It got me thinking about how makeup is this endlessly vast field, yet trends always come full circle. So I wanted to explore the global trends alongside the looks we’ve seen on “Just Makeup.”

First off, the key themes from the 2026 S/S collections can be broken down into three core concepts:
① Glowing skin ② Less is the new luxury ③ Celebrating individuality

I’ll admit, I used to prefer editorial makeup over beauty makeup. Sure, pretty is nice, but there was a time when I found it way more fun to turn someone’s face into an art piece. Watching this reality show as an artist, though, I’ve learned so much. Makeup skills, performance ability, even the art of guiding a broadcast with tight, engaging dialogue—it really hit me that true pros need to have it all. The same goes for being a solid team member at work. You know that feedback “handles things independently, cleanly, and with great sense”? That’s the ultimate compliment. Just like I prefer working with people like that, I’m working hard to become that kind of employee myself. Think about Las Vegas—if it had stayed just a gambling and entertainment city, it wouldn’t have become a place people want to return to. But by adding spectacular shows like Cirque du Soleil and Michelin-starred restaurants run by world-famous chefs, it transformed into a multifaceted destination.

In the same way, brand artists primarily work within the natural beauty category—looks that work in everyday life. I’m really excited to see how Seoul Beauty will be embraced globally through our products.

1. Shine on the Lips

This season’s lip makeup leans toward fresh, high-shine gloss rather than the thick, concentrated gloss formulas. In an interview with 10 Magazine, Dior’s Makeup Creative Director Peter Philips explained, “We revealed each model’s individual beauty, but expressed it in the simplest, purest, most natural and effortless way.” The skin was also kept luminous with a light application of glowing foundation for natural radiance.

The makeup trends on the Paris catwalks this season focused on creating images that were natural yet soft and feminine. Instead of the instantly eye-catching, so-called “hooking” looks with dramatic transformations, there’s been a shift toward comfortable, easy-going makeup. Looking at this season’s looks, I realized how different they are from past runway makeup that boldly played with color—Seoul beauty has truly become synonymous with natural makeup worldwide.

The key to skin focused on enhancing natural moisture and radiance rather than relying on artificial highlighters. At the same time, lips featured a real skin-glow texture that extended naturally over the cupid’s bow. By minimizing decorative elements like glitter and bold colors and instead respecting the face as it is, this makeup approach is being recognized as a refined aesthetic of beauty.

2. Glam Blue Eye Makeup

Blue eye makeup emerged as a way to preserve each person’s inherent beauty while simultaneously showcasing individuality and diversity. Bold textures and colors were used, but to strike a “glam-meets-practical” balance that works in real life, the blue was concentrated on eyeshadow and lashes. It’s interpreted as expressing the emotional liberation and freshness of spring and summer after the cold season, with blue read as a color of boldness and progressive spirit. High-saturation matte cobalt blue and Hawaiian ocean blue around the eyes created a striking contrast.

While they didn’t use blue eyeshadow directly, “Just Makeup” also featured concepts that played with blue tones. The looks created a fresh, youthful vibe with blue, showcasing the essence of K-pop makeup. Personally, I was blown away by the “Paris Geumson Team’s” look for TWS. The blue tones paired with sparkling rhinestones applied to the hands created a mini-lighting effect with every hand movement during the choreography, adding dimension to the performance. It really struck me how they painted the big picture—bringing together makeup, fashion, lighting, and more to complete a cohesive look, not just focusing on small facial details.

3. Orange-Brown-Pink Mix

Tousled hair, somewhat blotchy skin, and hair colors contrasting with eye color—orange and pink tones appeared simultaneously across the face. With the continued emphasis on natural skin makeup, there’s been a growing trend to lightly apply blush over a base that lets your natural skin tone show through, using it to define facial contours rather than achieving perfect coverage. Just as many global clients I meet now mix two or more lip products, blush is also being used in pairs—a base color and a pop color. Western makeup typically relies on contouring, so brown tones are laid down first to create shadows that define the bone structure. Then, as the blush area expands, pink becomes more pronounced and naturally blends with the orange-brown undertones of the contour. Lashes are curled, mascara is applied lightly, and gold-tinted eyeshadow adds depth to the eyes.

The essence of this makeup is how saturated spring and summer colors travel across the bridge of the nose, creating vibrant, multi-hued energy across the entire face. This technique can be interpreted as capturing the energy of a season when new life blooms.

4. Rhythmic Silver Makeup

This season brought dimensional makeup that used transparent shine along with real silver and white shimmer powder to create a subtle metallic glow across the entire face. The way makeup trends connect and evolve is always fascinating. Silver was once avoided because it could look muddy on the face or give off a cold, artificial impression. But this season, it was reimagined with thin, lightweight textures that made skin appear to glow from within, offering a refined take on futuristic sensibility. As an extension of the recent glow makeup trend, transparent, luminous highlighter took center stage. Instead of adding color, the focus shifted to emphasizing reflected light for more dimensional skin under different lighting conditions. While silver is a cool color, it symbolizes refined emotion, and this season it evolved into rhythmic looks that subtly express digital sensibility. “Just Makeup” also featured silver makeup under the theme “Futurism,” and the audience has been captivated by looks where each artist’s individuality and interpretation shine through, even within the same concept.

5. Emphasis on Under-Eye

One key point in eye makeup is emphasizing the under-eye area. Every time I try a new palette on my own eyes, I can clearly see how precisely defining the under-eye adds a noticeable level of polish to the overall makeup. Controlling the intensity of under-eye makeup is always crucial, and drawing lines beneath the eye is particularly labor-intensive. When you watch the artists on “Just Makeup,” they make it look effortless, but trying it yourself might take a few attempts to get it right. You really need to carefully study the person’s face shape to create the most flattering eye makeup for their features. Plus, with so many brands releasing products in vastly different textures, consumers have more options than ever—but all that information can actually make it harder to choose.

When I do makeup for global clients, eye makeup is where their personal preferences come through most clearly. And since eye makeup is difficult to change once it’s done, it’s the part I’m most careful about. You have to consider the color, placement, and intensity of the eyeliner all at once, so it helps to have various products and shades prepped and ready to blend naturally.