Can any hair texture work with any style essence?

We’ll explore that below in part 1!

We’ll also explore:

Can any style essence work with any hair thickness? (Part 2)
What if your real hair just doesn’t seem to match your blend? (Part 3)

Part 1. Hair Texture and Essences

Traditionally, the “yang” essences (plus Classic) are flattered by straight hair, and the “yin” essences are flattered by waves or curls.

Below is a quick summary of the iconic hair for every essence (see here for a more detailed overview):

Natural—Long, straight-ish hair with shaggy layers
Gamine—Very short, straight hair with piecy layers
Dramatic—Very long, straight, sleek hair (or ultra-short hair)
Classic—Controlled, smooth, shoulder-length hair, either straight or with a slight bend
Ethereal—Long mermaid waves
Romantic—Long, full, glam waves
Ingenue—Short or medium-length ringlets

…but what if your hair texture doesn’t seem to match your style type?

Is there a way to make your texture work for your essences, without using heat or chemicals?

Potentially, yes!

Here’s how:

Curls for the Yang Essences, Plus Classic

Natural

Curls or waves can be surprisingly great for Naturals, because it’s easy for textured hair to feel relaxed, casual, and cool.

In particular, afros and other styles that create horizontal width can work extremely well:

Curls may be traditionally associated with “yin” beauty.

But if your curls mostly appear to blend together, and add notable horizontal volume, then that’s actually a perfect Natural look.

You can also do long, carefree, layered curls or waves:

How to make your carefree curls even more Natural:
Add a deep side part (putting most of the hair to one side creates horizontal width, which flatters Natural in both hair and fashion)
Air-dry your locks
Brush out your waves so that they aren’t extremely well-defined
Tousle your style so that not all the pieces follow the exact same curl/wave pattern or curl in the exact same direction

Long, full waves or curls can sometimes make us think of Romantic.

To distinguish between Natural and Romantic curls, you might ask:

Is this the kind of hair that’s conventionally associated with casual settings or paired with boho fashion? (Natural hair)
Or is this hair more conventionally associated with a very formal setting, like a red carpet paired with a glam, shiny dress? (Romantic hair)

Gamine

Since curls easily feel playful, they can also be perfect for Gamine.

The key is a short cut and tousle:

Short curls flatter Gamine when they have a tousled, lived-in look.

This is also helpful for avoiding Ingenue’s iconic style (short, neat ringlets).

Gamine can do extremely short curls or waves, too, like a curly pixie cut or curly afro:

Like Naturals, Gamines are flattered by curls that feel carefree.

Short hair with volume is especially good, appearing energetic and still suiting the face’s compact shapes.

Classic

Classics stun in chin-length or shoulder-length, retro, swept-back waves:

Dramatic

Here’s where things get tricky.

Curls can easily feel carefree (Natural) and playful (Gamine).

And curls can also be styled to appear polished and timeless (Classic).

But how do you make curls feel Dramatic—serious, edgy, and intense?

One way is with an extremely short cut—buzz cut or shaved off. People with highly Dramatic beauty are gorgeous in extremes.

But unless you have a very high percentage of the essence, you may find that super-short isn’t ideal.

A (safer) way to add Dramatic to curly or wavy hair is with an asymmetrical lob or angled lob:

Is this really a purely Dramatic look?

If your hair has the smooth, sheet-like, wavy texture seen here, then it can be. Even though there’s some literal wave, the *vibe* is figuratively Dramatic—unique, edgy, and intense.
And since its angled shape gets longer the closer it gets to the face, it figuratively reads as “elongated”, despite not being literally long.
But it’s true that doing more defined waves or curls may add Ethereal, Romantic, or Ingenue—which could be great if you’re a Dramatic blend with some yin.

An asymmetrical lob where the hair is markedly longer on one side is another fantastic option, feeling especially avant-garde.

These styles seem to often be worn with straight or wavy hair, although you can certainly try them with curls—Dramatic likes experiments.

For a less risky Dramatic option, you might utilize Dramatic hairstyles.

The simplest way to create an intense Dramatic hairdo is to slick your curls back and tie or clip them behind your head.

You can also braid your hair so it appears long, narrow, and sleek:

Braids that create narrow S-curves are best for Ethereal, but box braids or other braids that form narrow, straight-appearing shapes are ideal for Dramatic.

