25 Hairstyles for an Oval Face That Play Up Your Balance

If you have an oval face, you have hit the jackpot when it comes to hair. Longer than it is wide, with a soft, curved jawline and a forehead close in width to the chin, the oval is the most balanced and versatile face shape there is, which means almost every cut and style suits it. The only real trick is keeping that balance: layers and face-framing work best starting around chin length or below, and softer curls flatter more than very tight ones that can over-lengthen the face. With that in mind, here are the styles below that make the most of your natural symmetry.

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Long Layers

Long hair cut with layers through the length, one of the most flattering choices for an oval face. The layers add movement and texture without cutting across your balanced proportions.

The key is starting the layers around chin length or below, so they enhance your features rather than break them up awkwardly.

Ask for long, fluid layers and a little soft face-framing at the front. Loose waves through the length show the layers off and add plenty of soft body.

Chin-Length Blunt Bob

A precise blunt bob cut clean at the chin, incredibly flattering when done well. The clean line complements your naturally balanced jawline beautifully.

The chin length hits a sweet spot that enhances an oval face without overwhelming it, framing your features cleanly rather than hiding any of them away.

A flat iron and a shine serum keep the blunt line sharp and glossy. It suits straight to lightly wavy hair and grows out cleanly into a longer bob.

Textured Bob

A jaw-length bob with choppy, blended layers for a soft, lived-in finish. The added texture brings body and movement that keeps the whole shape from sitting flat or heavy.

An oval face can carry the extra volume and texture beautifully, since your naturally balanced proportions are not thrown off at all by the added body.

Scrunch in a little sea salt spray and finger-tousle it for the piecey finish. It works across most hair types and stays genuinely low on upkeep.

Wavy Lob

A collarbone-length long bob worn with loose, tousled waves. It is one of the single most flattering cuts for an oval face, and the waves draw out your cheekbones.

A center part frames the face evenly while the tousled waves add volume, playing right into your natural facial symmetry and balance.

Wave the length with a wand and add a little front highlighting for extra dimension. Scrunch in a light spray to hold all the movement in place.

Glass Hair

Ultra-long hair worn poker-straight, smooth, and glossy for a sleek, powerful finish. Worn very long like this, it beautifully accentuates the natural symmetry of an oval face.

The mirror-like straightness is what shows off your balanced proportions so well, giving a luxe, expensive, high-shine effect all over.

Smooth a serum through, blow-dry with a large flat brush, then run a flat iron through for the glassy finish. Keep the ends healthy and trimmed so they stay smooth and shiny.

Pixie With Volume on Top

A short pixie cut with plenty of volume left on top. Oval faces are ideal for short cuts, and the volume up top keeps the balance flattering.

Adding height and texture on top is what maintains the balanced proportions, so even a bold short cut never looks severe or harsh on you.

Work a little clay or paste through the top and lift it up with your fingers. Keep the sides neat and finish with a light hold to keep the shape.

Pixie Bob

A pixie bob sitting between a pixie and a bob, a versatile short cut that flatters an oval face. It gives the ease of a pixie with a little more length to style.

The extra length keeps the balance while letting you wear it sleek, tousled, or piecey and textured depending entirely on the day and mood.

Style it with a little texture cream and tousle it up. A soft side part flatters most oval faces and keeps the whole thing feminine.

Wolf Cut

A shaggy, layered cut with messy, volumized texture, a big trend for the year that suits an oval face beautifully. It adds movement and makes all your features pop.

The heavy layering and volume are what give this its cool edge, and your balanced proportions carry all the drama without ever looking overdone.

Scrunch in texture spray and let it air dry undone and messy. It works best on medium to thick hair that holds the shaggy, layered shape.

Butterfly Cut

A soft, layered cut with dramatic face-framing layers and plenty of endless movement through it. The cascading layers bring lightness and real playfulness to your everyday look.

The dramatic face-framing layers draw attention to your features while the length keeps the whole shape soft, flattering your balanced oval proportions nicely.

Round-brush the shorter face-framing layers away from the face at the front. Loose, soft waves through the length show off all the movement and softness of the layers nicely.

Long Shag

A long shag with choppy layers, a fringe, and plenty of texture. It adds length and texture without hiding your face, and it is loaded with attitude.

The choppy layers and the fringe are what give this its cool, rockstar edge, and an oval face can carry all that heavy texture easily.

Scrunch in sea salt spray for that beachy, undone finish on the ends. It works best on medium to thick hair and needs very little styling.

Side Part With Face-Framing

Hair worn with a clean side part and soft face-framing layers starting below the cheekbones. It is a simple but sophisticated way to flatter an oval face every day.

Starting the face-framing below the cheekbones is what balances the shape, drawing the eye to your features without over-lengthening the face at all.

Keep the length right above the collarbone for a sophisticated, polished look on any day. A little balayage adds dimension and warmth to the front framing pieces.

Center Part With Waves

Hair worn with a clean center part and soft waves through the length below. Oval faces can carry a clean center part with real ease, since your proportions stay balanced.

The clean center part frames the face evenly while the waves add width and volume, drawing out your cheekbones and softening the length nicely.

Part it clean down the middle and wave the length gently with a wand. A texture spray keeps the waves soft, loose, and undone.

