"Culinary Class Wars" sparked a K-food syndrome, and "Just Makeup" is taking responsibility for K-beauty. The spectacle of K-beauty drawing global attention unfolds through "Just Makeup."
On the 1st, a press conference for Coupang Play's new entertainment program "Just Makeup" was held at the Pullman Ambassador Seoul Eastpole in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Present at the event were PD Shim Woo-jin, PD Park Sung-hwan and singer Lee Hyori, Jung Saem-mul, Risabae, Seo Ok, Lee Jin-su and others.
"Just Makeup" is a massive makeup survival show in which makeup artists who represent K-beauty globally, beyond Korea, fiercely compete with their own distinctive styles. From the first-generation makeup masters in Korea to beauty creators, a total of 60 makeup artists representing each field will compete for a single throne solely based on skill, raising expectations for a K-beauty phenomenon.
It is also impossible not to be excited that this is a new program presented by Studio Slam and SLL, which swept the entertainment world with "Culinary Class Wars." PD Shim Woo-jin explained about participant selection, "As I became more interested in makeup, I realized there are so many makeup artists in such diverse fields. I wanted to show many different people on the broadcast. We contacted beauty shops, beauty creators, freelancers and others to see whether they had their own philosophy. If, after pretty makeup, there was a certain thought or philosophy behind it, the judges could evaluate, and viewers could discover a new side. After inquiries, we gathered a top-class 60," he said.
PD Park Sung-hwan said, "If there are participants, we also needed models to receive the makeup. It starts with 60 people but there are more than 120. To show the scale when they all come together, the first round presents a massive set. After that, the art director and stage director worked hard to create sets that fit the missions," adding, "Makeup artists are usually behind the stage, but this is their chance to come forward as protagonists, and I wanted it to look like a great show," he shared behind-the-scenes details.
Fairness cannot be left out. PD Park Sung-hwan said, "We left it entirely to the judges. Since we trusted and asked them, we followed the decisions as the judges felt and thought. There could be unfairness due to the order. Makeup can show problems as time passes, so we tried to ensure fairness by arranging for judging to occur in the order that finished quickly," he said. PD Shim Woo-jin explained, "We thought about how to make it fairer so makeup artists could do more, and within the models and rules, we made it so judging could be fair."
K-beauty, which the world is watching, is presented as a massive survival show. Beauty icon Lee Hyori raises expectations by participating as the MC. Lee Hyori said, "It feels like it's been about five to 10 years since I stood in front of reporters. With so many flashes going off, it brought back old memories. I had forgotten, but it came back to me," offering her impressions. PD Shim Woo-jin on recruiting Lee Hyori said, "You can't talk about K-beauty without Lee Hyori. Because we had a connection, we went to ask her and she readily agreed, which was a great help. She said she's not good with scripted formats, and survival scripts have to be rigid, but she digested it well in her own style. If we do a season 2, I definitely want to recruit Lee Hyori again," he said.
A survival show after 16 years: "I've done a lot of unscripted entertainment where things progressed naturally, but this time I was in charge of a survival program and had to follow the script exactly. It wasn't as easy as I thought. I have the ability to grasp wit and flow, so I can make things fun in the moment, but delivering exact lines and nailing the points wasn't easy. Nonetheless, makeup as a field has been like a friend to me, so my interest was big. I even proposed that I wanted to be the MC first, and because this production company has a continuing relationship from 'Hyori's Bed & Breakfast,' we worked together," she said. "Having lived as a celebrity who receives makeup and then seeing these people compete made me feel moved and learn things I didn't know. I personally had an enjoyable time," she said.
Lee Hyori added, "I've tried so many looks that there's almost no makeup I haven't done. I've had makeup done by more than half of the participants. Rather than wanting to do something new, I want to be in a position to support them. I really want the people working hard behind the scenes to receive the spotlight."
