Selena Gomez has been living the bob and lob life for awhile, experimenting with the many facets of the classic cut. She’s had fun with ‘80s volume, ’90s flips and clips, and sculptural structure, but for the Allure Best of Beauty cover, Gomez flipped the script and ditched the bob in favor of XXL extensions that just kept going and going and going.

The super-sleek style, styled by the legendary hairstylist Orlando Pita, appears on the cover and in the editorial, with Gomez wearing her hair long and straight, parted precisely in the middle. The lengths travel all the way past her shoulders and down her back, ending just below her hips. It looks like there may have been a fan on set, as in one particularly gorgeous shot, Gomez’s hair is blowing in the wind, adding motion and texture to the finished photo. Her hair is seriously giving Cher in the ‘70s—think the long, sleek, glossy curtain of hair that was Cher’s signature for literal decades, but updated to suit Gomez’s style too.

“The very long hairstyle was inspired by old photographs of women with extremely long hair,” Pita tells Allure of his inspiration. “I modernized the look and made it very sleek and straight.” Pita’s key product was his brand’s Play Argan Oil Glossing Serum, which he used to enhance the shine on Gomez’s hair.

Coperni dress. Patricia Von Musulin earrings.

Gomez’s longtime makeup artist Hung Vanngo skipped dramatic eye makeup in favor of flushed cheeks—courtesy Soft Pinch Matte Bouncy Blush in shades Happy and Grateful—and a lined red lip crafted with two shades of Kind Words Matte Lip Liner and Matte Lipstick, Devoted and Strong, mimicking the deep red hue of Gomez’s Blumarine corset minidress and cherry-red Fogal tights.

Blumarine dress. Panconesi earrings. Patricia Von Musulin ring. Gomez’s own engagement ring. To get this makeup look: Soft Pinch Matte Bouncy Blush in Happy & Grateful, Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter in Mesmerize, Kind Words Matte Lip Liner in Devoted & Strong, and Kind Words Matte Lipstick in Devoted & Strong by Rare Beauty.

The Rare Beauty founder has had long hair before, but never quite this long! In summer 2024, she attended a Rare event in waist-length beach waves, but she was back to short hair not long after. What is Gomez planning for her wedding-day hairstyle? That’s still a big TBD, but given that the star recently celebrated her bachelorette party, it seems like she could be tying the knot with fiancé Benny Blanco soon, and you know we’ll be poring over those wedding pics for all the beauty details.

Photographer: Adrienne Raquel
Stylist: Anna Trevelyan
Hair: Orlando Pita
Makeup: Hung Vanngo
Manicure: Tom Bachik
Set design: Lizzie Lang
Production: Viewfinders
DP (motion only): Jesse Lee
Writer: Dianna Singh

More fun beauty news:

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• Cardi B’s Beehive Updo Made Her a Foot Taller

Now, watch the cover shoot in action:

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