You can also compromise and wear your wavy hair long, narrow, and shiny. From far away, this can mimic the look of sleek, straight Dramatic hair:

Waves that are long, shiny, sleek, and very narrow can have some Dramatic. But it’s true that the “mermaid” texture does add Ethereal. So this can be an amazing option for an Ethereal Dramatic blend.

Growing your hair long can also weigh it down, sometimes making it straighter than its natural texture. Blunt cuts or invisible layers can be helpful here, too, to avoid layers that create a shaggy feel.
An overall narrow shape suits Dramatic, too. So it can actually be a good thing if your long hair gets naturally thiner from the roots to the ends.

Overall, Dramatic seems to be the trickiest match for curly hair.

But the good news is that of all the essences, Dramatics are best at pulling off styles outside of their own blend (probably part of why so many fashion models have this essence).

The other good news is that most people are a blended type.

So if you have Dramatic, you might use your curls or waves to embody one of your other essences.

Straight Hair for the Yin Essences

All three yin essences can make straight hair work.

And they can do this with variations of the exact same hairstyle: long, face-framing layers and curtain bangs, sometimes called a “butterfly cut.”

Of note, butterfly cuts often incorporate choppy layers, which are most ideal for Natural.

For yin beauty, you’ll want make sure your butterfly cut has the opposite: smooth, flowing layers that create curved shapes.

Ethereal

Your ideal straight hair will feature long, cascading layers, plus long curtain bangs:

The key is to choose curtain bangs and face-framing layers that are cut so that they subtly taper. This is a fantastic way to add “curves” to straight hair.

You’ll also want the layers mostly to lie smooth and point in the same direction, and to feel flowing and cascading, rather than shaggy or choppy.
A slightly piecy feel or separation between the layers, as seen here, is ok as long as the overall effect appears smooth and flowing.

Romantic

To make straight hair suit Romantic, you’ll want a very similar style as for Ethereal—smooth butterfly cut with curtain bangs:

You can optionally go shorter for an even curvier-feeling shape:

Avoid Dramatic by ensuring that the layers taper and create tiers.

And avoid Natural by ensuring that the layers appear smooth, purposefully aligned, and styled, rather than tousled or carefree.

Another way to add extra Romantic is by pinning some of the top pieces of your hair to create a “pouf” (or use another method that adds volume at the crown).

Key Romantic features often have exaggerated vertical volume—like pouty lips, full cheeks, and arched brows.

So volume is amazing for hair, too.

Ingenue

For Ingenue, we’ll also see smooth, tapered layers, but even shorter:

The bangs can also begin on the forehead, even at “baby bang” length:

Slightly short bangs are excellent for Ingenue, including when integrated into a longer face-frame.

Part 2. Hair Thickness?

Especially in an age of extensions, hair thickness can be a common concern.

The good news is that most of the essences are flattered by any hair thickness:

Classic and Ingenue want a neat, relatively controlled feel, which is achievable for thinner or thicker hair (arguably sometimes easier for thinner).

Ethereal and Dramatic tend to prefer hair that’s vertically long and horizontally narrow, consistent with the fashion that flatters these essences (wide silhouettes can sometimes work, but narrow ones are most iconic).
- And medium or thin hair is fantastic for creating a narrow shape.
- Thick hair can also work, since thick straight hair or mermaid waves can still feel relatively narrow, especially when styled in a controlled way.
Romantic does love full waves and can handle a lot of volume. So if you have very thick hair, you can do a great 90s-inspired supermodel blowout.
- But the essence doesn’t need horizontally wide hair—in fact, Romantic features tend to be defined by lacking horizontal elongation, with narrow jawlines, mouths that don’t appear wide horizontally, etc. And volume at the crown tends to be more important for Romantic than horizontal width.
- So while thick hair can definitely flatter Romantic, it’s not essential. If you have thin hair, you might experiment with styles that add more volume at the crown

Gamine likes playfulness, and thick hair can sometimes make it easier to achieve a tousled texture.
- But you can still add choppy or piecy layers to thin hair that create a fun Gamine feel.
Natural can be seen as the main essence that generally prefers thick locks, since thickness is helpful for adding the horizontal width that this essence loves.
- But you can also achieve the illusion of thicker hair and horizontal width by adding Natural’s iconic shaggy layers.
- Deep side parts and putting your hair all or mostly on one side can also create horizontal width for medium or thin hair.

