7 chic, short styles for rounder faces

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Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

History is littered with examples of girls who've watched the boys being boys and wondered why they shouldn't get to do the same, including enjoying the practicality and convenience of a neatly cropped short haircut.

Six hundred years after Joan of Arc stepped into the man's world of 15th century France, that same chopped crop has worked to give stars such as Anne Hathaway (once the essence of girly femininity) a tough, independent edge, not to mention a host of more interesting roles.

Thanks to a string of strong women who've carried their shorn heads high through the spotlight of the 20th century, from 1920s actresses like Clara Bow to sixties icons such as Eddie Sedgwick and Audrey Hepburn, short cuts such as 'the pixie' and 'the bob' have now become household terms.

We love short ladies' styles here at The Chapel, and we think every woman should brave the chop, and enjoy a whole new sense of themselves, at least once in their personal hair history. However, while elegant oval or perfect diamond shaped faces imbue radical short styles with instant chic (check out the way model Tyra Banks is currently infusing the 70s tomboy bowl-cut with sex appeal and sass), there have always been certain face shapes for which a quick crop can be the shortcut to disaster.

Round faces present one of the biggest challenges when it comes to getting short hair right, but don't despair, when executed with a little more care and forethought, round faces carrying shorter styles can deliver a unique blend of super cool and cute. Here are seven stunning options that we know you'll forgive us for calling 'all-round winners'...

Voluminous pixie

Editorial credit: Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock.com
Image credit: Editorial credit: Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock.com

Pixie cuts are super cute, but paired with a round face this in itself can be both a blessing and a curse. Get the pixie look wrong and ladies with rounder faces can look like they've broken out of the nursery pen for the day. The trick to getting the pixie right is all about visual elongation, and a great way to achieve this is put plenty of extra volume at the crown, a-la the voluminous pixie. Layers will create texture, which also helps to diffuse facial roundness.

Wavy bob with side parting

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
Image credit: Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

A long-time favourite of round-faced A-listers such as Kirsten Dunst, this short cut is an all-round winner; soft yet strong, cute and confident. Centre partings accentuate the circular symmetry of round faces, making them look even rounder, so steer well clear and always part to the side. Twin this side parting with a classic bob taken to the nape but finished with soft waves designed to break up the face's natural curves, and you have a near perfect short cut for round faces.

Tapered sideburns pixie

 Image credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

Broad, boldly tapered sideburns provide another great method for framing the face to a slimmer profile. Try twinning this (or any pixie look) with highlighted ends and darker roots, as the graduating contrast in colour is another great way to subtly draw the eye vertically, which visually thins the face once again.

Short crop with long fringe

 Image credit: Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com

This is another classic short hair treatment for rounder faces, and one that fuses elegance with attitude. Another no-no for round faces is a high fringe (never go farther up than just grazing the brow). A long fringe left against shortly cropped sides creates the exactly the right v-line dynamic for round faces, visually elongating and accentuating the cheekbones.

Straight asymmetric bob

Image credit:  Luba V Nel / Shutterstock.com

Long in front and short at the back, the asymmetrical bob can be very flattering for round faces. Sleek, straight strands at the sides are perfect for correcting round faces to a more oval shape, but always make sure to keep the length above or below the jawline, as jawline length cuts are notorious for widening round faces.

Short tousled ringlets

Editorial credit: Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com
Image credit: Editorial credit: Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com

It may seem counter-intuitive, but ringlets work with round faces: mimicking the overall shape of your face with clusters of smaller sections is effective in subtly breaking up the circular plain. Worn tight or loose, keep them piled up and cascading from the crown for the desired elongating effect.

Asymmetric undercut

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com
Image credit: Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

We just couldn't leave this one out, so if you're looking to kill your chunky cherub and replace it with serious sass then this is probably the way to go. After all, it's the style that transformed Hannah Montana to Miley Cyrus. Only for the bold, or maybe brazen, this look stamps the squidge out of round features, with shaved sides giving out to an asymmetric top length that's backcombed into a voluminous quiff. Solves your style problems - with a wrecking ball.

Now that you're clued up on how to rock a tiny 'do atop your round face, have a chat with one of our style professionals to find out exactly which kind will work best for you.

Featured Image Credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

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