The $8 product behind Gigi Hadid's beauty transformation

All eyes are on Gigi Hadid, for some obvious reasons. She’s one of the fashion industry’s rising supermodels, has über-cool street style, and is still dating (last time we checked) Zayn Malik.

She’s the face of Maybelline, so it’s hard not to catch a glimpse of the 23-year-old in a flashy TV commercial or glossy magazine ad. But you probably didn’t notice the tiny change Hadid recently made to her look.

Erin Parsons, Maybelline’s global makeup artist, who’s responsible for many of Hadid’s hot makeup moments, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she’s sporting a “softer brow look” these days.

After careful inspection, a.k.a. falling into a rabbit hole of scrolling through the model’s Instagram account, we were able to spot the switch-up from the darker, dramatic eyebrows she usually pairs with her bronde locks.

Parsons admits that “sometimes I do get carried away,” but she mastered this youthful brow look with an $8 drugstore beauty product: Maybelline Tattoostudio Brown Tint Pen. The key is to use a swift, delicate movement (see tutorial from Parsons below) when swiping on the brow fill-in. Luckily, the small teeth applicator makes it super-easy to recreate hair-like strokes without overdoing it.

The duo have been working together since 2015, and Parsons reveals that Hadid isn’t like most models, who are “trained not to talk bad or whatever to the makeup artist.” She explains, “[Gigi] knows what she likes and what she doesn’t like.” And it’s because of this candid relationship that Parsons can receive and give feedback that allows her to help as a makeup artist.

Now that it was our turn in Parsons’s makeup chair, we had to get answers to our most pressing beauty questions. For example, what’s the most underutilized product? According to the professional it’s the eyelash curler. She says, “If you can curl your eyelashes and get a great coat of mascara on there, you almost don’t need false eyelashes. So curl away!”

When pressed about which makeup product she believes is “an absolute waste of money,” Parsons quickly responds, “An extremely expensive eyeshadow palette.” Working with a major drugstore cosmetics brand certainly has its perks, such as having access to wallet-friendly palettes that have an amazing quality at a low-low price. Our pick: Maybelline Lemonade Craze Palette. At just $11, this hand-size palette packs a sweet punch with a combination of neutral, dark, and berry shades that can be used all over your face.

If spending more than $10 for a new makeup product isn’t in your budget right now, Parsons suggests saving money and purchasing highlighter. The Maybelline Facestudio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter (which was a Yahoo Lifestyle Diversity in Beauty Awards affordable makeup line nominee) costs under $8. Using a highlighter also as an eyeshadow can be really clever and can make your eyes pop, according to Parsons. “Double-duty beauty!”

Read more on Yahoo Lifestyle:

• Gigi Hadid’s ugly ‘dad sneakers’ are actually pretty cool — shop 9 similar styles

• Gigi Hadid is this close to holding the record for most Vogue covers

• Gigi Hadid’s bombshell style

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