Gigi Hadid’s Middle Part Ponytail Is The Sleekest Birthday Hairstyle

Forget the Met Gala — by the look of things, it sure seems like the real gilded glamour was happening at Gigi Hadid’s 27th birthday party. In true Taurus fashion, Hadid and a few dozen of her nearest and dearest (sister Bella Hadid, Blake Lively, and Precious Lee numbered among the attendees) gathered at an undisclosed New York hotspot for an opulent evening of celebration. Gigi Hadid’s middle part ponytail, expertly fluffed up through the tail by hairstylist Laura Polko, set the aesthetic tone for the evening: pure, adulterated extravagance. Just look at Hadid’s gold-and-white lace corset with matching trousers and jacket, trimmed by the piles of pearls and crisscrossing gold body chains snaking around her waist — if that’s not the ultimate birthday outfit, then what is?

But as fantastic as Hadid’s ensemble is, it might be edged out by her gloriously decadent glam by Polko and makeup artist Patrick Ta. Hadid and Ta have a long history of churning out creative, colorful, and over-the-top looks together, and it seems like Ta kicked it all up a notch for the birthday girl’s big day. Tiny, delicate pearl eye jewels follow the arc of her upper lashes with an additional bead placed in the center of her lower lash line for a wide-eyed, glassy effect (the Euphoria girls themselves would certainly approve), while an inky wing of eyeliner elongates them even further.

For her complexion, Ta kept things walking the tightrope between matte and dewy, settling on a lush satin finish for Hadid’s immaculate skin. A warm wash of blush accentuates her already-chiseled cheekbones, and a demi-matte sepia-toned lip finishes off the look. Gigi Hadid doesn’t post on Instagram too often, so her back-to-back grid photos of this look indicate it might be one of her all-time favorites — but then again, she seems to truly adore all of Ta’s expert artistry.

“Pearlcore” is already a major trend thanks to media like Bridgerton and The Gilded Age, but Hadid’s incorporation of pearls into her eye makeup look combines Pearlcore with Euphoriacore for a more youthful take on the vintage style. To get the look at home, order an eye-safe set of face jewels and carefully arrange them in a light-catching constellation — and if you’re stuck on placement, page through this cheat sheet of eye jewel makeup for all the inspiration you could need.

Hadid’s birthday look overall might be a clue about her Met Gala look — after all, Blake Lively, one of this year’s hosts, was at her birthday party, and the themes don’t seem too dissimilar at all. One thing’s for sure, though: Hadid’s kicked off Taurus season in serious style.