Soft bangs are another way to try out fringe without committing to something drastic. "Soft bangs are a hot trend for 2023, with celebs like Anne Hathaway, Lily Collins, and Phoebe Dynevor rocking their own spins on the classic," says Velasquez.
Curtain bangs made headlines last year because of their ability to look flattering on almost anyone. In 2023, curtain bangs are getting an upgrade with new shapes and finishes that can be tailored for every hair type.
Curtain bangs open up the face and enhance your cheekbones (just make sure they don't fall too low), wispy bangs bring attention to the eyes, side bangs give the illusion of lift and volume around the face, and so on.
Square or heart-shaped faces look best with wispier, feathered fringe to add softness. Oblong face shapes are a perfect match for blunt-cut bangs. Round faces can get added dimension from side-swept or curtain bangs. Oval-shaped faces can pull off just about any type of bang.
Do bangs make you look younger? Bangs can add personality and youth to a person's appearance, but not all bangs have the same effect. Blunt bangs can draw attention to the middle of someone's face, which may or may not reveal their age.
Like any accessory, bangs should enhance your features, not overwhelm them. For long and narrow faces, "blunt fringe that hits below the brows will make your face look fuller," explains hairstylist and co-founder of R+Co, Garren. If your face is round or square, try bangs just above the brows, he says.
While blunt bangs can make round faces look a little squat, side-swept bangs move the eyes diagonally across your face. The angled fringe helps make your face appear longer and, therefore, thinner.
Bardot bangs feature a soft center part and side-swept finish. The length begins around the corner of the eyes and gets longer as it flairs out to the sides. Curtain fringe has shorter pieces creating a more defined center. This means that more length is cut to create a straighter line than Bardot bangs.
Who can pull off curtain bangs? The beauty of curtain bangs is that they can work on anyone and everyone.
The butterfly cut features shorter face-framing layers that cascade like wings with longer layers through the length of your hair. Since the goal is to remove weight, not length, ask your stylist for face-framing layers with wispy ends that begin at the chin and longer layers throughout the rest of your hair.
What Are Waterfall Bangs? “Waterfall bangs are in between a curtain bang and a straight across bang,” explains Jenna Spino, a hairstylist at Maxine Salon. “The bang has various lengths, the longest hitting around the cheekbone, blending right into the sides of your hair.”
Short, Piecey Layers
“This year it's gonna be about very long and very short haircuts: full on shaved heads, buzzcuts, pixies, bixies, overall androgynous hairstyles—slightly longer for men and slightly shorter for women,” says @salsalhair.
2023 is officially the year of the butterfly cut—voluminous, face-framing layers that don't compromise length. But butterfly layers aren't only for clients with long, thick hair.
Shoulder-length hair (or longer) with layers
Forget what you thought about long hair past the age of 40—thick hair actually looks more youthful and polished when it falls shoulder-length or longer. Shorter hair has a tendency to expand at the ends, leaving you with an unflattering triangle effect.
Anyone looking to maintain a sense of youthfulness should avoid three styles according to the experts; thick, blunt bangs, spiky pixie, and a medium-length, layerless lob.
This is because longer locks tend to cover up wrinkles and age spots on the face, creating a smoother complexion that can give off an impression of youthfulness. Additionally, long hair frames the face in such a way that it makes people look younger than they actually are.
Though they can satisfy that itch for a change, the best bangs can also totally transform your face shape and play up your best facial features. Soft, wispy bangs, for example, help contrast sharper jawlines, while dramatic side bangs can add more visual dimension to rounder faces.
Front bangs can look amazing on a round face, especially jagged or choppy bangs for a round face and big forehead. 8. Chubby Face Long Hair with Bangs. Long, thick, wavy hair with side-swept bangs will divert attention from the roundness of your face, making it look thinner and less flat.
Just about anyone can look good with bangs. But your face shape is key to picking the right style. Per educator Tyson Daniel, “The difference between bangs that are too short and just right could literally be the space between the bottom part of your brow and the top part of your eyelashes.”
The most sought-after eyebrow shape is the soft angled eyebrow shape. The soft angled shape goes straight up and then gently curves round at the top and down. The goal for shaping the eyebrows on a long face is to make the face appear shorter.
You always want to do your makeup before you style your bangs, so you don't get makeup in your styled hair. Also, remember that if you have thick bangs, you don't need to apply much foundation (or bronzer, etc.) to your forehead as your bangs are going to hide this area.
If there's not much space between your brows and hairline, start two inches back to make a smaller forehead appear longer. Very fine or thick hair is the exception to this: If you start more than one inch back, you'll take too much from the sides and end up looking like one of the Beatles circa 1964.