Have you heard? Bangs are back!
Every girl has gone through at least one bangs phase in her life, as bangs are one of the most transformational ways to change up your look. Whether the bangs phase you went through has you yearning to shake things up again or left you riddled with regret even years later, we’re here today to show you otherwise and to convince you that there’s no better time than now to try out bangs again.
If you’re someone who is haunted by the memory of having bangs at one point, the reason is likely because they weren’t the best bangs for your face shape, or hair type, and coming across as unflattering. Choosing a style that works well to highlight your features is key when it comes to bangs. While some women look stunning with a bold blunt bang, others better suit a wispy side swept look. The second key area to think about when it comes to bangs is what your personal style is like and how you want the world to perceive you. Is your style laid back and bohemian? Why not try out a middle part and long face-framing bangs? Or are you eccentric and bold? How about a shorter micro bang straight from the runway? "Should I get bangs?" You may be asking. Take out quiz below or read on to find out which bangs are best for you.
Today, we’re here to provide you with a jam-packed, definitive guide to all things bangs so you’ll never have haircut regret again. By the end of this article, you’ll have a solid idea of what type of bangs will not only suit your face shape and features but also matches up with your personality and style. If you're asking yourself, "should I get get bangs?" Follow along as we guide you through our roundup of all things bangs-related.
Step one: best bangs for your face shape
First things first, before choosing a style of bang it’s important to determine what is the most flattering hairstyle for your face shape and features. The basic rule of finding a great bang for your face shape is to choose a style that highlights your best features and creates the illusion of a perfectly oval face. We broke down the different face shapes into four general categories that most women fall under including round, heart, square and oval. For whichever face shape you have, here’s a general guide of what bang style we recommend for the most universally flattering look for each unique shape.
Round face: side bangs
Characteristics of a round face
If you have a round face, the length and width of your face are about equal. Your jaw is likely quite round with minimal sharp angles and your cheekbones are the widest part of your face. Think Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift as points of reference for a round-shaped face
The bangs
If you’re someone who has a round face, we recommend opting for bangs that elongate the face, like side bangs. The angle of the bang, especially when it features a strong diagonal line, creates more length and elongates a round face in a flattering way.
Heart face: parted bangs
Characteristics of a heart shaped face
If you have a heart-shaped face, you likely have a sharp, pointy chin and a wider forehead, like the shape of a heart. Many girls with heart-shaped faces also have a widow’s peak in their hairline. Their forehead and cheekbones are often the widest part of the face and the jaw is the narrowest part. Think Kim Kardashian and Blake Lively as points of reference.
The bangs
If you have a heart-shaped face, we love a bang style that balances the forehead and chin like a parted, curtain style bangs that hits just above the jaw. Having length in the bangs that reach to the jaw helps to add width to the chin, which is often narrowest part of the face for girls with heart-shaped faces. Also, because this style of bangs is so long, it holds enough weight to work with and hold down a potential cowlick that’s common with widow’s peaks.
Square face: whispy bangs
Characteristics of a square face
If you’re a square-faced gal, you likely have a squared jaw and minimal curve to your face meaning your forehead, cheekbones and jaw are about equal in width. Think Hailey Baldwin and Angelina Jolie as points of reference!
The bangs
If you’re someone who has a square face, the key when it comes to bangs is to keep things soft due to the strong angles of your face. Whether you want a front bang or side bang, it’s simply important that the bang appears wispy and light, like choppy bangs. The tapered ends and layers of a style like this soften the angles of a square face and help to create the illusion of balance within the features.
Oval face: any bangs
Characteristics of an oval face:
If you have an oval shaped face, your face is likely slightly longer than it is wide and your cheekbones are the widest part of your face. Your jaw and forehead are also rounded and there are no sharp angles. The oval face is often considered the ideal, and most common face shape. Think Jessica Alba and Rihanna as points of reference!
The bangs
If you’re someone with an oval-shaped face, lucky you! The possibilities for you are quite open when it comes to the different types of bangs to explore. Soft, blunt bangs or a side-swept look could work well to draw attention up to the eyes, but it’s really up to you which direction you take. Oval faces are ideal for experimentation with hairstyles since a wide variety of looks appear flattering.
