There’s a very specific kind of fringe quietly taking over right now.

There’s a very specific kind of fringe quietly taking over right now.

Not the heavy blunt fringe or the over-curled curtain bangs we’ve all been round brushing into oblivion for the last few years.

Something softer.

More effortless, lived in, “French girl who accidentally looks chic buying apples at a market.” kinda fringe.

Birkin bangs are becoming the fringe women are asking for when they want softness without looking overly styled.

And?
I completely understand why. 

lets talk about what it is and isnt....

Inspired by Jane Birkin’s iconic effortless fringe, Birkin bangs are soft, wispy bangs that sit lightly across the forehead without feeling heavy or perfectly sculpted.

They usually feature a super airy texture and are cut with broken up ends to add softness around the eyes with slightly longer outer edges to create movement instead of bluntness.

The key difference is that Birkin bangs aren’t trying to look perfect and that’s the whole point. They are cut and styled to feel a little grown in (or out) so they look undone and romantic.

Like your hair naturally fell that way, even though realistically you probably wrestled with  volume powder and a blow dryer five minutes earlier.

I feel like more and more women have been moving away from heavy fringes lately...

For a while, beauty trends leaned heavily into polished glamour like curtain bangs, blowouts and perfect curls. But now beauty culture is shifting again and i personally prefer the direction its taking. We are seeing a similar direction with makeup...

Women are gravitating toward softer beauty which means less obvious styling so hair feels touchable and real. Theres something natural about it and this resonates deeply with the 'why' behind Serene haircare.

Birkin bangs move naturally and blend into layers beautifully not to mention they grow out far more gracefully than harsher fringe shapes. (Which matters because fringe regret is very real!)

A soft fringe changes the entire energy of your face.

Birkin bangs can soften forehead lines (which is why you rarely see me without a fringe, hehe), highlight cheekbones, draw attention to the eyes by framing them, add softness around sharper features, make fine hair appear fuller around the front hairline (big issue for us in the big P or M hormonal changes) and give long hair more shape and personality so you dont get too bored with the same ol 1 or 2 cm off. Basically a fringe adds a little spark of fresh joy to your look and in my opion brings out a playful vibe. 

As someone in my 40s, I personally love softer fringe shapes because they add movement around the face without feeling overly try-hard. And I prefer to use as little heat as possible so depending on your hair type and growth pattern, you may get away with blow drying the fringe without irons. I dont, however, recommend leaving the fringe to dry naturally.

Birkin bangs frame the face slightly in the nicest possible way and they don’t demand perfection every single morning like their blunt buddies.

BUT, will it suit you?

The beautiful thing about Birkin bangs is how adaptable they are.

They work especially well on fine to medium hair, naturally wavy textures and layered cuts.
Im seeing them heaps on shorter shaggy cuts (as per my last email where I showed you them on the bixies) but they work well on long layered hair too aswell as softly textured bobs.

The main thing is they need movement.

It is essetial that the fringe is not cut too thick and you dont want too much hair taken from the sides for this look. Ask your hair stylist not to make the shape too blunt, otherwise, the styling becomes too rounded or stiff when you try to do it at home.

That’s when fringes suddenly start giving primary school bowl cut energy. hehe.

The women who struggle most with Birkin bangs are usually trying to style them too perfectly. These bangs are supposed to separate slightly and move. They’re supposed to feel effortless and lived in. Let me talk you through how to go about styling them....

Start with lightweight heat protection and rough drying first, then shaping gently with a round brush, velcro roller or you can simply use your hands depending on your hair tye and growth pattern.

The trick is not over-directing the fringe too heavily.

You want bend - Not helmet hair.

For products, I’d use:
• Serene Haircare Heat Protection Spray for softness and shine
• a tiny amount of Grooming Spray for movement and airy control
• a touch of Serene Haircare Volume Powder on the fingertips if you want the airy vibe to stay all day/night.

If the fringe gets oily quickly, dry shampoo at the roots underneath the fringe works far better than loading the hair with styling products but the volume powder will be the best option here so make sure you do two pumpsin the fringe or pump it 2-3 times into your fingers and rub it through the roots of the frindge. 

Less is usually more.

One of my favourite fringe tricks is washing just the fringe in the sink between wash days. It completely resets the shape and stops you feeling like your whole hairstyle is ruined just because the front section got oily. Five minutes, a quick blow dry and suddenly you’ve bought yourself another day.

If your hair is prone to getting oily by the end of the day, Wash your hair first with the Serene Haircare Cleansing shampoo and follow with the Volume Ritual. To learn how to manage your oily roots for good go and check out my blog "how to wash your hair properly'. I’ll also be talking more about this over on YouTube channel.

 If you havent subscribed yet, im genuinely dissapointed in you. Please subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@HairwithSerena

I actually think this fringe returning says something bigger about beauty culture. Women are tired of looking overly manufactured but we still want beauty and glamour.
But we want softness back too. We want it all dont we. 

Birkin bangs feel feminine without looking performative.

They say: “I care about beauty.”
But also: “I’m not spending two hours trying to look effortless.” That balance is probably why they feel so relevant again right now it this crazy world.

p.s

Want a video on how to trim your own bangs? OR shall we stick to styling.... let me know....