“Make me look like a K-pop star,” I told my Korean makeup school instructor. Three hours later, not only did I look the part, but I had also unlearned everything I thought I knew about beauty. 

My trip to Seoul was an IRL makeover game. My beauty itinerary was stacked with side quests, each one building toward my Cinderella moment. First came the skin treatments, and then came the digital hair perm, the Olive Young shopping sprees, and the tax-free retail therapy. Before I knew it, I was face-to-face with the final boss: Korean makeup school.

Weeks before my trip, I had fallen down a TikTok rabbit hole of Korean beauty tourism. There were the usual suspects, including color analysis, laser treatments, and $20 Botox. But I kept coming back to Korean makeup school vlogs—I was mesmerized by the brushwork, the blush placement, and the brilliantly blurred lips, all worlds apart from Western makeup techniques. In pursuit of my happily ever after glow-up, I booked an intensive at Jung Saem Mool Art & Academy, a Seoul-based makeup school started by one of Korea’s most prominent celebrity makeup artists.

To understand why I signed up, you have to know the full extent of my makeup lore. Eye shadow and I have a fraught history of high hopes and harsh realities. In high school, I was determined to master the art of the glittery cut crease, so I devoted my time and energy to binge-watching YouTube makeup tutorials from the likes of Huda Beauty and Jaclyn Hill. Every time I attempted a cut crease, my hooded Asian eyelids swallowed the copious amounts of glitter I piled on. One day, I let myself believe that my lids simply weren’t built for the drama—and that stuck. 

For years, I dreaded getting my makeup done. Celebrity makeup artist or Sephora rookie, it didn’t matter: I’d leave with a smoky eye that looked more like a black eye and a foundation shade that was far too warm. But Korean makeup school was different. Here, my East Asian features weren’t an afterthought; my face was front and center. Ji won Hyun, the Jung Saem Mool Academy instructor, taught me the power of subtlety and softness. I came to the shocking realization that I wasn’t warm-toned. My hooded eyelids weren’t a limitation, they were something to enhance, something that lent me the gentle charm of a Korean movie star. 

Before I knew it, I was 14 again; makeup was this pure, playful, and transformative magic, and eye shadow didn’t intimidate me anymore. Months later, I’m still mastering my K-beauty techniques. Something I’ve come to learn: Different features call for different makeup techniques. Ahead are five of the most helpful makeup techniques I learned at Korean makeup school.

Emphasize the Aegyo Sal

Aegyo sal, which directly translates to “charming fat,” refers to the tiny pockets of fat underneath your eyes—I like to think of them as eye dimples. Accentuating them draws more attention to your eyes and adds some extra definition, almost like your eyes are smizing (Tyra Banks would be proud). If you’re like me and have limited lid space, emphasizing your aegyo sal is the perfect way to add more dimension to your eye look.

To find your natural aegyo sal—some people’s are naturally more pronounced—smile in the mirror. Go in with a highlight shade along the inside of your aegyo sal—K-beauty lovers swear by the Too Cool for School Artclass Frottage Pencil— and contour the natural shadow of your eye dimples with a cool-toned brown shade. Finish it off with a sprinkle of glitter right in the center for that extra twinkle.

Blur Your Lips

The blurred lip trend is already gaining traction in the West, but it’s nothing new in Korea. After years of ultra-defined lips, I think we’re ready for the blurred lip—it has a more diffused look that effortlessly enhances the natural outline of your lips. 

For a soft, just-bitten look, start by lining your lips as usual and blur the edges with a fluffy brush. Add a dab of berry-toned lip tint to the center of your lips to create a subtle gradient. The result is a look that’s plush, pillowy, and elegantly undone.

Less Is More

When it comes to complexion, Koreans want their skin to skin. The secret? Thin layers. For a true skin-like finish, try applying your skincare with a synthetic brush—this will pick up just enough product for a glassy but not greasy base.

When you go in with your foundation, make sure to sheer it out. Some Korean cushion foundations—like the Jung Saem Mool Beauty Skin Nuder cushion, which gives my skin the most natural velvety finish—come with a textured palette on the inside of the cushion that sheers out the foundation on your applicator so that your base never ends up cakey. K-beauty really is light years ahead.

Use a “Fire Stick” to Tame Brows

I’ve tried what seems like every brow gel on the market, but none of them work as well as a skewer stick. (Yes, you read that correctly.) If you’re like me and your brow hairs refuse to stay up, the instructor taught me a fun hack: After your brow routine, heat up a skewer stick or toothpick with a blow dryer or straightener, and while it’s still warm, use it to flatten and shape your brows. (The instructor actually recommended lighting the tip of the skewer on fire and blowing it out quickly like a match, but in the interest of safety, I’ve amended the tip.) I know it sounds unhinged, but trust me: This hack will tame any unruly brow hairs and smooth them out for the rest of the day.

Placement Is Everything

It took everything in me not to wince when the instructor applied blush and highlighter smack dab in the center of my cheeks, but it paid off. Whereas most Western makeup trends call for blush placement closer to the cheekbones, the instructor advised me to apply it toward the center of the face, aiming for the area below your eyes and above the apples of your cheeks. There’s somewhat of a science behind it: East Asians tend to have flatter faces and high cheekbones, and concentrating both your blush and highlight toward the center of the face adds a soft puffiness that creates the illusion of a more dimensional face.