We have all had that moment in the salon: we arrive with images of glamorous celebrities clasped in our hands that we eagerly show our stylist, hoping to leave feeling red-carpet ready, only for the final reveal to be quite the opposite. It’s easy to blame the stylists in that moment, but often we need to accept that not every hairstyle will suit every face shape. I’ll never forget insisting my hairdresser cut my bangs despite her warning that I wouldn’t pull them off, and realising too late that she was, indeed, correct…

But never fear. This truth doesn’t mean we have to stick with the same haircut for the rest of our lives. We simply need to work with what we have and allow our hair to frame our faces in the best possible ways. Here are the top hairstyles for your face shape.

Oval: Lucky you. As the most versatile face-shape, there are few cuts that you can’t pull off. So be playful! Try mixing up lengths and fringes to find what works for you. And if you’re not feeling bold, work with universally flattering midi-length cuts or ombre colouring that emphasises the natural curve of your face and draws attention away from your forehead. 

Heart: Heart-shaped faces are the perfect pallet for bangs. With a naturally wider forehead, broader cheek range and narrow chin, fringes offer balance to this face shape and bring character to any hairstyle. Fringe lengths could be super short and blunt, or longer curtain bangs with heaps of texture. Which bang cut you go for should guide the length of the rest of your hair.

Square: Angled bobs and tousled mid-length cuts soften squareness and create symmetry. Don’t be afraid to play with volume, either. Strong jawlines and wider foreheads can handle it. The best hairstyles for this face shape will soften edges with layers, sweeping side fringes and loads of volume at the crown of the head.

Round: Round faces best suit hairstyles that elongate the face and create more space. If you are working with longer hair, build in layers and add texture with sprays to create movement and remove weight from around the face. You could style it either in a middle parting or in a wavy side parting. If your hair is short, style with a deep side parting to give the face longer lines. Pixie cuts worn in this style are super flattering on round faces, and give the illusion of extra length to the jawline.

Diamond: With a killer jawline, diamond-shaped faces are primed for gorgeous up-dos and super short cuts that show off all those angles. Think blunt bobs and glamourous high ponytails or buns. Long layers that can be styled in loose, Old Hollywood curls are another way to show off your face’s natural shape.