You may notice something different about me. At the end of last year, I decided to cut bangs! This was a decision that I came to for a while and I was itching to get them cut, but when I finally went through with it, I hated them! I literally left in tears. I haven’t been back to apologize to the sweet girl it wasn’t her fault I asked for them. I have been wearing pretty much the same hairstyle minus a little length change and layers for the last ten years so when I finally saw the bangs it was such a shock and difference.

Let’s be honest the last time I had bangs I was in Kindergarten. I think as girls we have all had them at some point, right? Most friends first reaction was WHY? I mean it isn’t like I went blond or shaved off my head I didn’t think it was such a big deal after the initial shock. There is a bit of maintenance involved. I had to get used to the fact that they grow very quickly and at some point they get super annoying when they cover your eyes. Also, I hope it isn’t just me but when I wake up my bangs look a little like “There is Something About Mary” my bangs are sticking in every direction. 

Besides those tiny little issues, my bangs are my favorite new accessory! For someone that has straight hair I never got too adventurous with my hair it is either ponytail or down. These last few months I have really had a chance to play around with them. There is sleek and smooth, the top knot, the half up top knot, and the part in the middle when your bangs are just a little too long.

Now I wish every day I could have the dream team of Spoke and Weal  my color has never looked so good thanks to Demi Passaris and hair cut including bang perfection by the fabulous Siobhan Duffy-Smith. Below I am going to show you a few of the styles we did and I will show you my go to when I am hanging on the weekends. 

Smooth and Sleek

For those days when I wash my hair ( I will get to that later) and my bangs are just the right length. This is classic and timeless. You can see me sporting this style at least once a week. 

The key to the perfect bangs is all in the blow dry. Remember when I said I woke up with them sticking up. It is a pretty easy fix. I can wet them and blow dry quickly. Siobhan taught me to blow dry all the way one direction and then all the way to the other side. This makes them lay even and they have a little volume to them. Otherwise, they will lie flat and limp. Seriously this was a game changer! 

The Middle Part

Let’s be honest. Most days this is the style I am sporting. It happened naturally and I have just grown to love it. 

I have a new found love for bobby pins and use them to throw my hair up in a top-knot. From a half up half down to sometimes a full quick top-knot it is easy to get away with another day of not washing my hair. Another trick Siobhan taught me was to sleep with my hair pinned back. If you twist it up and pin it back in the morning you will have loose soft curls. This works even for my straight hair! 

The Top-Knot 

The top-knot is an iconic Parisian hairstyle so I this is one of my favorites. Spoke and Weal did such a fabulous job mine doesn’t look this perfect when I do it myself. 

Half-up/Half Down

You can’t tell by the picture but there was a pretty high poof back there. Siobhan did a bit of teasing to get it with some height. I felt more Italian than French with this look but I would rock it every day if I could. 

Day to Day

On the weekends my go to style is a half up half down top knot with a quick bobby pin. I have been washing my hair a lot less these days and limiting my conditioner to once a week. It has been a huge improvement on the body in my hair. I was a once a day shampoo/conditioner girl and this past month I started washing less. It takes some adjusting because the minute your hair feels greasy that first day you want to wash but you just push through. I shampoo my bangs in the shower when I wash my body. 

For those of you thinking about bangs something to consider. The thickness of your bangs (I have pretty thin hair) also if you want them straight across or you want longer pieces on the sides. I prefer the longer pieces on the side that make it really easy to add a little extra variance to my straight hair. When I throw my hair in a top knot or ponytail I can keep the longer pieces down to the side. It’s all about preference. Bringing a photo in of exactly what you want helps. Make sure your stylist and you are on the same page. Siobhan was able to fix my bangs and make them more of what I was looking for. I LOVE my bangs! 

A few notes:

Huge thank you to the ladies at Spoke and Weal for helping me with this post. If you live in Chicago and you are looking for a color master visit Demi Passaris. If you are thinking of cutting bangs or you are in need of a new haircut visit Siobhan Duffy-Smith.