Quick Answer:
For an oblong face, add width and shorten length: Shade the hairline and under the chin, sweep blush horizontally across the cheeks, and keep brows straight.
By Muhammad Rehan Iqbal, Founder and Developer of OvalFaceShape.com, specializing in face shape analysis, interactive facial assessment tools, and educational styling guides.
Makeup for an oblong face shape works by adding visual width and shortening the vertical line. Shade the top and bottom of the face, move color sideways across the cheeks, and keep brows flatter.
Who this guide is for:
This OvalFaceShape.com guide is for women, men and readers over 50 who suspect they have an oblong face and want to know where products go before buying anything. It covers makeup placement only. Hair and glasses have their own Hairstyles for Every Face Shape guide.
What Counts as an Oblong Face?
An oblong face is clearly longer than it is wide, with the forehead, cheekbones and jaw at similar widths. Face measurement relies on landmarks documented in Farkas’s Anthropometry of the Head and Face.
On OvalFaceShape.com’s working standard, a length-to-cheekbone-width ratio above about 1.5 reads as oblong, while oval faces sit around 1.3 to 1.5. Sephora Pro makeup artist Chris Sams puts typical oblong faces at roughly 2:1 length to width. That is the extreme end, not the entry point.
Sitting between oval and oblong? Read Oval vs Oblong Face Shape first.
Simple, Natural Makeup for an Oblong Face in 4 Steps
- Shade the length. Use a matte contour one to two shades deeper than your skin. Place it at the center of the hairline and along the underside of the chin. Giorgio Armani Beauty likewise puts bronzer on the forehead and under the chin to visually shorten the face.
- Blush across, not up. Apply blush to the apples of the cheeks and blend horizontally outward for a widening effect. giorgioarmanibeauty
- Highlight the width. Keep highlight to the center of the forehead and tops of the cheekbones, and skip the chin tip, which adds length.
- Flatten the brows, widen the eyes. Fuller, straighter brows and horizontal winged liner suit an oblong face. Extending brows outward toward the temples also softens angular features.
For a deeper technique breakdown, see Contouring for Face Shapes.
Why Do Experts Disagree on Side Contour?
Sources split on whether to shade the sides of an oblong face:
| Source | Side contour? | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Sams (Sephora Pro, via Byrdie) | Yes | Bronzer from hairline to cheekbones, along the jaw and across the nose bridge, plus shading under the jaw |
| Fresh Face Beauty | Almost none | Horizontal highlight placement with very little contour |
| MyFaceShapeDetector | No | Shade top and bottom, because narrowing the sides lengthens the face How To Apply Makeup To An Oblong Face |
A sensible default is top-and-bottom shading, since side shading narrows an already narrow face. Prominent cheekbones need less contour, rounder features more.
One honest limit: This is makeup-artist convention based on optical illusion. I found no controlled study testing it on oblong faces specifically.
What Shades Work for an Oblong Face?
Foundation depends on your complexion, not your face shape. Face shape decides placement; skin tone decides color. Choose a matte contour one to two shades deeper than your skin and a blush that looks like a natural flush on you. stylecraze
Makeup for Oblong Faces: Men and Over 50
Men. The placement logic is the same, applied lighter. Clinique’s men’s guide uses darker concealer for contour. That guide is general, so adapt it: use only a light touch at the hairline and under the chin.
Over 50. Layer cream products lightly and keep eyes and lips defined. That is convention, not tested advice. One reason is that a 2011 PLoS ONE study by Etcoff and colleagues found that makeup raising the contrast between facial features and skin increased attractiveness and competence ratings. That study tested women’s faces, not oblong faces or older readers.
How to Style an Oblong Face Beyond Makeup?
Width at the sides and a fringe soften length, while flat, long, center-parted styles add height. Wider frames also balance the face. Celebrities with an Oblong Face Shape shows these ideas on real faces.
Key Takeaways
- Oblong makeup adds width and shortens length.
- Shade the hairline and under the chin; blush horizontally.
- Side contour is disputed, so shade lightly if at all.
- Shade color follows skin tone, not face shape.
- Men and readers over 50 use the same placement, applied lighter.
Next step: not sure your face is oblong? Run the Face Shape Detector before you buy products.
FAQs
What makeup suits an oblong face?
Makeup that adds width: Horizontal blush, shading at the hairline and chin, and straight brows.
Is an oblong face attractive?
Yes. Rhodes’s review in the Annual Review of Psychology names averageness, symmetry and sexual dimorphism as attractive cues. It doesn’t rank face-shape labels. citedrive
What hair suits an oblong face?
Layers or waves with side width, plus a fringe. Avoid flat, long, center-parted styles.
What shades for an oblong face?
Match your skin tone; use matte contour one to two shades deeper.
Can makeup change my face shape?
No. Bone structure stays the same; makeup only changes how length and width read.
How is oblong makeup different from oval?
Ovals can use a soft C-shaped blush on the apples, while oblong faces keep blush horizontal. facecutie
Does face shape change which foundation I buy?
No. Foundation follows complexion, not face shape.