Early August Boy Group Style Round Up: SHINee, B1A4, Bigbang

SHINee - Married To The Music by luhunnie 

Ok, I need to start off by explaining my history with Shinee. They were my very first K-pop group! They were actually the first people I ever heard speaking the Korean language. See, in September 2010 I had a nasty fall and broke some bones which required me to be bedridden for over a month. I was really depressed, and for some reason all I wanted to do was watch dance clips on Youtube...I guess just wishing I could get up and dance. One day, I was searching for hip-hop dance routines and stumbled on Shinee's 'Replay.' I loved it, looked it up, thought they were adorable, and pretty much devoured every Shinee related video I could find! It was through watching their episodes of 'Hello Baby' that I first became interested in Seoul and Korean culture. Therefore, Shinee will always have a special place in my heart no other group can fill! 

Geez, they looked so young...

The boys already had really successful comeback earlier this year with 'View' (which was AMAZING) and are now continuing their success with the upbeat and super fun 'Married to the Music.' Honestly, I don't care much for the MV *runs and hides.* It's interesting and bizarre, but just a little too out there for me. I found it distracting from the song. On the other hand, I LOVE the live stages! 

Who am I playing, they still look young lol.

The look on the left is based on Taemin's with the burgundy blazer over the graphic tee. I could never wear such destroyed denim, so some rips in the knees are the best I can do lol. Don't forget the striped headband! The boys were super into the Moschino Looney Tunes line this comeback, so I included the Sylvester hoody. Instead of Key's Bugs Bunny jersey, though, I opted for a cute cropped Moschino jersey under the black blazer. The black lace dress is based on the woman in the video (Madame Music? lol) who kept stealing their body parts. Reference the creepy music video with little details like the eyeball bag, bat necklace, and lip earrings. 

What did you think of Shinee's bizarre concept this time around? Did you flinch when Key's head got cut off? I did. >.<

Now for something a little lovelier! B1A4 is also one of my forever favorites: they were the very first group I saw live in concert and I've adored their cute quirky style from the start. I was soooooo excited about their comeback, you guys! The song 'Sweet Girl' is very calm and romantic with a little bit of funk. 

The styling in the MV is VERY 70's, which is a look I;m not huge on but I'll do the best I can with it. The look the girl is wearing in the beginning (on the right) includes flare jeans, which I haven't worn since middle school and would rather not wear again. I don't mind the black chokers making a comeback though, those are cute. ^^

To channel CNU's look, rock a fringed suede jacket over denim. I loved Jinyoung's leopard outfit too with the gold tassel necklace: on the left I girlified it.

I mean.,.how is he real?

My favorite outfit was actually Sandeul's super cute cotton candy pink and blue set, but I just can't imagine it on anyone else. <3

Kyahhhhhh what a cutie!

Instead, I put together something based on the girl's look with the pink and red over black and white. You can include some cotton candy design nail art or accessories as a tribute to Sandeul. ^^

The whole MV is very romantic and magical, like a sweet dream. What did you think of the song and MV? Do you like B1A4's more mature laid back sound these days? Most importantly, which member's dream do you want to be in? kk I'm stuck between jumping on cotton candy with Sandeul and waltzing with Gongchannie! ^^

Last but not least, our crazy rapping duo is back with 'Zutter' which is a weird romanization of 

쩔어. I love their sound and I love their outfits--the transition between the extreme swag and "normal" clothes. I wasn't even sure what was going on with some of their outfits. which I'm totally fine with. 

Only GD would wear a bejeweled mustard velvet bathrobe in public and make it look good.

Other choices showed their style off well--I loved GD's lip print shirt and red aviators. 

And props to the lady for having the guts to rock blue lipstick! I included it in the set in case any readers are equally bold (pics please!). If you can't afford the labels in the outfits I chose (I sure can't), you can still find something similar. The appearance of swag is more important. ;)

Sorry I didn't include the track suits kkkk. What did you think of the track and the MV? Are you happy to see GD and TOP do another collab? It's been ages! Bigbang has been super busy this summer too. 

What's your favorite single Bigbang dropped this year? ^^ I'm finally caught up on the style front! Feel free to comment with requests for looks from MVs I missed.

We have a three day weekend coming up (thanks, Madame President for the holiday!), so everyone be safe and have a good time! <3 

Korean Style Ulzzang (얼짱) Makeup

Most of you familiar with Korean beauty trends will have heard of the ulzzang or "best face" phenomenon here. I don't usually wear this style, but can't call myself a blogger about Korean beauty without an attempt! Now, there are different ways to achieve this look and of course, as a Western woman, the look will look different on me than on Korean girls. The important thing is staying true to the principle. The basic concept for an ulzzang look is to make your face as doll-like as possible. That means big puppy dog eyes, flawless skin, and a small cute mouth. The makeup itself is meant to look minimal and natural. Another key feature of this look is enhancing the V-line shape of your face with contouring.

