The Big Bangs Theory

Mon, 19 March 2012 11:34AM

You might have seen the Nicole Richie gallery we posted late on Friday?

I’m just a tad obsessed with the girl at the moment. Her clothes, her jewellery, but especially her hair. And, more specifically, her fringe. This is her latest look:

You know someone has had a good haircut when you can’t imagine her any other way. As a refresher, this is how she looked in her pre-bangs days:

Still super-cute (Nicole does the braided, boho thing better than anyone) but it’s not what you’d call … what’s the word … sharp. That’s where a fringe comes in. It has the power to instantly give shape and style to hair, even if you’ve done nothing else to the rest of said hair. So it’s funny that so many women seem so scared of fringes. Especially as they have one other strong argument in their favour: they’re one of the best anti-ageing strategies around, considering that they hide forehead furrows and blur crow’s feet so nicely (and they’re so much cheaper and less ouchier than Botox).

There’s a world of fringes. Some are side-swept or wispy or in reality little more than long frontal layers, but I’m not talking about those kinds. I mean the serious full fringes. And among these, you’ve got the glamorous, geometric-style bangs that look great when matched back to a bob (think Rose Byrne doing a Michelle Pfeiffer from Scarface), the curvy, cutesy variety (à la Katy Perry), and the intellectual, indie, itsy-bitsy type (cue Zooey Deshcanel, or the film Amélie). And then there’s Nicole’s version, which is more a swinging sixties style.

Here’s some inspiration straight from the source:

Julie Christie

 

Jean Shrimpton

 

Jane Birkin

 

 If you’re not sure this style of fringe is modern enough, here’s Taylor Swift, with her recent hair look:

Doesn’t she look adorable? And suddenly a little edgier.

I have a feeling that I might have almost convinced you to copy-cut… But before you go running off to get the chop, there are a few things you need to know (trust me, I know – I’ve been on a mission to master the perfect set of sixties-ish bangs for several years now):

* Like any heavier fringe, covering up the forehead visually shifts the focal point of the face from the eyes down to the nose. This means that you’ll probably have to rev up the eye-makeup factor a little to bring the attention back up north. But that’s what’s so good about this style of fringe – you want to play up to the sixties look with heavier eye makeup anyway. While sooty kohl-ringed eyes look fabulous with this fringe, even just an extra flutter of mascara on the lower lashes will do the trick.

* When at the salon, make sure you ask your stylist for a fringe that is full but not too thick – you don’t want it to start way back at very top of your crown, because this takes too much thickness away from everywhere else and limits your overall styling options. As for how wide you go, it really depends on your face. Narrow bangs can slim down a broad face, while a wider fringe can open up a skinny one, or else play up a set of cheekbones beautifully. Also, ask for a curtain-style fringe, one that is shaped to open a little in the middle, as opposed to sit too bluntly above the brows. This gives that cute peek-a-boo effect.

* Ask if your stylist is able to dry-cut your fringe. This way you can get the length exactly how you want it. You see, when hair is wet, it’s more elastic, so if you have it cut this way, it’s likely to bounce up when dried – which is why a wet-cut can often ends in tears.

* When you style your own fringe at home, never place a brush underneath hair. This will make it too bouncy or flicky, whereas you want hair to sit flat to your forehead. So, place the brush on top of hair, and pull the fringe from side to side as you blow-dry. Speaking of which, hold the hairdryer – nozzle attached, to enhance sleekness – above your head, and slightly directed forward. This again encourages the fringe to sit flat, as well as to open into that cute curtain effect.

* Always dry your fringe immediately after washing it, so that any kinks don’t creep and set in. Depending on the oiliness of your forehead, you might want to wash your fringe every day to keep it looking clean and fresh.

So, what say, are you ready to go get yourself a set of bangs?

Or, if you already have a fringe, do you have any great tips of your own you can share?

Kat xx

 

Posted by: Katrina Lawrence

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Tags: bangs, botox, featured, fringe, full fringe, jane birkin, jean shrimpton, julie christie, katy perry, nicole richie, rose byrne, side-swept, sixties, smoky eye, taylor swift, zooey deschanel