FACE SHAPE GUIDE
📏 Oblong Face Shape
Elegant length with even widths top to bottom
What is an oblong face shape?
An oblong face — sometimes called a rectangle — is noticeably longer than it is wide, with the forehead, cheeks, and jaw close to the same width. The jaw is softly rounded, not square. Length is the feature: typically 1.55 times the width or more, often with a taller forehead. The sides of the face look straighter than an oval’s taper.
How to tell if your face is oblong
Hair back, measure hairline to chin, then cheekbone to cheekbone. If length is more than about one and a half times the width, and your forehead and jaw are nearly as wide as your cheeks, the shape is oblong. A shorter ratio with a jaw that narrows is oval.
- ✓Face is noticeably longer than it is wide (length ≥ 1.55× width)
- ✓Forehead, cheeks, and jaw are all similar in width
- ✓Jaw is gently rounded rather than angular
- ✓Often paired with a taller forehead
Oblong vs the shapes it gets confused with
Oblong vs oval
This is the mix-up Search results get wrong most often. Oval is longer than wide but tapers: cheeks widest, chin narrower, ratio near 1.4. Oblong is longer again and does not taper — forehead, cheeks, and jaw stay similar in width. If you have been told you are oval but your jaw is as wide as your cheeks and your face looks long in every photo, you are oblong.
Oval face shape →Oblong vs square
Square also has even widths, but the face is shorter and the jaw has sharp corners. Oblong is the long version, and the jaw curves.
Square face shape →Hair for an oblong face
Width is the goal. Layers at cheek and chin level, a side part, and bangs that shorten a tall forehead all help. Long, flat, center-parted hair adds to the length.
Makeup for an oblong face
Blush: Horizontal blush placement across the apples visually widens and balances.
Contour: Contour along the hairline and under the chin to shorten; never contour cheeks vertically.
Brows: Long, flat brows add width and break up vertical length.
Where to focus: Anything horizontal: extended eyeshadow, wide-set highlight, straight brows.
Not sure about your shape?
Upload one selfie and our free AI detector measures your exact proportions — in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Try the free face shape detector →The other face shapes
🥚 Oval
The most balanced shape — length ≈ 1.4× width, softly tapered jaw.
🌕 Round
Length ≈ width, full cheeks, soft rounded jaw and chin.
◼️ Square
Forehead ≈ cheeks ≈ jaw in width, with sharp jaw corners.
💗 Heart
Widest at the forehead, tapering to a narrow, pointed chin.
💎 Diamond
Narrow forehead and jaw with striking, wide cheekbones.
🔻 Triangle
Widest at the jaw, narrowing up to the forehead.
Frequently asked questions
What is an oblong face shape?
An oblong face is clearly longer than it is wide, with the forehead, cheekbones, and jawline similar in width and a gently rounded jaw. It is sometimes called a rectangular face. A taller forehead is common.
Is oblong the same as oval?
No. An oval face tapers to a narrower chin and is only moderately longer than it is wide. An oblong face is longer and keeps a similar width from forehead to jaw, so the sides look straighter.
How can I tell an oblong face from an oval?
Look at the jaw compared with the cheeks. If the jaw is nearly as wide as the cheekbones and the length is about 1.55 times the width or more, the shape is oblong. If the jaw narrows and the ratio is closer to 1.4, it is oval.