10 Hairstyles for Square Faces You Need to Try

Copy one of Natalie Portman’s signature beauty looks: long, soft layers. According to Lily Mauro, a hairstylist at Bumble and Bumble in NYC, shorter, face-framing layers help accentuate cheekbones and flow over the corners of a square face without adding extra width.

You might have (wrongly) assumed that a pixie would make a square face look even more angular, but Jennifer Hudson’s soft cut proves otherwise. Long, feathery bangs naturally work to soften the face while giving the illusion of a shorter, rounder shape.

According to Jenny Balding, hairstylist and co-owner of Cutler Salon x Arlo SoHo in NYC, “A textured, shoulder-grazing bob like Olivia Wilde’s really flatters an angular jawline.” For a supersharp finish, run a flat iron over the ends.

Regardless of your hair length, a head full of curls is the perfect addition to an angular shape. Try an updo with extra volume at your crown, like Rita Ora’s style, which “helps elongate the face and softly round it out,” says Mauro.

Switch your part, change your life? Maybe. A slightly off-center part (just over the arch of your brow) like Keira Knightley’s will highlight the angles in your face while adding a touch of softness. To really frame your face, “try getting layers that start around your lips or cheekbones,” says Balding.

A sleek, tight topknot like Rihanna’s will help elongate your face and accentuate your cheekbones. And a little sweep of Killawatt Highlighter doesn’t hurt either.

When you have a curtain of sleek hair covering your face, like J.Lo, your square shape basically becomes nonexistent (which can be a good or bad thing, depending on how much you’re currently ~feeling~ yourself). To keep the shape from looking heavy, add subtle long layers that taper off toward the ends.

Emily Deschanel’s swooping bangs naturally draw the eyes inward and break up the angles of her face. “Her length also sits just below the collarbone and curves inward, making the overall shape look rounder,” says Mauro.

Graduated layers—as seen on Lucy Liu—naturally cut off the broadness of the jawline and the cheekbones. “The length of this haircut elongates the face, while the slightly turned-in ends help add movement,” says Mauro.