One of the many misconceptions about round faces and long hair is that people must cut their hair to shoulder length or add a bunch of short layers. That is extremely bad advice. I have worked with many people who have round faces and long hair. The goal isn’t to cover the face with a lot of hair. The goal is to know where to place the best layers and movement.
An example is a round-faced client who had hair that reached her waist. Other stylists suggested she get a lob, but she wanted to keep her length and have it look purposeful instead of like she was hiding behind a curtain. We put in long layers and framed her face by cutting those pieces to her jawline and she had such an emotional reaction to it. The aim should not be to create a haircut and have it work against the face shape. Instead, it should work with it. That’s why I am so thrilled to share 15 haircuts that I believe are perfect for long hair and round faces.
#1: That Ginger Glow with Layers That Actually Do Something
This shade alone stops my scroll, but we need to discuss how those layers fall. Not overdone, not choppy, they just sort of frame the face and give the whole cut purpose. The ginger color adds a ton of warmth and almost does the face framing work because your eye goes straight to the skin. If rounding face, and you’ve been contemplating ginger or copper tones, THIS is the sign you have been looking for. The layers keep their movement without going wispy at the ends which is something I see go wrong so often with longer cuts.
#2 Beachy Textured Waves That Look Like You Didn’t Try
This wave style is amazing! You can pull off that just woke up look. This style is effortless however the placed highlights do the work for you. The highlights are placed so that they catch the light around the face and through the center. This provides dimension without looks streaky like we’ve seen in 2009. This is a great option if you have medium to thick hair because it controls volume while also looking full and healthy. Just be ready to pull out a good texturizing spray because the “I didn’t try” texture actually requires some effort.
#3 Long Layers That Let Your Curls Be the Main Character
Tight natural curls and rounded face? Never let someone convince you to straighten your hair to say “elongate your face.” This hairstyle shows how incredible face-framing curls are. Curls are not gonna “fall” into one clump, they will spring up individually which is what layering is meant to do for curly hair. The curl pieces that frame your face are softening, and without the big fear that curls will make your face look wider. A good curl defining cream will be needed to keep those curls separated, but then again, if you have natural curls, you probably already know that.
#4 The “I Just Have Really Good Hair” Long Layer Cut
Everyone knows that look that seems to show no hairstyling and where the hair falls “just right”? Well, this is that haircut. It looks simple, but still takes some skill. It’s just long layers with some soft face framing, but the placement of everything is important. The length is kept while the layers are high enough to create structure around the face. That warm brown tone with natural dimension is doing a lot here, too. It gives the hair some depth and keeps it from looking flat and one dimension. This is the type of haircut where people will compliment your hair instead of your haircut, and I think that’s the highest of compliments.
#5 Wispy Bangs That Actually Work on a Round Face
I know bangs can be a concern, especially with round faces, and the worry is understandable because the wrong bangs can widen a face. But look at these bangs!! These piece-y, wispy, and slightly parted bangs do the opposite!! They break up the face in a way that creates length in the face and because they are wispy and layered, they don’t create a strong horizontal line across your face. Plus, the chocolate brown with subtle highlights is gorgeous; it gives dimension to the hair and the layers look almost 3D. Just be prepared to trim those bangs approximately every 3-4 weeks; the second they hit your eyelids, you’ll be annoyed. Trust me!
#6 Sleek and Straight with Layers You Can Barely See
This is the look SLEEK is going for. Polished, smooth, “I have my life together dainty.” The subtle layering keeps the ends from looking too blunt and heavy, and the face framing is so soft that it reads as more of an actual natural fall than a cut technique. I love this look on round faces because that straight, vertical line from root to tip elongates everything so much. Here’s the real talk. This cut is going to be HIGH maintenance if you want it to stay this smooth. You’re going to need a good flat iron, and because split ends and uneven growth show up immediately on straight hair like this, you’re going to have to get trims regularly.
#7 Long Effortless Waves with the Perfect Amount of Highlight
We have to recognize how it appears as if she didn’t do anything to her hair and it came out this way? And while I know for a FACT that’s not true, the artistry of a good cut and the right layers always shines through. Her highlights are so perfectly framed around her face that she has this illuminating effect, like she is always in the best light. For round faces, this look is especially good, as the waves create more diagonal lines than horizontal. These long layers add so much movement to the hair and are a fantastic addition. Just be sure to keep a lightweight mousse on hand for the days when you want to scrunch and go!
