Kerry Washington's Blunt Bangs Breathe New Life Into the Trend

Kerry Washington wearing braids, glasses, and lipstick and posing for camera.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 24 April 2025

If there’s one thing that Kerry Washington is going to do, it’s switch up her hairstyle. On April 23, the actress posted a photo dump on Instagram, showing off her latest look to promote her new movie, Shadow Force. In the first picture of the carousel, Washington poses against a railing, her full outfit—black, gold, and incredibly chic in all its glory—on full display. My eyes, however, immediately went straight to her cool-girl, blunt bangs.

Washington has been spotted in everything from an afro to braids over the last few weeks, and her affinity for playing with different hairstyles is even more apparent with this latest look. Straight, mid-length strands that ended right above her lower back were paired with a blunt bang, giving her outfit a slight edge. No additional accessories were used for the look, and she kept her makeup fresh and skin-like. A simple swirl chrome manicure was the cherry on top of her glam.

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Bangs have been received with mixed reactions in the past few months, with some convinced that the haircut is a cry for help (breakup cut, anyone?), while others have integrated them into their personal style. Miley Cyrus is one of the more recent celebrities to be seen sporting bangs (hers were of the micro variation), but others like Zendaya, Zoë Kravitz, and even Ariana Grande have also been spotted wearing the hairstyle as of late.

While I have never had bangs, I will say that as a beauty writer, I don’t recommend cutting them yourself at home. Still, there are a few products that can make styling the look much easier, so keep reading for the items you’ll want to stock up on should you decide to follow in Washington’s footsteps.

Amika x Ellis Brooklyn

Miami Nectar Perk Up Dry Shampoo

As a Black woman with very dry hair, I never understood the need for dry shampoo until I tried it and realized that it not only helps with oils from product buildup, but it also can add a bit of volume to a hairstyle. Since then, I've kept a bottle in my collection at all times, and the latest one that I've fallen in love with is this one from Amika, which has the same scent as Ellis Brooklyn's Miami Nectar perfume. I wish this weren't a limited edition product because I need it with me at all times.

Moroccanoil

Dry Texture Spray

Another handy product when styling bangs? Texture spray like this one from Morrocanoil. They can help you get that fresh, piecey texture, especially for blunt bangs like Washington's.

Shark Beauty

Flexstyle

I help to blend my dry shampoo into my hair by applying a little bit of heat via a blow dryer. This one from Shark has a concentrator and diffuser attachment, allowing bangs of all types to get the zhuzh they need to look their best.

Ariel Baker is the Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. Previously the associate beauty editor at PS and briefly freelance, she has bylines in InStyle, Forbes Vetted, Women's Health, and more.

Since she started out in the non-profit sector, Ariel enjoys looking at beauty from a sociocultural lens, looking to avenues like politics, music, and the arts, to inform her views on the space. That being said, as a true beauty-product obsessive, testing the latest items to hit the market, keeping up with trends, and meeting industry icons, will always be her favorite part of working in the beauty space.

When she's not working, Ariel can be found hanging out with her fiancé and loving on their two cat daughters: Cow and Chicken.