The Early Spring: How to recreate Sun Qian’s soft office makeup look

There is something so addictive about the “should they?”, “would they?”, “could they?” workplace romance trope on television. Add an aloof, impossibly handsome boss into the mix and we’re sold.

Fictional CEOs and corporate heartthrobs have been setting pulses racing, from Kang Ha-Gi (played by Kang Hoon) in My Bias, My Boss and Seo In-guk’s See You at Work Tomorrow to Jing Boran’s latest turn as Luan Nian in the Chinese drama The Early Spring.

The 18-episode series, currently streaming on Netflix, has already climbed to the No. 1 spot among TV shows in Singapore at the time of writing. Based on a popular novel, the series follows Shang Zhitao (played by Sun Qian), who moves to Beijing for a job at advertising firm Lime. There, she crosses paths with its aloof boss, Luan Nian, who initially turns her down for the position.

But Zhitao’s persistence and earnestness eventually win his respect — and admiration — setting the stage for a flirtatious secret relationship. The pair’s undeniable chemistry, coupled with some particularly steamy scenes that reportedly required an intimacy coordinator on set, has even drawn comparisons to the Fifty Shades franchise.

There are plenty of reasons why the series has us hooked, but we’re also taking notes from Zhitao’s beauty looks. Her barely-there office makeup is soft, polished and remarkably wearable — the kind of look that could just as easily win over your office crush. Here’s how to recreate it.

1. Voluminous, loose waves

Throughout the series, Zhitao is often seen wearing her naturally voluminous, long tresses loose in cascading waves. To recreate her lustrous lengths, apply a heat protectant before blow-drying your hair with a rounded brush, directing the airflow down the lengths for a smoother, shinier finish.

For a quicker morning routine, you can also reach for the Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x™ multi-styler and dryer. Designed with twice the air pressure to wrap hair more easily, it combines drying and styling in one tool — handy for those mornings when you’re already running late for work.

Finish by running a lightweight hair oil through the mid-lengths and ends to tame flyaways and frizz, leaving your hair smooth, glossy and touchably soft.

2. A matte, powdery pout

While leading ladies in East Asian dramas often favour glossy, nude-pink lips, Zhitao takes a slightly different approach. Her otherwise minimal makeup is paired with a warm coral lip in a soft, almost powdery matte finish, giving her look a little more definition without appearing overdone.

Start by lining and lightly filling in your lips with a velvet-matte lip liner in a shade close to your lipstick. Fenty Beauty’s Trace’D Out Lip Liner is a good option for creating a softly defined base.

Then swipe on a warm coral shade such as Dior Beauty Rouge Dior On Stage Matte. Its creamy texture gives the lips a comfortable matte finish without looking overly flat or dry.

3. Soft, fuller brows

Zhitao keeps her eye makeup deliberately understated, often wearing little more than a light wash of eyeshadow, with minimal visible eyeliner or mascara. Her brows, however, are noticeably more defined — particularly through the inner third, which gives her face a softly structured look.

To recreate the effect, concentrate most of the pigment towards the front of your brows, then gradually soften the colour as you move towards the tail. A tinted brow product such as Benefit Dream Sheen Brown Glaze can help add subtle colour to the hairs while making the brows appear naturally fuller.

The result? Groomed, softly defined brows that frame the face without looking overly drawn on — very much in keeping with Zhitao’s effortless office beauty aesthetic.