Heart Face Shape: How to Tell, and What Suits It

A heart face is top-heavy by definition: the widest measurement is at the forehead, and the outline narrows steadily to a pointed chin. Nearly all the useful styling advice follows from that single fact — you are adding visual weight low and reducing it high.

What is a heart face shape?

On a heart-shaped face, the forehead is the widest point. The cheekbones are narrower than the forehead, the jaw is narrower still, and the chin is defined and pointed. Many heart faces also have a widow's peak, though that is a common accompaniment rather than a requirement.

The name comes from the outline: broad and rounded across the top, tapering to a point at the bottom.

How to tell if you have a heart face

• Your forehead is your widest measurement. This is the defining test, and it is what separates heart from every other shape except pear (which is the inverse).
• Your measurements descend in order: forehead widest, then cheekbones, then jaw narrowest.
• Your chin comes to a point rather than being flat or rounded.
• Your face length is greater than your cheekbone width.

Measure the forehead at its widest, which is usually about halfway between the brows and the hairline — not right at the hairline, where a widow's peak can distort the reading.

Heart vs. diamond: the most common mix-up

Heart and diamond faces both have narrow, pointed chins and both taper towards the bottom, so they are easy to confuse. The distinction is simple and absolute: on a heart face the forehead is the widest point; on a diamond face the cheekbones are.

Measure both and compare. If your cheekbones came out wider than your forehead, you have a diamond face and should use the diamond face shape guide. We cover the comparison in depth in heart vs. diamond face shape.

Best hairstyles for a heart face

Two goals: reduce apparent width at the forehead, and add visual weight around the jaw.

• Chin- and collarbone-length cuts that put volume level with the narrowest part of the face.
• Layers beginning at the jaw, which broaden the lower face where it tapers.
• Curtain bangs and side-swept fringes, which cover part of a wide forehead without cutting a hard horizontal line.
• Side parts, which break up forehead width more effectively than a centre part.
• Waves and curls concentrated below the ears, adding fullness at the jaw.

Worth avoiding: very short blunt fringes, which draw a line across the widest part of your face and emphasise it; tight slicked-back styles, which expose the full forehead while removing all volume from the jaw; and heavy volume at the crown, which adds height to a face that is already broadest on top.

Best glasses for a heart face

Frames should not add width where you are already widest.

• Bottom-heavy frames — with more visual weight below the lens centre — shift attention downward towards the narrower jaw.
• Round and oval frames soften the point of the chin and the angle of the brow.
• Rimless and light metal frames keep the upper face visually quiet.
• Frames no wider than your forehead. Anything wider exaggerates the top-heavy proportion.
• A low or clear bridge avoids drawing the eye up.

Be cautious with heavy browline frames and strongly upswept cat-eyes, both of which add weight and width at the top of the face.

Makeup and contouring for a heart face

• Contour along the temples and the outer edges of the forehead to narrow the widest area.
• Contour lightly under the tip of the chin to reduce the sharpness of the point.
• Apply blush slightly lower and rounder than usual, on the apples of the cheeks, to add apparent fullness to the mid and lower face.
• Highlight the centre of the chin and along the jaw to bring the lower face forward.
• Keep brows soft and rounded. A very high, sharply angled arch adds height to a face that does not need it.

Frequently asked questions

Is a heart face shape the same as an inverted triangle?

They are very close. Both are widest at the forehead and narrowest at the chin. "Heart" usually implies a rounded hairline or a widow's peak, while "inverted triangle" implies a straighter hairline. Style them the same way.

Do I have a heart face if I have a widow's peak?

Not necessarily. A widow's peak is a hairline pattern, not a face shape. What matters is whether your forehead is your widest measurement. Plenty of people have a widow's peak on an oval or square face.

What hairstyle makes a pointed chin look softer?

Any style with volume at the jaw: a chin-length bob with waves, jaw-level layers, or curls concentrated below the ears. Width beside the chin makes the point less pronounced by comparison.

Can a heart face wear a centre part?

It can, particularly with soft pieces falling forward to cover the outer forehead. A centre part with hair pulled tightly back is the version that emphasises forehead width most.

Check your heart face shape

Measuring at home works, but it is easy to talk yourself into the answer you were expecting. A second opinion helps.

Upload a photo to the free AI face shape detector and compare its verdict with your own measurements. It reads your forehead, cheekbone, jaw, and length proportions and returns a confidence rating alongside the result, so you can tell how firm the reading is. Where the tool and your tape measure agree, you can style with confidence. Where they disagree, the tie-breakers in this guide will usually tell you why.

Still deciding between two shapes? Start with the complete guide to the seven face shapes, or read how accurate face shape detectors really are to understand what can throw a photo-based result off.