I have curly and frizzy hair. (Half is very curly, half is frizzy.) I spray this on after towel drying and wide comb through. I usually let it dry naturally so it won't frizz, fluffing with a wide pick comb from time to time. It's mostly soft, but some of the tight curls have a bit of "crunch" to them. Not hard at all - and looks pretty natural. I've tried dozens of spray gels and this is the best for me.