Talk about leaving your old life (and look) with a big bang….
Okay, so this photo was probably taken a few months ago when Katie Holmes was flirting with a clip-on fringe back at the Vanity Fair Oscars party (and was still, apparently, flirty with Tom):
But how’s the timing?
In the week when she escapes life as Mr Cruise’s cute, shy third wife, she comes out swinging a sexy new style on one of the most prestigious magazine covers around.
If Katie wants to start playing around with her new single-status style (like wife #2, Nicole Kidman, did before her), this should totally be her reference point. Sure, Katie has always looked sweet. But at 33, you couldn’t blame her for wanting a more grown-up polished style.
So why cut a fringe?
Well, if you’re wanting to a new post-breakup look, it’s a way to make a major change, without sacrificing your hair’s length. And chances are you’re going to regret lopping off your lengths way more than cutting a fringe. We’ve all been there, right? On the couch, crying into our tubs of Baskin Robbins, partly over the tragedy that is Beaches, partly over the disaster that is our new bowl cut.
There’s a whole world of fringe styles, but if you go for this heavy, blunt take, you get that whole sexy sixties thing going on. Which was the inspiration for Katie’s hair in this Elle shoot (Funnily enough, as the 1960s were the era when women broke free from their domestic duties).
Sold? Just make sure to follow these pointers:
Amp up your Eye Makeup. If you hide your forehead behind a fringe (by the way, bangs are a brilliant low-cost alternative to Botox), the vocal point of your face shifts to your nose. Eyes, however, tend to be a face’s most attractive feature. So you want to pull the gaze back north. To do this, max the mascara on both the upper and lower lashes, as Katie has done here.
Play with Width. A narrow fringe, like Katie’s, will slim down a wider or rounder face; go wider and you’ll open up a skinny one. It’s pain-free plastic surgery!
Contour Cheeks. If you have a narrow set of bangs, along with a round face, you might want to define your cheekbones so that your face doesn’t get lost under all that hair. Here’s what you do … Apply foundation and set with translucent powder. Now take a contouring brush and a matte powder that’s several shades darker than your skin tone (a brow powder or a non-shimmery bronzer can even work here). To work out where to place your powder, suck your cheeks in; the ball of the cheekbone should become visible, and it’s from here up to the temple that you want to work your colour. To do this, sweep powder on with a back-and-forth motion. Finally, check yourself in the mirror in natural light, and soften any hard edges with a face powder brush.
Going Faux? If you decide to first road-test the look with a clip-on fringe, such as the one made by Original Diva, get your hairdresser to cut it to shape for you, and to give you a lesson in applying and wearing it well. And make sure you carefully match the colour back to your natural hair hue. This, my friends, is what can happen when you get that wrong:
So, Primpettes, what do you think of Katie’s new look?
Any predictions for what breakover style she’ll try next?
Anyone out there have – and love – a heavy fringe.
And what about a clip-on fringe – has anyone tried one? Did it go well?
Kat x