Get Schooled in Ancient Roman Beauty With This Epic Hairstyle DIY

We turn to YouTube tutorials when we need inspiration on how to transform into the most complex creatures and characters. Most of the videos we watch are inspired by the celebrities and beauty trends of today's world, but thanks to hairstylist Janet Stephens, we're taking our coif cues from ancient history.

The Baltimore-based stylist uses her unique fascination with the hair of ancient Roman women to craft detailed tutorials in which she creates identical looks on live models. "I read Vogue and Bazaar for work, and I read scholarly work for entertainment," she told The Cut.

Her interest in ancient history was sparked during a visit to the Walters Art Museum, where she was able to get an up-close look at the intricately designed hair of Julia Domna, a Roman empress from the early-third century. She took to her basement in pursuit of figuring out how to decode the look. Soon she was deeply involved in research and translated words and phrases. This resulted in findings of tools and techniques utilized by ancient Roman stylists.

Stephens has over 13,000 subscribers tuning in to her unique demonstrations, and her most popular video, a re-creation of the "seni crines" style, has over 100,000 views. The video goes well beyond a basic hair tutorial. She gives a brief history lesson with a series of color-coded diagrams, making it painless to follow along. A variety of period-appropriate tools are also used to create the seven-plaited look, including bone-like hairpins, woven cord, and water (her only styling "product").

The authentic results of her tutorial are truly mind-blowing, and her detailed steps and research make her work all the more credible. If you missed your chance to channel the women of ancient Rome this Halloween, then practice this style for next year's costume — it's never too early to start planning, right?