The “best” haircut isn’t a trend you saw online — it’s the one that’s balanced to your face. That’s the quiet secret behind every cut that makes someone say, “your hair looks amazing,” without knowing exactly why.
After 25 years behind the chair on Long Island, here’s the honest version: almost any cut can be made flattering. The magic isn’t the name of the style — it’s how it’s shaped around your features. Still, knowing your face shape gives you a huge head start. Here’s how to read yours, and the cuts we reach for most often at Tomy B. Salon.
How to find your face shape
Pull your hair back, look straight into the mirror, and trace the outline of your face. You’re looking at three things: the width of your forehead, the width of your cheekbones, and the shape of your jaw. Most people land close to one of five shapes — oval, round, square, heart, or long (oblong). Not sure? Don’t overthink it. This is exactly what a stylist reads in the first thirty seconds of a consultation.
Oval: the most versatile face shape
If your face is a touch longer than it is wide with a gently rounded jaw, you’re likely oval — and you can pull off almost anything. Balanced proportions mean cuts don’t have to “correct” anything; they just have to suit your hair and your life. A few of our favorites:
- Long, face-framing layers
- A blunt collarbone lob
- Curtain bangs (they flatter nearly everyone)
- A sleek pixie if you’re feeling bold
One caution: heavy, forehead-covering blunt fringe can hide the very balance that makes an oval face so easy to style. Keep some openness around the eyes.
Round: add length and structure
Soft, full cheeks and roughly equal width and height point to a round face. The goal is to create the illusion of length and a few clean angles.
We love: long layers that fall below the chin, soft side parts, and lobs cut a little longer in front. A little height at the crown does a lot.
Go carefully with: chin-length blunt bobs and one-length curls, which can echo the roundness rather than break it up.
Square: soften a strong jaw
A defined, angular jawline is beautiful — and it shines brightest when the hair around it is soft. Think texture, movement, and pieces that skim the jaw rather than stop hard at it:
- Layered, lived-in waves
- Side-swept bangs and off-center parts
- Longer styles with soft ends near the jaw
Heart: balance top and bottom
Wider at the forehead and cheekbones, narrower at the chin? That’s a heart shape. The move is to add a little visual weight lower down and keep the top from feeling heavy.
We love: cuts that hit around the chin or collarbone with volume through the ends, plus curtain bangs to soften the forehead. If you want fullness lower down without waiting to grow it, hand-tied extensions are a beautiful shortcut.
Long or oblong: create width, not more length
If your face reads noticeably longer than it is wide, the aim is to add softness and width at the sides — and resist going too long:
- Blunt or C-shaped ends around the shoulders
- Waves and bends that add width
- Bangs — they visually shorten a long face beautifully
The honest part: your hair gets a vote too
Face shape is the starting point, never the whole story. Your hair’s texture and density, your part, your styling time in the morning, and yes — your color, which we use to sculpt light and shadow around the face — all change what a cut actually does for you. That’s why we never hand out a formula. We look at the whole picture and build the cut around you.
Not sure what suits you? Let’s figure it out together.
Book a consultation with the Tomy B. team in Williston Park — bring the photos you’ve saved, and we’ll design the cut that fits your face, your hair, and your life. Book a Consultation →