Draw Attention to the Eyes

Short hairstyle that brings attention to the eyes
Photo: Stockfour/Shutterstock
Q: I have an oval-shaped face and I want to know how I can draw attention to my eyes without dyeing my hair.
 
A: Obviously, dyeing your hair to a complementary color can help to bring out the color of your eyes and make them more noticeable, but you can draw focus to your eyes via other methods as well.
 
Because an oval face shape is naturally balanced with soft, even proportions, you do not need a haircut to correct or balance facial features. This gives you complete freedom to experiment with structural cut lines and styling elements designed purely for emphasis. The most effective methods involve manipulating cut, texture, and styling direction:
 

The Cut

Most gamine-short haircuts or pixie cuts result in the eyes becoming the primary center of focus on the face. This is primarily due to the fact that these styles remove visual weight from the lower half of the face and keep attention centered on the area around temple-level (or at least below the parietal ridge), which is the exact zone in which the eyes rest.
 

Incorporating Bangs

If going for a dramatically short style is not for you, you can achieve a similar effect by incorporating a fringe into your hairstyle. By using a cut line in the foreground that hovers at or around eye level, you draw immediate focus to the eyes and make them stand out. Bangs can be cut and styled in several distinct ways depending on the look you prefer:
 
• Blunt or heavy bangs: A solid horizontal cut line resting right at the brows acts like a bold frame and direct pointer down toward the eyes.
 
• Curtain bangs: Center-parted bangs that sweep outward right at the outer corners of the eyes or top of the cheekbones create a natural "window" around the eyes.
 
• Soft and wispy or side-swept bangs: Gently break up the forehead line while keeping the primary focal point anchored at eye level.
 
Bob with bangs that draw attention to the eyes
 

Strategic Face-Framing Layers

Incorporate layers into the style that frame the face and break right at focal points along its length - specifically at the temples or cheekbones. Any point where a layer ends, turns, or flips outward creates a visual stopping point that leads the viewer's eye straight across to your eyes.
 

Styling Techniques & Non-Cut Solutions

Finally, if neither color nor cutting the hair is acceptable, you can try styling techniques that create directional lines to bring focus to the eye level of the head:
 
• Pseudo-bangs & deep side parts: Long hair styles that are swept deeply over the forehead and secured to create pseudo-bang elements draw instant horizontal focus to the eyes without the commitment of a cut.
 
• Outward-swept temple sections: Blow-drying or curling hair sections at the temples outward directs the eye line straight toward the upper face.
 
• Tucking behind the ears: Tucking front strands tightly behind your ears clears hair away from the eye area, instantly opening up the upper third of the face.
 
• Half-up styles & accessories: Securing the top section of hair back or placing a thin headband right behind the temples pulls hair away from the eyes, allowing them to take center stage.
 
• Texture & shine: Applying a small amount of texturizing paste or gloss serum to the ends of strands near your temples adds visual detail right alongside your eyes, pulling attention exactly where you want it.
 
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See also:
 
How realistic are you about your hair?
 
What haircut will make my eyes look bigger?
 
How can I bring attention to my eyes but away from my big nose and my weak chin?