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If you’ve ever brought a celebrity haircut photo to the salon only to realize it doesn’t look quite the same on you, your round face shape may be playing a bigger role than you think.
And if you have a round face, consider yourself in good company (Chrissy Teigen, Kirsten Dunst, and Emma Stone all have round face shapes!). Known for their soft, youthful features, round faces can look especially stunning with haircuts that create movement and highlight your natural shape.
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According to Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist Joseph Chase, it’s not about limiting yourself to certain styles, it’s about choosing cuts that add soft framing, create movement, and keep your hair from weighing your features down.
Whether you’re thinking about trying a chic bob like Selena Gomez, embracing the shaggy layered haircut that’s everywhere right now, or simply figuring out the best way to style what you already have, a few strategic tweaks can make all the difference.
E! asked Chase to share the biggest haircut mistakes people with round faces make, what to ask your hairdresser for instead, plus the celebrity looks he loves for round faces, and the styling products he always reaches for.
The Biggest Haircut Mistake for Round Faces
“I feel like when you have a round face shape, one of the best things to do is just open up your shape a little bit by doing some layers around your face,” Chase explained. “Normally what I like to do is right below the chin.”
According to Chase, the goal isn’t to hide your face shape—it’s to frame it. While you might have heard that longer hair can help elongate the face, he explained that extremely long hair without layers can actually pull everything downward, making the face appear heavier instead of highlighting your features.
“Rounder face shapes need framing,” he says. “You need shorter layers under the chin and then graduate them down just to lift it a little bit so it doesn’t feel super long and heavy around the face.”
Why Blunt Cuts Aren’t Right for Everyone
If your hair tends to look bulky rather than bouncy, your haircut—not your face shape—might be the reason.
“When you do a blunt cut, there’s no layers,” Chase explained. “It just has heaviness.” Instead, he recommended asking your stylist to remove some of that weight through strategic layering.
“If you go in and release some of that heaviness with layers, it gives feathering and movement,” he said. “It softens it up. It gives it more of this lifted look.”
Not Every Hair Texture Needs the Same Amount of Layers
But layers aren’t one-size-fits-all style! He explained that thicker hair usually benefits from more layering because removing weight actually creates movement and volume. Fine hair, however, requires a lighter touch.
“The thicker the hair, the more you can get into it,” he shared. “With thinner hair, you don’t want to layer it as much because then it can make it feel thinner.”
The Haircut Trend Everyone Is Asking For Right Now
One style has taken over Chase’s chair lately. “For a while now, I’ve been doing a lot of shaggy haircuts,” he said. “A lot of people have been asking me for shaggy layers.”
He described the trend as a modern take on the iconic ’70s shag, complete with soft texture, movement, and lived-in layers that naturally flatter a variety of face shapes, including round faces.
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For bobs, Chase pointed to Selena Gomez. “Selena Gomez is definitely a great reference for a round face,” he says. “She looks so good in her little bobs.”
Why does it work? Because the length naturally creates framing around the jawline instead of letting long hair overwhelm the face. “I think that helps with giving your roundness a little bit more shape,” Chase explained.
For even shorter cuts, he recommends Michelle Williams. “Michelle Williams looks absolutely amazing with her pixie cut,” he says. “It’s short, but it’s not crazy short. There’s texture in there that she can play around with.”
The Best Hairstyles for Round Faces
The haircut is only half the equation. The way you style it matters too. One of Chase’s favorite everyday looks is a romantic half-up, half-down hairstyle.
“I love half-up, half-down for a round face,” he said. “It’s so pretty, especially if you have layers around your face with little wispy pieces hanging around your face.”
His tip? Pull the top section of your hair back from around your ears, then leave soft face-framing pieces loose in the front. “It frames your face and gives you this beautiful style.”
Even if you’re wearing a sleek bun, Chase still recommends avoiding an overly severe finish. “You can do a slick back,” he says, “but I would still pop some pieces out to hang around the face. I think it’s important to always frame a round face.”
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Celebrity Stylist-Approved Styling Products
When it comes to styling, Chase keeps a few favorites in regular rotation. His favorite blow dryer? Dyson. For thicker hair, he also recommends the Dyson Airwrap, saying it helps dry and style hair at the same time while minimizing frizz.
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He also reaches for Amika products, including the brand’s heat protectant, leave-in conditioner, curl creams, and curl refresher spray. For curls and waves, he recommends Sisley Paris’ Curl Cream for thicker hair and the brand’s Curl Gel for finer textures.
“They smell amazing, they really do work, and everyone’s going to ask you what perfume you have because they smell so good,” he shared.
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Amika Power Hour Curl Refreshing Spray
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Sisley Paris Hair Rituel Curl Care Jelly
A hair jelly that reveals the beauty of wavy to lightly curled hair by providing nutrition, definition and a long-lasting hold in a single step.
Sisley Paris Hair Rituel Curl Care Cream
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