Hair styles come and go with the trends, but there’s one styling technique we are always going to love: curls! Whether they’re big and bouncy, soft and wavy, or spiraling, tight ringlets, a curled hair look is timeless, and those of us with straight hair never tire of trying to achieve the look.

What does change, though? The ways we make those curls! We’ve long moved away from the chemical-induced “permanent,” and now we’re starting to think we can throw away our curling irons too— because our flat irons are able to do all the work.

That’s right; it sounds a little crazy considering “flat” and “straight” are in its name, but the hair straightener is a far more versatile tool than we ever dreamed. Watch Refinery29 walk us through the magic, then read on to pick your perfect look.

• Finger Waves

Do you love the classic cascading curls of somebody like Rita Hayworth or Lucille Ball? Recreate the style with an easy, updated technique! Instead of a curling iron and harsh lines, get soft waves with your flat iron.

1. Wrap your hair in 1-inch horizontal sections toward your scalp.
2. Clamp the flat iron around each coil, then clip in place.
3. After you’ve covered your whole head in the flat ironed coils, take out the pins and let your hair down. Run a comb and then a brush through your hair to bring the curls together.

Voila! You’ve got classic finger waves in the style of gorgeous, classic film stars.

• Wild Curls

Prefer your curls to be crazy and fun? Your flat iron is the way to get all kinds of volume without all kinds of frizz and damaged hair.

1. In 2-inch sections, twist your hair into tightly-coiled miniature buns. They’re called “bantu knots,” and they should stick out from your head in little knobs.
2. Clamp and tap the flat iron all the way around each little bantu knot.
3. Let your hair cool for ten minutes, then take out the pins (or whatever you used to hold the bantu knots in place) and rake your fingers through your hair.

Ta da! Fun, fabulous curls that even look pretty natural. When you want lots of volume, this method is the way to go.

• Tousled Waves

Sometimes, we don’t really want curls, per se; we just want some waves to add some texture and volume to our hair. For that, your flat iron – not your curling iron – is the way to go!

1. Separate your hair into 2-inch horizontal sections.
2. Clamp your flat iron on a section, and rotate it 180 degrees. Glide it down to the ends of your hair.
3. Vary the section sizes for different wave patterns.
4. Spritz with hairspray, and you’re done.

This one is one of the easiest ones to play around with and vary. However big or small you want your waves to be, you can create them with the flat iron.

Beautiful! We love how simple each look really is, and that while each one uses the flat iron, all three are their own distinctive, fabulous style. Who needs a curling iron when you can do THIS with a hair straightener?!

So which look will you be trying first? Do you curl your hair often, or are you more of a fan of straighter, flatter styles? Do you have your own tricks for getting distinctive looks with a flat iron?

This is a sponsored post, paid for by our friends over at Refinery29.