#8 Big Beautiful Curls with Layers That Know Their Assignment
I love this curl volume! The layers aren’t making the curls shrink and create a triangle, which is the number one struggle with thick curly hair and I will die on this hill. The framing layers focus attention on the features instead of out towards width which is super smart for round faces, and the length! The cutting to achieve this volume and keep so much length is fantastic. Just be sure to deep condition your curls because once they dry out the shape changes and not in a good way.
#9 Clean and Polished with Just Enough Softness
Sometimes, you can do without a “look” and this cut is from the vintage collection so it provides you clean and sharp hair layers every few inches so it doesn’t look like one solid sheet of hair. The layering is quite understated, but does a good job of creating an angle of the cheekbone area, so it does round out your face a bit and gives it a sharper feel. It is flexible enough to suit curled, braided, or up-do styles and will work well with you each time. The only issue to be mindful of is that styles really do require some sort of anti-frizz serum liquid because they can get quite humid and induce fly-aways throughout the day.
#10 Long, Sleek, and Giving Luxury Hair Commercial
I’m going to be straight up with you, this is the hairstyle I show to clients when they say, “I want my hair to look expensive.” Because it does! The thick glossy locks, the perfectly shaped layers, and the subtle but strategic face-framing pieces all look incredible! This style is a round face’s perfect match, as it helps to narrow the line of the face without being too obvious. However, if you have fine hair and find yourself thinking, “that’s me”, then I have to be real with you; this style is heavily based on hair density, and while you can achieve a similar style to this one, you will need to use a bit of root volumizing spray to get that fullness. Otherwise, your hair will lay a lot flatter than you want it to!
#11 Rich Auburn with That Salon-Fresh Shine
Warm undertones and considering going red? DO it! This shade of auburn is phenomenal. When taking screenshots of colors to show to your stylist, make sure this one is included. The cut is very sleek, but the color is what makes it the center of attention. It’s awesome! The face framing layers are spot on too. She’s got it made, as the other layers also help create a more trim appearance around the chin. Everything looks understated yet refined. Just a heads up, red and auburn colors fade faster than other hues, so color depositing shampoos along with frequent visits to the salon will be needed to to maintain it’s brightness. However, it will be worth it!
#12 Cascading Waves with Bangs That Change the Whole Game
Those waves look great, but THOSE BANGS. They are beautiful! They look so light and soft, and they smooth and lengthen your face in a really nice way. I love how vintage and romantic the waves and bangs look together! I can probably tell you some of the ways you will not wash and go with this hairstyle. You’ll need to do some waves and some braid overnight type stuff, or maybe a large barrel or big curls. Bangs take more work than what I’ve described in this. If you just go wet bun and run, you might want to keep scrolling. If you do your hair and take the time to do style it, this is a great look.
#13 Curly, Highlighted, and Absolutely Gorgeous
These curls look great with highlights! Each curl reflects the light in a unique way, helping to alleviate the stripey or disconnected appearance, creating the illusion of depth in the hair. Additionally, the style is also very complimentary to round faces since the volume is concentrated from the mid-lengths down and there is no fluff on the sides by the cheeks. You may even get lucky with the humidity and find it makes your curls even better (although it could create an undesirable frizz cloud)! A nice cream will help tame the wet hair.
#14 Bouncy Curls with Layers That Actually Make Sense
Your hair has an amazing quantity of energy and life! The curls are full of vigor and the layers give a great shape without losing the curl pattern, which is a common problem with shags. I’ve watched countless videos of haircuts where the stylist cuts curly hair as if they were cutting straight hair and then are baffled by how wrong it looks when it dries. This hairstyle shows off the curls perfectly, and the layering is very bouncy. The face framing pieces are just a tad bit incredible. If you’ve got hair that’s medium to thick and round face, I absolutely believe this shape would look wonderful on you. And, it’s incredibly low maintenance as long as you get your styling routine set.
#15 Layered Waves with Face Framing Bangs for Days
This haircut’s layers enhance balance and give the style movement, while the waves add an element of fun and the face-framing bangs keep it from being too over the top. I appreciate how this style does not rely on just one element, and instead combines bangs, layers, and texture, which also makes it great for lazy hair days. Styles like these also work really well with round faces as the movement created by the hair helps distract from the width of the face. This look will be easy if you have naturally wavy hair, just remember to enhance your waves and let the cut do the rest!
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