Whether you wear glasses all the time or only on occasion, there’s more to choosing a pair you like than meets the eye. It’s only natural that you want to look good in your glasses, so what do you need to know when it comes to picking the frames for you?

The first step is recognising your face shape. Do you have an oval-shaped face, or a round, square, or heart-shaped one? Knowing the shape of your face will make it much easier to select frames that will complement your features. Here’s our handy guide on what each face shape looks like, and the kind of glasses that will suit them.

Oval face

If you have an oval-shaped face, your features will be fairly balanced, with a chin that’s only slightly narrower than the forehead, and high cheekbones. This means you’ll suit most styles of frames, and you shouldn’t have any trouble finding something you like that also accentuate your features.

The oval-shaped face can get away with bolder frame shapes, and popular choices include geometric styles such as squares or rectangles. These will highlight the natural balance of your face. Frames that are wider around the eyes are also ideal – however, you should avoid those that dominate your features. Remember, less is often more.

Heart-shaped face

Anyone with a heart-shaped face will have a broad forehead and significantly narrower chin, so will benefit from frames that are wider than the forehead. You can also get away with more flamboyant styles, so why not embrace a few embellishments on your glasses? Think styles with prominent end points (such as Clubmaster or cat-eye shapes) and really have some fun with your frames.

Lighter coloured frames are also great, while having detail on the bottom will help balance out your features and give the illusion of a wider jawline. Meanwhile, if you have an overly pointed chin, then selecting oval-shaped frames will help draw the eye away from this and soften your overall look.

Round face

If you have this face type, then you’ll be endowed with full cheeks and a more rounded chin – and you’ll be best suited to angular frames that balance out those natural curves. Round faces are also more equal in terms of length and width, so wider frames with strong details are a good choice as they give the illusion of a slimmer face.

Square face

With a distinctive jawline and strong features overall, the square face works well with curvier frames, which soften prominent angles and help lengthen the face. With this in mind, round and oval-shaped frames are ideal, and it’s best to avoid frames with sharp angles or geometric shapes.

Thinner frames and those in lighter shades also complement the square face, though a pop of colour can be a great way to distract from strong angles.

If you’re not sure whether you need glasses, it’s best to visit an optometrist or ophthalmologist to get our eyes tested. If you find you need frames, then be sure to choose ones that complement your face shape.