If you’ve been doing make-up and is a fashion lover for some time, the whole Ulzzang look might be an easy piece of cake. The fashion and make-up trend is too simple and too plain to not get at first glance, but if you are just starting out and is up to try different trends to really know your cup of tea, I highly recommend the Ulzzang fashion for your first try.
First, it is easy. And by easy, I mean, basic clothes and simple make-up. It uses casual streetwear and wearable everyday outfits and uses the no-makeup look. Second, it’s cheap. The clothes can be from your own closet but if you are looking to branching out, they are also easily available at every possible store out there. Yes, even thrift stores. You can sport a whole outfit, from head to toe, without breaking the bank. Third, you don’t need a whole collection of make-up products to achieve their look. Because they are aiming for a no-makeup makeup, you can make do with only a few and the most basic products at hand.
To know more about Ulzzang, we have a dedicated blog post for that. If you want to know the history and the overview of this fashion culture, I suggest you read that first by clicking this link.
And if you want the step-by-step guide to achieving the Ulzzang look, then I am at your service. Let’s go!
1. Prepping the Skin
The Ulzzang make-up is all about the skin. Since it is aiming for the no-makeup look, it is crucial to make the skin as flawless and as bright as possible. So the first step is to prep the face.
Because an Ulzzang make-up is a very light look, and true to the whole cheap and basic products that you might already have at hand, prepping the face does not require much at all.
If you have already established your skincare routine and have achieved good results, it is highly suggested that you stick with the products that you are currently using. But if you haven’t, I am going to introduce 4 general skincare products that will help you build a skincare routine and will help you achieve that flawless and clear skin.
One, a cleanser. This is a facial care product that is commonly used to remove makeup, dirt and dead cells. After a long day of your skin being exposed to variety of dirt and oil, wash the face with the cleanser of your choice, massaging and getting in to those edges, for 2 minutes before rinsing with water.
Two, a toner. The main job of the toner is to gently refresh the face. Since it is a gentle face product, it won’t cause any irritation or dryness to the skin. It also prepares the skin for any products that you might apply next.
Third, a serum. The serum of your choice will be the penetrating product since they are designed to deliver active ingredients, which are highly important such as Vitamin A, C, E, topical retinols and more, deeply and making sure our skin is receiving all of these.
Fourth and the last one, is a moisturizer. Generally, moisturizer helps prevent and treat dry skin. But there are varieties of moisturizer and they work according to your skin type. To know more about that, I suggest you read this first in order to determine the best moisturizer for you.
2. The Base Make-Up
The first step above might be too overwhelming but I promise you, the following steps will be easy as 1, 2,3! Further putting an emphasis to the skin, it is important to start the make-up with a perfect, blemish-free skin. Unlike other make-up trend, there is no need to cake up so much on the foundation. It is noted to keep everything light.
To start, prime your face. By applying a primer, you are giving all the other products a blank canvas to work on. This will make your skin look poreless and smooth and also helps the makeup last longer.
Another alternative to primers are sunscreens. Beauty gurus and expert has been emphasizing the importance of sunscreens as they greatly help block dangerous UV sunrays that can damage the skin. If you’re not a fan of the whole make-up process, brands have developed certain sunscreens that are tinted and can serve as a foundation.
Next, is a BB cream. Ulzzangs rarely ever use heavy foundations and prefer lighter BB (Blemish Balm) creams or CC (Color Control) creams that will serve as a coverup to pimples, blemishes and can reduce and improve the appearance of uneven skintone.
3. Circle Lenses or Makeup for bigger eyes
One of the famous traits of an Ulzzang is their doll-like eyes. Some can achieve dolly eyes by the power of makeup while others opt in for circle lenses which are bigger in diameter to achieve bigger eyes.
If you’re not a fan of putting on circle lenses (which I know not a lot are), you can check YouTube videos, demonstrating makeup techniques that can make your eyes look bigger.
4. Eyebrows
I feel like Ulzzang/Korean eyebrows needs to be discussed more that’s why I decided to put this on a different number because this plays a big part to the whole look.
Ulzzang eyebrows are completely different from the eyebrows of the rest of the makeup trends. While other trends tend to put so much emphasis on their eyebrows by filling and drawing on it to achieve a perfect and clean arc-shape, often titled “eyebrows on fleek" but for the Ulzzang fashion, instead of a very dark, clean arc-shaped, they prefer softer edges and straight-shaped eyebrows. That’s right, straight eyebrows.
