THE NEW K-BEAUTY LOOK: PRETTY-COOL

Not quite the dewy porcelain skin and Bambi eyes variety that you’re used to.

Recreate the barely there blush look seen at The Centaur with (from left) Hera Flash Blusher in Coral, $55, Hera x Blindness Cell Essence, $99, and Hera UV Mist Cushion, $68.

Korean beauty is still largely associated with dewy porcelain skin, Bambi eyes, and kissable lips and cheeks (aka telegenic girl-next-door looks – or BTS). Going by what we saw at Seoul Fashion Week (SFW) S/S ’19 though, a rebellion could be brewing. At brands from The Centaur to Romanchic, the typical pinkish, fresh-faced blush is now barely there (see opposite). Jason Lee, chief makeup artist at Hera (the main beauty sponsor of SFW) describes it as a paler, toned-down look that uses blush not to add colour, but to lightly contour and impart a glow. And while eyeliner has always been used to make peepers pop, it was unexpectedly seen along the entire waterline at Kumann Yoo Hye Jin. Complemented by tawny smudged eyeshadow, the look is rock ’n’ roll yet sophisticated. K-rock the new K-beauty? We repeat the BTS anthem: Dope.