Fringe Benefits

Choosing the right bangs for your face shape

Blunt, breezy, long or layered, bangs are the best accessory for your face. They can shorten a long face or slim a round face, and even edge up a conservative do. Season after season, classics like the straight-across bang come back, and new incarnations crop up.

"The grown-out bang is hot right now," says Kim Gueldner, a stylist at Rita Hazan Salon in New York City. "They are very versatile and less of a commitment. You can sweep them to the side or wear a Bardot-inspired style with a middle part." However you rock it, fringe is in. Here, a guide to banging out different styles.

Blunt
When your face is an oval shape, full, straight fringe can be so flattering. It makes your eyes seem bigger and your cheekbones wider. Styling these requires some series heat intervention to get them straight and flat. Not just any flat iron will do: Try BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium 1" Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron. The skinny plates are narrow enough to pass through fine, short fringe. The skinny plates are narrow enough to pass through fine, short fringe.

Grown Out
A long, layered bang is hot for a heart-shaped face (i.e., a wider forehead and narrow chin). This style will help give your face more length and balance it out. Since long bangs tend to fall flat, pump up the volume by styling them with a round brush like Hot Tools Pink Titanium Porcupine Brush. Blow-dry your bangs from side to side and front to back, lifting at the root to amp them up. Blow-dry your bangs from side to side and front to back, lifting at the root to amp them up.

Side-Swept
A side-swept bang can help slim and elongate a round face by drawing the eye downward. Use a mousse such as L'Oréal EverStyle Alcohol-Free Volume Boosting Mousse on wet hair to add body and hold. Blow them dry with a flat paddle brush in the opposite direction to get added lift.

Piece-y
Hair pieces often look better on women with finer hair, so the overall look is lighter. Let them air dry so they're not too straight and use a tiny bit of pomade like Got2b Playful Weightless Crème Pomade just on the ends to section them out and add texture.