No mascara, no eyeliner: How to recreate Jennie’s ‘Less Than a Lover’ makeup look

It’s not an overstatement to say no one does it “Like Jennie”. The Blackpink star’s wistful new single, “Less Than a Lover”, has only been on YouTube for four days, yet its official music video has already racked up more than 10 million views. Across TikTok and Instagram, fans are recreating her dreamy, sun-flushed beauty look almost as quickly as they’re streaming the song.

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A cinematic ode to young love, the music video stars Taiwanese model Nah Kai and is awash in nostalgic, hazy visuals that perfectly complement Jennie’s effortlessly romantic aesthetic.

The Jennie effect

Ever since Jennie began teasing the self-written and self-directed music video about a week ago, her beauty look has become a major talking point among fans. Rather than polished K-pop glamour, she embraces a carefree, almost undone Euro summer aesthetic: air-dried waves, barely-there eye makeup and skin that looks naturally kissed by the sun.

Even the single’s cover art leans into this ultra-natural mood. Jennie wears a soft rosy lip stain that looks as though it’s been left behind after eating a popsicle—no gloss, no sharp lip liner, just a naturally flushed finish.

A scattering of faux freckles beneath the eyes enhances the sun-kissed effect. Eye makeup is kept to a minimum, with only a whisper of soft brown shadow at the outer corners to add subtle definition. Meanwhile, rosy blush is swept across the cheeks and over the bridge of the nose in a soft W shape, concentrating just beneath the eyes for that fresh-from-the-beach flush.

Throughout the music video, the 30-year-old wears variations of the same effortless makeup look. In the opening scene, her hair is parted neatly down the middle and tucked behind her shoulders to showcase a pair of jade teardrop earrings. The same muted mauve tones appear on her cheeks and lips, while her eyes—defined only by softly curled lashes—are completely free of eyeliner and eyeshadow.

Achieving Jennie’s undone summer hair

Jennie’s hair follows the same relaxed philosophy. For most of the video, she wears loose, cascading waves that look more air-dried than meticulously styled. They’re the kind of effortless bends you get after sleeping with your hair in braids or scrunching it with sea salt spray or styling mousse—perfectly imperfect, with just the right amount of movement.

In other scenes, the tousled texture is pulled into both a high ponytail and a romantic low ponytail, with wispy face-framing tendrils softening the look.

One of the video’s most talked-about hair moments—and one that has already gone viral—is her bohemian-inspired crown braid, a hairstyle eagle-eyed fans may recognise from one of her previous Chanel appearances.

The look is surprisingly wearable. Start by creating a half-up, half-down hairstyle, then use your fingers to make a small opening above the ponytail and flip the ponytail through itself for added texture. Next, braid a section from each side of the head and pin the braids across the crown. Leave a few face-framing pieces loose, or lightly curl them with a wand for an even softer finish.