hair

HAIR TALK: ROUND FACE SHAPE

post: Kristin Ess graphic design: Eunice Chun

Let’s be honest- SO many of us think we have a round face. But when it comes to face shapes you really want to try and be sure you know which one or two you are. Use this guide to get a more accurate answer. The best way to sum up a round face is that it’s just about if not the same in width as it is in length with no major corners at the jaw. One person that I think has always done a great job keeping her round face looking more oval-ish Ginnifer Goodwin. She doesn’t hide behind her hair which many people with a round face shape try to do. In this particular post, I’m going to be speaking from personal experience as I’m a round-faced girl. Here we go…

• Shaping: One thing I always tell my girls with a round face is to keep a little hair out in front of the ear and not to tuck it back. Look at each of Ginnifer’s images above– there’s always a little something in front of one ear or both. The reason this is helps a round face is because it visually stops the width of your face. It cuts off “the circle” and tricks the eye into thinking that the width of the face face stops there.
• Don’t over do it: Those of us with round faces tend to want to hide behind lots of hair (story of my life!). Problem is, we’re not fooling anyone. I’ve learned over the years that doing so often just frames your cheeks and can make them look fuller. I’ve also learned that it doesn’t take a lot of hair being pushed forward to minimize the roundness of the face– instead try the tip above. Let that beautiful face come out from behind the hair curtain!
• Deep part: A deep part is wonderful for a round face because it changes the focal point of the length of your face. People can’t see if your face is the same in length and width. If you look at the bottom left photo, Ginnifer parts the hair, it goes up off of her forehead and then down at the cheek. You can obviously see that this makes her face look more oval. On the bottom right, she swoops it down and across which also makes the face look a bit longer. Either way a deep side part with some wave is perfect for a round face.
• Chop Chop: Girls with round faces do not like to hear this 90% of the time, but I’m going to say it for the other 10%– if you’re comfortable in your own skin and not insecure about the way you look, don’t be afraid to just chop that hair right OFF! Round + oval faces are the absolute best face shapes for going super short and no one works a better pixie than Ginnifer Goodwin. She plays with so many textures and she minimized the roundness in just the right ways. I love when she makes it a little fuller on top with lots of choppy texture because it actually elongates the face. If you google “Ginnifer Goodwin short hair” you’ll see– this girl knows how to do it. She also had a lot of beautiful ‘dos when her hair was long so she’s a great one to look up when searching for round face hair style ideas.
• KEEP THE PIECE: Really important– ask (beg) your hairstylist to leave that little section that falls in front of your ear  on the long side. Not longer than the rest neccessarily, but as long as the length of your hair. I’ve been cutting hair for 16 years and I can tell you, as soon as you cut into that piece, you start opening up the face. Round-faced girls usually want the opposite. You want that particular section to stay long and you want it to always run right along the side of your face. That will be your key piece in minimizing roundness. Doesn’t matter if you have a bob, a pixie, or hair down to your waist with lots of layers. Don’t  layer or cut that little section shorter than you have to. (No joke– I physically hold on to those pieces under my chin when anyone cuts my hair… but I’m crazy.)
• Short haircuts: Keep some texture in short hair. Sleek short haircuts on a round face can make it appear more round. I’m not saying it’s not cute to have a sleek bob on a round face– it’s actually one of my favorite things because those girls look like DOLLS. But, for an every day short cut, meaning a bob or pixie, texture will diffuse the roundness. If your hair is naturally straight, put some weightless mousse in the roots and then give it some quick curl with curling wand.
• Mid-length haircuts: Layers in medium-length hair are great for round faces as long as “The Piece” mentioned above remains intact. When I wear medium-length hair, I always ask whoever is cutting it for me to only give me layers “above the occipital”. In English, that means that the only hair that gets layered is the hair that grows above that bone you feel in the back of your head. That usually leaves a nice weight to the ends and then plenty of layers to play with.
• Long haircuts: I find that the best way to wear long or super-long hair with a round face is to add layers and a long bang. Long hair with a round face needs some texture and the only way to get that is by adding layers. You can put all the texturizing product in the world in long heavy hair but you won’t get any long term lift and movement without some layering. I think the biggest mistake a girl with a round face can make is having really long hair with no layers because all that will do is draw attention to your cheeks. Again, ask to keep “The Piece” mentioned above.
• Bangs: The rumor is that girls with round faces shouldn’t have bangs. That couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s more than fine to cut bangs and have a round face as long as they’re the right kind of bang. Here’s a bang guide to help you see the difference. I always check the forehead length before giving someone bangs. If you have a short forehead and a round face, skip the bangs. If you have a average sized forehead or a larger forehead, go for it. Just make sure there are longer pieces on the side like you see here and here.
• High Pony: We round-faced girls don’t always love pulling all of our hair off of our face but sometimes a high pony can help elongate a round face. The volume on top can extend the silhouette of the head tricking the eye into thinking you have more of an oval face. Try wearing it with some loose natural pieces falling out in front of the ear and alongside your face.

Hope these tips help you and I hope you’ll share some of your favorite styles for a round face below! xo