Face shape
Diamond face shape: how to spot it and style it
Wide cheekbones with a narrower forehead and jaw, and often a defined chin.
Updated · Written by the LookFlex team · Styling suggestions, not rules
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At a glance
Diamond face
Your cheekbones are the widest part of your face, and your forehead and jaw are both narrower and similar in width.
What a diamond face looks like
A diamond face is widest at the cheekbones, with a narrower forehead and a narrower jaw, and often a defined or pointed chin. It has a distinctive structure.
The cheekbones are the feature, so styling is about either showing them off or balancing them with a little fullness at the forehead and the jaw. Very tight, severe styles leave the cheekbones carrying everything.
How to tell if you have a diamond face
Face shape is a spectrum with fuzzy edges. Use one of the three methods below, and treat the answer as a starting point: if you sit between two shapes, the advice for both applies.
How LookFlex works it out
LookFlex measures four ratios from your landmarks and scores your face against a reference profile for each of the seven shapes. It reports a probability for every shape, a confidence, and a blend such as Oval–Round when the top two are within 8 percentage points. Here is where a typical diamond face sits.
| Ratio | Typical for diamond | Reference average | Compared with average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face length ÷ face width | 1.22 | 1.20 | Somewhat higher |
| Forehead ÷ cheekbone width | 0.81 | 0.84 | Much lower |
| Jaw ÷ cheekbone width | 0.88 | 0.90 | Much lower |
| Chin width ÷ jaw width | 0.48 | 0.50 | Somewhat lower |
The mirror test
- Pull your hair back and stand a forearm's length from a mirror, face level and relaxed.
- Use a washable marker or lipstick to trace the outline of your face on the glass, from one temple around the chin to the other temple. Close one eye to keep the trace consistent.
- Step back and look at the outline. Note the widest part (forehead, cheekbones or jaw), how angular the jaw is and how long the shape is compared with its width.
- Wipe the glass with a cloth.
The tape-measure test
- Use a soft tape. Measure the widest part of your forehead, the width across your cheekbones, your jaw width (chin tip to just below the ear, doubled) and your face length from hairline to chin tip.
- Find the longest and the widest measurement, then compare the forehead and the jaw with the cheekbones.
- Match what you found with this rule for the diamond shape: Your cheekbones are the widest part of your face, and your forehead and jaw are both narrower and similar in width.
Measure two or three times and use the average. Hairline-based length differs from the length LookFlex uses, so a tape-measure result and an app result can land on neighbouring shapes.
Typical features
- The cheekbones are the widest point.
- The forehead is narrower than the cheekbones.
- The jaw is narrow and often angular.
- The chin is defined or pointed.
Hairstyles for a diamond face
These suggestions are the same ones the LookFlex app gives for a diamond face. Hair is personal, so treat the lists as starting points. Any style can be worn by anyone, and the lists are split into men's and women's cuts only because they reflect common barbering and salon categories.
Men's cuts
Try
- Textured fringe. Stylists add a fringe to widen a narrower forehead against wide cheekbones.
- Side part with volume. Fullness at the temples brings the top closer to cheek width, the usual aim for diamond faces.
- Medium length tucked behind ears. Length at the jaw softens narrower chin lines.
- Crew cut with longer top. A simple shape that keeps the focus on the cheekbones.
- Messy forward fringe. Forward movement fills the forehead and softens a strong cheek line.
Think twice about
- Very tight sides. Short sides expose cheekbone width, which stylists avoid on diamond faces.
- Severe slick back. Pulling hair back puts cheekbones in the spotlight with nothing to balance them.
Women's cuts
Try
- Side-swept bangs. They add width at the forehead to match the cheekbones.
- Chin-length layered bob. Fullness at the jaw balances a narrow chin.
- Textured waves with chin-level volume. Gives the lower face more presence.
- Curtain bangs. They frame the forehead and soften cheekbone width.
