02.13.13 … HAIR
Bangs by Face Shape
What do Kim Kardashian, Michelle Obama and Jessica Biel now have in common? Bangs baby!
Have you been thinking of trying some yourself? Raise your hand if you recall a past hair nightmare of “bowl bangs” or “yikes, too short”! How about those Aqua Net 80′s bangs?! And no matter the type of bang, we all remember those painful grow out days. Bobby pins + headbands sure were our friends . . .
But bangs have come a long way since then and offer so many positive style options!
We’ve got the Curtain Bang (Alexa Chung, Bridgette Bardot), the Side Swept Bang (Reese Witherspoon, Kim K.), the Bold+Blunt Bang (Jessica B., Sophia Bush), and the Textured Bang (Rashida Jones, Florence Welch).
SO WHICH IS FOR YOU?
(Refer back to my face shape post to help you choose the best bang for your face shape)
Round: Long, side swept bangs soften wider cheekbones… while long, blunt bangs add length to your face.
Square: Long, textured eye-grazing bangs. Keep it soft; avoid blunt bangs.
Oval: Can wear most fringe types. Longer, just-below-the-brow curtain bangs are magical.
Heart: Shorter, side swept draws attention to eyes and away from prominent chin.
* If you’re having a hard time picking or have more Bang questions, leave a comment below. I’ll help you! *
I was wondering what kind of bangs go well with a diamond face shape? I’m having trouble figuring out what length of bangs work with my face:)
Hi Jessica
A diamond shaped face is one that has a slender jaw, prominent cheekbones and a narrow forehead; diamond shaped faces will very often look longer so the key to the most flattering look is to find bangs that shorten the length of your face.
You can do this by adding some blunt cut straight bangs; these will appear to disguise the lines of your forehead. Be sure to ask your hairdresser not to make them too short or too thick/heavy because if your bangs are too short then they will only make your face look longer and if they are too thick/heavy they will swamp your delicate features.
Side bangs are a great option as well. I like to use an iron to “kick” the ends of the side bang out. This movement is very flattering for the features.
Hope that helps! XO
Who do curtain bangs look best on?
And what about really long thing faces? I’ve always worn blunt bangs but I’m desperate for curtain bangs and worry that they’ll make my face look even longer.
Hi I really want to do bangs but am not sure what type of cut to go with. I have a oval long face but a sort of pointy chin and nose similiar to that of Patricia arquette and Jewel. My hair is pretty much stick straight and long now but was looking to do bangs to try something different. I am pretty low maintaince and dont do alot of styling so if possible nothing really involving a curling iron would be great!! Also what do you recommend if your eyebrows are much darker than your hair? I am a toe head blonde and my eyebrows a much darker. Thanks again for all the help and advice as you can see I am totally lost.
Hi Ashley,
Curtain bangs look great on a lot of face shapes because they can be worn forward, seperated down the middle, and swept to the side. They are very versatile. Long thin faces do well with a longer thicker blunt bang because it breaks up the face and has the option of being worn to the side as well.
If your hair is thick tho you could do a shorter curtain bang and a shorter length haircut. That would help shorten the length of your face.
Hope that helps xo
Hi Stacy,
If you want you can email me a picture of yourself and I can better tell you which bang style is best for you.
sunniebrook@me.com
For eyebrows I would suggest having your stylist lighten them. This can be a great tool in opening the eye and giving you more options to shape them with a brow pencil. When deciding how light to go with the brows I usually take into consideration the current shape and thickness of the brow to decide what level of lightness to go. xo
Hi there!
I really enjoyed your post, but I’m having some trouble still figuring out what exactly would be flattering. I think I have an oblong face shape. What do you think would work well? Thanks!
Hello Sunnie!
I’m still unsure which face shape I fall into. I’m certain I’m round, but my friends tell me I’m heart-faced. Anyway, I love the look of bangs (on other women) and want to find a style that suits my face shape! Also, I’d like to try out some colour as well, however I’m not sure what colour would be suitable for my skin tone. I have naturally black hair with a light olive skin-tone.
I look forward to hearing from you. Keep up the inspirational and creative work :)