A few weeks ago, I saw a street style photo of Jeanne Damas on Instagram and immediately followed her. She’s chic, she has good hair, and her sweet, little bangs really caught my eye. I tend to fall in love with certain looks for awhile—Scandinavian blonde being the last major look attempted—and then move on to the next. Blond hair took a little recovery time (who knew dye could fall out of damaged hair so fast...and then turn green?). But by this summer, I was feeling sufficiently ready for something new.
Pre-bangs, I took a quick office poll (as one does when one works at ITG). Seems like at some point, everyone goes through a “to-bang-or-not-to-bang' phase. After enough positive shrugs, I was sold.
Aki at Shizen cut them just like Jeanne’s—longer and wispy, easily able to part down the middle in case I feel like being able to see. They looked so cute and fluffy. This was a good decision, I thought immediately. I left the salon looking and feeling great.
The problem happened when I got outside. Namely, the weather—it’s hot and humid and the bangs that were once so floaty got sort of piece-y and weird-looking after five minutes in the sun. Other questions I found myself asking: Why do the hairs in the middle never know which side to be on? Why does one side of the fringe have a nice, sweeping, upward look while the other just hangs straight down? Do I need to learn how to trim them myself?
Since they’re getting oily quicker than the rest of my hair, I’m trying a few different things to avoid any breakouts and keep them looking nice and neat. Do let me know if you have any suggestions on how to style bangs beyond these:
I’ve developed a close relationship with Kevin Murphy's Fresh.Hair Dry Cleaning Spray. It doesn't leave any white residue after a quick tousle and gives VOLUME. I spray it on the underside of the hair at the hairline, close to the root of the bangs, trying to avoid any hairs that might sit on top of my forehead and clog pores. I do this multiple times a day.
Washing them daily (thanks Francesca Brooks for the tip!). I tie my hair back into a little bun so it doesn’t all get wet and shampoo just the roots of my bangs with Klorane Shampoo With Oat Milk—it’s light, smells nice, and doesn’t lather too much. To be honest, the only reason I use it is because I read that Jeanne does. No conditioner or extra product, and I let them air dry.
Bobby pins! Harkening back to my days of ballerina-ing. These are especially handy for getting hair out of my face when I’m hanging at home, working out, or don’t have dry shampoo within arm's reach. Just $5 for a pack of more than you ever need— or these if I’m feeling slightly fancy.
All this being said, I don't regret getting bangs—they feel like an accessory, and soon it will be fall (sorry, I had to). I'm thinking that my routine will get a little easier once the weather cools off and the humidity subsides. 'Til then, there's always room for improvement.
—Eva Alt
Photographed by Tom Newton.
Growing out of an awkward stage? Here's another testimonial for bobby pins.
