Did you have a fringe when you were a little girl? I did and I hated it (mainly because my dad provided the 'haircut', may I add). Throughout my adolescent years, I stayed very far away from the 'fringe' until I reunited with short bangs and adopted the hairstyle back into my life. So why does the fringe keep reinventing itself? Just when you think it's gone out of style, our favourite celebrity crops up with one and the beauty and hair world go into frenzy.
One of the main reasons why fringe haircuts prove so popular is that they can reinvent your entire look and make a real style statement. Once upon a time, things were as simple as having a full cut fringe and that was it. Fast forward to 2014 and you can choose between blunt-cut bangs, side-swept locks or a peek-a-boo fringe. Before you take the fringe plunge, check out some of our favourite celebrity fringe looks and learn which fringe suits your face shape.
Taking inspiration from Nicole Richie's long fringe, we recommend long-grazing bangs that are delicately tapered at the sides for square face shapes. This will help to soften square face shapes and avoid your bangs overwhelming your face. Your fringe should be snipped just below the brows with the heavier sections left to the outer sides of the face ' this means that your fringe won't mask your eyes.
To prep your fringe for staying sleek, smooth and most importantly, in place, we recommend using a smoothing shampoo like Matrix's Total Results Sleek Shampoo. This shampoo helps to cleanse, moisturise and smooth your locks. It locks in moisture so that you can enjoy frizz free hair all day.
Lucky for all you oval face shapes, you can get away with almost any fringe shape but if we could recommend one cut for you, we'd opt for the pin-straight fringe. This is a wispy and light fringe which won't overbear your face ' instead, it will optimize and accentuate the prettiest parts of your face, as seen on style starlet, Alexa Chung. Ask your hairdresser to stop your bangs between the brows and your eyelashes. This means you can choose to sweep your fringe to one side or wear it in a middle parting.
As fringes can quickly become greasy, we always recommend having a dry shampoo to hand. We like the Girlz Only Dry Shampoo Spray for 'Hazy Days'. This handy product smells of fresh florals and will instantly perk up your fringe.
We love a fringe when it's combined with a round face shape. Gently arched fringes compliment and accentuate your soft and feminine features so when you sit down in that stylist chair, avoid asking for bangs. Instead, opt for a curved shape fringe, as seen here on Jennifer Hudson. This type of fringe will flatter your bone structure. Just make sure that the fringe is thick to create a dramatic and chic look.
If they aren't already, straighteners will quickly become your best fringe friend. Whether you have wavy or straight locks, heat styling tools, like these Braun Satin Hair Iontec Straighteners are an every day essential. The nice thing about these straighteners, beside the fact that they will leave you with effortlessly straight hair, is that they're specifically designed to protect your hair's health. Pressing the ion jet button on these heat tools will release millions of satin ions which will attract moisture particles from the hair while straightening.
A side swept fringe has never looked chicer on a heart shaped face. This face type can sometimes be a little top heavy so opting for side swept bangs can have a balancing effect and draw attention towards the eyes, quite like Reese Witherspoon's glamorous hair style. Ask your hairdresser for feathered bangs that hit the arch of your eyebrows with the longest sections meeting the outer corners of the eyes.
Schwarzkopf's BC Styling Treat Smoothing Fluid is a great product to use when you're trying to style a fringe. Perfect for fine, normal, curly and wavy hair, this Smoothing Fluid protects your hair from the effects of heat styling tools. It contains ingredients like amino acid glycine which protects the hair's inner structure and provides ultimate control which will tame your fringe and stop any unwanted flyaways dead in their tracks.
Will you be trying a fringe in 2014? If not, let us know why by leaving a comment below!
