The Fringe Benifits! or Don't Try This At Home

I have a confession to make...Last weekend I did something very stupid or very brave....I cut my own fringe...please don't tell my mum!

I have for some time now wanted a fringe just like Chuck (Anna Friel) has in pushing daisies which is essentially a 60's peekaboo style. I know its not really in keeping with my 1940's obsession at all, but after reading Casey's blog post about the forties fringe, so I am sure I will still be able to style it in to a forties style when I want to.

I have tried to get this style of fringe on no less than three different hair cutting occasions, but each time I have left the salon with out my fringe.

I Think the problem stems from my fear of having my hair cut at all, its on a par with the dentist for me, I get very nervous and probably don't explain what I want properly.

The best I have had so far, was a long tuft which was swept to one side - which did look O.K. but it was not what I wanted - no photographic evidence remains!

So, on Saturday evening after re-watching my pushing daises DVD for the umpteenth time, I decided I had enough of my lackluster hairstyle. I wanted my fringe and I wanted it now! After all how hard could it be to cut your own fringe!?

I should pint out before I continue that I am aware that this could have gone very badly wrong, as past hair cutting endeavors have - I did once ask the boyfriend (a qualified engineer by the way, straight lines should be part of the job) to trim an existing fringe, only to end up with right side perfect and left side 1" shorter than right! This was only days before my best friends wedding which I was going to be a bridesmaid! The poor wedding hairstylist had to practically glue the thing in a sweep across my head with hairspray!  My own fault I know so will I ever learn... Not likely!

So this time I did my research and passed on the boyfriends offer to "cut it for me" his idea of a joke, funny? . Armed with Google, you tube and far too much confidence in my abilities, I decided to to take my hair in to my own hands.

The Before- Sorry about the psycho expression!

Image  from The Vintage Housewife

Most of the youtube tutorials were really all about trimming an existing fringe not creating one from scratch, I was about to give up when I found the vintage house wife's wonderful blog post all about how to cut your bangs/fringe from scratch no pre-existing hair cut needed. Plus the illustration of Audrey gave me the confidence to give it a go!

The In Between!

Firstly I washed and blow dried my hair leaving it just a little bit damp just enough to make it easy to part the hair.

I quickly realised that the key to the perfect fringe is to section the hair off correctly. For the style I wanted I needed quite a high upside down v shape (as in the Audrey Picture) lined up with the edges of my eyebrows.

 I also used one tip gleaned from all the youtube tutorials I waded through, which is to twist the hair tightly in front of your face and then cut across, this seamed to give the fringe a curved shape a little longer at the sides than in the the middle, which softens the whole thing.

The After!

 
I gradually worked my way up the sectioned hair getting shorter and shorter until I reached a point where I felt happy. Then I used a pair of thinning scissors (which you can get from most chemist stores) to, you guessed it, thin the ends out a little and take some of the weight off

All in all I am really happy with it, I have to admit it is just a little too long, but I am going to live with it for a few days and then trim it up a little bit. Lets just hope I don't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!

If your as Crazy as me then here is some youtube fringe/bang inspiration, but remember To Always Snip Responsibly:

• For a a good explanation of how to achieve various different styles look at Miss Curly Locks video.

• For the best 1940's Betty Page Bangs Tutorial take a peek at Strawbwerry Koi Vinatge video.

• If Straight Bangs are your thing then biancablovesu's video will be right up you street.

Wendy x