Unleash your inner k-pop idol with these Korean makeup trends

ATTN! This one goes out to all those beauty junkies! So you love k-pop? The idols' glass-like skin and their dreamy innocent Korean makeup have caught your eyes, and all you want to do is douse yourself into their world? Oh, we totally get how you're feeling! So, we're here to help you look like a k-pop idol IRL!

Hold up! Hold up…stop! Wait a minute! Before we begin to smother our skin in some k-beauty makeup, let's take a closer look.

Notice all the common deets? Flawless complexion, dewy skin, flushed cheeks and sweet eyes. Yes, Korean women favour dewy complexions that look lit-from-within. Mind you, the men do too, which you've obviously noticed in all the k-pop song videos. They are all about looking young and desirable. So naturally, their first go-to resort is a slew of makeup techniques that help them channel their most innocent, wide-eyed youthful self.

 Mul-gwang (literally, "water-light"), as they call it, is the signature Korean natural makeup look with a super dewy finish. It made its fresh-faced debut at the hands of two #1 Korean celebrity makeup artists, Son Dae-Sik and Park Tae-Yun. Famous for their "skin first philosophy," Son & Park are about setting a smooth canvas for applying makeup. Here’s where good skincare comes into play, since it impacts the look of the makeup. And then it's all about the fantastic techniques, Korean makeup products, the textures and complementing colours that give birth to the Korean makeup look.

 When it comes to Korean makeup, they strictly choose products enriched with skin-loving ingredients and formulas. It will always be textures that are as smooth as butter so that it can  melt into their skin without leaving a greasy feeling behind. This is why Korean cosmetics are rich with the goodness of nature and science. After all, it's the perfect design to protect your skin and nourish it while you glam your face up. And the highlight of it all, CUSHIONS! In Korea, they have to cushion everything—cushion compacts, cushion brow pomades, cushion blushes, cushion eye shadows, cushion highlighters and this list could go on.

 Next stop? Vanity dressers. 

 We take cues from some of our favourite K-pop idols to decode the most popular Korean makeup looks for you.

We have also listed down a couple of products, from Korean makeup brands to Indian makeup brands you could use.

'CHOK CHOK'!

When it comes to achieving the Korean natural makeup look, skincare is as important as makeup. 'CHOK CHOK', literally means drenching your skin in hydration, with serums, mists, essences and moisturizers. Why? Because that’s the perfect way to leave the skin feeling and looking bouncy and supple. If your skin just happens to be on the dry side, using a hydrating sleeping mask would give it that extra boost it needs.

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Our favourite Korean skincare products:

Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum

This serum is richie rich in Jeju Green Tea extracts and Green Tea Seed oil. 

That’s the reason why it has super hydration and anti-oxidants powers which keep your skin  well-hydrated and  naturally glowing. 

Belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb

An ultra-lightweight, gel-cream that instantly hydrates and refreshes the skin while providing a healthy glow. It minimizes the appearance of pores and makes skin soft, smooth and supple.

ACCOJE Protective Dust Screen Mist

A refreshing mist that creates a protective barrier against dust and fine particles to keep your skin protected and safe every single day. Infused with Jeju Pine Needles, Green Tea and Sasa Palmata, it leaves behind a hydrating layer on the skin along with a fresh forest fragrance.

Cushion that base

Cushion compacts are what help Koreans get their luminescent, glass-skin effect in a snap. The Korean cosmetic brands’ mousse-y, bouncy and silky smooth formulas are specially created to give the skin a luminous base. Unlike the beauty sponge, where you can't control the application as much, you can do precisely that with a cushion.

Lightly press the middle of the compact with the cushion to disperse the formula, and then gently dab it over your face in a soft, pressing, sweeping motion. 

Our favourites:

Sugar Cosmetics Power Clay SPF 20 BB Cushion

A Super lightweight compact that evens complexion and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and pores, this plush product provides a light to medium buildable coverage. Still, it settles into a silky matte finish that does not oxidize over time. Enriched with SPF20, it provides UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum protection. Its hydrating, non-greasy formula absorbs excess sebum throughout the day for a refreshed complexion.

Dive into "fruit juice" makeup

Korean women love that flushed, fresh look. So they lean towards "fruit juice" makeup, as they call it, to look like they are blushing from within. Their idea behind the term fruit juice is about adding enough colour to the cheeks as if they were a fresh ripe fruit bursting with juice.

You can achieve this Korean makeup look by applying Korean makeup products which have fruity coloured cheek tints or blushes like soft pinks, peach or coral. Apply with a sponge or your fingers and blend upwards and outwards.

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Our favourites:

ASA Lip & Cheek tint Juicy Peach

A lip and cheek tint infused with the blend of avocado, walnut and moringa oil not only gives you a natural blushing appearance but also boosts the collagen in your skin. It can be used on your cheeks and lips to add that juicy pop of colour.

The Face Shop Water Fit Lip Tint & Cheek Tint

A moisturizing lip and cheek tint to create a natural flush that lasts all day long. Its water-gel texture glides smoothly onto your lips and cheeks to deliver a high colour payoff with a lovely glossy finish.

Straighten those brows

Koreans prefer straight eyebrows to arched ones. Why? Because it makes them look younger (like a child's eyebrows).

Make your brows straight by drawing a straight line from the start point under the front of the eyebrows to the end of the eyebrows, and then arrange the line accordingly. Place and draw the eyebrows above so that they have a straight line following the guideline

IG: @roses_are_rosie

Our favourites:

Wet n Wild Ultimate Brow Retractable Pencil

You absolutely need a unique brow pencil with a triangular tip to create small enough strokes and sharpen the edges of the brows with rub-resistant pigments. When you're finished, the tip automatically retracts. It’s also quick-and-easy to store.