Joining as judges are Jung Saem-mul, Seo Ok, Risabae and Lee Jin-su, who lead K-beauty trends. They will evaluate participants' makeup and present the evolution and philosophy of K-beauty with tension. From Jung Saem-mul, the originator of transparent makeup, to Seo Ok, a master of K-pop makeup, Risabae, a beauty creator with "a thousand faces," and brand makeup master Lee Jin-su, they promised a fierce judging contest with different perspectives and standards. PD Park Sung-hwan explained, "The number of judges itself wasn't given special meaning; makeup ranges from everyday looks to theatrical makeup. Because beauty doesn't have a single correct answer, we thought we should hear many stories, so we invited these judges."
Jung Saem-mul said, "I became so emotionally involved that I acted as if I were competing. I cried so much that filming was sometimes halted. The hardest part was eliminating contestants. There were many situations that were hard to eliminate because they were neck and neck, and that hurt my heart, but because this is fundamentally a makeup survival show, I tried to restrain my emotional involvement to fulfill that role. However, I think I somewhat failed at that."
Seo Ok said, "The participants are so skilled; there are seniors who are more experienced than me and they are actively working. I wondered how to judge in a survival format, so I decided to focus coldly on the results and emphasized detail and balance." Seo Ok, who has been responsible for makeup for Girls' Generation, IU and IVE, said, "At every moment I thought, could I do that, do I want to do that. I wanted to see that process on the broadcast quickly. I even asked the production team to show the full footage soon, so I'm looking forward to it."
Risabae said, "I don't yet deserve the qualification to judge, but I came with a learning mindset. When given the judging role, I wondered how to do it well, but having been in broadcast stations, shops and active as a creator, I encountered colleagues, shop owners, CEOs and seniors. As someone who communicates with the public, I wanted to view it from the public's perspective. Technique is important, but I looked for makeup that conveyed a story, that made the heart race and moved me. When you see it, you might be surprised. It won't be the makeup you imagine," she said. Risabae especially chose the emotional moment as the first round, emphasizing, "K-beauty is loved by many people; it's both empathy and professionalism. That aspect is shown in the first round, and you'd miss out if you don't watch it."
Lee Jin-su said, "I said these are artists with a different texture; within a brand, when a new product is released, I work on how to tell its story. I considered an artist's technique as default, and I paid attention to how well they understand history planning, emotions and makeup and how deeply they design those stories." He added, "On previous shows I appeared on, I felt like I was supporting makeup from behind when designers put collections on stage. This program has makeup as the protagonist, so artists solve missions. That struck me emotionally. There were also surprising moments."
The judges previewed episodes worth anticipating. Lee Hyori said, "There were models brought in by people that made it impossible to be objective. There were opponents who were objectively difficult to apply makeup to. That episode felt good while filming because it showed that makeup isn't just about making someone look pretty but is work filled with emotion." Jung Saem-mul said, "There was a contest that made me pull everything out of my head and heart. I got goosebumps and thought, because I've done this a long time, I see such things," and Seo Ok said, "Some episodes were emotionally or imaginatively fulfilling, but for many viewers, the most immediately enjoyable is the twin mission. It appeared in the trailer, and when I heard there was a twin mission I thought, are they geniuses? I wondered how they found them, and depending on how you handle two completely different people, it's enjoyable to make them look like different people."
Participants who drew attention such as Kim Tae-hee, Han Ye-seul and Lee Yoo-young are also viewing highlights. Lee Hyori said, "Whether they will be main or just passing appearances, I hope people will watch. If beautiful actors appear, there could be problems with fairness. Attention naturally concentrates," she refrained from saying more.
Lee Hyori especially recommended, "We worked hard on filming, but editing is also important for survival programs. People might think makeup is an area only for women. I had those worries too, but after seeing the footage, it's not just about makeup; it contains life stories and emotions—joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure—so it will be a program anyone can watch. Since it airs during Chuseok, it would be great if everyone gathers and watches it together."
Coupang Play's massive K-beauty survival show "Just Makeup" will first be released on the 3rd at 8 p.m.
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