We’re going to give you some tips if deciding on the next cut of your hair feels overwhelming. Think about what you like to see on other people, what makes you feel comfortable and how much maintenance time you have. Still on the fence about whether to buy? You can narrow down your options by examining the shape of your face. Knowing your natural proportions will help you decide what length and style of hair is best for you. If you have a face with a heart shape, we’ve got plenty of ideas for you.
Lauren Thompson, the hairstylist in Nunzio Saviano Salon, NYC, says that heart-shaped faces are wider at the cheeks, jaw, and chin, but narrower through the chin. Reese Witherspoon and Naomi Campbell are just a few celebrities who have this face shape. All of them have a wider forehead with a tapering outline to a chin that is slightly pointed.
There are many different styles to use on someone with a face shaped like a heart, no matter what your hair type, length, or curls. Four professional hairstylists showed us which looks were most flattering. Scroll down to see more. From feathered lobs to free-flowing curls and flipped-out layers, there are many styles you can choose from.
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Close crop with baby bangs
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The cut can make an oval face appear even longer and a square one look squarer. For a heart-shaped facial shape, such as Ciara’s face, the bangs are positioned just right and highlight her cheekbones.
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Short Choppy Pixie
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Xavier Velasquez is a stylist for Serge Normant, a John Frieda Salon. He warns that this cool and easy to style ‘do may require additional salon visits in order maintain its pristine form, but we think it’s totally worth it. The right styling products are also important.
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Curly Pixie
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Amandla’s blonde curls add volume to her heart-shaped facial shape. This look is effortless because she allows some curls to touch her forehead, rather than brushing all her hair back.
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Long-Parted Side-Parted Pixie
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A long pixie will be the best option for you if you want a drastic change, or if you just want to get shorter. It will show off your cheekbones as with any pixie. But Jennifer Matos says the longer layers provide “texture, softness and movement, giving hair the ultimate versatility.”
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Sculpted pixie
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The pixie cut is ideal for hair that coils, as it’s easy to maintain and requires minimal styling. Lupita Nyong’o chooses a tapered style with a cut that emphasizes body and volume at the top. Use Charlotte Mensah’s Manektti Hair Oil to keep hair hydrated.
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Slicked Back Bun
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A bob is not the best choice for heart-shaped face shapes (a cut that ends at the jawline can close the face in), but it works when styled properly. The ends of Florence Pugh’s bob are flipped out to create movement, plus her slicked back and tucked-behind-the-ears style opens up her face and allows her features to shine.
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Waved Binnie
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Halle Berry has a bixie cut (a combination of the pixie and bob) but we love how her finger-waved curls give volume to her short hair and her deep side part.
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Retro Glam
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Lily Collins has a retro wave and curly hairstyles that follow the contours of her face. Her rich brunette bob hugging her cheekbones is stunning. If you want loose waves, like Collins’s try a large barrel curling iron and Oribe Apres Beach Wave & Shine Spray.
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Cropped & Stacked
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A bob that is asymmetrical with one side heavily stacked will help you build volume while opening up your face. Play with color! Eric Sebbag is a Master Hairstylist at Warren Tricomi. He says that solid, bold colors are best for drawing attention to your face. He says that while blondes and redheads are able to do highlights, he prefers solid brown and black shades. Taraji P. Henson’s deep amber color helps brighten her complexion, bringing attention to the shape of her face.
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Flared Bob
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Miranda Kerr’s short bob has been cut to chin-length, but the waves that are styled give it movement, and keep it away from the jawline.
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Curly Lob with Bangs
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Tessa Thompson’s best features are highlighted in this cut, which has bangs that are parted at the middle and a longer length than a bob. The longer layers combined with the curlier texture of Tessa Thompson create a stacking effect without feeling too heavy.
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Collarbone Length with Layers
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Matos suggests keeping the length longer, reaching the collarbone. Anything shorter will start to look boxy. She suggests asking your stylist to keep the length up front and to avoid short layers. Nicole Richie achieves a casual look by styling her long layers away. This draws the eye down, away from the forehead.