Wet n Wild Ultimate Brow Kit

This five-piece set includes all the essentials you need to shape, smoothen, define, and maintain the perfect eyebrows.

Peach blossom eyes 

They also like to blend that juicy makeup onto their eyes with a peach-colour or a reddish eye shadow. The make-up on the  eye-lids are specifically designed to make it seem like they've just been crying. Yikes..but still beautiful, right?

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Our favourites:

Swiss Beauty Professional Eyeshadow Peachy Orange
 

A highly pigmented, long-lasting eye shadow that starts as creamy and dries out to an intense, vibrant finish. Its innovative formula blends smoothly over your eyelids and creates a seamless, buildable coverage without looking cakey.

Sugar Cosmetics Blend The Rules Eyeshadow Palette

A range of high-performing eyeshadows in a matte finish, extra creamy metallics and high-foil powders. These super pigmented shades are smooth and easy to blend.

Give teardrop eyes a chance

While they love the natural Korean makeup look, they do favour a subtle hint of glitter around the eye area now and then. This technique is so subtle that it surprisingly looks like a teardrop.

Grab a small angled brush, dip it into a glittery eye shadow or liquid liner and spot a dot around your tear ducts to achieve this Korean makeup look.

IG: @chunga_official

Our favourites:

Swiss Beauty Metallic Liquid Eyeshadow

A highly pigmented, long lasting, non- transfer eye shadow with a radiant shimmer finish, to leave your eyes with a sparkle. 

OFRA Signature Palette Ofra Glow

5 shades of plush, pearl pigmented highlighters that capture the light in all the right spots and illuminate all your facial features. These highlighters give glow a new meaning because of the liquid-to-baked technology. What does this mean? The radiance from the pearls in the formula provides an unparalleled pigment payoff and a show-stopping sheen.

Fill in the Aegyo-Sal look

Aegyo-sal- The little pocket of fat that creases under your eyes when you smile. This one Korean makeup look is highlighted on k-pop idols since it makes them appear more youthful and less tired. Koreans fancy it so much that they even get fillers to sport this look. But why would we do that when we can always fall back on a bit of makeup. 

To pull off your Aegyo Sal look, apply a highlighter directly under your eyes and then use a slightly darker shadow right underneath to accentuate it.  

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Our favourites:

Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder

A high-impact, light-reflective powder that gives your skin shimmering pink highlights and is ideal for strobing. It is encased in a sleek, mirrored compact, so you can take your glow to go. Formulated with a clear base and highly reflective pearl pigments, this highlighting powder creates a radiant yet flattering glow. Plus, the superfine, silky powder glides on smoothly and evenly and doesn't settle into fine lines.

 Turn those cat eyes into Puppy dog eyes

While cat eyes are favoured worldwide, it's all about those innocent puppy dog eyes in Korea.

Keep your eyes open while winging your eyeliner, and then bring the curve downward. But be careful - Don’t make it too drooping and you'll have the innocent eyes of a pup.

IG: @dlwlrma

Our favourites:

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner

A richly pigmented eyeliner pencil that glides on smoothly and delivers intense definition. It is specially formulated to last for upto 12 hours and is waterproof, smudge- and transfer-resistant.

Kiro Waterproof Soft Matte Eyeliner

An intense, matte, super-black eyeliner made to last up to 24 hours. Its creamy, lightweight formula glides on effortlessly. This eyeliner is tear, sweat and smudge-proof. So go get that  dramatic finish with zero fuss.

Kiss chapped lips goodbye

Behind every idol's flawless pout is a good lip balm. Before dressing their lips in colour, they make sure to keep them hydrated by swiping on a highly nourishing lip balm. If you are going for the Korean makeup look, then you must never leave this step out.

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Our favourites among Korean beauty brands:

Innisfree My Lip Balm

A lip balm that provides long-lasting moisture to the lips. The Tea Complex in this lip balm prevents moisture from evaporating and leaves behind a hint of colour and mild fragrance. It is an excellent option to include if you want a gentle, natural look.

The Face Shop Lip Care Cream
 

A portable lip care balm specially formulated in a soft creamy texture to provide dry, chapped lips with intense nourishment.

Pucker up with Gradient lips

This one is the most popular Korean makeup trend. It makes your lips look fuller and irresistible.

The way to get around gradient lips would be to use a darker pigmented lipstick or lip tint on the innermost part of your lips. Then, taking a lip brush or a cotton bud or your finger blend it outwards to create the gradient effect. Remember to lightly pat a tiny bit of concealer on your lips before you begin. Doing this will make the colour and the gradient look more evident. You can also choose to seal off your gradient lips with a clear lip gloss for a juicy, succulent look.

IG: @officialastro

Our favourites:

The Face Shop Water Fit Lip Tint

The Face Shop is one of the best Korean makeup brands that offers a natural, moisturizing lip and cheek tint. It creates a natural flush that lasts all day long. Its water-gel texture glides smoothly onto your lips and cheeks to deliver a high colour payoff with a lovely glossy finish.

Earth Rhythm Tinted Lippie

An intensely pigmented lip tint and balm, this little lippie is infused with Shea butter and organic sweet almond oil. Hello - ultra-nourished and colourful lips! Made to last all day long, it'll keep your pout hydrated.

And there you have it! A k-pop star is born. Cue the music, get up on your feet…Now sing with us, to the beat!

Ooh, when I look in the mirror

 I'll melt your heart into two

 I got that superstar glow, so

 Ooh (do the boogie, like)……