Here's How Blake Lively's Stylist Tricked You Into Thinking She Cut Her Hair

If you thought Blake Lively chopped off her long, cascading golden blonde locks into a trending lob like every other celebrity this year, you're not alone. We were convinced that she was officially living the "short hair, don't care" life, one we never imagined she would. But that shoulder-grazing style was, indeed, just a hairstyle and the handiwork of celebrity stylist Rod Ortega.

So how did he manage to trick us all into thinking she made the beauty move anyone with long hair is terrified to do? "The whole structure of a faux bob for me is pinning hair to the pin cushion that I create in the back of the neck," he explained to InStyle.

The "pin cushion," as Ortega has coined it, is a two and a half inch-section of hair from the hair line all the way underneath where the ear lobe is. It serves as support for the rest of your hair to be pinned up and into, therefore making it seem like you've lost a few inches.

After sectioning off the hair, he splits it in two and creates two very tight braids. Twirling them, he creates a circle out of the braids that's secured snug and flat on the head with about five bobby pins. "Anything that you pin loose into that pin cushion, it's going to hold. You could go on a rollercoaster and it's going to hold," he said.

As for the rest of the hair, that's up to you. He says you can curl it, wear it straight, wear it waves—any texture you want. They key is having the support to pin it up into. "The reason it looks real is because the faux bob isn't so helmut-y. It's loose, and the only way you get that is if you have a strong structure in the back that you can pin it to. So when you turn right and left, it'll move."

To get Blake's exact look, start with a blowout and add in a slight wave using a curling wand—Ortega grabbed the T3 Bodywaver ($149; sephora.com). After creating your pin cushion, take the remaining hair that's been set with the texture desired and create a very loose ponytail. "You put the ponytail in, and you slide the rubber band down. Take that rubber band and you pull it underneath," he says. Then, secure it to the pin cushion.

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"When you have the ponytail and you tuck it under, it's going to be round. That's what's going to make it look real." Use your fingers to gently pull the hair around the head and voilà. Set it with L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray ($13; target.com) and you're good to go. Or, you know, fake out your friends.

Ortega also used this how-to for Amal Clooney during her time at the Venice Film Festival.

And this look isn't just for anyone with long hair wanting to see what a lob looks like. If you have shoulder-length hair, Ortega says you can use the technique to create a chin-length bob perfect for the holidays.