In summary, none of the essences need ultra-thick hair—and some of them might actually find thin hair easier to work with.

Increasing Hair Thickness?

If you do want thicker hair, there are some low or no-cost methods with scientific support, summarized briefly below. You’ll want to research anything before starting it to make sure it’s right for you:

Massaging the scalp for a few minutes a day has been shown in studies to increase hair density.
Certain oils like rosemary oil, when applied topically to the scalp, have also been shown to increase hair thickness.
You might also minimize or eliminate the use of styling methods that can promote hair loss (e.g., very frequent use of heat, harsh brushing, etc.).
You can ensure you’re getting the nutrients your body needs, including by getting regular medical checkups and lab work. (In addition, while it’s not a replacement for regular doctor’s visits, to increase the chances that you are getting all necessary nutrients, you can also use a website or app like Cronometer that allows you to estimate whether there are any gaps in your nutrition based on your typical food intake.)

Overall, there’s pros and cons to having thicker and thinner hair. Thick hair is gorgeous and popular, as we see with the prevalence of hair extensions that add both length and width.

But thin hair is also beautiful and can form narrow shapes that work very well for most of the essences.

Part 3. Hair and Essences Don’t Match?

The truth is that hair can be hard to manage (I definitely empathize here!)

And ultimately, some people might not find it feasible or realistic to style their hair in a way that perfectly matches their essences.

In this scenario, you have a couple options, explored below:

Option 1. Consider Your Hair as Part of Your Essences

Personally, I base people’s essences purely off of their face, not their hair texture.

But I don’t think that’s the only way to do things.

So you could optionally consider your hair texture to be a part of your essence blend.

For instance, if you have no Ingenue in your face but do naturally have Ingenue ringlets, then you could still optionally could consider yourself to have the Ingenue essence. It is true that in a sense, Ingenue is a part of your inherent beauty.

Again, my opinion is that this probably isn’t the ideal method for most people.

I think this is simply because humans (naturally and subconsciously) put so much importance on faces, and we treat the face as the focal point of a person—it’s in the spotlight, and everything else is treated (at least subconsciously) as the supporting cast.

And fittingly, most people don’t seem to take hair into account when determining a person’s style type.

But I do think it’s a matter of opinion and that either view can be valid.

Option 2. Match Your Hair to A Non-Dominant Essence

We might have the assumption that our hair needs to match our dominant style essence or our highest-percentage essences—but this isn’t necessarily true.

For instance, let’s say you have around 85% “yin essence” and only 15% “yang.”

You might think that your naturally straight hair, which is best for “yang” essences, doesn’t suit your beauty.

But sometimes people with a lot of yin essence and just a little yang are extremely flattered by straight hair.

One reason is that when people are highly yin and have just a little yang, often the yang essence is in their bone structure, including their cheeks, jaw, and/or chin.

And your hair directly frames your bone structure.

So sometimes highly yin faces (with just a little yang) are actually quite flattered by straight hair, because their straight hair is directly adjacent to the small amount of yang in their face.

Another consideration is that straight hair can sometimes draw attention to the softness and curves of the features (because of the visual contrast), while still connecting with the face’s “yang” elements.

So if you’re highly yin with just a bit of yang, it’s possible that you’ll find your straight hair helps your curving features stand out more, in a way that still feels harmonious.

Similarly, if you have mostly yang beauty with just a little yin, you still might really like how you look with wavy or curly hair.

The softness and curves of your hair might emphasize the sharpness or strength of your amazing bone structure and features.

I’ve seen others make this observation as well—your hair texture doesn’t necessarily need to match your essence percentages, or match your dominant essence, to look great for you.

Though it is true that many people may feel best when they match their hair to their dominant essence, or at least one of their stronger essences.

Conclusion

The intersection between hair and style essences is tricky.

Compared to hair, fashion and makeup tend to be easier to change.

You aren’t naturally born with certain clothes or makeup affixed to yourself (at the risk of stating the obvious…) but you do naturally have a particular hair texture.

So ultimately, it’s impossible to have a single straightforward answer when it comes to choosing the best hair for your style type, or to making your hair harmonize with your face.

The great news is that the essences are versatile: most of them can work well with straight or curly, thick or thin, (or any color!) hair.

So you may be able to find a hairstyle (or multiple!) that’s both realistically achievable and honors your face’s inherent beauty.

Harmonizing Hair and Essences?

Part 1. Hair Texture and Essences