Korean, Douyin, and Igari Makeup: Their Differences and How To Achieve Each Look

East Asian makeup trends have been taking the beauty world by storm. K-beauty was at its unrivalled peak in the 2010, when everyone was dabbing glitter on their lower lids to create aegyo sals.

We entered the new decade with Douyin makeup shifting the tide, and suddenly, eyeliner is used to draw bottom lashes.

Now, with the rise of the Igari makeup trend, we bring you a detailed comparison of these three makeup styles. Each differs slightly and stands out in its own unique way, characteristic of the trends from its country of origin.

TikTok user Raquelle (@princessraquelle on TikTok) does a splendid job at summarising the differences of the three makeup looks.

@rachiehlee

douyin vs korean vs igari makeup!! #makeup #koreanmakeup #igarimakeup #douyinmakeup #beauty #douyin #eyeshadow #lip #blush

♬ original sound – rachie❣️

In this article, we discuss the focal points of each makeup style and how to achieve each look.

Korean Makeup (South Korea)

K-beauty has been around for some time now, having gone through various cycles of trends. Think of it as the Asian take on the ‘clean girl aesthetic’, where less is always more.

Korean makeup dutifully stands by “my skin but better”, where a light base makeup sets the foundation to their seemingly effortless “no-makeup” makeup look. They avoid heavy eyeshadow, contour, and blushes, keeping everything soft and natural.

One way they maintain a light base makeup is by using a makeup spatula to blend out the foundation, giving it a sheer finish.

They typically go for soft, muted eyeshadow colours, and lighten their brows for a softer look.

Although they place less emphasis on the cheeks, they have their fair share of blush trends, with the purple-pink blush, as seen on Single’s Inferno reality star Yoo Si-eun, making its rounds on the internet.

Pale pink and purple blush colours are used to achieve this milky blush effect, the subtle pop of colour fitting of the Korean makeup’s natural look.

Focus on the Lips

The main focus of the Korean makeup look is the lips. K-beauty has seen the rise and fall of many lip trends, from the popular gradient lip that mimics the aftermath of eating candy to the over-lined pouty lip all Korean celebrities are wearing.

Douyin Makeup (China)

Douyin makeup is like the drama queen of the trio. Take everything you know about Korean makeup, twist it around, and you get Douyin makeup.

It’s dramatic and bold, with a large emphasis on the eye makeup. Douyin makeup creators take their eyeshadow very seriously, not shying away from striking, smoky colours.

They often use eyeliner to reshape the eye, taking it up a notch by contouring the under-eye (or as the Koreans call it, the aegyo sal) to create more depth. While the Koreans do this to look younger, the Chinese do this to create an ethereal, doe-eyed effect.

Focus on the Eyes

What usually ties the look together is false lashes and coloured contacts. If you’ve heard of the famed Manhwa lashes, this is where it came from. Manhwa is Chinese for “comics”, with reference to the long lashes the comic book characters typically have.

Douyin makeup also leans into shimmers and glitter — from sparkly eyeshadows to reflective highlights, the goal is to look like a fairy powdered in pixie dust.

Igari Makeup (Japan)

Igari makeup, also known as “hangover makeup”, is nothing without the blush. It mimics the flushed effect one gets when they’ve had too much to drink.

The emphasis on blush creates appears cute and doll-like, giving you a youthful appearance in comparison to Korean makeup’s elegance and Douyin makeup’s flair for the dramatics.

It combines characteristics of both the Korean makeup and Douyin makeup looks. While also fairly natural, like Korean makeup, it goes heavy on the cheeks, drawing all the attention towards it.

Focus on the Cheeks

A glowy and light base is recommended for the Igari makeup look. Blushes and highlights with a cream consistency might blend more seamlessly into your base makeup, making it look like you’re flushing from within.

Instead of just applying blush onto the apples of your cheek, apply the blush across both cheeks, and over the bridge of your nose. This brings out a healthy, sun-kissed glow.

Which of these three makeup looks will you be taking on?

Featured image credits: @strawberrysodaplss/TikTok, @immbunny/TikTok, @hoangthachthao_/TikTok