I recently started using bobby pins to keep the front hair away from my face. It was getting frustrating since it reaches my mouth now. Why didn't i ever think about using bobby pins last time i grew my hair? I got hair in my mouth quite often!
Anyway, it's a big relief not to have hair in my face all the time now, and it means that i can keep the hair growing for longer without bothering me much. I recommend them, and they're SO easy to use.
And at last, i have not yet trimmed the ends off. Some days they look fine, some days they look pretty dry and split.
Try an Alice band.