Bangs, Color, Eyes

I think it is so important to have your cut and color bring out the best in your skin and features. When done right, your color and cut can make your eyes pop, your face seem longer, your skin glow, you hair shine... you get the idea.

Shane and Kara (two of my coworkers) are great examples of how bangs and color can bring out your eyes and skin.

Shane was blessed with RIDICULOUSLY gorgeous eyes, she makes them pop even more by coloring her hair this bright red with some copper, blonde and even some purple lowlights. Her heavy fringe draws your attention to her fantastic eye.

Kara is a great example of how you can be a bright blonde without making your skin all washed out. Her face framing fringe (say that three times fast) is light and pieced out enough to keep her face long and thin.

Shane's color done by Brindel at Charles Penzone Dublin

Kara's color done by Amanda at Charles Penzone Dublin

Cha Cha Cha Changes- Alex

Alex is awesome. She cracks me up. Her sister Sarah did a blog post about how upset Alex was over The Hills being canceled. She is just a fun girl. The other day she wanted to know what I thought about whether she should get bangs/fringe. We text back and forth and she decided to go for it.

Alex before.

Alex after.

She is proof that you don't need to cut off 9 inches of hair to make a big change. I think she looks great. I LOVE her glasses. I think she looks fresh and adorable with her new bangs. Way to go Alex.

Got any fun changes? Send me your before and after pictures and I will post them on my blog. Email me at splitendsandnewbeginnings(at)gmail(dot)com

She Bangs!

Bangs can be so scary for some people. The idea of growing them out is terrifying. I promise it isn't that big of a deal. You have to make small adjustments as they grow out, but I swear it will be more of an adventure rather then a painful process. I have been cutting my bangs and growing bangs out almost my entire life. It is just part of my hair cycle.

Let me take you on my little journey of what it was like growing my bangs out. I know this might seem a little narcissistic, but it is only meant to show you the little things you can do to make the growing out not so painful. Oh, and if I knew that I was going to do a post on my bangs, I would have taken better pictures of just my bangs, and not full body shots. Oh, well.

Let's begin. This first picture is of my bangs when I first got them cut. I wanted them across my forehead and textured. I think they ended up WAY too short for my face. I blame myself, since I was the one who cut them. You see, after doing hair for over ten years and even I have a hard time cutting my own bangs. DON'T DO IT, it can only lead to problems. Because you are cutting right in front of your eyes, your vision is blocked making it so difficult to see what you are doing. It is best to leave it to someone else to cut your bangs. Trust me!

February 17

This picture shows them starting to grow out. It didn't take too long and I was much happier to have the bangs at this length.

March 3

This is when I was still keeping my bangs at the length that I liked, but I was working on having the corners of the bangs grow out a bit to help frame my face. I know this picture is goofy, but I think you can sort of see the longer face framing strands a bit.

March 20

I wore them down until I start to show, then I starting to push them over to the side. I was so worried about my face getting fat during the pregnancy that I thought growing my bangs out would help.

June 1

Really growing to the side.- June 27

By this time, I was getting huge and ready to pop. I was that pregnant girl who wasn't ready for any changes to her hair, so I was sort of maintaining them around this length.

October 9

After Clark was born, I started to get serious about growing my bangs out again. I started to wear head bands and use bobby pins to hold it back. I swear, I had bobby pins in EVERY pocket.

February 19

I didn't decide to grow them out and just not cut them at all, I went gradual and I kept them trimmed so they wouldn't be damaged or get too heavy. Like I said before, growing them out is a process and it can be fun. You just have to be creative and work with them. Bobby pins will save your life! They are now grown out past my chin and I was just thinking the other day about maybe cutting them again!! I tell you, bangs can be so much fun, you just need to go for it and enjoy the ride.

Bangs 101

The big question I seem to get asked by my clients over and over again is whether or not they should get bangs. There are so many variables to understand before I can answer the question and so many things you should know about bangs before you should jump right into it. I want teach you all there is to know about bangs, so you will be able to decide for yourself, "should I get bangs?"

What are bangs?- In the hair world we actually call them "fringe." The word "bang" actually means to have sex with someone, seriously, but we have adapted it to also mean the hair hanging above our foreheads. However, I have never had anyone ask for fringe, so let's just call them bangs to be on the same page.

Emma Stone- Stephen Lovekin// Getty Images

When should you get bangs?- When a client comes in and wants a big change, but they don't want me to cut their length or color, I suggest bangs. Seriously, people come in wanting a change, but don't want to actually cut or color their hair. I think adding bangs to your look helps you feel totally different, but still allows you to have the familiarity of their length that so many people grow attached to.

But, and this is a BIG BUT, I don't think everyone is ready for bangs even if they say they want a change. I don't suggest you cutting bangs for the first time in the summer when it is hot out and you don't want hair around your face. Wait for either the fall or winter when it is cooler and you don't sweat as much. The point of a bang is to add framing to your face, if you don't like hair on your forehead, don't cut bangs.

Lilly Allen- Dave Hogan//Getty Images

What type of bang is best for me?- I like all types of lengths for a bang. I love a good strong front bang (think of a curtain), I also love a swept over bang that grazes on of the brows. I think the type of bang you get is really all determined on your hairline and your features. Your hairline basically is the end all in telling you what kind of bang you are going to get. If you have a really strong center cowlick, don't plan on having a bang, it probably wont work. If you have a really high forehead, a swept over bang wont be as easy as a front bang. If you have a really short forehead, bangs might swallow up your face and hide your eyes too much, so go for a longer sweeping bang. If you have a very dominate nose, a heavy bang might emphasize your nose, so you might want to think about a sweeping bang..... I could go on and on. These are just a few things to think about. I am sure your stylist could give you as much help and guidance as you would need.

Chelsea Hobbs- Valerie Macon//Getty Images

Are there any tricks in styling a bang?- I wash my hair as little as possible, like every other or every three days, but I wash my bangs EVERYDAY! I just wash it in the sink with my hair tied back. If I don't, they feel way too greasy and I can't stand it. I dry them in the direction I want them to lay (when my bangs were front bangs, I dried them down, when they were sweep bangs, I dried them over.) I NEVER use a round brush or a curling iron on my bangs when they were front bangs. THE MALL BANG IS DEAD! I mostly would only use a flat iron on my bangs to either smooth them out or bend the ends ever so slightly. As my bangs have grown, I like to flip them out a bit with my flat iron to give them a nice shape.

Swedish Singer Robyn- Robyn's Website

Does my face shape make a difference on what type of bangs I should have?- Yes, this goes along with the issues of hairlines and features. I have a round/square face and when my bangs are too short it only makes my face look rounder. I tend to have my bangs gradually go longer on the outer sides by the corner of my brows. This helps to frame my face and not make me look too full faced. Everyone is different, and it is hard to give a for sure answer to how things should work when I can't see you. There is always an exception to the rules. Just don't cut your own bangs. Let someone who knows what will work best on you do it for you.

Ok, I know this was WAY long. There is just so much to be said. I hope this sort of answers your questions. I have a post almost finished showing you how to work with your bangs as they grow out. I don't know why bangs are such a big deal, but women seriously lose sleep over bangs!! I swear it doesn't have to be traumatic. If you have any questions, let me know. Good luck.

Have a happy hair day!