The Best Celebrity Bangs in the Biz

The celeb: Penélope Cruz

What the experts say: “Penélope is wearing what is called a ‘side-swept fringe,’ which brings a beautiful ’60s vibe to her look,” says Seminara. “This type of fringe creates asymmetry and can be worn to both sides thanks to the way it is being cut. It suits all types of faces, but especially long and oval faces.”   

“Adding a highlight really gives her bangs a longer-looking and more dramatic look from one side to the other swept across,” says Rocky Vitelli, global artist for Farouk Systems. 

The celeb: Kendall Jenner

What the experts say: “Long in the center and slightly shorter on the sides adds movement and dimension,” says Vitelli. “Use a much smaller section for a bang using the inside corner of the eye as your section. Then, slightly blend into the sides. This look is more dramatic on dark hair, but works great on any color. It is ideal for rectangular or oval-shaped faces.” 

“Kendall is wearing a very versatile type of fringe,” says Seminara. “Her look has gothic, soft punk elements, making it very modern. Her hair color suits this fringe extremely well, but to me personally, hair color is always subject to the person’s skin tone as well.” 

The celeb: Rashida Jones

What the experts say: “Round-shaped bangs work really well when you have cat eye–shaped eyes like Rashida’s,” says Seminara. “It is a great fringe to soften the eyes and frame them. If you have a layered cut, these bangs make it easy to blend them with the sides of your hair. This type of fringe is halfway between heavy and light, which is perfect. For example if it were a heavy fringe, it would create a claustrophobic effect, squashing her facial features. If it were a light fringe, it would fly away on thin hair like Rashida’s, making the hair look unhealthy. Therefore it is very important to achieve the right balance between hair type, color and face shape.”  

“A long, textured, rounded bang is great for diamond- and oval-shaped faces and ideal on women with a slightly mid to higher hairline that will emphasize the length of the bang,” says Vitelli. 

The celeb: Jennifer Garner

What the experts say: “Jennifer’s off-center part, mid-length bang is great with added balayage on the ends to show the length of the bangs,” says Vitelli. “It adds dimension around the eyes to really bring them out.”

“This is a ’60s-inspired, hippie-grunge-tousled-modern look,” says Seminara. “This is what we call a grown-out fringe, but being almost chin length, it is a versatile fringe. It allows you to pull your hair away from your face and tuck it behind your ear. This type of fringe works great with a layered haircut that frames the face without being too heavy.”   

The celeb: Emma Watson

What the expert says: “This is a great example of a square fringe that has been styled into a ‘V’ shape,” says Seminara. “This has been achieved by using a small quantity of product and letting the hair follow its natural growing direction. A fringe like Emma’s is great to wear when you want to hide part of your forehead, but not all. Leave some hair bits out on both sides to create a feminine and soft look. I recommend using a very light hairspray that’s almost invisible, which will hold your hair in this position without looking artificial.”