The reason why this is the chosen shape for Ulzzang makeup is because softer and straighter eyebrows contributes to having an innocent and youthful face. While western makeup trends makes a person look more mature than their age, Korean makeup strives to make the person look younger.
5. Eye make-up
For their eyes, Ulzzang girls prefers light and neutral eyeshadows. These are usually warm browns and light pinks, To give depth to the eyes, a darker tone will be blended perfectly near the edge. Depending on the occasion, Ulzzang girls might darken their makeup a bit but for their everyday usual look, it is usually that simple.
One thing that is considered very important is eyeliner. An eyeliner can significantly help in defining the eyes and depending on the shape drawn, it can even go as far as changing the eye shape, making it look more wider or smaller.
To further emphasize the eyes, you can also put on natural-looking fake lashes or enhance your own by looking into mascaras that are design to make your lashes longer. Note: Stray away from dramatic-looking fake eye lashes.
6. Gradient Lips
In accordance to everything soft, from the eyebrows to the eyes, the Ulzzang lips are of course, not any different. There is a fad among the K-beauty community, and even to different parts of the world, and that is the gradient lips. Just like its name, the lip colors blends perfectly from darker center to lighter edges. This is meant to give a natural, almost no lipstick, just bitten effect (Whoo, that’s a long description.) This is also supposed to give a more youthful look.
The first time this went viral, the usual step would be to first apply concealer on the lips, then a pigmented lipstick to the center then a lip brush to feather out the color to the edges of the lips. Then when it was proven that this trend won’t be going away anytime soon, Laneige, a South Korean cosmetic brand came up with the Two Toned Tint Lip Bar, specially designed to recreate the gradient lips with just one swipe of one lipstick.
7. Ulzzang Hair
We’re done with the face! Yey! To complete the whole face-related Ulzzang look, let’s not forget the hair. True to their whole natural, no makeup, effortless look, their hair is also void of anything.
A typical Ulzzang’s hair color are usually their natural color, which is either black or brown or to spice it up, they might dye their hair an ashy neutral shade but never anything too bright. They can have bangs, usually see-through or wispy bangs, for a cuter, younger look or choose not to for more class and elegance.
Ulzzang hair are usually volumized or for the lack of better term, fluffy. You don’t usually see them with that obviously flat-ironed hair but instead straight and bouncy ones. Same goes if they opt in to curl their hair. They would usually go in for very loose curls. Basically, everything that looks natural. No matter what products or treatment they use, everything has to look effortless.
8. Ulzzang Clothes
This part of the whole look is the easiest. Ulzzang outfits are casual and comfortable streetwear. This includes oversized shirts and sweaters, high-waisted bottoms, skinny jeans, and sneakers.
Ulzzang outfits are wearable for everyday casual look. They are not in any way flashy but are very aesthtically pleasing. As mentioned, these are pieces of clothes you can pull out of your closet and with the right mix and match, would be a perfect outfit for the whole Ulzzang look.
For the clothes, you don’t need to think too much about it, just think comfortable, casual and streetwear and you’re good to go!
9. Ulzzang Accessories
Like the whole look, Ulzzang accessories are also very subtle. Small bracelets, simple necklaces, basic watches and probably the most common, circle non-graded glasses and baseball caps.
For summery feels, Ulzzang girls would sometimes switch baseball caps for bucket hats, which are cuter and adds more spice to the outfit.
10. Take a Selfie
The whole Ulzzang trend started because of the rise of digital camera also gave way for people to take self-portraits. Korean forums boards would hold virtual events, called Ulzzangs Cafes, where Ulzzangs can submit their photos and netizens can vote for the best of the best face. A photo-sharing app, similar to Instagram, called Haduri was also launched to specifically cater to Ulzzangs.
That’s why I personally believe that the whole Ulzzang look won’t be completed if you don’t take selfie. It might seem like it is really effortless but let’s admit it, dressing up, the whole makeup, still takes up a bit of time and thought. So while you are at it, take a picture and show it off. After all, you’ve just pulled off the whole Ulzzang look. Wink wink!
