On Diversity and the Concept of ‘Authenticity’

Meeting clients exposes me to an incredible spectrum of people—varying skin textures, tones, and personalities. I’m often surprised by those who hold entirely different beauty standards than my own, expressing makeup in ways I never anticipated.

In terms of diversity, I’ve found Japan’s approach to expression far broader and richer than America’s. While America’s multicultural society naturally embraces diverse beauty ideals, Japan’s approach is more experimental. Japan pursues highly refined aesthetics. From hair accessories to socks, every detail appears intentional—the commitment to precision is remarkable.

These experiences have made me reconsider Korea’s approach to ‘beauty.’ K-beauty has undoubtedly achieved remarkable growth in global markets, influencing consumers worldwide. Yet, as I’ve contemplated our company’s international expansion and broadened my market perspective, I’ve wondered whether we’re all adhering to similar beauty standards.
In Korea, cosmetic procedures are relatively commonplace, and this environment has significantly contributed to the growth of the beauty industry. However, this raises questions about whether such approaches truly reveal one’s ‘authentic self.’ Of course, procedures that don’t drastically alter one’s original appearance can’t be definitively said to compromise authenticity. Still, I find myself questioning what ‘true authenticity’ means and whether our current direction is the right one.

The more I engage with these reflections and observations, the more I believe makeup creation can evolve in deeper, more sophisticated directions, not as mere trends, but as tools that orchestrate harmony between identity and diversity.

Women’s & Beauty Trend

1. The Evolution of Tone-on-Tone Makeup

Tone-on-tone makeup has made its long-awaited return.
‘Beauty’ isn’t achieved through emphasizing a single feature. Instead, it emerges from the flow of color that extends from hair to eyes to the neckline, creating an overall atmosphere. This harmony requires consideration not only of makeup tones but also of texture and structure.

This F/W season showcases more vibrant and rich color sensibilities. It’s a season where color intensity and texture are heightened within the tone-on-tone aesthetic. Blush was applied using almond blossom hues, swept downward from the sides of the cheekbones. When applying color across such broad areas, the selection of the brush becomes crucial. It’s not just about size—choosing brushes that complement your face shape and contours makes all the difference in achieving a high-quality blend. Round or stippling long-bristle brushes excel at creating a healthy flush and vitality, naturally adhering color pigments to the skin.

Recently, while purchasing a custom suit, I learned about the construction of fabrics. British fabrics utilize thick threads woven loosely in wool, creating breathability and structure. In contrast, Italian fabrics employ thin threads woven densely and tightly, resulting in a fit that conforms to the body’s curves. Makeup follows similar principles. Even with identical colors, particle size, light reflection, and color depth can create entirely different looks.

Clients often ask me, “How can I get better at makeup?” While technique matters, tools are equally important. If you possess the skill to use one product in multiple ways, that’s wonderful. However, if not, you need to assess whether you have the proper tools to complement your products. The same color can produce different textures and expressions depending on which tools you use. Makeup exists in the perfect balance between intuition, technique, and tools.

2. Sparkling Blue Eyeshadow

This season’s makeup spotlights blue eyeshadow in a range of textures.

Diverse blue colors in matte, pearl, and metallic finishes created varied eye looks, while lips and cheeks featured subdued tones ranging from soft Barbie pink to muted rosy pink.

This combination creates an overall transparent and clear impression. The layering effect—as if ice blue and white powder were dusted over the eyes—elevates the entire makeup’s sophistication, creating a different mood from last season’s neon vivid colors. Pastel blue, baby blue, and light cobalt blue express both daring and surreal sensibilities.

Subdued yet impactful indigo-based blue shadows and mascara create a cool, expansive image that seems to extend the eye shape when viewed from a distance. Adding white glitter sharpens the eye contour while lending a subtle yet luxurious feeling.

While achieving harmonious color payoff between white and blue requires careful control of intensity, the most reliable approach is to use products where color matching has already been considered. Well-coordinated color combinations within a single palette serve as excellent examples.