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A Wavy Lob with a Centre Part
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Matos gives the long bob, also known as a lob, her approval. She says that the lob is an excellent haircut for people with heart-shaped features. This is a great haircut for transitioning from longer hair. Style your lob with side flips for instant volume.
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A Flipped-Out Lob with a Center Part
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Hair should be blown up and parted in the middle. This will close in the width and highlight the jawline. Flip out the ends to give it a 1960s feel.
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Flipped In Lob
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Flip your tips inwards, instead of outwards as Zoe Saldana did. This style draws attention to your chin and balances out the proportions of the heart-shaped face.
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A Wavy Lob with a Side Part
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Cheryl Cole’s medium length ‘do, which is similar to Nicole Richie but worn on one side instead of the other, is elegant and simple. Try Davines Oi Oil to get the glossy finish.
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Long Layers & Beach Waves
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Gwyneth’s beach waves have a casual, cool vibe. This effortless look can be achieved with a 1-inch flatiron, such as Drybar’s The Tress Press 1 Inch Straightening Iron. Roll your wrist to grab a section of hair, and then iron it. Finish with a beach mist.
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Tight Topknot
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To draw attention to your cheekbones, slick your hair into a topknot. If you want to achieve Gabrielle Union’s style, use a hair styling gel or cream.
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Long Waves Layers with a Side Part
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Velasquez says that long, wavy layers add fullness to the jawline and elongate it. This is ideal for people with heart-shaped face shapes. Style with a 1.25 inch curling wand to achieve Sarah Hyland’s beautiful curls. Hot Tools’ Professional 24-K Gold 1-1/4″ Long Curling Iron is the perfect tool for this job.
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Loose waves with long layers and a center part
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Matos says this is the best cut to get if you want to give your hair some movement. To make your hair feel new, you can add some waves and create layers by removing a few inches of length.
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Natural Curls
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If you have natural curls, you’ll love the way letting your hair fall to the shoulders will balance out a heart-shaped face. This is especially true when the hair has been parted in the middle. Use a curl cream to get Tika Sumpter’s curl definition.
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Layers with a Wavy Pattern and a Deep Side Part
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Reese Witherspoon is a must-have when it comes to heart-shaped faces. Witherspoon’s long layers and side-swept hair are a style that will never go out of fashion.
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Long layers and Face-Framing Highlights
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Eva Longoria adds layers to her medium-length haircut for body and movement. All it takes to brighten her skin is a few brunette highlights that frame her face.
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Long Feathered layers
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Ask your hairstylist for long feathered layers starting just below the cheekbone. These layers, when styled like Keke Palmer’s (as shown here), not only add volume but also balance to a face with a heart shape.
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Long and Textured Bangles
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When you want to add some style, choose bangs that complement your hair length. Matos says that side bangs hitting the cheekbone complement long hair, while short fringe highlights the cheekbone when the hair is cut short (or pulled back). Naomi Campbell’s fringe blends seamlessly into her long layers.
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Blunt Bangs
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Sebbag says that bangs are the key. He says that bangs are great on heart-shaped faces, regardless of whether they have long or short hair. Heart-shaped faces are the most likely to pull off a blunt edge.
Byrdie Tip
If you also have a large forehead, bangs are a great option. Thompson suggests styling blunt bangs in a beach wave style with lots of texture to balance out the look.
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Long and wispy bangs
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Katie Holmes’s fringe that reaches her lashes draws attention to both her cheekbones and eyes. For heart-shaped faces, long, wispy bangs are a great choice, as they can help to reduce the width of the face.
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Curtain Bangs
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Curtain bangs have become a rage. They are stylish, low-maintenance and draw the eye away from your widest face part (read: forehead). This creates facial balance. Velasquez suggests that you pair long layers with a single length cut to avoid adding boxiness to your face.
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Side-Swept Bangs
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Olga Kurylenko’s heart-shaped face is complemented by long, layered waves with a side-swept bang. To open the face, layers should start at the chin. A deep side part will do the trick.