Voluminous Curls

Long hair worn in big, voluminous curls for a glamorous, bombshell finish. An oval face can carry plenty of extra volume all around the face, so full curls look striking.

The volume all around your face is what makes this really work, since your balanced proportions are not overwhelmed by all the fullness.

Curl the length with a large barrel iron and shake it out with your fingers. A little blonde highlighting adds real depth to the curls.

Soft Blown-Out Curls

Shoulder-length hair worn in soft, blown-out curls rather than tight coils. The softer, looser curl is what keeps an oval face balanced rather than over-elongated downward.

Choosing a looser, blown-out curl over a tight coily one is what flatters the shape, adding width and softness right around the face.

Set the curls with a large barrel iron or rollers, then brush them out softly by hand for a blended finish. A light spray holds the volume through the day.

Curtain Bangs

Soft curtain bangs that part in the middle and sweep out to frame the face nicely. Oval faces pair well with nearly every bang style going, and curtain bangs add real softness.

The parted, sweeping fringe frames your features and adds a little dimension without disrupting your naturally balanced proportions at all.

Round-brush the bangs away from the face and tuck them to each side. They also grow out easily into soft face-framing pieces with no awkward stage.

Wispy Bangs

Light, see-through wispy bangs that sit softly and lightly on the forehead. They add a delicate, youthful, softening touch that suits an oval face especially beautifully.

The airy, feathered, see-through fringe adds softness and a little dimension while keeping your features open, visible, and nicely balanced.

Keep the bangs light and piecey, and add a little texture so they do not fall flat against the forehead through the day. They suit fine and medium hair especially well for softness.

Blunt Micro Bangs

Bold, high micro bangs cut straight across the brow for a striking, fashion-forward finish. Oval faces can genuinely pull off dramatic short bangs that other face shapes simply cannot.

The graphic, high blunt fringe draws the eye right up and makes a real statement, and your balanced proportions easily carry all of the drama.

Keep the bangs trimmed short and precise, straight across the forehead. They suit straight hair especially, and anyone wanting a bold, editorial, fashion-forward look.

Blunt Bangs

Full, blunt bangs cut straight across the brow, pairing beautifully with a bob or with long hair. The heavy fringe frames the eyes and adds a polished touch.

An oval face can carry a strong blunt fringe without it throwing off the balance at all, so it looks bold rather than heavy or severe.

Keep the bangs trimmed straight across and the length below tousled for contrast. It suits straight, thick hair especially well where the blunt line sits clean.

Half-Up Half-Down

The top section pulled up while the rest of the hair flows loose below it. It keeps the hair off your face while showing off both the length and your features.

Gathering just the top adds lift at the crown while framing the face, playing right into your balanced oval proportions nicely.

Twist or clip the top section back and leave the length loose below. Pull a couple of pieces out at the front to soften the whole look.

Sleek Low Bun

A smooth, low bun gathered at the nape for a polished, elegant finish. It pulls the hair off the face and shows off your balanced features.

Wearing the hair back is genuinely flattering on an oval face, since your proportions and soft jawline can carry a clean, exposed shape.

Smooth the hair back with serum, twist it into a low bun, and pin it well. Leave a couple of soft pieces loose at the front to frame the face.

High Ponytail

A high ponytail that pulls the hair up and back, drawing the eye up and showing off all your features. It is fresh, lively, and genuinely flattering on an oval face.

Pulling everything up high works so well on your shape because your balanced proportions can carry the fully exposed, lifted look.

Brush the hair up smooth, secure it high, and wrap a strand around the base to hide the tie. Tease the crown a little for extra volume.

Asymmetrical Cut

A cut with an asymmetrical element, one side cut longer or worked into an angled shape. Oval faces can carry asymmetry that other face shapes simply cannot pull off.

Your balanced proportions are what let you wear an off-balance, artistic shape without it ever looking uneven, lopsided, or awkward.

Ask your stylist for the exact degree of asymmetry you want, whether subtle or bold. A flat iron keeps the longer side sleek and smooth to show off the angle.

Shoulder-Length Waves

Shoulder-length hair worn with soft, loose waves, falling just above the shoulders. It provides an elegant frame for the face without lengthening it any further.

Keeping the length right at the shoulders with soft waves adds width and body, balancing an oval face nicely rather than over-elongating it downward.

Wave the length with a wand and add a few copper-toned highlights for warmth and depth. Scrunch in a light spray to keep the waves soft and moving all day.

Voluminous Blowout

A bouncy, voluminous blowout with plenty of body and movement through the whole length. The full volume frames the face and flatters your naturally balanced features.

The full, bouncy volume frames the face and flatters your naturally balanced, even features.

Blow-dry with a large round brush, lifting at the roots for body and real height. A volumising spray keeps the bounce and the body going all day long.

Deep Side Part With Waves

A dramatic deep side part paired with soft waves through the length. The strong part adds structure while the waves keep the whole thing soft and feminine.

Oval faces can carry a deep side part easily, and the sweep of hair across the forehead adds a flattering bit of movement and softness.

Comb the part deep and clean, then wave the length with a wand. A little root lift on the fuller side keeps the volume nicely balanced.