Oblong Face Shape

"Styling Tricks that Flatter Your Oblong Face Shape"

Famous Oblong face shapes: From left to right: Jessica Alba, Kim Raver, Liv Tyler... and Sarah Jessica Parker, Iman, Teri Hatcher, Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Garner, Elle Macpherson, Kate Beckinsale

The Oblong Face is similar to the Oval but it has more length and less width. But you can still be classified as an Oblong no matter your facial shape (well, except for Rounds which are short). Your face may look long - for example an oblong square (Rectangle), a long Diamond, a long Heart, and for faces that have a long/slim forehead or chin.

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How Do You Know If Your Face Shape is Oblong?

It has the tendency of looking gaunt and narrow - you just know when you need to add some meat to it by shortening it.

Here are the typical characteristics of an Oblong face shape:

Your face is noticeably longer than it is wide (being more than 60% longer than it is wide)
You may have flat cheekbones
You may have a narrow mid-face and appear delicate and 'mousy'
You may have a long chin or forehead
It might look a square-rectangular but has long vertical line
It might look oval but with a long vertical line

The long length of your face shape is a sure-way to figure out if you’re an Oblong.

Be Open to a Secondary (or even a third) Face Shape

This is especially true if you're an Oblong. The majority of long face shapes appear Oval but can be any face shape as long as they have a long vertical line. You basically need to work with various guidelines. If you pay attention to the proportions and bone structure of your face, you'll know what needs to be visually widened and trimmed down.

A long and/or narrow Square (rectangular) can also belong to this group. And so can Triangulars, Diamonds and Hearts.

They can all have a long vertical line but still have a different (horizontal) shape. If you find yourself in this category then you need to work with the other styling strategies as well. Review them and decide what will help you achieve a shorter facial shape.

How to Style Your Oblong Face Shape

You have a slim and chiseled face shape but might long for a shorter and full look, which might be especially true if you want to look younger.

Your goal here is to add more width to your face by shortening it:

This is where you are lucky because a lot of hairstyles that shorten tend to make other face shapes pudgy-looking. Almost anything flat and blunt suit you well and anything that shorten your chin and forehead, and add broadness to the sides of your cheekbones. Horizontal and full jewelry motifs are a must.

Compared to Rounds, women with an oblong face often struggle with disguising the vertical lines, because it difficult to visually add more width than it is to slim it down. A long face usually has a delicate appearance but you might be wishing for a less gaunt and more fuller facial shape.

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Let's take a closer look at the strategies to styling and flattering your Oblong Face Shape:

Your Best Hairstyles

Some of your ideal hairstyles are:

At neckline with both volume and width present, especially at cheekbone level.
A side part will help break up your long face.
One-length haircuts help shorten your face
Layers that add more body around the midsection of your face

Blunt bangs and some layering styles will highlight your facial features, which is a good thing if you like your nose, eyes, lips, etc. A long bob (also known as "A-line Long Bob") can also look flattering on you but keep the hair straight and the top flat to avoid elongating your face.

Too much height on top and super long hair length are a no-no. Long hair can work for you but you need to work a lot on styling it in a way that makes it voluminous on the sides of your cheekbones.

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Your Best Sunglasses & Eyewear

Your face shape is long and needs to be shortened, so you should invest in eyewear styles that do not extend beyond the widest part of your face, because this will make your face look narrower. Look for frames that slightly taper at the sides.

Best sunglass styles and eyewear for Oblong Face Shape

Square, oval and round frames add width. Deep frames help shorten a long face. Frames with short horizontal and long vertical lines also work well (eg. Aviators).

Decorative and contrasting temples will also help on breaking up your face shape

The Womens Sunglasses-guide has more advice and suggestions.

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Your Best Jewelry

Jewelry that shorten your face, such as short statement necklace. Button, fan and round earrings help widen your oblong face shape, or earrings that have more width than length, like for example some chandelier earring styles.

Bets jewelry styles for Oblong Face Shape

Earrings should not extend longer than your chin, for example short dangling earrings. You’ll look better in chokers to medium length necklaces compared to long ones.

The Fashion Costume Jewelry-guide has more advice and suggestions.

More Tips for Your Oblong Face Shape

Bangs are made for you. They'll instantly create more width because they cover a large/long forehead. You can be creative with the styling of it too - make them wavy or wispy, or sweep it to the side for a glamorous look.
Wide and horizontal necklines will help shorten your chin and your face in general. One shoulder straps helps break up your long face. Other examples are square and boat neck
A headscarf of headband worn across the top of your forehead shorten your face
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