South Korean TV drama It’s Okay To Not Be Okay has been steadily gaining traction since it aired on small screens and Netflix this June. And with it, the popularity of its leading actors, Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Ji, has skyrocketed too. In the show, Seo plays an eccentric and successful children’s book author Ko Moon-young while, Kim is a nurse Moon Gang-tae who works in a psychiatric hospital.
Besides Seo’s stylish wardrobe, her petite face and sharp facial features have also caught the attention of viewers and netizens alike. Accenting her looks with makeup is celebrated makeup artist Maeng, who also works with Park Min Young and popular girl group Blackpink. Maeng recently shared on Instagram the “secrets” she used on Seo.
Seo’s makeup in the drama is soft, natural and elegant. The eyeshadow and lip colour don’t compete for attention, and the focus is instead on creating a harmonious balance between the two that emphasises the beauty of the character.
Of course, Seo’s perfect complexion plays an important role in creating and elevating this pared-down makeup style. The actress is known to pay attention to cleansing and hydrating and is careful to only use hydrating cleansers. She has stated that once her face is thoroughly cleansed, she wouldn’t go in with the second cleanse to ensure that the skin doesn’t get stripped of its natural oils and feel and look dry (read also “Skincare Tips From 13 Gorgeous Korean Stars“).
Moreover, unlike other Korean ladies who like having multiple steps in their skincare routine, Seo only uses a toner, serum and moisturiser. She also focuses on doing facial massages with her fingers to help with absorption.
Now that you know Seo’s personal beauty secrets, we will teach you how to recreate her makeup looks from the hit series.
Earthy and burgundy brown tones are the trending eyeshadow colours of 2020. If you look closely, Seo Ye Ji’s makeup leans towards the natural side, with a lot of earthy colours such as browns, nudes, rosewood and light rose tones that aren’t too saturated and loud. Yet, these well-chosen shades still look modern and stylish. Her eye makeup follows the same treatment of being subtle yet impactful. Grey-brown tones are used in conjunction with earthy browns and rose colours to create the base of the eyeshadow look before it is accented with shimmery gold.
This single eyeshadow was used on Seo as a finishing step as the pearl pigments and shimmer particles helped create a dimensional eyeshadow look against the matte shadows.
Created by the famous makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury, this 12-colour eyeshadow palette is centred around the iconic Pillow Talk colour. The palette is sectioned into Day, Desk, Date and Dream and features mainly brown and pink tones. It also contains a selection of different finishes so that you are able to do a complete eyeshadow look within each section.
Fenty Beauty previously launched a series of eyeshadow palettes each containing different colour permutations. If you want to create a similar look as Seo, pick the True Neutral iteration as it contains a range of neutral shades to create any look for any occasion.
We cannot forget to include the Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette when we’re discussing earth-toned shadows. The 12-colour palette contains both shimmers and mattes which can be used alone or together to create your Seo Ye Ji-inspired look.
Rosewood, dusty rose and nude colours are popular shades this year, with many brands releasing their own take on these shades. Among them, the lighter rose and darker rosewood shades are especially great are making your complexion appear brighter, healthier and rosier, thanks to its ability to counteract sallowness. In addition, Seo sports a soft matte lip, as compared to one with a creamy or glossy finish, to further add a touch of mystery to her look.
(Read also “The Lipsticks K-Pop Stars Love“)
Seo used this particular Nars product in the drama to create her soft nude lip look. It contains a nourishing and pigmented formula that includes vitamin E and leaves a velvety matte finish.
Korean beauty label Hera recently launched an all-nude lipstick collection made with a hydrating formulation that creates fuller, plumper lips. It is lightweight yet pigmented and this #412 nude shade imparts a sensual and understated finish
This particular Dior liquid lip has a comfortable, lightweight velvety texture that stays put without being drying. It is also made with nourishing flower and plant oils that reduce the appearance of lip lines.
Rosewood is a colour that is both pretty and romantic. If you don’t like the dryness of a matte lip, try this pigmented Chanel lipstick as it is hydrating and moisturising.
Besides being a truly unique shade, this Gucci lipstick is weightless and has a hydrating formula that feels comfortable even after hours of wear. The floral pattern on the tube also adds a touch of elegance to your collection.
While we mostly see Seo sporting nude lipsticks on the show, we were first introduced to her with a bold red colour that emphasised her steely charisma. The vivid shade, with a soft matte finish, makes an impact without being gaudy.
The red lip Seo wore was from Hermès, which was released in March this year as part of the Rouge Hermès lipstick collection. We recommend the Rouge Casaque shade as it looks sophisticated and stately.
Another shade that will make you look expensive and elegant, this Pat McGrath lipstick contains special spherical particles and polymers that blurs lip lines and make them appear extra full.
This Shu Uemura lipstick is highly pigmented and requires just a light hand for full saturation. Yet, it wears well without fading easily.
This article was first published in Cleo.