Vintage Beauty: Bumper Bangs
I finally figured out how to do bumper bangs!
Brian once told me that I look like the female version of benedict cumberbatch, and photos like this mean that I can't bring myself to disagree.
I'm a bit lazy, and I tend to ignore important details when it comes to tutorials because I'm like "psssh, ain't nobody got time for hair rats or teasing or using a comb the right way." When I finally do things the right way, I always end up asking myself why it took so long to just do things the proper way.
So, for the record, here's what you actually need to successfully execute bumper bangs:
1. A hair rat.
My big breakthrough was realizing that I could make one out of, well, just about anything, including and old stocking, which is what I ended up going with. At the risk of sounding gross, I've started collecting hair from my brush to make one that matches my hair color, which will make it easier to hide.
2. A teasing comb or brush.
Teasing your hair not only creates more volume, which makes it easier to hide the rat (doesn't hide the rat sound so sexual?) and gives you something to anchor your rat to. You can use any fine toothed comb or or a narrow boar bristle brush. Don't know how to tease your hair? Check out this Youtube tutorial, which illustrates the technique that I like.
3. Hair pins.
Once you've got your hair rolled up around the rat, you really only need 2-4 high quality hair pins to hold everything in place. Well, I say "you" - really I mean that that's what I needed to do it, and you might need more if you have longer or thicker hair.
Honestly, that's it! You might want to use a bit of hairspray afterwards, and if you have straight hair a pin curl set can help with the styling, but I would call both of those optional.
After you've gathering your tools, you'll need to section your hair. I found that I needed more than I initially would have thought - I went almost as far back as my crown and as wide as my forehead.
Tease the hair, then very gently smooth the top. Position the rat at the ends of your sectioned hair, then carefully roll it toward your forehead. Holding the rat in place with one hand, firmly pin the rat in place as closely as possible to the scalp.
Start to spread you bangs out to cover the roll, using a hand mirror to check the sides. Again, mine didn't match my hair, which made this bit kind of a pain in the ass. It might take a couple of tries before you get it more or less symmetrical, especially if it's your first time trying this style - that's ok! Be patient, and don't be afraid to start over. You can always section out a little more hair, brush out some of the teasing, whatever, until it looks and feels right.
Of course, bumper bangs aren't going to be for everyone. To be honest, I'm not totally convinced that they're really even for me. My face is on the longer side and fairly narrow, and very short bangs tend to emphasize that. Then again, I love a look that's as distinctively vintage as bumper bangs (like victory rolls or pin curls), so sometimes the classical ideas about what is and is not flattering deserve to be thrown out the window.
For your viewing pleasure, I actually filmed a tutorial! And yes, I know my makeup is looking rather "end of the day" (because it was), but whatevs. I'd love to do another hair tutorial at some point, so let me know if there's anything in particular that you'd like to see!
