5 Things You Must Consider to Choose a Flattering Hairstyle

Think knowing your face shape is all you need to consider to choose a flattering cut and style?

It’s so not true! In fact there are 4 other things you want to consider BEFORE face shape to help you find the best styles for you.

1. How Much Time are You Prepared to Spend Doing Your Hair Everyday?

How much time are do you want to spend doing your hair each day? Styling hair can take time and some of us are happier to spend more time and some less. In fact, if you are a wash-and-wear kind of woman then you need a hairstyle that is totally wash-and-wear.

I know that I’m a 3 minutes or less per day kind of woman, so this is one thing that has impacted my hairstyle choices and why I’ve had so many sensible bob hairstyles over the past 20 odd years because they are fast and easy for me to do with my hair.

2. What Will Your Hair Do Easily?

What is your hair texture? Have you got curly or straight hair or something in between? Do you have natural volume or flat hair? Thick or fine? Lots of hair or just a little?

What your hair texture is will impact the kinds of styles you can even start to choose from (unless of course, you’re happy to spend a lot of time, energy and money creating a style that goes against your hair’s natural way of being).

So as much as you may love the look of a hairstyle, chat to your hairdresser about whether or not your hair is the same texture as that of the person in the image you’re showing them to find out if it’s even possible for you, and if it is, find out how much time it will take to do each day. Then run this answer past point one above!

3. Consider Your Facial Features

Do you have facial features you want to highlight or distract from? If you have a larger nose or a soft jawline you may not want these features to be highlighted by your hairstyle, so make sure that your hair doesn’t “point” to them and draw attention.

I have quite wide-set eyes and now that I know this I finally understand why I hated every hairstyle I was ever given where they had short layers of hair that the hairdresser brushed onto my face – as it made my eyes look like they were right at the edges of my face.

If you have asymmetrical facial features, consider an asymmetry in your hairstyle.

Also, how are your features place on your face? Mine are all in the centre, rather than being spread out more evenly, which makes my oval face shape work like an oblong (and I have to use oblong recommendations for hairstyles etc).

4. The Impact of Your Jaw and Forehead on Hairstyle Choices

Do you have a more prominent forehead or a very low hairline. Both of these features will impact hairstyle choices.

Have you ever wanted a short haircut, even a pixie? I tried in my 20s the pixie cut and found that I never felt feminine in it and so had to add more makeup every day til it grew out. I’ve discovered after doing much research, that the reason is the length of my jaw (measure from the base of your earlobe to the bottom of your chin). John Frieda has come up with the following formula. If the measurement of the jaw is 5.5cm (2 inches) or less, then you can more easily sport a pixie or very short hairstyle. If it’s longer (mine is around 7cm) then you need some hair around your jaw to soften your jawline.

Who Suits a Pixie Haircut?

5. Face Shape Flattery for Hairstyles

And finally, we get to your face shape. Rather than obsess about squares, ovals, diamonds and hearts, think about your face shape in a more simple way.

Long faces (more than 1.5x the width of your face) need either volume at the side to broaden the face to balance or use a fringe/bangs to shorten it.

Short faces (less than 1.5x the width of your face) need height or length and no volume at the sides to balance. Avoid heavy blunt fringes, side-swept ones work well.

Unbalanced faces (hearts/triangles/inverted triangles) need the body at the opposite end of the face to the widest part, or the prominent area to be covered by the hair so it’s camouflaged.

Simple really!

Hair and Makeup Masterclasses

If you want more tips and advice, on choosing hairstyles, embracing your grey, how to deal with frizz and so much more, check out my Hair and Makeup Masterclasses.