How to Find the Best Glasses for Your Face Shape

You want to match your personal style and draw attention to your best features. Here's how to zero in on that perfect pair.

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If you have a round face:

This face shape is as wide as it is long, with the widest part occurring at the ears, like Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, and Mila Kunis. “If you have a rounder face, a more rectangular, angular shape will add sharpness, highlight your cheekbones, and overall make your face look more contoured,” says Jessica Coppel, vice president of brand management at Tura.com. Coppel highly recommends choosing a frame in a brick-and-mortar store with the help of a knowledgeable optician. “It’s important to try on several styles to find the perfect fit,” Coppel adds. (The same goes true even if you prefer to order glasses online.) “When a frame fits well, and you look in the mirror, you will be more encouraged to wear glasses all day, optimizing your eyesight. A win for beauty and a win for eye health.” Prefer to order glasses online? The frames pictured are Chamberlain by Warby Parker.

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If you have a heart-shaped face:

Often referred to as the ideal shape for a woman, a heart-shaped face includes a more narrow chin that widens along the cheekbone to a fuller forehead. Celebs who rock this face shape include Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Claudia Schiffer, and Naomi Campbell. The downside of this feminine face shape is that it’s easy for many sunglasses and eyeglasses to overwhelm individual features. That’s why experts recommend keeping it classic, simple, and understated. “Opt for a frame with a bit of roundness and soft curve,” suggests Wes Stoody, founder of the hipster glasses company Article One. “Upswept cat eyes are great for women with a heart-shaped face,” he suggests. The frames pictured are Valentine by Article One.

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If you have an oval face:

People with an oval-shaped face—that’s roughly twice as long as it is wide, and only slightly narrower at the jaw than at the temples—rejoice! Image and wardrobe stylist and personal shopper Dina Scherer says that basically any type of eyeglass frame will compliment your face shape because of its natural balance between forehead, cheeks, and chin. So why not go big? “This is where it becomes more important to either play up your fun-approachable side by repeating the curved lines of your face with more rounded or curved shapes, or making yourself look more authoritative via the angular shapes,” Scherer says. Like oval-faced celebs Selma Hayek, Julianne Moore, Tina Fey, Kate Middleton, and Jessica Alba, you can also go with oversized. “The width and scale of the glasses will be nicely balanced by the length of your symmetrical face shape,” Scherer adds. (Avoid making these makeup mistakes if you wear glasses.) The frames pictured are Walsh by Article One.

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If you have a square face:

Your square-shaped jaw may cut a strong profile—see Sandra Bullock, Demi Moore, Rosario Dawson, and Angelina Jolie for proof—but finding the right glasses frames can be a challenge. With features that are already so defined, prominent, and often highly symmetrical, certain frames can deepen the harshness of your face, instead of softening it. “Rectangular glasses with dark rims will enhance the angularity of your face shape and create harmony, while making you look more polished,” Scherer says. “To soften some of the angles, add slightly curved edges, which will bring in more femininity and playfulness.” The frames pictured are Hart by Article One.

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If you have a strong jaw line:

Most households have at least one pair of aviators tucked away for sunny days—but few people think of this iconic style for their regular glasses. People who rock a strong jaw line, however—think Victoria Beckham, Hillary Swank, and Olivia Wilde—can pull off aviators as regular glasses because the shape compliments their face. “An aviator or other soft curved shape softens the jaw, creating more balance and asymmetry, distracting from the jawline,” Scherer says. Or, if you want to enhance your bottom half? Scherer recommends a rectangle shape instead. The frames pictured are Wilder by Warby Parker.

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If you have a large forehead:

Tyra Banks, Christina Ricci, Rihanna, and Uma Thurman all sport expansive foreheads—so you may have seen them rocking some equally expansive shades. While it might seem counterproductive to match the size of your glasses to the size of your forehead, Hollywood-inspired frames could serve as a stylish distraction. “To camouflage a larger forehead, you want to draw attention to another feature or detail on your face,” Scherer explains. “Oversized glasses will bring focus to your eye area and will become the dominant element, distracting from the forehead size.” (Here’s what else eye experts won’t tell you about buying glasses.) The frames pictured are Fenton by Article One.

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If you have a small face:

A small face is the most difficult to shop for because even traditional-sized eyeglasses can overpower and overwhelm your features. Stoody recommends shopping specifically for shades made for petite sizes (yep, those exist!). But if you can’t access those near you, try a rimless or round-shape pair of glasses. “You don’t want your glasses to overpower your face, thus making it even smaller by comparison, so try to stay true to the scale of your features when choosing the size of the frames,” Scherer says. These tips can help extend the life of your frames. The frames pictured are Upton by Warby Parker.

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If your face has strong angles:

Most models have pronounced angles to their face, which make them highly photogenic in certain lighting and in various poses. However, those same prominent features can translate differently in real life. If you have similar angles on your face, Scherer says to pick your poison and decide how you want to be perceived. “Depending on whether you like to be seen as someone who is more approachable or authoritative, you can either make the angles look more pronounced with more angular metallic eyeglass frames, or introduce some curves to the equation to soften the angles slightly, and bring in more softness,” she says. “You don’t want to go too curved though, as that will compete with the strong angles, detracting from harmony and creating imbalance.” The frames pictured are Mott by Article One.