What Hairstyle Suits Me?

The best haircut for you is rarely the one that is trending. It is the one that suits your face shape, works with your hair texture and fits the time you actually spend on your hair. Our stylists at Oxford Street and Covent Garden ask the same few questions in every consultation, so we turned them into a quiz. Answer six questions and it matches you to a cut, shows you what it looks like and gives you the exact words to use at the salon.

Start with your face shape

Face shape is a guide, not a rule, but it tells you where to place length, weight and a fringe. Oval faces are the easiest to cut for, so almost anything works, including a fringe (see our guide to bangs for oval faces). Round faces suit length and layers that start below the chin, and a blunt line that stops at the widest part of the face tends to add width, so read our hairstyles for round faces before you book.

Square faces look best with soft layers, side partings and a little wave to soften the jaw. Heart shaped faces, wider at the forehead and narrower at the chin, are balanced by volume at chin level and a curtain fringe. Long faces suit width at the sides and a fringe, as we explain in fringe for a long face.

Texture and density change everything

Your texture decides what a cut does once you leave the chair. Straight hair shows every line, so precise shapes like the long bob look best. Wavy hair is the most versatile and was made for shaggy layers and the soft wolf cut. Curly and coily hair should be cut dry, curl by curl, so the shape stays balanced, which is why we have a dedicated curly hair specialist.

Density matters just as much. Fine hair looks fuller with a shorter, softly graduated line such as the soft bob or the tuft bob. Thick hair needs weight taken out through the middle, and our answer to whether layers make hair look thicker explains why the placement of layers is everything.

Fringe or no fringe

A fringe changes your face more than any other cut. Curtain bangs are the easiest place to start because they grow out into face framing layers, and our guide to curtain bangs shows how to style them. If you are still unsure, should I get a fringe? walks through the questions we ask in the salon.

If you cannot decide, tell your stylist. We often cut a fringe slightly longer first and shorten it once you have lived with it for a week.

Be honest about your morning routine

A cut is only as good as your ability to style it. If you give your hair five minutes, ask for a shape that dries well on its own, such as a soft bob or long layers. Cuts like the butterfly cut and the Italian bob look their best with a blow dry.

Think about regrowth too. Lived in shapes grow out gracefully and can wait ten to twelve weeks between visits, while blunt lines look best with a trim every six to eight weeks.

How to ask for it at the salon

Bring two or three photos, including one of a cut you do not want, and tell your stylist how long you will spend styling each morning. The quiz gives you a line to start from. If you would like advice before you commit, book a consultation and we will talk it through with your hair in front of us.

Ready to try your match? Book at Oxford Street | Book at Covent Garden