oblong-shaped face

Medium length is an ideal length for hair. It's short enough that it's easy to style -- say hallelujah to not having to spend hours in the bathroom anymore -- but still long enough to put up. You have some length, but your hair isn't so long that it's weighed down. Pretty fabulous. If you have an oblong-shaped face, just be sure to include a few key elements in your medium-length haircut to create the nicest face proportion and not elongate your face even more.

Face-Framing Layers

Incorporating some face-framing layers into your medium-length cut instantly shortens your face, leaving with a more balanced face proportion. Your longest layers can go as far as just past your shoulders, as long as you've got the shorter pieces around your face. These shorter pieces draw the eye upward and take a lot of the length off your face.

Blunt Bangs

To instantly trim a large portion off your face size, get blunt bangs added to your medium-length cut. Ask your stylist for bangs that hit just below your brows for a look that's chic and not childish. They'll make your face look rounder. This way you -- and everyone else, for that matter -- can focus on the pretty features of your face and not how long it is.

Side-Swept Fringe

A side-swept fringe works well if you've got a longer face. Rather than drawing your face out even more, it draws attention upward toward your eyes, creating the illusion of a smaller, rounder face. One of the best things about having a side fringe is that it instantly adds edginess and sultriness to your style, and you can leave it down loose or tie it back when you put your hair into a formal up-do.

Bob

A medium-length bob is a classic, chic style. You can keep it medium long -- just above your shoulders is an ideal length -- but the key to rockin' this style if you've got an oblong face is having your stylist cut it one even length, rather than going with an angled bob cut. Having longer pieces at the front is only going to elongate your face even more. To create a rounder face proportion, tease your hair around the roots to get more width at the sides