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Much like her beloved Sex and the City character, Sarah Jessica Parker’s perfectly tousled locks are an institution. Needless to say, our interest was piqued when Parker stepped out for an appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, February 6, sporting new honey blonde highlights and side bangs. We love the idea of a chic side bang — especially when it is Carrie Bradshaw-approved — so we went straight to Parker’s mane man, hairstylist Serge Normant, to get all the details on the new ‘do.
If you are anything like us, you often considered cutting bangs but chicken out at the last minute when you realize how tricky they can be to style. Normant, who is also behind Julia Roberts famous tresses, admitted that you have to consider your hair length and texture when adding fringe, but he said a side bang like Parker’s is a great place to start for everyone because of its “versatility.” His advice: if you have straight hair, you can pretty much cut bangs to whatever length you please, but those with curly or wavy textures should keep bangs a bit longer.
If you plan on bringing a picture of SJP to the salon with you, Normant explained that the key to the Divorce star’s bangs doesn’t stop at her forehead. “Her hair is layered and connected to the bangs,” he said, which makes them feel more natural in the short term and makes it “easier if you decide to grow them out” down the line.
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It is also important to consider your color. Parker’s updated honey-toned highlights were done by colorist Gina Gilbert at the Serge Normant at John Frieda salon in NYC. Normant told Us that “well-placed highlights can accentuate the dimensions of a cut,” so, whether you are contemplating bangs or not, you should always make your desired end game clear to both your colorist and stylist.
Let’s be real: if you do decide to follow SJP’s lead and embrace the fringe effect, you’ll likely leave the salon channeling your inner Carrie Bradshaw and feeling like a million bucks, but we all know a good blowout only lasts so long. Once you get home, Normant says having the right tools at your disposal will keep you from feeling overwhelmed by your new bangs. He recommends investing in a hairbrush that is the right size and shape for your hair texture and style (talk to your hairstylist about what would be best). And when it comes to blowdrying, his #ProTip is to keep the roots flatter and the ends rounder for the most natural look.
As Parker has already demonstrated, when it comes to styling, the options are endless. For her first night out with her new ‘do, Parker kept things pretty simple with a voluminous blowout, but at a press event for her HBO show Divorce on Thursday, February 8, she rocked her signature piecey waves. Normant’s Dream Big Instant Volumizing Spray is ideal for adding texture and lift a la SJP, while his Meta Morphosis Hair Repair Treatment counters the ill-effects of color and heat styling to keep strands bouncy and shiny.
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