A representative product is the HERA QUAD EYE COLOR 04 Lavender Moon. Its moisture-infused formula allows the shadow to adhere naturally to the eyelid. When clear white glitter is applied thinly to the center of the lid without any white cast, it creates a delicate dimension reminiscent of a blue filter. The formula enables thin yet dense layering, creating captivating eye looks.

3. Skin Omakase: The Era of Texture Layering

This season’s skin makeup centers on base products with light, natural application. While preserving the expression of thin, transparent coverage, the approach respects skin’s natural texture, boldly defined brows, and subtly visible freckles.

Like global lip makeup trends, the predominant technique involves applying a matte texture to lips for a velvety finish, then layering juicy gloss on top. Skin follows the same principle. The inner areas utilize glow textures to enhance moisture, while the outer areas are balanced with silky finishes that control oil. This method resembles ‘skin omakase’ makeup, where optimal textures and finishes harmonize according to each facial zone.

As this technique gains prominence, recently launched powder products are evolving too. They showcase nude, transparent textures where fine moisture particles and white pigments remain virtually invisible, excelling at creating powder-soft finishes without dryness.

Eye makeup features crisp lashes, subtle shading, and amber-deepened pupils that blend with almond tones, creating a composed yet dimensional mood.

Overall, applying soft matte finish products selectively over radiance-giving bases proves effective, as it enhances facial volume while controlling excess oil. These products provide pore-blurring effects while improving makeup longevity, reducing the need for frequent touch-ups throughout the day.

Hybrid base products incorporating skincare functions are gaining attention. Products combining moisturizing, antioxidant, and sun protection preserve skin health while streamlining makeup steps. The LANEIGE NEO CUSHION MEWY contains 89% skincare ingredients to improve firmness, strengthen the moisture barrier, and brighten and hydrate the skin. It enhances adherence across all skin types while satisfying both functionality and expression.

4. Purple Eye Makeup and Color Mixing Harmony

This season’s smoky eyes employed eyeshadow smudging techniques to achieve a grunge feel without heaviness. The mixing of clear, intense reds, such as ruby and cherry, with lavender purple creates an enigmatic atmosphere.

While chromatic eye makeup risks making eyes appear smaller or puffy, the balanced use of washed-out purple tones achieves equilibrium. Colors derived from the berry tones that dominated 2024 runways aren’t frequently used in eye makeup. Still, this season paired light-toned icy purple with complementary red lip colors, enriching color variations.

As autumn approaches, shimmer particles have evolved toward lighter, finer textures. Beyond color, soft curves add a touch of elegance. True to fall makeup, the focus shifted from linear elements to surface continuity, completing bold eyesocket gradations while lips showcased full-lip looks in single colors. Bright, clear colors and transparent light reflection create eye-enlarging effects while adding depth to eye makeup.

5. Pink-Focused Asian Beauty

Unlike Western-style seductive makeup, these looks exude a kitschy atmosphere. They appear to be progressing toward a confident, grunge-mood, dirty-core makeup that embraces individual personality.

Eyes are sharply defined, while lips utilize lip oils or glosses to complete bold yet lustrous monochrome looks. Skin combines pink colors over clean bases to express fresh, minimal, and charming imagery overall. Cheeks emphasize femininity through natural flush, using watercolor-like spreading highlighters to add facial dimension.

Seoul beauty sits at the center of these makeup looks.

Recently, I conducted makeup classes for local KOLs in Thailand. While I expected many warm-toned complexions typical of Asian countries—which proved true—I was surprised by how many considered themselves cool-toned during actual consultations. Consequently, pink tones that complement cool undertones were shown to have a high preference.

Many people with warm undertones still can’t abandon pink colors. In such cases, the use of complementary colors proves effective. Mixing pink tones suited to individual skin tones with base colors or shimmer-giving topper products creates natural color nuances.

Most importantly, expressing ‘authenticity’ matters most. Being overly constrained by personal color analysis can limit opportunities for diverse self-expression. I recommend using personal color as a reference when developing your unique makeup style.