On Friday, Kristen Bell debuted a new hairstyle: a '70s-inspired lob with bangs cut straight across her forehead.
While on a Zoom press call for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Bell appeared on the small screen with her new tapered fringe front and center. However, according to celebrity hairstylist Terrie Velazquez Owen, who was responsible for creating the look, there's more to this shag haircut than meets the eye. In an Instagram post, Owen revealed that Bell's new eye-skimming fringe is actually a faux bang, the work of a clever wig known as a lace-front piece.
If we ever needed proof of the transformational power of a fringe, Bell's look is it. The blonde feathered bang blends perfectly with the rest of her hair and, if it weren't for Owen’s coy caption and hashtags, we would never have known it wasn't Bell's real hair.
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The same way hair extensions can be used to add length and thickness, faux bangs are multi-functional: They can be used for experimentation, so you can see what you actually look like with bangs before actually cutting them. Or, they can be used as a temporary enhancement, layered over an existing fringe or softer bang to add a little more oomph.
Bell's look proves that it's possible to just try out bangs without having to fully commit to them. Thanks to clip-ins, weaves, and wigs, you can have bangs one day and be back to a sleek center-parted lob the next. The question is no longer, "Do I want bangs?" — it's "Do I want bangs today?"