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As a former McDonald's employee (yes, I'm an ex-McCafe girlie), when I found out that TikTokers were throwing around the term 'McDonald's bangs', it gave me flashbacks to slicking back my own sweaty strands into my regulation-issued cap. And regardless of how much perfume I'd spritzed before my shift, the fragrant scent of day-old chip grease inevitably ended up clinging to my uniform and hair.
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Thankfully, McDonald's bangs are a far cry from my less-than-glamorous past and the greasy associations of a fast food chain, instead taking inspiration from the brand's iconic golden arches. And I'm not gonna lie, they're kind of cute. Categorised by their exaggerated swoop, McDonald's bangs are surprisingly easy to recreate.
If you were influenced by Matilda Djerf and jumped on the curtain bangs bandwagon, but realised you don't have the energy to recreate TikTok's voluminous '70s-inspired blowout tutorials, which usually require an exxy Dyson Airwrap or a headful of heated rollers, you're in luck. The Maccas fringe is the lazy girl's answer to low-energy hair styling. The air-dry special relies on hand-moulding techniques, your natural hair texture, and the strategic spritz of a texturising spray to create that coveted curved finish.
Content Creator @oliviadaytonn managed to summarise the styling technique in a mere 35 seconds (perfect for our short attention spans), and instructed fellow lazy hair stylers on how to get the look.
"Obviously [your bangs] need to be wet, not drenching wet, but wet enough that they will move [easily] with your hands," she said in the video. For the next step, she says, "You can use your hands, or you can use a brush" to "brush back and then pull forward" your fringe, to create that desired 'M' shape.
"You can let them dry that way," she explained. But if your hair isn't playing along and the arches in your hair drop out and fall flat, she suggests sliding clips into your hair just above your ears to help the hair hold that swooped shape. We'd also recommend lightly misting your hair with some texturising spray for further hold. R29 rates the O&M Surf Bomb Sea Salt Spray, $35.95, for adding a bit of extra grit to strands, while still looking natural. Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist, $49, on the other hand will give you that effortless finish.
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If you're handy with a round brush and a hair dryer, you can finesse the look even further. Simply section off your bangs so they fall in front of your face, sit the brush under the bangs, and wrap the brush around each section of hair towards your face. Aim the nozzle of your hair dryer directly at the brush, and roll the round brush through your hair a few times. At this point, your bangs are going to have a lot of volume and may look a little bit wild.
@mariathattil @shannansophia explain urself #fyp #bangs #hair #fail #failed #hairfail #pov #relatable ♬ Mii Music but It Makes You Uncomfortable - lukeitslukas
No need to stress, sis; simply repeat the same steps, but this time places the brush on top of the section of hair and roll the brush away from your face. This final step will help to create that iconic McDonald's 'golden arches' shape. Lovin' it.
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