It may be the Marmite of the beauty world but there’s no denying the fringe is the single quickest way to totally revamp your look.
The humble fringe has long been deemed somewhat intimidating; ‘Oh but it won’t suit me’, people claim. Enough of the excuses! The age-old excuse is now redundant thanks to a plethora of fringe styles to suit pretty much every face shape. The latest – and most flattering – iteration of the hairstyle comes via the the ‘subtle side sweep’. If you’re toying with the trend post-lockdown but feel too intimidated to plump for a bold fringe, this is the look for you.
Just look to GLAMOUR’s April digital cover star, Elizabeth Olsen, who pulls the look off with aplomb.
“I love these grown out, undone bangs on Elizabeth Olsen,” said celebrity hairdresser, George Northwood. “A lot of my clients who usually sport fringes have been coming back to me with them slightly grown out as they’ve not touched them over lockdown. They’ve realised that they actually want to keep them this way instead of cutting a fringe back in as it’s less high maintenance. So I’ve been re-styling a lot of fringes into Bardot/Birkin-esque bangs that give that cool French girl hair vibe, which I personally love.”
George notes that this style is also quite a flattering style for every face shape as it helps to frame the face and almost highlights the flattering angles of your bone structure.
His top tip on how to style your grown out fringe at home? Apply some of his Undone by George Northwood Moisturising Cream (we’ve tried it and can attest it’s the bomb) to give that ‘day old hair’ feeling. “This will add texture, volume and is a great base for creating my signature undone style. It will also help the grown-out fringe blend more naturally with the rest of your hair,” he said.
He also suggests that before you leave your hairdresser, ask for a quick tutorial on everyday maintenance – especially if it’s your first fringe.
Fringes can require slightly more effort than the lengths of your hair – they are more likely to get greasy as they are in constant contact with your forehead (which might be a consideration if you are prone to breakouts or have acne), and can also be more prone to the effects of bed head.
You might want to stock up on the dry shampoo, as well as invest in some styling tools that will fix up your fringe in a flash. If you go for a blunt fringe, some straighteners will help you to achieve a sleek finish, whereas if you have a French girl fringe, comb through with a wide barrel brush and a hair dryer to give it some volume, and finish with a texturising styling product to mess it back up.
