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The Korean puppy eye makeup look is one of the most iconic styles in K-beauty and you can say it contradicts a lot of things we know about makeup styles.

While most of the time, we want to create a “cat eye look” with winged eyeliner and smokey eyes that look fierce and edgy, the Korean puppy eye makeup go for a downward eyeliner look instead so that the eyes look rounder and “sadder”. This is a popular style in K-beauty because it makes you look more youthful and innocent.

Is it easy to do the Korean puppy eye makeup look; can a makeup beginner pull it off? We think it’s definitely possible, especially because it doesn’t include complex blending techniques, professional tools, or intimidating colours!

All it takes is five simple steps. Follow this tutorial where we’ve included tips from YouTube channel K-BeautyMeets to show you how you can get it right.

Step 1: Prime

korean puppy-eyes-primer

Makeup junkies would already know this like the back of their hands, but this is something that rookies often forget: prime.

Priming before you start your makeup makes sure that the colours from your makeup show up more vividly and helps it last longer.

DV Tip: Don’t forget to use an eyeshadow primer since this is a look that focuses on the eyes. Remember to apply primer to the under-eye area too.

Step 2: Set with powder

korean puppy-eyes-makeup-powder

Apply a bit of setting powder to your eye area to make sure that your base makeup and primer wouldn’t budge and you’ll have a matte, clean canvas to work with.

This will prevent your eyeshadow from smudging at the crease, something that’s especially common with hooded eyelids.

DV Tip: Go easy with the powder; you just need a thin layer. Applying too much powder will cause the applied area to look cakey.

Step 3: Curl your lashes

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Using an eyelash curler, give your lashes a good curl so your eyes are opened up instantly.

DV Tip: Always curl your lashes before you apply mascara (instead of the other way around) to make sure you’re not breaking your lashes.

Step 4: Apply eyeshadow

korean-puppy-eye-makeup-eyeshadow-thickness

Pick up some dark brown eyeshadow with an angled brush. Apply it by following your natural upper lash line. The line should be around 1 to 2mm thick, especially if you have monolids or hooded eyes, so that the line can peek out from between the crease when you open your eyes.

korean-puppy-eyes-eyeshadow

Extend this line to form a downward-sloping tail at the end.

Then, starting from the middle of your lower lash line, draw a thin line that follows your natural lash line. Connect the two tails (from your upper and lower lash lines) to create a small triangle at the end.

Finally, fill in the triangle.

Step 5: Apply eyeliner

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Draw the tails of your upper lashline to slant downwards from the natural line of your eyes.

This step should be easy because it follows the eyeshadow that you’ve already applied earlier on – you’re simply defining and darkening it.

DV Tip: Do this step while your eyes are opened to make sure that your line is straight. Also, an eyeliner pencil works best for this step.

Step 5: Apply mascara

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Apply mascara to both your upper and lower lashes using flicking motions. Comb out your lashes so they look defined.

Other makeup tips

The Korean puppy eye makeup look is all about looking youthful and innocent, so the rest of the makeup should correspond to this style.

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For your brows, go for a subtle gradient, and if you can pull off the Korean straight brows, go for that.

korean-puppy-eye-makeup-final-look

For your lips and cheeks, pick a subtle coral or pink shade (instead of bold colours like deep red and purple) to round up the look.

Video tutorial for Korean puppy eye makeup look

Prefer watching a video? Here’s one that we love: