Lea Michele, who has been seen out and about with her new BF, her first relationship since the tragic death of her co-star and longtime love Cory Monteith last July, has seriously good hair. She's a L'Oreal spokesmodel, hawking some of their shampoos and conditioners, for a reason, yo! Her chocolate-y mane is thick, glossy, luxuriously long, and she has such an amazing team of stylists that her strands always look different.
Miss Lea Michele has heavy bangs, yet she doesn't rock the same rote look over and over again. Her bangs are like the most versatile fringe I've ever seen. She tries a million — okay, maybe not that many — different styles with her bangs, either fully incorporated into her look and not. There are times when her fringe goes bye-bye and totally disappears into her hair, thanks to clever stools, products, and what has to be a crack team of multiple stylists.
It is virtually impossible for Glee's Rachel Berry to get bored with her bangs since she plays with them so much.
So if you're backing and forthing over whether or not to get bangs and one of your biggest fears is being a one note with your coif, scan through these shots of Lea Michele, who is the patron saint of never boring bangs.
Before we "ooh" and "aah" over her fresh ass fringe, how about a portrait of a diva gettin' her hair did and face done! Oh, and if you want to fake shorter bangs in between trims, consult our list of sneaky styling tips and tricks.
1. A Deep Side Part
A deep side part makes her bangs non-existent, at least for the few hours she wore her hair like this. How about that powder pink lipstick? That's the centerpiece of her look and bangs might have detracted from or competed with it. Girls with dark hair and olive skin can totally pull that pink shade off.
2. Dual Braids
My mom and British friends would call these "plaits." I call them dual braids. Yes, it's a from-the-back shot, but how cute and summery is this look? Her golden highlights make the braids more interesting, too. She can wear this look with regular ol' straight bangs.
3. Shaggy
Lea Michele could use a trim on her bangs but the shaggy, eyelash-skimming length is sexy and mysterious. She can play peek-a-boo. A little defining style paste is all you need to get the look.
4. Really Subtle Waves
The fact that her bangs are shorter in the middle (in between her eyebrows) makes Rachel Berry's alter ego look even younger. Those are really subtle waves, too.
5. Princess Leia Buns For Princess Lea
Lea Michelle is Princess Leia from Star Wars with the alien buns perched on either side of her head. They are a playful contrast to that come hither stare and all that red lace and red leather. Rawr!
6. Big, Highlighted Curls
Those big, golden-highlighted waves coulda been plucked from Khloe Kardashian's style playbook. But the straight, soft bangs balance all that volume and all those curls.
7. Faked Bangs-Free
There are too many bangs icons in this pic. Zooey Deschanel is rendered unrecognizable when she goes bangs-less and even with the deep sweep, she's still familiar. Lea Michele totally erased her bangs by sweeping them to the side into her waves. It's almost an optical illusion or at least has me wondering for the hottest of seconds if she is scamming us all with clip ins.
8. Fake A Bob
The singer and actress faked a shaggy, wavy bob, or "lob," with this updo. There were likely a lot of bobby pins involved in pulling off this faux short style. It's disheveled but cute, and the wispy bangs work with the tendril-y pieces.
9. Messy Updo
Lea Michele wore this messy, romantic updo for a magazine cover story. The pink bow is so youthful and sweet. She is pulling from the French girl rule book.
10. Sleek And Straight
Doesn't Lea Michele channel fashion icon Jane Birkin, she of Hermes Birkin bag fame, with the heavy fringe and sleek and straight locks that just hang there? It's so effortlessly chic.
11. Buns O' Fun
Buns are fun and easy, especially when you have bangs. What is usually a lazy or utilitarian style move to get hair out of your face or off your neck in hot weather or because you overslept, Michele's topknot is extra stylish, thanks to her bangs and those cat-eyed shades.
12. Fishtail On The Side
The fat fishtail side braid gets a boost from the bangs. It's another French girl look.
13. Beachy Waves
Full disclosure. I know this looks somewhat like two other shots in this rundown, but it's a personal favorite and I don't care. This is how L. Michele often wears her bangs — paired with highlighted, slightly beachy waves. It's also how I sometimes wear my hair in summer. Lea and I are hair soulmates, didn't you know?
Images: Lea Michele/Instagram
