K-pop sensation Jang Won-young’s makeup artist reveals her secrets behind the star’s perfect makeup look

If you’re a fan of K-pop, chances are you’re already well acquainted with the name Jang Won-young, K-pop’s latest sensation who is part of the girl group, IVE.

With her makeup styles taking the internet by storm, ranging from the dazzling looks she flaunts on stage to her effortless “no makeup” makeup look, everyone is eager to uncover the beauty secrets of Korea’s latest IT girl.

That’s why when popular K-beauty YouTubers Soo Beauty and Jooshica approached Yoon Seo Jeong, the genius makeup artist behind all the flawlessly crafted looks on Jang Won-young, we couldn’t help but scramble to jot down all the makeup tips they’ve gathered.

So, prepare your makeup arsenal and get ready to achieve Jang Won-young’s flawless doll-like makeup with the makeup tips we’ve compiled for you!

Jang Won-young’s eye makeup

Drawing a natural aegyo-sal

To create a natural aegyo-sal, Seo Jeong, who gained recognition for her stunning makeup on Won-young at the Genie Music Awards, recommends drawing the aegyo-sal line first before filling it with a lighter colour to prevent the eyes from appearing smaller.

She starts by filling the under-eye shadow using the Dasique Eyeshadow Palette in 13 Cool Blending, before selecting a suitable aegyo-sal colour based on skin tones- she uses pink shades for cool tones and peach shades for warm tones!

When it comes to highlighting the aegyo-sal, Seo Jeong doesn’t apply the highlighter all the way. Instead, she stops midway and blends the colour three-quarters of the way to the edge of the eyes for a more natural look.

To enhance its prominence, she also applies a lighter concealer underneath the aegyo-sal.

Dasique Eyeshadow Palette in 13 Cool Blending retails for S$34.56 and is available at Shopee. A discount is offered at the time of writing. Tap in to see the updated price.

Layer eye glitter for a natural finish

One of Won-young’s trademarks is her mesmerising, shiny eyes that seem to sparkle under stage lighting. But how did Seo Jeong achieve this dazzling effect without making it appear excessive or tacky?

Seo Jeong advises against applying an excessive amount of glitter directly over the eyeshadow, as it can ruin the overall look. Instead, she suggests starting with a layer of small glitter in a similar shade to the eyeshadow for a subtle shimmer and acts as a base.

To achieve a more vibrant shine under stage lights, Seo Jeong then applies larger chunks of glitter on top of the initial layer. The use of different glitter sizes creates a multidimensional effect that catches the light beautifully without overwhelming the overall makeup look.

Opting for nail glitter and jewels instead

To create Won-young’s viral makeup look at the Genie Music Award, Seo Jeong employs a unique technique of using nail glitter and jewels.

She delicately dots four nail jewels underneath the eyes, strategically stopping just before the edge. According to her, this placement allows the jewels to reflect the stage lights, just like “shooting star beams”.

In addition, Seo Jeong also applies silvery-white nail glitter on the eyelids, focusing primarily on the inner corners to give a mesmerising shine when the eyes are open. She avoids applying glitter to the outer edge of the upper eyelid, as it can create the illusion of puffiness.

To ensure the glitter is placed strategically, Seo Jeong offers a pro tip: use the tip of a screw brush to gently undo any clumping. By carefully removing glitter particles individually, she’s able to create a flawless and dazzling eye makeup look!

Nail glitters and jewels retail for S$2.07 and are available at Shopee. A discount is offered at the time of writing. Tap in to see the updated price.

Fixing the eye makeup with a magic sealer

As one of Korea’s leading girl groups, IVE is renowned for their high-energy dance routines, and the intensity of these performances means that even Won-young, the star herself, can work up a sweat that may cause her eye makeup to smudge.

To combat this, Seo Jeong relies on the SO NATURAL Make Up Setting Multi Magic Sealer. This transparent liquid serves as a fixer for eye makeup, forming a hardened barrier that ensures your eye makeup stays put, no matter how much you perspire.

If you’ve struggled to make your eye makeup last in Singapore’s hot and humid weather, this product will be a game-changer and a must-have in your makeup collection!

Just remember to use only a small amount of the sealer, lightly dotting it at the corners that are prone to smudging, as well as on the upper and lower lashes, so that your eye makeup will remain flawless yet natural-looking all day.

