18 Ways to Get Your Best Bangs
Here's how to make the latest in fringe trends work for you.
Jennifer Hudson
Head to your stylist and let the pros handle something this angular, says Eddie Parka, stylist at the Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon. Parka stars by sectioning the front of hair into a triangular shape and uses a razor to cut the entire section to right below the eyebrows. When styling, use a paddle brush through the hair in a back-and-forth motion, which will force it to lay flatter against the forehead. Use a bit of a waxy pomade, like Bumble and bumble Sumoclay ($29; sephora.com) to maintain the rocker vibe.
Reese Witherspoon
Before going for these, make sure to play with how side bangs would look, well, on both sides of your face—the goal being to emphasize your favorite features. Because they're so soft, Parka suggests skipping pretty much all product when styling these side bangs lest for a few spritzes of lightweight hairspray, like John Frieda Frizz-Ease KeraFlex Flexible Hold Hairspray ($9.99; ulta.com), after blow drying with a round brush away from your face.
Rashida Jones
If you're cutting blunt, straight across bangs, Parka suggests making sure your stylist refrains from texturizing or thinning the hair out — you want them to look as thick as possible. Style with a round brush and blow dry straight. Finish off with a few passes of a flatiron to eliminate any stray hairs or frizzies.
Emma Stone
It's best to pick a bang style that suits your face shape and hair type. "Never choose a bang based on a trend," stresses Kevin Mancuso, hairstylist and Global Creative Director of Nexxus Salon Hair Care. For Emma Stone, her delicate features are allowed to shine through with her longer bangs swept to the side.
Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson's bangs are softer but still textured and tousled looking, or as Mancuso says, "a little more elevated." To prevent bangs from becoming greasy, try a dry shampoo like Klorane's with Oat Milk.
Naomi Campbell
Bold, straight-across bangs are a statement hairdo. "A heavy, blunt bang automatically cuts your face in half and makes it appear wider than it really is," says British celebrity hairstylist Mark Hill. This style works best for longer faces, and will require a lot of upkeep.
Zooey Deschanel
"This doesn't take a huge amount of upkeep, and when it's too long you can just pin it behind your ear," says Redken brand ambassador and Cutler Salons owner Rodney Cutler, adding that the style flatters most face shapes, but square types might want to keep bangs on the shorter side to balance everything out.
Alexa Chung
"Without a fringe, a center part makes the face look longer and narrower than it really is, especially when the rest of your hair hangs down over your ears," says Hill. "By keeping her fringe chunky, Alexa adds width across her forehead and still shows off her eyes." She wears them here split open in the middle, giving her a youthful, sexy look.
Michelle Williams
"When blow-drying your bangs, initially dry in the opposite direction of where you want them to fall," says Hill. "This gives volume at the roots so you can manipulate the hair more." Also, he adds that if you want your bangs to move in a specific direction, like Michelle's, or you have cowlicks and need to manipulate them, use a flatiron in addition to blowdrying to set bangs in place. Try Rene Furterer Vegetal Texture Spray to hold them all day.
Selma Blair
Mancuso created this side-swept pretty, yet slightly undone style for Selma Blair. For styling, he suggests using a leave-in conditioner like Diametress Volumizing Conditining Crème to help create movement in the hair.
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