When it comes to looking fabulous in sunglasses, it pays to know how to shop! A great pair of sunglasses can enhance your total look, no matter what you’re wearing.
We all have different face shapes, hair colors and styles so it makes sense that not all sunglasses are going to give you the look you are hoping for.
Some people want to exude cool, while others prefer to present a more sophisticated or fashion-forward appearance. Either way, you’ll want to brush up on the following tips before you purchase shades for this coming summer. Of course, many of you live in year round sunny climates, so you probably have sunglasses to suit every situation!
Tip 1: Determine your face shape
When you look in the mirror, hair pushed back, what is the shape of your face? The five most common shapes are: Square, Round, Long, Heart and Oval.
If you have a hard time figuring it out, read on:
Square face: If you have a strong jawline that is about the same width as the top of your face, it’s likely you have a square face. Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Natalie Portman all have square face shapes.
Round face: If your face is short, has soft curves and the widest part is the cheek line, then you have a round face. Leo DiCaprio, Mila Kunis and Chrissy Teigen all have round faces.
Long face: This one is easy. If your face is longer than it is wide, then you have a long face shape. Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie and Carrie Underwood are noted for having long faces.
Heart/Triangular face: If your chin is very defined and the width of your forehead is quite a bit wider, then you have a diamond face shape. Scarlett Johanson, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Love Hewitt are good examples of the diamond shaped face.
Oval face: If the height, width, chin and jaw are all average… no areas more prominent than the others, then you have an oval face. Many beauty experts consider this shape to be the easiest to work with in terms of hair styles, sunglasses and more. Selma Hayek, Tina Fey and Kate Middleton have oval face shapes.
Tip 2: Select frames that are the opposite of your face shape!
If your face is square, then buy sunglasses that have a more rounded frame. You don’t need to be extreme about it, the idea is to soften the angles of your face. Tear-dropped lenses, as in Aviator frames, will also do the trick! There are several Ray-Ban’s that will work.
If your face is round, then select sunglass frames that are more angular as they will make your face appear to be longer. Take a look at these examples: Costa Del Mar or Oakley shades
If your face is long, look for frames that make your face look shorter. The frames shouldn’t extend past the widest part of your face, which is usually the cheekbone, or it will have the opposite effect. These Oakley’s have a larger frame and should do the trick.
If your face is triangular, then go with more rectangular frames. They will help create the illusion of balancing your chin with your forehead. We love these Oakley’s.
For those of you with oval face shapes, sky is the limit but keep the next two tips in mind when you’re shopping. These cool-looking Ray-Ban’s would look terrific on you!
Tip 3: Your features
As an overall rule-of-thumb: If your eyes, nose and mouth are all on the small side, stick with smaller frames. If your features are on the large side, you will want to buy accordingly. It’s all about proportions, right? Creating the illusion of a perfectly proportional face is very easy to do with sunglasses!
Tip 4: Hair color
Dark brown or black hair can pull off wearing darker or colored frames. Light brown, blond or red heads should stick to lighter browns, greys and pastel frames.
See? We just took the guess-work out of the equation for you. Now you can easily decide how to complete your summer look with the right pair of sunglasses or two… or three. Are you in the mood for cool, fashion-forward, sophisticated or fun-loving? You can mix it up depending on your mood!
