Hello, lovely people! It’s so good to see you here today. So you want to learn about Ulzzang makeup. Well, I’m glad you are here because I can tell you all about this Ulzzang makeup from Korea. As a Korean growing up in Seoul in the 2010s, it was “the makeup” to wear at school if you were one of the cool kids. So let me give you a brief introduction to Ulzzang makeup.
Introduction to Ulzzang Makeup
Ulzzang makeup is a type of Korean makeup that was very popular among teenagers in Korea in the 2010s.
So I’m quite amused that this makeup style is getting popular around the world… Well, I can certainly feel the power of K-wave.
“Ulzzang” 얼짱 is slang for a good-looking face in Korean, used by teenagers in the 2010s.
All the cool kids in middle and high schools would wear this Ulzzang makeup. It is very easy to do this makeup, so this Ulzzang makeup is perfect for young students who don’t have a lot of money to buy lots of different kinds of makeup products and time to put them on.
But you know what? Because young people wear this makeup style, they all look pretty.
Although some people would argue that students should not be so obsessed with their looks at a young age, I approve of Ulzzang makeup because it is a way to do your skincare routine.
And as I say all the time, the skin is the biggest organ in your body. Taking care of your skin should not be considered being self-absorbed, but more like taking care of your health.
Ulzzang makeup, like other Korean makeup styles, is about taking care of your skin and showing your healthy skin. So let’s talk about a Korean makeup style.
A Korean Makeup Style
So what is Korean makeup and its style?
There are many different types of Korean makeup looks, but there is definitely something that is a foundation of all Korean makeup: Flawless and healthy skin.
Whether it is colorful and strong makeup on K-pop idols or natural and simple everyday Korean makeup, Korean makeup has a huge emphasis on clean and healthy skin.
I’ve been in the beauty industry by running a beauty brand before. I believe the reason why K-beauty swept the world is because we Koreans are obsessed with clean, glowy, and healthy skin.
I wrote a blog post dedicated to Korean makeup looks. You can check it out here.
A natural Korean makeup style, showing the honey-like glow of skin!
Korean Makeup Looks | The Ultimate Guideline & Comparison
Ulzzang Makeup Style Features
Okay, so we got that one down.
As Ulzzang makeup is a Korean makeup style, you need to feature healthy skin. But what other things are there to make the Ulzzang makeup style an Ulzzang makeup style?
1. Fluffy & Toned-Up Skin
Unlike most other Korean makeup styles, Ulzzang makeup is characterized by the light and fluffy texture of your skin. Instead of looking well-moisturized, Ulzzang makeup styles should make your skin look quite dry.
There’s a funny story behind why Ulzzang makeup styles became a thing.
Back in the days in South Korea in the 2010s, students were generally not allowed to wear makeup. So teachers would call out on you if you were wearing makeup.
Students then would say that they are wearing sunscreen, not makeup! Hahaha.
So Ulzzang makeup features a very light tone that is a little too lighter than your actual skin tone…
And you can simply achieve the same by wearing sunscreen with minerals like titanium dioxide that leave a white cast on your skin. It’s actually a better way to protect your skin! I’ll explain more of that later in the post.
2. Thick and Long Eyeliner
Are you new to wearing makeup? No worries, this Ulzzang makeup doesn’t require a lot of technique to wear.
Since Ulzzang makeup is worn by teenagers, they haven’t learned how to wear natural eyeliners that suit their faces.
So here comes the thick eyeliner.
In Ulzzang makeup, you wear thick and long eyeliner with an eyeliner gel or a pen to accentuate your eyes.
3. Aegyo Sal
Aegyo sal is the part of your under-eye that protrudes when you smile. Some people have the aegyo-sal even when they are not smiling, like my husband.
In Ulzzang makeup, you brighten this part of your under-eye to make it seem like you are smiling.
Often, teenagers would put a little too much sparkle underneath their eyes that it looked like a shiny caterpillar was on them.
4. Gradation Lips
As mentioned in my last blog post about the ultimate guideline to Korean makeup, gradation lips are one of the unique makeup techniques that have evolved in Korea.
When done right, gradation lips can look very natural and lively, as if you just took a bite of cherries and you still have stains from the red, ripe cherries.
But this is worn by teenagers, so they would wear the lips a little too bright and a little too deep.
A very light face with very red lips was a thing among teenagers in the 2010s in Korea.
5. Highlighter (Optional)
This is optional, but some really cool kids would put highlighter on the bridge of their nose too.
Ulzzang Makeup Step by Step | How to Do Korean Makeup
Back in the day, it was very important to have a bright skin tone from sunscreen (to look as if we had flawless skin), red lips, and big doll-like eyes.
