Have you ever wondered how to contour your face by finding your face shape? For some, it’s easy to see their face shape, while for many it’s not as apparent. Contouring has become a staple technique in makeup routines, allowing individuals to sculpt and define their facial features for a flawless finish. However, one size does not fit all when it comes to contouring. To truly enhance your natural beauty, it's essential to understand how to contour according to your unique face shape.

How to Find Your Face Shape

ARTICLE CITED: How to Find Your Face Shape

By: Wendy Rose Gould Updated on July 23, 2023

Suppose you found yourself randomly googling "how to find my face shape" or "what face shape do I have," then you've landed in the right place. Maybe you're just curious whether you have a heart-shaped face or a square one. Or maybe you're keen on figuring out how your face shape can help inform some of your style decisions moving forward.

“Knowing and understanding your face shape can be important for several reasons—[like] when choosing a hairstyle, picking sunglasses, grooming your eyebrows, or applying makeup," says David Shafer, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Shafer Plastic Surgery in New York City. "It also allows you to play with dimension and know which parts of your face you want to emphasize or minimize.”

Also interesting: Your face shape can help predict how your face will age. Simply knowing your face shape gives you one more tool for making decisions or understanding yourself better.

Measuring Your Face to Determine Its Shape

Face Length: Measure from the top of your hairline to the lowest part of your chin.

Forehead Width: The distance across the center of your forehead from hairline to hairline. Don't bend the measuring tape against the curve—keep it flat.

Cheekbone Width: Feel for the highest point of your cheekbone, then measure from one cheekbone across your face to the other. Again, keep the measuring tape flat vs. curving it against your skin.

Jawline Width: Hold the measuring tape just below your ear and bring it down to the center of your chin, then multiply by two. In this case, you can bend the tape so it sits against your skin.

If you feel like you don’t 100% fit into any of these categories that’s normal. Many people don’t fit into just one face shape category. People can have a mix of different facial shapes.

Face shapes also change as we get older. For instance, mature people tend to have more rectangular face shapes due to the way fat, muscle, and skin change over time, while younger people are more likely to have a triangular shape.

Finally, there are no hard and fast rules in terms of applying cosmetics or wearing accessories, but you may find that certain things flatter your face more than others because of the face shape you have.

I included some helpful videos on makeup placement for your face.

Don't forget to follow me on IG for more tips and tricks!

@katetwigg