Happiest 2024, friends. As the New Year, New Me movement glides into full swing and the collective gets busy writing/planning/vaguely entertaining the idea of changes to make in the upcoming year, we’ve found ourselves pondering one of the more controversial big changes in the world of hair: bangs.
Ah, bangs. From micro to long, wispy to layered, choppy to blunt, and straight-across to curtain, bangs have, if nothing else, displayed a harrowing commitment to versatility and change themselves throughout the years. And while they are perhaps most well-known as the one thing we should never, under any circumstance, get as a spur-of-the-moment decision, particularly when fueled by a new and big life change that leaves us fiending for a #glowup (post-breakup bang cut, we’re looking at you), our Stylist, Syd, feels they’ve garnered an unfair rap. She’s placed herself firmly and forever in the pro-bang category, and she doesn’t care who knows it. (In fact, she would prefer you did!) Today, we’re talking about her passion for them, who they are for, and her go-to styling tips for anyone considering making the change.
Q: What do you love about bangs?
A: I love that they can change the whole look of your haircut—they can be fun and textured or soft and sexy. They also elevate your hairstyle, taking something as simple as a ponytail to the next level.
Q: Who is the ideal candidate for bangs?
A: Everyone can have bangs! You just have to be willing to put in a little bit of work for it.
Q: So… how much work are bangs, really?
A: Not as much as you think! It can be a little or a lot, depending on what kind of bangs you have. Curtain bangs tend to be lower maintenance, while straight-across bangs are more of a labor of love (and dry shampoo). However, once you get into the routine of maintaining them, they become hard to live without.
Q: What's something you wish more people knew about bangs?
A: Bangs work with all hair textures, so if you’re thinking, “I have curly hair. Can I still get bangs?” the answer is, “Of course!!” Curly bangs are super cute; you don’t have to smooth them out! It all just depends on what look you’re going for.
Q: What are your favorite products for styling bangs?
A: FRESH.HAIR: Bangs live on our forehead, which can be an oily part of the face, so it’s normal for them to get greasy faster than the rest of our hair. It’s nothing a little dry shampoo can’t fix!
BODY.BUILDER: I love mousse because it adds volume and hold to the hair. It’s a diverse product that’s great for straight-across, curtain, and curly styles. BODY.BUILDER is particularly near and dear to my heart because it’s hard to overdo it—it doesn’t get that crunchy feeling that’s often associated with mousse.
Blow-dry spray: KEVIN.MURPHY’s blow-dry line has something for everyone, depending on your desired result. (Pro tip: They’re heat-activated so best used in conjunction with a blow dryer). If you struggle to put shape into your hair, EVER.BOUNCE is great. If you want a lasting smooth finish, reach for EVER.SMOOTH. If you’re looking for volume, EVER.LIFT is awesome. And if you have fine or thinning hair, that’s where EVER.THICKEN comes into play. You can also mix and match these products to get the best of both worlds.
Q: On the subject of styling, any tips to share?
A: For a smooth finish, you can’t beat a round brush. Use a little BODY.BUILDER or blow-dry spray and dry the roots side to side to prevent a harsh part from forming. Then, use the brush to create your desired shape—brush forward for straight-across bangs and backward for curtain bangs.
For curly bangs, use a curl cream (like KILLER.TWIRLS) or mousse for a little bit of hold. Comb everything forward, then do comb twists for extra definition or just jump right into diffusing (or air drying!).
Well, when she says it like that, they DO sound pretty dreamy… If your New Year's plans include getting bangs (or even if you just thought of it) schedule your Bang Creation with Syd! We can’t wait to see them.
P.S. New Year, New You can create a lot of pressure. We just wanted to say the “you” you are now is pretty amazing too.