Instead of being a slave to the hair trends, Jonathan advises you to let the shape of your gorgeous face be your guide when choosing your next hair cut.
Hairdressers always take a long look in the mirror with a new client, digesting the strong and weak points of bone structure and features before getting to them with the scissors.
What we are looking at now, is the most defining part of the consultation. By looking at the clients natural face shape, whether it be round, oval, square, etc. this helps us decide which particular styles will enhance your beauty. In the simplest terms, a long face doesn't need any height, it needs width to balance. Heart shaped faces - keep attention away from the chin area, while square faces need to be softened. If you are lucky enough to be blessed with an oval shape face you can pretty much wear anything.
I also believe when taking into consideration the face, you also need to think about the person’s body shape. There are certain styles which will make someone look better, and others that will make them look ridiculous. You only have to look at Lucy Ewing in Dallas, aka the Poisoned Dwarf. The reason she was memorably dubbed that by the late Terry Wogan, was because she wore her hair past her backside. As she was only about four foot, it made her look like a troll. She would have looked so much taller just by cutting her hair shorter.
If you have got somebody who is on the larger side, you have to be really, really careful of volume. By all means add a little, but masses of volume on someone who is already carrying a lot of weight, well, you are just going to make them look MASSIVE. There’s going to be so much hair, so much of them, the two things together are not going to do them any favours.
The same way skin tone influences which hair colours you should choose for a client, the same goes with someone’s style. You want to make the best of them. If you sit someone down in your chair and just do whatever you want, without taking the face shape and body into consideration you are never going to deliver excellence.
The round face
One-length hair is too severe and can accentuate the roundness of the face. Work the layered look. If you've got wide cheeks and soft, non-angular features - longer, layered cuts look best.
A scattering of light layers on the bottom keeps volume away from the sides and focuses it near the ends. Work those high ponytails and up-dos with loose tendrils around the hairline and sides. Avoid pudding basin cuts, rounded bobs and geometric styles as they add to the moon faced vibe.
The heart face
As the name applies your face is wider at the top, coming into a point at the chin. A collarbone-length crop with sweeping bangs and uniform layers does wonders for this face shape. Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon often goes for shoulder-skimming layer which draw your eyes away from the chin area and adds balance.
The square face
For a quick trick, part hair at the side for an asymmetrical effect, which balances out the squareness of the jaw. If you choose bangs, create movement in a sweeping effect or definitely round the corners. Steer clear of straight-across bangs and sharp-edged bobs which can make a square-shaped face look boxy.
The long face
Shorten the face with a curly bob or a mid-length or long style with layers at eye and cheekbone level to create texture. Avoid one-length straight styles as they just reinforce the long-faced impression. Ditto middle partings. Beware of buns balanced on the top of the head and quiffs as they add inches when what you really want to do is subtract them.
And stay away from…..
People who do not have much of a neck, MUST NOT put loads of hair around the front or they will look like the honey monster, so take the hair away from the face at all times.
One of my REAL bug bears are people who have little forehead and thinks it a good idea to get a fringe cut in. All you are doing is cutting the face in half. Goldie Hawn! I love Goldie, but if she gets any more hair on her face you won’t be able to see her. I know it’s a clever way of hiding wrinkles, but she has taken it to such an extent now, that all you can see is her mouth. She might as well just wear a burka. Her stylists have obviously advised her at some point to keep her bangs long, but she now has more hair on her face than Chewbacca.
I would be weary of a pixie cut if you have a rather large nose. With this kind of hairstyle you are going to strip the face bare and this will put all the focus on your nose. A large honker needs hair at the sides of the face to disguise it and soften the face. Skip the strict center parting, create volume at the hairline away from the face and with a side part instead.
When it comes to men, if you have a big chin, don’t put a beard on it. It’s like under lining it with a black felt tip. All this does is make you look like Jimmy Hill. Also, if you are man with a large forehead, DO NOT have botox. Don’t make that big slab head smooth and for god sake do not stand your hair up at the front, you fringe will go on forever. If, like me, you have to shave your hair short, then tan it. Everything looks better brown, I promise.
Ta-ra
Love, Jonathan
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