Looking in the mirror and wondering what beard style would work best for you? This familiar question is one lots of men ponder when they consider the best beard shape for them. Luckily there’s a great place to start and that’s working out which types of beard are going to compliment your face shape.
We’ve identified four essential face shapes for you: square, oval, rectangular and round. Each individual face shape is suited to a number of beard styles that are going to bring out the best in your natural looks. For inspiration on which looks will be sharpest on you and how to achieve the styles with Braun electric shavers read on below.
Goatee styles for a square face
If your jawline is defined by hard and sharp lines, then it’s very likely that you have a square face shape. Choosing the perfect facial hair to add to this chiselled look, you don’t want to exaggerate the definition that your face already has with a square beard.
Instead the goatee style is an ideal candidate for this face shape. The rounded look of a goatee beard means that this type of beard works well to soften the angles of your face shape. The fullness of the moustache and goatee style are a great match for the larger appearance typical of square faces.
For the full lowdown on how to shape this look with a Braun electric shaver, explore our step by step guide on How to Goatee. If you’ve got the square jaw for this style, the next step is letting your beard grow out to 10mm in length and equipping yourself with Braun’s tools for the job.
Balbo, boxed, anchor and Van Dyke beards for a round face
If you have a round face shape you’ll have a softer angle to your jawline. An easy way to work out whether this describes you is if your face length is a similar distance to the width across your cheekbones. Your chin may well also be rounded in shape and there are a range of beard styles that work really well with this.
Our three favoured facial hair looks for this face shape are pointed beards which offer your cheekbones a more angular edge and keep the hair on the chin full.
The Van Dyke beard takes inspiration from the goatee but instead of fully covering the area around the mouth, this look pairs a pointed chin beard with a moustache styled however you like. Braun’s precision trimmer attachment makes the perfect tool to keep the area around your chin’s pointed beard well-trimmed for a defined look.
The anchor beard mirrors the shape of the moustache flipped upside down on your jawline. This look is similar to the chinstrap with a lighter touch. Sported by Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark, getting this look right is all about defining the shape on your chin and upper lip before completely trimming the rest of your face.
Viking or stubble beards for an oval face shape
Wondering if you have an oval face shape? A quick way to check is if the length of your face is greater than the width of your cheekbones – the opposite dimensions to our test for a round face.
If have an oval face, you have the luck of choosing from a number of great options when it comes to your ideal beard style. The oval shape should suit almost all facial hair styles as bearded looks are much less likely to make your face appear overly angular or squashed.
A great way to test the waters is the three-day beard or stubble beard. This is our pick for low maintenance styles so if you want a simple option you’re in luck, as we have the full lowdown on how to stubble. As a rough guide this look is generally between 1mm and 3mm length – the precision wheel on a Braun Beard Trimmer makes a great assistant here.
To showcase the versatile range of beards you can pull off with an oval face, our long beard pick is the Viking beard. This adventurous look can be grown down to meet the chest. While you’ll want to lightly shape it, this beard style is an even length throughout, meaning you can go without frequent styling. When you do need styling tips, you can read our guide to long beard styles.
Ducktail, hipster or chinstrap beard for a rectangular face shape
Rectangular faces unsurprisingly have a lot in common with square faces in term of hard lines, but the difference is in length. The secret to success for all beard styles is working in sync with your face shape and when it comes to rectangular faces, the longer look of your face doesn’t need the pointy edge that an Anchor beard can give rounder faces.
Giving a rectangular face a wider look means that a longer face is more filled out with a full facial hair look. Two of our most popular picks to achieve this effect are the hipster beard and ducktail beard.
The hipster beard is a modern trend that conjures up memories of an age where men had a lot more need for hat racks and loose tobacco to fill their pipes with. In terms of beard styling this look is all about thickness, you’ll want to let it grow for at least a month or even two before styling.
Consider your overall look too as a shorter hairstyle may work better with the hipster beard to ensure you don’t hide your face away behind all that hair.
The chinstrap beard is a rugged classic that emphasises your jawline if you’ve got the harder lines of a rectangular face. This style can vary between 2mm in width up to 2cm for a thicker look, so you can use our guide on How to Chinstrap, all the styling tips you need to master this look, to decide if this is the beard style for you.
Explore Braun's range of trimmers and grooming kits for beard styling
When it comes to beard styling, Braun’s Multigrooming Kits and Electric Shavers have all the tools you need to succeed. For the wide range of beard styles that might be best for you, Braun’s AutoSensing Motor adapts to any length and thickness of hair. The included guards for long and short beards are also great styling tools and the precision dial technology will let you contour edge any beard styles with ease.