Choosing the right hair accessories can transform your look, adding a touch of elegance, playfulness, or sophistication. However, just like clothing, not every accessory suits everyone. The key to truly enhancing your appearance lies in understanding your face shape and selecting pieces that complement your unique features. At Hairclip we believe in empowering you with the knowledge to make informed style choices. This comprehensive guide will walk you through identifying your face shape and offer expert tips on selecting the perfect hair accessories to balance and beautify your look.
1. Identifying Your Face Shape
Before you can choose the best accessories, you need to accurately identify your face shape. This is often the most challenging step, as many people have a combination of features. Stand in front of a mirror with your hair pulled back and observe the following:
Forehead: Is it wide or narrow?
Cheekbones: Are they prominent or subtle?
Jawline: Is it rounded, pointed, or angular?
Face Length: Is your face longer than it is wide, or vice versa?
Here are the most common face shapes and their characteristics:
Round: Equal in length and width, with soft, curved lines, a rounded jawline, and full cheeks.
Oval: Longer than it is wide, with a gently rounded jawline and forehead, and balanced proportions. This is often considered the 'ideal' shape due to its versatility.
Square: Similar in length and width to a round face, but with a strong, angular jawline and a broad forehead.
Heart: Wider forehead and cheekbones that taper down to a narrow, often pointed chin.
Long (Oblong): Longer than it is wide, with a narrow width and often a straight jawline, forehead, and chin.
If you're unsure, try tracing your reflection on the mirror with a washable marker. This visual aid can help you see the overall outline more clearly.
2. Accessories for Round Face Shapes
For those with a round face, the goal is to add length and create the illusion of angles, breaking up the circular appearance. You want to draw the eye upwards, away from the widest part of your face.
What to Choose:
Headbands with Volume: Opt for headbands that have some height or embellishment at the top. Think padded headbands, those with a small bow, or a cluster of pearls positioned centrally. This creates vertical interest.
Clips and Barrettes Placed High: Use decorative clips, barrettes, or even small claw clips to secure hair on top of your head or slightly to the side, above your temples. This lifts the hair and adds height.
Long, Dangling Earrings (if applicable): While not strictly hair accessories, long earrings can work in harmony with your hair accessories to elongate the face. Consider this synergy when styling.
Scarves Tied with Height: If using a hair scarf, tie it so that the knot or bow sits on top of your head, rather than at the nape of your neck or flat against your scalp.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Flat, Wide Headbands: These can make a round face appear even wider and shorter.
Accessories Placed at the Widest Part: Avoid placing clips or embellishments directly at your cheekbones or ears, as this can accentuate the roundness.
Too Many Small, Clustered Accessories: While a single statement piece with height is good, scattering many small, flat accessories can add visual width.
3. Enhancing Oval Face Shapes
Oval faces are incredibly versatile and can pull off almost any hair accessory style. The aim here is to maintain the natural balance and symmetry of your face, or to highlight specific features you love.
What to Choose:
Anything Goes! Seriously, oval faces are lucky. You can experiment with a wide range of styles, from delicate pins to bold statement headbands.
Side-Swept Accessories: A clip or barrette placed to the side can highlight your cheekbones or draw attention to your eyes.
Crown Placement: Tiara-style headbands or delicate crowns can look stunning without overwhelming your features.
Hair Ties and Scrunchies: These can be used to create high ponytails or buns, which further showcase the balanced proportions of an oval face.
Decorative Pins: Scatter small, decorative pins through an updo or half-up style to add sparkle without disrupting your face shape.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Overdoing It: While you can wear many styles, be mindful not to wear too many large, competing accessories at once, as this can detract from your natural balance.
Hiding Your Features: Don't let accessories completely obscure your forehead or jawline, as these contribute to your face's pleasing proportions.
4. Softening Square Face Shapes
Square faces are characterised by strong, angular jawlines and broad foreheads. The goal with hair accessories is to introduce softness, curves, and to gently break up the straight lines, creating a more balanced and elongated look.
What to Choose:
Curved or Rounded Accessories: Look for headbands with soft curves, floral designs, or rounded embellishments. Anything that contrasts with the angularity of your jawline is a good choice.
Side Placement: Accessories placed to the side, rather than directly on top, can soften the overall look. Think decorative clips securing a side-swept fringe or a barrette holding back one side of your hair.
