Cutting Class

Cutting Class

Posted: May 7, 2009 9:32 AM
Updated: May 7, 2009 9:32 AM

Style Sessions: Everyday Casual

By LiLi Tan for Style Sessions

Whatever your face shape, there's a right cut and a wrong cut. Find your face shape here, and see what most flatters you. Then check out our tips to complete your look with the best makeup, from pretty to edgy, for your new 'do.

My Face is Oval
"Anything works," says Pelusi of you lucky oval-face inheritresses. An oval face is ideal because it isn't made to look super long by lengthy hair or made to look pudgy by short cuts. You can do edgy and mod short hair with sharp angles at the chin, or you can have it long and stick-straight. If you have a short neck, keep the length past your shoulders, otherwise short, sassy 'dos do the job, and so do updated bobs.

Total look: Ovals should apply makeup to draw attention to the center of the face. Try using two different shades of foundation. Sponge the darker foundation to the temples, outer cheek, jaw line, and chin. Apply your lighter foundation to the center of your face, including your eye, nose, lower forehead and upper lip areas. Let your digital camera prove to you with before and after photos.

But what if you're almost oval? Go for a cut below the chin. "Filling in the neck area creates an oval 90 percent of the time, no matter what your face shape," Pelusi says. Good to know!

My Face is Round
The key to making a round face look fab is to have hair at a side part; the off-center division will "break the roundness of your face," says Pelusi. Ear-level layers will define and give dimension, and avoid having your hair at one length. Sticking with a shoulder length that fills in the neck area will get you a little closer to that optimal oval shape.

Total look: To make your face look more angular, contour your cheeks with a combination of blush and bronzer. Sweep the bronzer at the top of your cheekbones. Then suck in your cheeks and dust blush in the dips.

My Face is Heart Shaped
A heart face has a wider forehead and pointed chin. Stick with cuts that are wider at the bottom to even out your features. Try a center part, but angle the front and have lots of layers to create dimension near the chin, like Charlize Theron's Emmy's '05 modern take on the classic bob. Avoid going super short or extra pouffy on top -- you'll look like an upside-down pyramid.

Total look: For the heart-shaped face, you can use makeup to draw attention away from your forehead by wearing a bright or high-shine lip gloss or darker matte lips. It moves the focus toward the bottom of your face. Fab.

My Face is Long
A long face is considerably longer than it is wide. "The key is to create width," Pelusi says of long-faced girls. Try a medium bob with angles around the face, with plenty of layers to create movement around the chin. It will look great as long as you fill your hair in below the chin. Avoid a center part with stick straight hair. Bangs and soft waves also shorten the face and make it look fuller.

Total look: Finish the look with minimal makeup. Widen the eyes with a natural shadow applied to the lids and swept toward the temples. Add color without narrowing the face by applying blush right to the apples of your cheeks.

My Face is Square
The distinguishing feature in a square face is the strong jaw line. And with strength, comes weakness: Super short hair is the Achilles Heel for the square-faced girl. Make sure your hair is cut below the chin to ensure that your strong jaw is softened. Volume can also soften squareness. Says Pelusi: "Lift at the hairline so the roots stand up about a half-inch."

Use makeup to your advantage. Apply bronzer on your temples and jawbone near the ear to even out your strong jaw.