The Most Flattering Texture for Your Hair Length

Achieving perfect styles with a curling iron or straightener can get tiresome. No matter the length of your hair, adding rough texture is a simple way to change it up with little effort. Use the guide below as inspiration for your next messy-chic hair day. 

Short
Because shorter cuts don’t have as many styling options, adding texture is an easy way to go. Jennifer Lawrence (top, far right) has just a bit of pieceiness to her ends, creating a contrast to her perfectly applied bold lip. For a similar look, use a light-hold pomade and roughen up the ends with your fingertips. For a bolder look, copy Halle Berry‘s signature spiked pixie. However, make sure you have the right cut. The hair must have at least two inches of hair on top with the sides cut shorter. This keeps the texture stabilized. Again, use a pomade or wax to plump up the hair. Brush the product with your fingertips and rake it through.

Hate the feeling of product in your hair? Skip it altogether and create built-in texture with your cut. Although Anne Hathaway‘s pixie is only about an inch long, the bangs are cut choppy on the ends. This creates piecey strands with little styling.

Medium
Do as little or as much as you’d like. A style like Lily Collins’ only requires a touch of texturizing spray and scrunching. For hair with a soft wave, let it air dry and then add product. For pin-straight hair, use a curling iron to add soft waves for added texture.

Alexa Chung knows how to work textured hair. We like to believe she wakes up and looks like this—she probably does. For curly or wavy hair, this is the perfect style. Use a diffusor to dry the hair completely. Then apply a pomade to the hair and scrunch lightly for messy texture. Julianne Hough‘s is similar but is piecier throughout with 1-inch sections broken up.

Easy styling tips: Use a one-inch curling iron for loose waves. To break up the pieces, apply a dry shampoo all over and rub a quarter-sized amount of texturized paste on the strands using your fingertips.

Long
Just try (we know it’s hard) to take your eyes off of Sienna Miller‘s rose gold and focus on her messy waves. Recreate with a curling iron and sea salt spray. Unlike a dry texturizing spray, salt doesn’t leave the hair looking super soft, making it perfect for dirty hair that’s lost a bit of conditioning.

For softness, copy Taylor Swift‘s look by brushing out ringlets and spraying with a dry shampoo. Piecy, but still soft to the touch. Or go a little more done up by keeping waves in tact like Sandra Bullock. When curling, make sure to switch direction of each curl, one being toward the face, the next away, etc. This creates texture without the use of product.

Read more: The Best Haircuts For Straight Hair