Step two: choosing the right bangs for your personality
While it may seem like there are quite a few guidelines to follow for flattering bangs that suit your face, they are really just suggestions. The secret to looking gorgeous is truly just to have a hairstyle that makes you feel confident and shows off your personality. Bangs can spice up your hairstyle and show off who you are and the image you want the world to perceive of you. Whether you’re edgy, classic or a girly girl, we’re confident there’s a bang out there that will perfectly encapsulate your style and personality. Follow along for our roundup of the best bangs hairsytyles for every type of girl:
The free spirit: side swept bangs
If you’re a free spirited girl, you’re likely someone who doesn’t like to commit and often dabbles in many different hairstyles. You’re fun loving, creative and often don’t take life too seriously. In all honesty, you’re the ideal candidate to try out bangs because you won’t overthink the style too much and will let your free spirit take the wheel. For the free spirited personality, we love a whimsical side swept bang that hits just below the eyebrow. A side bang exudes youthfulness and lightness, which is perfect for you!
Bold: blunt bangs
The bold girl is willing to try out anything and wants people to notice when she makes a hair change! She’s all about the shock factor and no style is too experimental for her. Because of this, we’d suggest going with something blunt like heavy front bangs. Many people would shy away from such a drastic hair change, but the key to pulling off a bold style is confidence, which is exactly what you have! A blunt front bang was made for you to try out at least once.
Edgy: choppy bangs
If you’re an edgy girl, you’re likely someone who loves a purposely undone type of hairstyle. You like things to look a little unruffled and are all about the effortless look when it comes to both your hair and style. For all you edgy girls, we’d suggest a choppy bang of some sort that is textured and messy looking. A choppy bang that hangs a little into the eyes is perfect if you’re an edgy girl with a soft spot for a darker eye look or a smokey eye. This type of messy, choppy bang will highlight your eyes fabulously but also exude a total leather jacket, rocker chic type of vibe.
Classic: wispy front bangs
If you’re a classic girl, you likely shy away from change when it comes to your hair so something subtle and timeless like a wispy front bang is what we’d suggest for you! You’re preppy, timeless and always sophisticated when it comes to your style. A classic girl loves a hairstyle that she can look back on years from now and still thoroughly enjoy, which is exactly the case with a soft front bag. It’s a style that has been around for years and will continue to do so. It’s feminine, whimsical and a style of bang that decades of women can vouch for as being highly flattering.
Girly: parted bang
If you’re an uber-feminine girly-girl, a parted curtain-style bang is the look for you! A curtain style bang typically is longer near the temples and gets increasingly shorter near the center of the face where it is subtly parted. If you’re girly, you’re likely an expert in the hair styling department and are able to keep up with a style like this. The beauty of a curtain-style bang is that it really highlights the eyes and cheekbones, which will show off your glam eye makeup, perfectly crafted brows, and glowing highlighter.
Eccentric: micro bangs
If you’re an eccentric girl, you want a bang style that's totally unexpected and something no one else will have. For you, we’d suggest a micro bang! It’s definitely a risk out of many people’s comfort zones, but that’s exactly why it works for you. You get a thrill out of being unique and different, and a micro bang will undeniably make you stand out from the crowd. Not to mention, a micro bang is actually surprisingly flattering. It highlights the eyes and eyebrows beautifully, which is why it’s often seen on runways and high-fashion editorial photoshoots.
Bohemian: middle parted, long bangs
As a bohemian girl, you’re about as low maintenance as it gets when it comes to your hair! You love soft layers and natural-looking hair that doesn’t require a lot of work to keep looking healthy and flowing. For you, bohemian soul, we’d suggest a middle-parted long bang. A middle part obviously gives off the ‘70s and boho vibes, but the soft layering around the face adds a subtle modern feel as well. A style bang like this is quite simple to keep up with and looks equally as beautiful as it grows out.
Glamorous: arched bang
If you’re a glamorous girl, you likely dream of red carpet hair and full blowouts on a regular basis. You’re all about the volume and achieving bigger than life hair that catches people’s attention. For you, an arched bang is what we’d recommend! An arched bang is similar to a blunt bang, but rather than sitting straight on the head, it arches naturally with the shape of your forehead. It’s a style straight out of old Hollywood and one of the first bang styles that many celebrities opt for when they’re drastically changing their hair. Another tip for getting that full-glam hair is to clip in a set of Luxy hair extensions to add natural volume and length that creates wow-factor hair within minutes.
Hopefully, this guide has given you some inspiration and narrowed down a few options for bangs that you could show off to your stylist! Bangs are such a great underrated way to spice up your style without the commitment of doing a dramatic chop. Whether you go the aesthetic route and work with your face shape or the personality-inspired route (or both!) we know you’re going to be hitting 2019 looking absolutely fabulous with your new ‘do.
Have you ever tried out bangs? Did you love it or regret it? Do you have any tips to get the perfect bangs? Let us know in the comments below!
Written by: Olivia Dipede
