Every now and again, a pop-cultural phenomenon takes the world by storm and with it comes a fresh, new beauty obsession. The latest? Marianne’s bangs on the hit Hulu series Normal People. The internet is obsessed — and so are we. Not to mention, the actress who plays the Irish teen admits the ‘do played a part in her landing the role.
English actress Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Marianne in the show based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel of the same name. As incredible as Edgar-Jones’ performance is, we must admit that at times it was her fringe that stole the show. Similarly to Connell’s chain, but that’s a conversation for another time.
The hairstyle has since launched Instagram accounts filled with stills of brunette beauty’s locks and “bangart,” as well as articles on how to copy the look (though it’s not recommended during quarantine).
As it turns out, this hairstyle stands out for a reason. Not only is it important for the character, but it was major for the actress as well. During an interview with Vulture, the actress revealed that until she cut her bangs she hadn’t booked a lot of roles.
“Just before Christmas last year, I hadn’t got a job in a wee while and then I got my fringe,” she said. “Then a week later I got the job, so I was like, ‘Oh, maybe that’s the only thing that’s getting me employed.’”
The show’s hair designer Sandra Kelly told Vogue U.K. that Marianne’s hair played a key part in Marianne’s development as a young woman. “When she starts off, at school, she has this short, choppy, arched fringe with long hair,” she explained. “We wanted to make it look like she didn’t really bother with herself much, but equally make her look a bit arty and a bit quirky, especially compared to the other girls in the school. This fringe was specifically for that.” Then when her character goes to Trinity, “It’s more of a ‘look.’”
The pro also shared how she achieved these continuously stunning styles. “I used a spray by Paul Mitchell or L’Oréal on the roofs to add lift, as fringes can often look quite flat,” she explained. “And for that gritty, separated finish that perfectly shows off the texture in the fringe, we used sea salt spray.”
From perfectly undone waves during sweaty summer days in an Italian villa to schoolgirl sharp, keep scrolling and gather a bit of bang inspiration from the star fringe itself.
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