PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 26: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY – For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Jennifer Lawrence attends the Christian Dior Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 26, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Getty Images
When it comes to determining the best haircut a round face, it comes down to a number of factors like styling and bone structure. Those with round faces (where width at cheekbone level is about the same as the face’s length) are likely familiar with the details needed to balance proportions and maximize bone structure—but if not, we asked the experts to elucidate.
“With round face shapes, you need to create interest and angles in the haircut to elongate the face,” says Dom Seeley, Color Wow’s international creative director. “Longer lengths are more suited to this face shape for that reason too, and it’s always better to style it in soft waves, adding body and volume. This can help open up the cheekbone and jawline area and add width and angles to help offset roundness.”
Hairstylist Frederic Fekkai is also a fan of creating sharpness and angles to soften a rounder face shape, recommending both longer layers and choppy pixie cuts as options worthy of consideration. “I love bangs and longer hair to help minimize roundness,” he says. “And a good styling tip is to wear hair swept to the side.” When it comes to bangs, keep them long and loose, rather than ultra short and bluntly cut, as it’s more forgiving on the face.
Clever color placement is another way to add dimension to a haircut while also making layers appear more prominent. “I love to place color around the face—we do it a lot at the salon,” says colorist to the stars Nicola Clarke, who works from John Frieda in London. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be dramatic, just a subtle difference to the overall color will add contrast and give the illusion of texture without layers.” Like turning a light on over your face, it also makes skin look more youthful and luminous.
Take your cues from the likes of Zendaya, Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong’o, and Selena Gomez, all of whom offer examples of the best haircuts for round faces, below.
1. Mila Kunis
A bombshell blowout, demonstrated her by Kunis, is an excellent choice for a round facial structure. The highlights lend to the style’s long layers, adding subtle shape.
2. Kirsten Dunst
Though Dunst’s chop is on the slightly blunt side, a tousled finish—likely supplemented by a dry texture spray—and beachy, windswept bangs create movement and a flattering frame.
3. Lupita Nyong’o
Nyong’o’s naturally curly pixie actually elongates her complexion—so if you’re looking for an illusion, take note. Playing up organic texture helps to create a close-crop that’s stylish, fun, and memorable.
4. Kate Bosworth
Whether worn tossed carelessly to the side or parted at center, tousled lengths snipped a few inches past the shoulder create an easy bohemian feel. Blend barrel curls to air-dried texture for a finished look.
5. Emma Stone
Rather than blunt, single-length ends, Stone’s bob is all about subtle layers. Blended lengths, along with a side-swept bang and strategic styling, frame the actor’s face to flattering, structural effect.
6. Cameron Diaz
A rounded bob paired with a long and sweeping bang lean working with the shape of Diaz’s face rather than against it, resulting in an overall look that’s soft and glamorous.
7. Gemma Chan
Curtain bangs—or even the illusion of curtain bangs, as with Chan’s long-layered cut—prettily frame round faces. To capitalize on the style, curl front sections away from your face at the cheekbone.
8. Drew Barrymore
Leave it to Barrymore to go full-on bohemian. Long, rumpled, air-dried waves play well with practically any face shape, but deliver a certain Old World romance when coupled with a rounded complexion.
9. Michelle Williams
Williams is among the reigning pixie-perfect queens, and for good reason—the gamine style suits her and her bone structure. Even abbreviated, bangs pushed slightly to one side help to supplement this style.
10. Selena Gomez
While Gomez has enjoyed many noteworthy mane moments, this cut feels particularly suiting. A bob (styled with a flip!) paired with a deep side part result in a cut that’s pretty and playful.
11. Miranda Kerr
Smart styling can make any bob a great choice—even one snipped on the blunt side. Kerr’s chop is instantly elevated with a deep part and soft curls, along with a sweet behind-the-ear tuck.
12. Gabrielle Union
Leaning into your hair’s natural texture and curl pattern can help guide you toward a haircut that’s perfect for you. Union’s brushed-up, shoulder-skimming curls serve to play-up her features rather than seeking to obscure them.
13. Chrissy Teigen
A rounded face is innately soft, and Old Hollywood waves lend to a classic look. Think long, glossy, and luxurious—the ideal style for those looking for an opportunity to prioritize hair health.
14. Jennifer Hudson
As with Stone’s bob, Hudson’s chop features an upward layering for extra shape and texture. The actor’s natural curls, along with a full, brow-grazing bang, team to create a lifted look.
15. Ginnifer Goodwin
This bob is all down to the bang. Though full, Goodwin’s fringe is cut in a quietly rounded arch and features a bit of romantic wispiness, the soft body of the style highlighting her face shape.
16. Isla Fisher
Old Hollywood styling, but make it short. A deep side part and high-gloss curls transmutes a standard medium-length cut into something sumptuous and memorable.
17. Natasha Lyonne
For those in want of a subversive hairstyle, Lyonne serves up in spades. This iteration is all about long layers (that go shaggy when air-dried) and a full bang.
18. Taraji P. Henson
Henson’s triangulated chop works well when wavy. Piece-y texture and ample volume opens and lifts the complexion.
19. Christina Ricci
Ricci has rocked an endless array of bangs, but this extra-long, single-sided take feels elongating and cool, especially when blended with subtle long layers.
20. Viola Davis
Another example of letting organic growth lead the way, Davis’s almost-Afro echoes the shape of her face to eye-catching effect, the style tempered by a slight side bang.
21. Sarah Hyland
This round-face haircut has it all. Soft and tousled waves! Face-framing layers! A wispy, rounded bang! Hyland’s haircut is the perfect choice for those in want of something at once contemporary and timeless.
22. Billie Eilish
Fans of modern flair would do well to look to Eilish’s assemblage of coifs and chops. This funky style is all about a short and stylized curtain bang and rounded layers.
23. Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence’s glossy blonde is one of her most striking assets. Though the actor has favored pixies and chops in years past, her luxurious, single-length, center-separated waves are a study in easy elegance.
24. Joey King
King takes a cue from a ‘90s-era Ricci with this simple medium-length cut. Though potentially risky for those who seek to distract from their features, this straight and center-parted puts the actor’s face center stage—and it works.
25. Penelope Cruz
Snipped to the shoulder with a super-side-swept part, Cruz’s haircut exudes effortless glamour. Simply part at center to achieve a more casual, uniform length.
26. Zendaya
Zendaya’s long, finger-raked curls provide a perfect frame for her delicately rounded face. The elongated ringlets would be equally flattering regardless of styling, but the dramatic side part offers a worthy option.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
