Here's How To Pick The Perfect Hair Bun Type For Your Face Shape

Whenever we want to get our hair out of our faces while still looking cute, buns are our go-to hairstyles. Plus, they're lifesavers on harsh windy days and prevent our hair from interfering with some of our favorite outfits. However, there are so many bun styles to choose from that it can be tricky to determine the best option. Between full messy buns and sleek ballerina buns, there are many appealing bun options to choose from.

Of course, you should consider your outfit and aesthetic when picking a bun type. On the other hand, one aspect people should also consider but tend to overlook is their specific face shape. After all, most people have either round, oval, square, rectangle, diamond, or heart-shaped faces. Therefore, everyone should understand the best hairstyles for their face shape to draw attention to their unique, beautiful features and work with them rather than against them.

It should be relatively easy to know if you have a circular face because these faces look round — it's nothing to overthink. If your face outline has angular and sharp lines or appears narrow and long overall, you probably don't have this face shape. On the other hand, full faces are typically round. "With a round face shape, your face is about the same width and length, and you have a round jawline and chin," Stephanie Brown, a master hair colorist at the Eddie Arthur Salon, told Today. One of the most famous examples of a round face is Selena Gomez, as it's easy to trace a circle with our fingers around many pictures of the pop star's full face.

A traditional sleek bun won't typically work well with round faces, as that one tight bun can appear smaller than it is on a round face, making your hair seem thinner. But two buns, also known as space buns, will never disappear on round faces. A TikTok user, who goes by Reese, posted a video showing how playful space buns look even, noticeable, and cohesive on round face shapes. While more classic buns tend to get lost in round-shaped faces, space buns won't get overpowered like other buns or appear too overpowering as they might on more angular faces.

Another highly talked-about face shape is the beloved oval shape. While all face shapes are beautiful in their unique ways, many women envy the oval shape for its naturally balanced look. "An oval shape face is the ideal form for balance; the forehead and jawline are equally petite with soft elongating outlines creating slenderness, while a touch of width at the sides highlights the cheekbones," Amy Abramite, creative director at Maxine Salon, told Byrdie. Thus, it's no surprise that models often have this long, thin face shape, such as the famously statuesque Bella Hadid, who looks super striking in sleek buns.

On TikTok, INH Hair shared a video noting sleek updos are excellent for oval-shaped faces. In other words, a high, compact ballerina bun is the perfect option for oval faces, as the ballerina-inspired hairstyle will perfectly suit the face's gracefully long yet thin structure. On the other hand, messier, fuller buns will likely overpower such a specific and elegant shape.

Square face shapes are typically the easiest to spot, as most people will instantly recognize if they have a facial outline that resembles a square. You shouldn't be as likely to confuse square facial structures with any other shapes as you might with oval or diamond faces, as the wide and angular square faces typically stand out because of their distinct square jawlines and lack of softness or slimness. So, if you think you can trace something resembling a square around your facial outline, you probably have a square face shape. A couple of celebrities frequently praised for their distinct, stunning looks have square face shapes, such as Margot Robbie and Angelina Jolie.

Moreover, rectangle face shapes have super similar angular structures to square shapes — the only noteworthy difference is that rectangular faces are longer, as per MasterClass. In other words, just think back to when you learned how rectangles differ from squares in geometry class. Regarding hair buns, both square and rectangle face shapes typically look excellent with sleek, low buns. After all, these sharp-looking, smooth buns won't interfere with your face's defined structure. 

Makeup artist Terri Tomlinson posted a TikTok video explaining how Olivia Wilde has a square face shape, showing a photo of the actor wearing her hair slicked back, complementing her facial structure and features. So, while voluminous, ultra-high buns can appear out-of-place on such angular faces, slicked-back looks will highlight the features.

The diamond face shape is as rare and intriguing as it sounds. "The tell-tale features of a diamond-shaped face are a small pointed chin, wide cheekbones, and a hairline that peaks at the top center of a narrow forehead," Amy Abramite told Byrdie. So, if you have dainty features and the most width at your cheekbone area, you likely have that unique diamond face shape.

The perfect celebrity example of the diamond face shape is Megan Fox, famous for her nearly-magical beauty and sexy movie characters. However, one reason the movie star always looks so perfect is because her hairstyles complement her diamond face shape. Fox doesn't always wear buns, but when she does, they aren't sleek or compact buns that could make her facial outline appear too harsh.

Instead, she wears a messy bun with pieces of hair hanging in the front, adding more dimension to her look while drawing attention to her angular jawline. As seen on Instagram, her high messy bun with side-swept bangs also look cohesive with her delicate features and doesn't take away from her unique face shape's angles.

Last but not least, we can't forget heart-shaped faces. The heart facial shape is similar to the diamond face shape but typically features a larger forehead. "Heart has a wider forehead and cheekbone and then tapers down to a relatively more narrow and smaller jawline and lower face," Dr. Jennifer MacGregor, a dermatologist at Union Square Laser Dermatology, told InStyle. You can notice these facial details by looking at celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon and Scarlett Johansson. However, buns can be tricky for heart-shaped faces, as buns tend to create noticeably unbalanced top-heavy looks on these faces since the top of the head is already bigger than the bottom.

To avoid that unbalanced look, our recommendation for wearing buns on heart face shapes is more about the hair and overall appearance. In other words, add bangs. After all, bangs can make the forehead's size less noticeable while softening facial features. Plus, various fringes look beautiful on heart face shapes because of the spacious top of the face. If you aren't sure about classic bangs, adding stylish curtain bangs can complement heart face shapes as well (via TikTok). INH Hair also posted a video noting that light, wispy bangs are excellent for heart-shaped faces. Furthermore, bangs and every bun type, from sleek and low to high and messy, make for gorgeous combinations, so if you don't want to commit to bangs, we suggest buying clip-in bangs for when you wear buns.