The rest of the face, like eyebrows, wasn’t taken into account when wearing Ulzzang makeup as a student.
Then let me show you how to wear this Ulzzang makeup step by step with product recommendations.
Here is a simple Ulzzang makeup tutorial for you.
1. Wear Mineral-Based Sunscreen
Ulzzang makeup product #1: Sunscreen
ETUDE Sunprise Mild Airy Finish Sun Milk SPF50+ / PA++++
This is a sunscreen that leaves an airy texture and light tone on your skin from K-beauty brand Etude.
It has a mild plant-based ingredient list and a perfect formula for Ulzzang makeup.
Etude has been a very popular makeup brand ever since I was a teenager, and it has been “the” makeup brand to wear for teenagers for its affordable price and good quality.
How to Wear
Take a bit of sunscreen on your hand. Using your fingers, dab the sunscreen on your face. Spread the sunscreen evenly on your face.
2. Wear Lip Tint
Ulzzang makeup product #2: Lip tint
THE SAEM Saemmy’s Ade Shot Tint
There are six colors to choose from in this lip tint collection.
I really liked how there were different shades and tones, so anyone could find a color that could suit them. For instance, if you have darker-toned skin, #5 Rose Hibiscus or #6 Apple Cinnamon could look absolutely gorgeous on you!
This is from a K-beauty brand called The Saem, and it is another very popular brand among young Korean girls and women.
With a little bit of moisture and gloss to this tint, it’d be much easier for you to wear and kind to your lips.
How to Wear
A lip tint is a lip product that stains your lips. After wearing it, the color will stay on for the rest of the day!
So it is better to be careful with how much you put on your lips. Take Saemmy’s Ade Shot Tint and apply it gently to your lips.
Back in the days when I was a student, this lip tint would come in liquids so if you were not careful, your lips could look like somebody drew your lips with ink! How nice it is to have lip tint with lip gloss nowadays!
3. Draw Bold Eyeliner
Ulzzang makeup product #3: Gel eyeliner
How to Wear
4. Lighten Underneath the Eyes
Ulzzang makeup product #4: Bright eyeshadows
Peripera SUGAR TWINKLE DUO EYE STICK
Putting light shimmery eyeshadows on your aegyo sal is very popular in Korea. For this purpose, there are light stick eye shadows for you to draw very easily!
It’s a life-saver.
Peripera is also a very popular Korean makeup brand-
How to Wear
Take the Peripera Sugar Twinkle Duo Eye Stick and simply draw it under your eyes.
Voila! Just like it says, it brings out and highlights the hidden aegyo sal.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ulzzang Makeup
Q. Can you wear Ulzzang makeup even if you don’t have a light skin tone?
A. Yes, of course! Ulzzang makeup is just a style of makeup, so no matter what your skin tone might be, you can try it.
It’s a popular makeup among teenagers in the 2010s, so it is really simple, quick, and easy to wear. With Ulzzang makeup, you only need a very few basic makeup products. It’s also good for your skin to wear sunscreen, so please go ahead if you want to try Ulzzang makeup!
Ulzzang makeup on a dark-skinned girl. Look how stunning she is!
Q. Is Ulzzang makeup for non-Asian people too?
A. Just like my answer to the previous question, yes! Ulzzang makeup is only a style of makeup anyone can try.
Ulzzang makeup can be worn by black girls, white girls, Hispanic girls, and Asian girls.
When I said anyone, I meant anyone.
Q. How can I wear Ulzzang makeup for Western eyes?
A. Ulzzang makeup is to flaunt thick, long, and black eyeliners. So you can do the same.
However, if your question is more about how to look more Korean, you can put on some flat eyeshadows with no shimmers or sparkles. Western eyes have more depth to their eyes, whereas Asian eyes are more flat.
So by wearing some flat eye shadows, you can mimic the more flat Asian eyelids.
My Thoughts on Ulzzang Makeup
When I recently learned that Ulzzang makeup is becoming popular among women in their teens and twenties around the world these days, I was so surprised!
It kind of gave me a little warm feeling…
This is the makeup style that was popular when I was a teenager back in the days in Korea, and to see the style reliving its heydays around the world in the 2020s is so mind-blowing to me!
According to local media in Japan, there were already 340k posts about “Ulzzang” on Instagram by 2018 March.
It makes me so happy to see people getting interested and falling in love with Korean culture. I hope to share a lot of information about Korean culture here on my blog.
If you enjoyed this post, check out other beauty articles of mine, and follow me on Instagram!
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