it is recommended to keep the hair of the cheeks and sideburns neat to avoid creating even more fullness in the lower half of the face. When picking a beard style you may want to go with something that is cut shorter on the sides and has more length towards the bottom.

Diamond Face Shape

The focal point of the diamond face shape is the high, angular cheekbones, that highlight the face. When trying to create balance using a beard style for this face shape try to focus the hair towards the middle of the chin area again. By doing so you will be creating a balance between the high pointy angles of the cheekbone down to the beard on the chin. For the shape of the beard, we recommend trying to keep your beard more rounded and to try and avoid it becoming pointy as this can accentuate your face shape in other ways than initially intended.

Triangular Face Shape

The final face shape that we will be going over is the triangular face shape, this face shape has a very narrow forehead as compared to a significantly larger and wider jaw on the lower half of the face. A fun cross between a beard and a mustache that is becoming popular so far this year is the beardstache. The beardstache is a wonderful choice for the triangle face shape because it does not add extra volume to the jaw or chin area. To achieve balance through styling we are trying to create harmony between the chin and the top of the head, and take some attention or density away from or off of the jawline area.

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The Best Beard Style For Your Face Shape