When I sit down at the Bang Bar, Martinez selects two different sets of clip-in bangs that match my hair color. One is wispy and longer on the sides, and the other is heavier and cut straight across. We decide on the blunt version because the straight line breaks up my round face instead of highlighting it.
Then, he takes two small sections of hair on either side of my part and secures them behind my ears with bobby pins -- this creates a stable base on which to clip the bangs. He secures the bangs with their built-in clips and trims them to fit my face.
I explain to Martinez that I only ever wear my hair down -- another round face-hiding measure. Naturally, he decides that the bangs call for a topknot. At this point I barely recognize myself, so I let him have at it.
Photo 7/9
The makeup
Bangs -- even clip-in bangs -- are completely transformative. I feel like a new person, and this new person needs some berry lipstick. I grab my Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Plum, $22.50, to complete the look.
Photo 8/9
Boom! I have (clip-in) bangs
Here it is -- my finished look, chopsticks and all. The topknot and bangs make me feel cooler -- edgier -- than I really am. But here's the irony: I don't actually like the way I look with bangs. I miss my forehead. And when it comes to makeup, I'd rather play up my eyes than my lips. After more than 20 years of wondering, the answer is as simple as a tuft of clip-in fake hair. I'm not cutting bangs anytime soon. And when I want a change, I'll wear my clip-in bangs.
What do you think? Do you prefer me with fringe or without?
I first wanted bangs when I was 6 years old. It was the mid-80's, and my little sister had a blunt fringe that would have made Jane Birkin jealous. (She also had hair as thick and straight as heavy drapery.) I begged my mom for bangs, but she made it clear that with my round face and curly hair it would never happen. No way. Zero chance.
Fast-forward 24 years: After abandoning my obsession with bangs for most of my life, it's suddenly back. I'm in love with Zooey Deschanel's hair on "New Girl" and I can't stop thinking about Dakota Johnson's fringe. But my anti-bang traits haven't changed much in two decades: I still have a round face, and my hair is as curly as ever.
Then I got an email that did change everything: Butterfly Studio Salon in New York City opened a "bang bar" for clip-in bangs where a stylist matches you with the right color and bang shape. I made an appointment immediately.
A few days later, I arrived at the Bang Bar and sat down with hairstylist Lawrence Martinez. I told him my sad history with bangs. And after proclaiming that my mother was completely wrong (sorry, Mom), Martinez set out to find my ideal fringe and a style that would work for me.
Here's the diary of my bang-ification -- and some surprising tips about fringe I learned along the way.
