The heart face shape

What a heart face shape is

A heart face is defined by taper. The forehead is the widest part of the face, or tied with the cheekbones, and from there the outline narrows steadily to a chin that is narrow, and often pointed. The jaw is clearly narrower than the cheekbones and the corners of the jaw are soft rather than angular. Many heart faces also have a widow's peak, a V-shaped dip in the hairline at the centre of the forehead, which is where the name comes from, though it is not required.

The proportions our test looks for: a forehead-to-cheekbone ratio close to or above 1.0, a jaw-to-cheekbone ratio around 0.6 to 0.75, a narrow chin angle indicating a pointed rather than broad chin, and a length-to-width ratio in the oval range, around 1.3 to 1.5. The runner-up for heart faces is usually oval, because the two shapes share the length and differ mostly at the chin.

How to tell if you have a heart face

Photograph your face straight on with hair pulled back, or take the four standard measurements:

1. Forehead width, across the widest part of the forehead.
2. Cheekbone width, across the most prominent points.
3. Jaw width, straight across at the level of the mouth.
4. Face length, hairline to chin.

You have a heart face if the forehead is as wide as or wider than the cheekbones, the jaw is clearly narrower than both, and the chin comes to a point. If the forehead is a little narrower than the cheekbones and the chin is rounded, you are more likely oval. If the cheekbones are wider than both the forehead and the jaw, with a pointed chin, that is sometimes called a diamond face; in our five-shape system it is classed as heart or oval depending on the forehead.

The face shape test reports the forehead and jaw ratios and the chin angle, which is the quickest way to settle it.

Heart vs oval vs inverted triangle

The inverted triangle is a heart face without the rounding at the temples and often without the widow's peak; the forehead is wide and straight across. Styling advice for the two is the same.

What styling a heart face is trying to do

The heart face is top-heavy: the eyes, brows and forehead are the dominant features, and the chin is small. Styling aims to add visual weight to the lower third and to avoid adding width to the forehead. Concretely: hair with width at the jaw, fringes that cover part of the forehead, glasses that are heavier at the bottom than the top, beards that fill out the chin, and contour that narrows the forehead.

The mirror-image mistakes: hair with volume at the crown and none at the jaw, top-heavy frames, and a thin pointed goatee, all of which exaggerate the taper.

Best hairstyles for a heart face

• Chin-length bobs add width exactly at the narrow point. This is the single most flattering length for a heart face.
• Side-swept fringes cover part of the forehead and reduce its apparent width.
• Long layers starting at the jaw put movement and volume where the face needs it.
• Soft waves at the jaw and below do the same.
• Avoid heavy volume at the crown, very short cuts with tight sides that expose the full forehead, and slicked-back styles that widen the top.

The hairstyles for a heart face page has cuts by length, plus men's styles.

Best glasses for a heart face

Frames that are heavier or wider at the bottom than the top balance a heart face: bottom-heavy frames, rimless or semi-rimless frames with a thin top, round and oval shapes in a light colour or thin metal. Avoid frames with a heavy top bar, decorated brow lines or a strong cat-eye upsweep, which add width at the widest part of the face. More on the glasses for a heart face page.

Best beard styles for a heart face

A beard is the most direct way for a man with a heart face to add weight to the chin. A full beard kept fuller at the chin and jaw, a rounded beard that squares off the chin a little, or a medium boxed beard with a low cheek line all widen the lower face. Avoid a thin goatee and long pointed chin beards, which narrow the point further. See the beard styles for a heart face page.

Makeup for a heart face

Contour at the temples and the outer corners of the forehead narrows the widest part; highlight on the chin and a soft touch of blush lower on the cheeks bring the lower third forward. Brows with a soft, moderate arch suit a heart face; a very high arch adds height to an already dominant forehead. Details on the makeup for a heart face page.

Celebrities with a heart face

Faces commonly described as heart-shaped include Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Zooey Deschanel, Halle Berry, Ryan Gosling and Chris Hemsworth. The widow's peak is visible on several of them, and their most repeated looks feature either a side-swept fringe or width at the jaw, which is the heart-face playbook.

Frequently asked questions

Is a heart face the same as a diamond face?

No, though they overlap. A diamond face is widest at the cheekbones with both the forehead and the jaw narrow. A heart face is widest at the forehead. If your cheekbones are the standout feature and your forehead is narrow, you lean diamond; our classifier reports it as heart or oval depending on the ratios.

Do I need a widow's peak to have a heart face?

No. The widow's peak is common on heart faces and gives the shape its name, but the defining feature is the wide forehead and the narrow chin. A straight hairline with those proportions is still a heart, or an inverted triangle, and is styled the same way.

Is a pointed chin unattractive?

No. A narrow chin with prominent cheekbones is the proportion that a lot of contouring is trying to create. Styling for a heart face is about balance, not fixing.

Why does my result say heart when my chin feels rounded?

The test uses the angle at the chin between the two jaw corners. A chin can feel rounded to the touch and still be narrow enough, relative to the forehead, to produce a heart classification. The runner-up percentage will show if oval was close.