It doesn't take a shear genius to see why short hair is trendy for summer; besides being lighter and cooler, it's also great for fuss-free styling.
True Blood's Evan Rachael Wood is the latest celebrity to chop her locks—but is her hairstyle right for you? Here, Hollywood hair gurus Ted Gibson (Brooklyn Decker, Anne Hathaway) and Adam Campbell (Kate Hudson, Scarlett Johansson) take the guesswork out of going short and reveal surefire ways to make the cut.
Face Type: Square Jaw
To offset Brooklyn Decker's strong jaw line, Gibson gave her a soft, textured bob. "I also created graduated layers and made the cut a little longer in the front," he adds. "You want hair in the front to be below the jaw so that it doesn't draw the eye to that area of the face."
Face Type: Square Jaw
If you prefer wearing your hair straight like Jennifer Aniston, Campbell recommends side-parting it. "A part that's slightly off-center gives a square face more asymmetry," he says.
Face Type: High Forehead
"Rihanna had a great pixie cut," says Campbell. "To minimize her forehead, her stylist gave her fantastic chunky bangs."
"Bangs work well with this face type, but they don't have to be cut straight across," says Gibson, who likes Rihanna's side-swept, angled fringe as an alternative.
Face Type: Heart-Shaped
"If you have a sharper chin, I wouldn't take the hair too short," says Gibson.
"I don't think you should go any shorter than the chin," agrees Campbell. "You might also follow Reese Witherspoon's lead and add soft bangs—she looks great with them."
Face Type: Round
Those with round faces should integrate longer layers into their short hairstyle of choice. "Ginnifer Goodwin's pixie works because it's disconnected in shape," says Gibson. "Instead of being short all the way around, it's longer on top and shorter on the sides."
"It's a very versatile cut," says Campbell. "She can style it up or down, with bangs or without." To elongate the appearance of her visage, Goodwin sometimes coaxes her pixie into a sky-high pompadour.
Face Type: Round
According to Gibson, sleek, angular short cuts are best for a round face (think an asymmetrical bob or a pixie with side-swept bangs). "A rounder face tends to have less shape to it—while straight hair will lengthen, angles in the haircut will add shape and symmetry," he says.
Don't confuse straightness with flatness, though; hair should still have volume. Michelle Williams' pixie is flattering because "the fullness is kept at her crown and above her ears," says Campbell.
Face Type: Thin
If you have a long, thin face like Liv Tyler, Gibson says to go below or above the chin ("a little shorter or longer is better"). He also suggests making the face appear more horizontal with a deep side part or—if you're feeling bold—wide bangs. "Bangs that extend to the outer corners of the eyes can widen the look of the face," says Gibson. "Just make sure they're not too blunt; thin faces tend to have more angles than most and you don't want to exaggerate those."
Face Type: Long Neck
Want to flaunt your long, gorgeous neck? Go with a pixie. For balance, however, Gibson says to try a lengthier bob like Anne Hathaway's ("bobs that are cut above the chin can look weird with a long neck"). He also styled Hathaway's strands straight and blunt: "Annie has big, beautiful eyes and a softer complexion—I gave her haircut angles to bring strength to her face."
Face Type: Long Neck
Emily Blunt also used to rock the grown-out-bob look, only instead of going sleek she opted to embrace her natural waves—a very strategic move, says Campbell: "A fuller style that's longer than the shoulders can camouflage a long neck."
Face Type: High Cheekbones
If you have chiseled features like Victoria Beckham's, consider yourself lucky. "A lot of different lengths work for someone with high cheekbones," says Gibson. "They can get away with anything."
"I loved it when Victoria had the asymmetrical bob," says Campbell. "It really showed off her amazing bone structure."
Face Type: Oval
While high cheekbones might be the most enviable facial feature, a smallish oval is considered the ideal shape, says Campbell ("any style works with an oval face"). Just look at pixie loyalist Halle Berry for proof!
Face Type: Oval
You might be blessed with an oval face, but that doesn't mean you have to go supershort just because you can. "Shorter pixies require a cut every four to six weeks," says Campbell. "If you don't have the time or money, I'd go longer like Sienna Miller did—a style like hers doesn't require as many salon visits to maintain and you can get away with one to two bang trims in between full-on cuts."
Face Type: Any
Personality Type: Bold
The blunt bob-and-bangs style is a favorite among daring pop stars like Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry—and wigging out in this look is easy enough to do if you feel the urge to follow in their footsteps. "It works for them and it can work for you too if you have strength of character and confidence," says Gibson.
Face Type: Any
Personality Type: Bold
Those who want to attain this Cleopatra-inspired look using their own hair—regardless of whether they have the optimal oval face shape—should be aware of the styling it requires. "It's a fun, edgy hairdo but it requires plenty of bang trims and flatironing," says Campbell. "To minimize damage and maximize sleekness, be sure to use a thermal protectant."
Actress Krysten Ritter pulls off the blunt cut with panache.