SO NATURAL Make Up Setting Multi Magic Sealer retails for S$20.52 and is available at Shopee. A discount is offered at the time of writing. Tap in to see the updated price.

Lengthen your eyebrows

Seo Jeong emphasises that the length of your eyebrows should be longer than your eye makeup. This ensures that the eyebrows wrap around the eyes and act as the “roof” of the face, framing the features harmoniously.

To achieve this balance, Seo Jeong begins her makeup routine with the eye makeup first. By doing so, she can determine the appropriate length to draw the eyebrows that complements the overall look.

Although the specific eyebrow pencil Seo Jeong uses is not clearly shown in the video, we think that it’s the shu uemura hard formula brow pencil, renowned for its ability to create soft natural brows, based on its uniquely sharpened tip.

shu uemura hard formula eyebrow pencil retails for S$40 and is available at Sephora.

Won-young’s face makeup

Mixing grey contour shades

To achieve a seamlessly natural and subtle contour, Seo Jeong advises incorporating grey contour shades for a more life-like shadow effect, creating a realistic depth on the face.

From the videos, two popular contour products are showcased: the Etude House Contour Powder in 03 Illuminator and the WAKEMAKE Mix Blurring Volume Shading in 02 Soft Cool.

Both of these products contain a combination of greyish tones and bronzier shades for that natural and sculpted appearance without any harsh lines or overly pronounced features.

Etude House Contour Powder in 03 Illuminator retails for S$31.50 and is available at Amazon. 

WAKEMAKE Mix Blurring Volume Shading in 02 Soft Cool retails for S$19.47 and is available at Shopee.

Diagonal blush application

Seo Jeong veers away from the conventional approach of applying blush directly in the middle of the cheeks, which tends to create a cutesy vibe, commonly spotted on other girl group members.

Instead, she uses a diagonal application technique by following the contour line. This method not only creates a more mature and sophisticated appearance but also offers a lifted effect, enhancing Won-young’s overall allure.

Glossy blush for an extra dewy look

To achieve a luminous and dewy complexion that doesn’t look oily, Seo Jeong utilises glossy blush.

She reveals that you can achieve this glossy effect with any blush by mixing it with a gloss balm. For this purpose, she recommends the CHANEL BAUME ESSENTIEL Multi-Use Glow Stick in Transparent, which imparts a radiant and natural glow to the skin, often spotted on Won-young.

CHANEL BAUME ESSENTIEL Multi-Use Glow Stick in Transparent retails for S$70 and is available at Tangs.

Highlighting techniques

Seo Jeong shares her specific techniques to achieve a flawless highlight on the face. Firstly, she blends the edges of the blush with a highlighting balm rather than using the same shade of blush to blend outward for that seamlessly clean and bright appearance.

When it comes to highlighting the nose, Seo Jeong focuses solely on the top half of the nose bridge, rather than extending the highlight all the way down.

This technique creates a shorter and more petite appearance to the nose, resulting in Won Young’s signature youthful and fresh look.

It’s also worth noting that Seo Jeong has the highlight pigment on her hands and uses a puff to gently dap it onto the skin for a more precise and controlled application, rather than applying the product directly onto the face.

Won-young’s lip makeup

Achieve her trademark glossy lips

Won-young is known for her glossy cherry-stained lips, but achieving this look requires more than just any regular cherry lip tint. It’s important to select a shade that complements your skin tone or the colour will look unnatural and awkward on you.

According to Seo Jeong, when applying gloss to the lips, the colour can fade due to the clear gloss itself, which is why she suggests mixing a red lip product with the gloss before applying it to the lips.

She also advises against directly applying the gloss all over the lips, but to use a lip brush and start from the middle of the lips, stopping just before reaching the outer edges so as to prevent the gloss from transferring onto the teeth or looking overly messy.

She then gently blends the edges of the gloss outward using a clean blush to create a seamless, and polished finish. For an added touch of volume and plumpness, Seo Jeong suggests using a glitter gloss.

Her personal favourite for Won-young is the Rom&nd Glasting Water Gloss in 00 Meteor Track, which contains tiny glitters that contribute to the star’s luscious lip look.

Rom&nd Glasting Water Gloss in 00 Meteor Track retails for S$12.90 and is available at Shopee. A discount is offered at the time of writing. Tap in to see the updated price.

Check out the Jooshica’s full video below for a more in-depth tutorial!