April Goddard

I have talked about the popularity of the lob (the long bob, a haircut sitting at collarbone length or just below) for what is at least the last six months. And frankly, it really made its debut more than a year ago on all facets of social media. The lob is a fresh and modern hairstyle that is so versatile in shape, size and color, there is really a “lob” to suit everyone.

The lob can be cut in variety of ways. Lobs can be cut with layers and angled. They can be cut bluntly for maximum volume or thinned out to create a sleeker, more manageable style. The most popular lob of the moment is a simple blunt cut that falls just at the collarbone. So once you make the chop, you might start to look for more ways that you can style you new ’do. Read on for four fab ways to style your long bob.

Sleek lob
This is a simple way to style your hair. Straight, sleek hair can add a level of elegance to any look. How to get it: Use a finishing cream and/or heat protectant spray on damp hair. My go-to product? The Living Proof 5-in-1 Perfect Hair Day styling cream. After applying, blow dry your hair straight with a round brush. Section off hair and run over small, 1- to 2-inch sections with a flat iron. Tame flyaways by using a hairspray and gently smooth hair with hands.

Sleek undercurl
Repeat the same product and blow-drying steps as for a sleek lob. Section off hair. Run a flat iron over sectioned off hair. But, when the end of a section is reached, curl iron inward towards the face, so that it creates a flip at the ends of the hair. Repeat until all sections are complete. Shake out and spray with finishing spray.

Beachy waves
Starting with dry hair, divide into 1- to 2-inch sections. With a 1-inch hot iron, curl hair away from face, leaving out the bottom inch of the sections. After curling the hair, spray with hairspray and shake out.

Super curls
Start with dry hair. Section off into 1-inch sections. Use a curling iron to curl the whole section of the hair (including the bottom half-inch of hair). Spray with hairspray and shake out. If more volume is desired, spray a volumizing spray into roots and use hands to fluff roots.

Half up, half down
Another sleek take on a shorter style (especially if you have one- or two-day-old hair) is this style. Start by spraying volumizing dry shampoo into roots. Create beach waves throughout with a curling iron and section off top half of hair starting behind the ears and going up through the crown of the hair. Secure into ponytail or a messy bun with a hair tie. Smooth flyaways with hairspray.