- Long layers tucked behind one ear. Showcases cheekbones while keeping one side soft.
Think twice about
- Centre part, hair behind both ears. Exposes cheekbone width on both sides.
- Slicked-back updo. Puts all the emphasis on the widest part of your face.
Glasses frames
The general rule is to pick frames that contrast with your shape: angles against curves, and curves against angles.
Frames that suit it
- Oval and cat-eye frames soften the cheekbone line.
- Browline frames add width at the forehead.
- Rimless or light frames keep the focus on the face.
Frames to be careful with
- Narrow frames that sit inside the cheekbones.
- Very heavy frames that overwhelm the narrower forehead.
Beards and facial hair
Facial hair is optional. If you wear a beard, shape changes how the lower face reads.
- A fuller beard at the chin and jaw balances the width of the cheekbones.
- Keep the cheek line low so the beard does not add width at the widest part of the face.
- A very short beard or stubble shows the structure you have.
Brows
- A softly curved brow with a slightly longer tail balances narrow forehead and chin.
- Avoid brows that are very sharp or high, which draw more attention to the cheekbones.
Often confused with
- Heart. A heart is widest across the forehead.
- Oval. An oval has a smoother outline with a less pronounced cheekbone width.
What the research says
Limited evidence The evidence behind face-shape advice is limited.
- Face-shape categories are styling conventions. We found no studies that test which haircuts, frames or beard shapes suit which face shape, so treat every suggestion here as a starting point.
- Measured faces vary continuously, and classical rules of proportion fitted only a few people (Farkas et al., 1985). That is why most people sit between two shapes.
- Attractiveness research has concentrated on cues such as averageness, symmetry and skin rather than named outline categories (Rhodes, 2006; Little et al., 2011), and personal taste counted about as much as shared taste (Hönekopp, 2006). Nothing in it ranks one shape above another.
- Photo distance changes proportions: a camera at about 30 cm made the nose look roughly 30% wider than one at 1.5 m (Ward et al., 2018). Retake under similar conditions before trusting a shape.
Frequently asked questions
Is diamond a rare face shape?
Many people sit between diamond and heart or oval. LookFlex shows the blend instead of forcing a single label.
How do I make wide cheekbones look balanced?
Add a little width at the forehead with a fringe or volume, and fullness near the jaw with length or a beard. The lists below show suggestions for men and for women.
How is diamond different from heart?
A diamond has a narrower forehead than cheekbones. A heart has a forehead as wide as, or wider than, the cheekbones.
Do cheekbone prominence and diamond go together?
Not necessarily. Face shape describes the outline widths. Cheekbone prominence in LookFlex is a separate score based on taper and shadow.
Other face shapes
Compare all seven face shapes.
References
Every DOI was checked against Crossref. The evidence label says how much weight a source can carry alone. See how we choose sources on the research page.
- Farkas LG, Hreczko TA, Kolar JC, Munro IR (1985). Vertical and horizontal proportions of the face in young adult North American Caucasians: revision of neoclassical canons. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. doi:10.1097/00006534-198503000-00005Moderate evidenceCross-sectional study
- Hönekopp J (2006). Once more: is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Relative contributions of private and shared taste to judgments of facial attractiveness. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. doi:10.1037/0096-1523.32.2.199Moderate evidenceExperiment
- Little AC, Jones BC, DeBruine LM (2011). Facial attractiveness: evolutionary based research. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0404Strong evidenceReview
- Rhodes G (2006). The evolutionary psychology of facial beauty. Annual Review of Psychology. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190208Strong evidenceReview
- Ward B, Ward M, Fried O, Paskhover B (2018). Nasal distortion in short-distance photographs: the selfie effect. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery. doi:10.1001/jamafacial.2018.0009Moderate evidenceMethod or technical report
Find out your face shape
LookFlex measures your face on your device and shows your shape, with the probability for each of the seven, in about a minute. Your first scan is free.
How we measure