Last Updated on November 23, 2022 by amy
Have you ever approached a pair of eyeglasses that is the perfect color, material, and design only to find out that it doesn’t look good on your face? Trust us—it happens all the time and that’s okay. Luckily, we have your back. There are just a few things to keep in mind when selecting the right pair for your face. These particular tips are for those who have an oval face shape. Don’t worry, it’s not as overwhelming as it may seem. We are going to make this journey as painless as possible.
What’s the Hype About Being Oval-Faced?
There is so much excitement and spur about being oval-faced. It is because people consider it to be the ideal face shape, the “Alpha”, the best of the rest, and well—you get the point. But why is it that way? One word: versatility. The oval face offers balanced proportions which is what makes it ideal. The oval-faced “queens” and “kings” can wear almost any style in any way and still look fabulous. This means they can style their hair in variations of countless styles; they also have a wider selection of eyeglass frames or sunglasses and still have flattering faces; they can freely take a leap of faith in choosing haircuts and experiment with different looks, yet still look polished.
Are You an Oval Face Shape?
The first step is to determine your face shape. Why does this matter? So this way you will have a pretty solid idea of which glasses frames will flatter your face shape. Just because a pair of frames flatters a square shape does not necessarily mean they’re going to flatter the oval face shape. We know by now you must be thinking what does it mean to be oval-faced and how do you know If you are one? Grab a mirror and check out these general guidelines to crack the mystery:
- Your face shape is longer than it is wide. This means if you were to draw a line down the center of your face starting from the top of the forehead to the bottom (chin) and another line across the center of your face (from ear-to-ear), then which line is longer? If imagining doesn’t work, a standard 12-inch ruler might help to sort this out.
- Now you need to know by how much is your face longer than it is wide? Is it by a little or a lot? Chances are if you Are oval-faced, then the answer will be a little.
- The next thing to do is to figure out the shape of your jawline. Jawline shapes can range anywhere from being rounded, to square-shaped, or pointed. So take a look in the mirror to determine the shape your jawline closely matches to. If your jawline shape is round or square, then you are likely to be an oval face.
- The last “trick” to note is analyzing the hairline. If your hairline is close to being rounded, then there is a high possibility that you’re oval-faced. You can pull you hair back to help you see it better.
Celebrities with Oval Faces Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, George Clooney, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Jonas, and Eminem
Choosing Glasses for Oval Faces Even though oval faces have the ideal face shape, that doesn’t necessarily mean every single pair of glasses is going to suit to them. After all, the face has other features such as the shape and color of the eye, hair color, and structure of the cheekbone. As a result, it is important to note that the pair of frames should enhance these features and your overall look. Below is an outline of characteristics to look for in eyeglasses in order to enhance oval faces.
- Shape and Size
- Go for bold shapes and textures; the size should maintain the balance—being oval-faced can throw people off with the size. You want to avoid frames that are too large for the face, otherwise it won’t look natural nor flatter the face.
- Square and rectangular frames work well as long as they don’t throw off the natural balance of the face. These shapes add contrast to the oval face.
- Hair & Skin Tones
The color of the eyeglass frames will depend on factors such as your hair color, skin tone, and eye color. The first step is to determine your skin undertone. There are generally 3 types of skin undertones: warm, neutral, and cool. A quick way to determine which one you are is by looking at the veins on the wrist (near the palm side of your hand.) What color do the veins look like? Is it more green, more blue, or is it hard to tell the difference? If you see the veins looking like they are more blue, chances are you cool-toned; if you see mostly green, your skin tone is warm; and if you have trouble telling the difference, then you are neutral. What is the reason behind all of this? The veins below your skin actually blue in color, so if you have yellow-toned skin and since yellow + blue = green, then you are warm-toned. If it appears to be blue, you must be cool toned. Get it? According to Fetch Eyewear, an online eyewear store, below are some recommendations of frames that will go well based on hair color and skin tone.- Blonde Hair with Warm Undertones – hair is generally golden, honey or bronze tones and their skin can be slightly darker. Recommendation for Frames: Colors that have hemlock, tortoise, and peach shades work well.
- Blonde Hair with Cool Undertones – hair is on the lighter side while skin undertone tends to be ashy. Recommendation for Frames: Black, blue, dark tortoise and pink tones. Avoid frame colors with strong yellow or gold undertones.
- Brown Hair with Cool Undertones – Brunettes lighter in shade with ashy skin undertones. Recommendation for Frames: Black, pink, blue, and dark tortoise
- Brown with Warm Undertones – These browns are on the warmer and darker shades with auburn tones. Recommendation for Frames: Lighter tortoise shades with warm undertones (Hemlock or Bourbon) work well. Another option is to go with warm greens, reds, or cream off-whites as undertones.
- Red Hair – Red hair is vibrant in color which means that redheads pair up nicely with strong-colored frames. Recommendation for Frames: Rich tortoise, black, green, and warm neutral like cream. Avoid ashy and yellowish tones as they won’t flatter redheads.
- Black Hair – Black hair works well black, but certain contrasting colors work as well. Recommendation for Frames: Black, Olive tortoise, malt, and cool blues. Avoid diluted or ashy tones as they may make your appearance look dull.
- Eye Color
Although this factor may not seem that important, you can never go wrong with frames to complement your eye color. Below are suggestions (based on Fetch Eyewear) as to frames that complement eye color.- Green Eyes – Frames that are rich earthy colors in brown and gold tones suits well. For contrast, pink such as opal and purple tones works well.
- Blue Eyes – Frames that are rich earthy colors in brown and gold tones suits well. For contrast, pink such as opal and purple tones works well.
- Hazel Eyes – Frames with deep greens and grays works well. If you want to bring out the gold parts of hazel eyes, colors like amber or brindle fade will do.
- Brown Eyes – Frames with warm tones will play up the brown eyes such as sepia and olive greens.
