A round face is about as wide as it is long, with full cheeks and soft curves all the way around. It often reads as youthful and friendly, and it keeps its fullness well with age. Styling a round face is mostly about adding a little length or height, so the face reads slightly longer than it is wide.
What a round face shape looks like
A round face has no sharp corners. These signs usually show up together.
- Length close to width. The distance from hairline to chin is about the same as the width across the cheeks.
- Full cheeks as the widest point. The widest part of the face sits at the cheeks, a little below the eyes.
- A soft jawline. The jaw curves smoothly into the chin with no clear corner below the ears.
- A gently rounded chin. The chin is neither pointed nor flat.
How to tell if your face is round
You can check by eye in a mirror, with a tape measure, or from a selfie with our face shape detector.
The mirror trace
- Pull your hair back, face a mirror and keep your head level.
- Trace your outline on the glass with a washable marker or a bar of soap.
- Step back. A round face traces almost like a circle, with the widest point across the cheeks and no straight lines at the jaw.
The tape measure
Measure the width of your forehead, your cheekbones and your jaw, then the length from the middle of your hairline to the tip of your chin. If the length is within about a tenth of the cheekbone width and the jaw curves softly, your face is round. If the jaw is straight and angular, look at the square face shape. If the length is clearly greater than the width, look at the oval face shape.
Best hairstyles for a round face
The aim is to add vertical lines and lift, and to keep the most volume above or below the widest part of the face rather than right at it.
Short hair
A pixie with height on top and shorter sides draws the eye upward. An asymmetric pixie or a side swept fringe adds an angle that breaks up the curve. Very rounded, full short cuts that sit at the cheeks add width.
Medium hair
A long bob that ends below the chin, ideally at the collarbone, is one of the most popular choices. An angled bob that is longer at the front adds length. Bobs that end exactly at the chin put the volume right at the widest point, so go a little longer or shorter.
Long hair
Long layers that start below the chin create lines that run down past the face. A deep side part adds height and an angle. Soft waves work well when the volume sits below the cheeks.
For men
Height on top with shorter sides adds length, so a quiff, a pompadour or a textured crop with lift all work. A side part adds structure. Very short buzz cuts show the full round outline, which is a fine look if you like it.
Read our full guide to haircuts for round faces for more ideas.
Glasses for a round face
Angular frames add structure to soft curves. Rectangular, square and geometric frames are the classic choice, and frames a touch wider than the face help it read narrower. Small round frames echo the curves and make the face look rounder, which is worth knowing but not a rule to follow if you love them.
Makeup and contouring
Contour along the sides of the face from the temples down to the jaw, and a little under the cheekbones, to add shape. Sweep blush from the apples of the cheeks up toward the temples rather than in circles. A highlight down the center of the forehead and on the chin adds length.
Beards and facial hair
A beard that is longer at the chin and shorter at the sides adds length and a stronger jaw line. A goatee or an anchor style also lengthens the face. Full, rounded beards that grow wide at the cheeks add width.
Round, oval and square compared
Round faces are most often confused with oval and square ones.
- An oval face is noticeably longer than it is wide, around one and a half times.
- A square face is just as short, but the jaw is straight and angular, with a clear corner below each ear.
If your result sits between two shapes, take ideas from both pages and try them on.
A round face across the years
Round faces tend to keep their soft fullness as they age, which is one reason they often look younger than their years. Weight changes can make a face look rounder or less round for a while, and a beard or a new haircut can change how the outline reads in photos. If your face shape result changes after a big change, run the detector again with a new photo.
Round face at a glance
| Hairstyles to try | Long layers that start below the chin, A long bob, A side part or side swept bangs, Height on top with shorter sides |
|---|---|
| Go easy on | Blunt bobs that end right at the chin, Heavy straight bangs, Volume at the sides of the face |
| Glasses | Rectangular and angular frames add structure to a round face. Frames a touch wider than the face work well. |
| Makeup | Contour along the sides of the face and under the cheekbones, and sweep blush up toward the temples. |
| Beard | A beard that is longer at the chin and shorter at the sides adds length. |