Soft Scarves and Wraps: A silk scarf tied loosely around a ponytail or used as a soft headband can introduce fluid lines.
Volume at the Crown: Similar to round faces, adding a little height at the crown can help elongate the face. Consider a bump-it or backcombing before adding a clip or headband.
Delicate Hair Chains: These can drape softly around the head, adding a bohemian touch that contrasts with strong angles.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Geometric or Angular Accessories: Avoid sharp, square, or highly geometric accessories, as these can reinforce the strong lines of your face.
Accessories That Emphasise the Jawline: Don't place large or heavy accessories near your jawline, as this can draw attention to its width.
Flat, Wide Headbands: These can make your forehead appear wider and your face shorter.
5. Balancing Heart and Long Face Shapes
These two face shapes have distinct characteristics but often share similar accessory goals: to create width where needed and to minimise length.
For Heart Face Shapes:
Heart-shaped faces have a wider forehead and cheekbones, tapering to a narrow chin. The aim is to balance the width of the upper face with the narrowness of the lower face.
What to Choose:
Accessories Placed Low: Focus on accessories that sit lower down, closer to your ears or at the nape of your neck. Think low ponytails adorned with scrunchies or clips.
Side-Swept Bangs with Accessories: If you have a fringe, use small, delicate clips to sweep it to the side, drawing attention away from the widest part of your forehead.
Delicate Headbands: Choose thinner headbands that sit further back on the head, avoiding those with too much volume or embellishment directly at the forehead.
Hairpins and Combs: Use these to secure hair at the sides or back, adding subtle interest without adding width at the top.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Large, Voluminous Headbands: These can make your forehead appear even wider.
Accessories with Height at the Crown: Avoid styles that add significant height directly above your forehead, as this can exaggerate the top-heaviness.
For Long (Oblong) Face Shapes:
Long faces are characterised by their length, often with a narrow width and straight lines. The goal is to create the illusion of width and to break up the vertical line.
What to Choose:
Wide Headbands: Unlike round or square faces, wide headbands that sit across the forehead can help to visually shorten the face by breaking up the length.
Accessories at the Sides: Place clips, barrettes, or decorative pins at the sides of your head, near your temples or ears. This adds horizontal interest and width.
Low Ponytails or Buns with Embellishments: Securing your hair in a low style and adding a decorative scrunchie, clip, or hair tie can add width at the sides and reduce the perception of length.
Hair Scarves Tied at the Nape: Tying a scarf at the nape of your neck, allowing the ends to drape over your shoulders, can add horizontal emphasis.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Accessories That Add Height: Avoid anything that adds significant volume or height at the crown, as this will further elongate your face.
Centralised, Vertical Accessories: Steer clear of accessories that create a strong vertical line down the centre of your head.
6. General Guidelines for Accessory Placement
Beyond face shape, there are some universal principles for placing hair accessories that can elevate any look. Understanding these can help you refine your choices and ensure your accessories truly complement your overall style.
Consider Your Hairstyle:
Updos: For elegant updos, delicate pins, combs, or small, ornate clips can be woven into the style. Placement often works best slightly to the side or at the base of the updo, drawing attention to the intricate work.
Half-Up Styles: These are perfect for showcasing headbands, larger clips, or decorative barrettes. Place them where the two sections of hair meet, or use smaller clips to secure side sections.
Ponytails and Braids: Scrunchies, decorative hair ties, and wraps are ideal. For braids, consider small, individual clips or charms woven throughout.
Balance is Key:
Don't Overload: One statement accessory is often more impactful than several small, competing ones. If you choose a bold headband, keep other hair accessories minimal.
Match the Occasion: A sparkling tiara might be perfect for a wedding, but a simple fabric headband is better for a casual day out. Learn more about Hairclip and our philosophy on versatile styling.
Comfort and Security:
Choose Quality: A beautiful accessory is useless if it constantly slips or causes discomfort. Invest in well-made pieces that will stay put. You can explore what we offer to see our range of quality accessories.
Test Placement: Before heading out, wear your accessory for a few minutes to ensure it feels secure and comfortable. Sometimes, a slight adjustment in placement can make all the difference.
By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to choosing hair accessories that not only look beautiful but also perfectly complement your unique face shape. If you have more questions about styling, check out our frequently asked questions page for further guidance.