From what I understand, ulzzangs are famous on the internet for being pretty. I guess it's like the girls who call themselves "Instagram models" back home, but focusing only on the face. There are also guy ulzzangs who happen to be super talented at being cute, and you better believe they wear at least BB cream and eyebrow pencil!

Part 1: Day Look

Ok, let's get started with the makeup! Here's my Caucasian girl interpretation:

There are two schools of thought about ulzzang base makeup. It used to always have a dewy finish, usually achieved with a BB or CC cream. Lately, I've seen some applying powder for a matte finish. It doesn't really matter, but I prefer a dewy look. After applying my Etude Wonder Pore primer, I'm going to use the TonyMoly Luminous Pure Aura CC cream SPF30 PA++. It only comes in one shade and blends pretty well on my fair skin, though I'm not sure about darker skin tones. This stuff gives a really nice dewy finish, which I'll discuss in further detail when I do a mulgwang or "wet skin" tutorial later. ^^

Just dot one pump's worth all over your face and blend with your fingertips. The result should be a smooth canvas with a slight sheen.

Now go ahead and apply a lip balm to soften your lips. You'll wipe it off later, but lip concealer can really sink in and look gross if your lips are chapped. I like the classic Smith's Rosebud Salve.

Next, the eyes! I'm gong to use my trusty Urban Decay Naked palette (original) to create a subtle look that enlarges the eyes. Seriously, do yourself a favor and buy this palette! All of the Naked palettes are great, but I maintain that the original is the most versatile. For example, I sometimes use a stiff brush to apply Naked or Buck over my eyebrows to thicken them and set the pencil. 

You can use any eyeshadow you want, but they should be similar to these. You're going to want 3 shades: 

1) Virgin: a shimmer white 

2) Naked: a matte nude brown

3) Buck: a matte warm light brown

Got 'em? Good. Get yourself a fluffy blending brush (I use the one that comes with the palette). There are three steps with the eye shadow.

Step 1: Blend shades 1 and 2 and apply all over your lid (not above the crease). 

The effect should be subtle and it should closely match your natural skin color. 

Step 2: Using an angled brush, apply shade 3 to the outer corners of your lid (not quite 1/3).

It should be extended down slightly at the end for a round puppy dog look. 

Step 3: Accentuate the "aegyo sal" or eye bags. Just apply shade 1 all along the bottom lashed to highlight the under eye area. 

If you want to use shade 2 just under to make the bags more pronounced, feel free (I usually skip that one). 

Now for eyeliner! Aside from flawless skin, liner is arguably the most important feature of ulzzang makeup. 

Using a black liquid liner (Clio KillBlack ftw!), start at the inner corner of your eye and line it all the way across. Extend the line straight out from the outer corner to make your eyes look wider. Skip liner on the bottom lashes. 

Next, add mascara! It's best not to use false eyelashes for this look--the emphasis should be on the liner. 

Eyes done! Now for face contouring.

I'm by no means a master of contouring, so I prefer to keep it subtle. If you're interested in extreme contouring, there's plenty of great tutorials out there! My friend Stella has a wicked contouring palette that you can do a ton with. 

I keep it chill, however, using only 3 products: matte bronzer, blush, and highlighter.

Step 1: Using a big fluffy brush, apply a cool matte bronzer along the sides of your face from the bottom of your cheek bones down to the jawline to emphasize your V-line. Blend blend blend, because I've seen this go disastrously wrong! If you think you're applying too much, you probably are. Also, use a bit to shade the area where your eyebrows meet the bridge of your nose. 

TonyMoly Crystal Blusher in 5 Sugar Brown

Step 2: Apply a cute pink powder blush along the tops of your cheekbones.

TonyMoly Crystal Blusher in 2 Pleasure Pink

Step 3: Apply a highlighter along the temples, forehead, and down the center of your nose. You can use liquid or powder. My favorites respectively are Benefit High Beam and Dior Diorskin Nude Shimmer Instant Illuminating Powder in 001. Today I'll use High Beam. ^^

Please follow these rough guidelines when contouring. Shade 1 is bronzer, 2 is blush, 3 is highlighter.

Sorryyyyyyy I suck at photoshop

                                                

Ok, now for lips! I think the Korean gradient lip look was designed with fuller lipped ladies in mind, but small mouths can still be cute and are on point for this trend specifically.

My K-pop queen of cute <3

To get the signature tiny dolly mouth, you'll need a lip concealer (or a regular concealer if you don't want to buy one specifically for lips). I'll use TonyMoly Face Mix Primer Lip Concealer. 

It should block out most of the pigment in your lips.

Next, take a creamy coral lipstick to add a hint of color and warmth. I'll use MAC Sheen Supreme lipstick in Korean Candy (big thanks to my girl Emma who bought us both matching lipstick as a going away present when I moved to Korea! Love you, girl!).

Subtle and cute.

Here's the finished look for day:

                                        

V-line!!!!

Part 2: Night Look

Now, to make the look a bit more intense and sexy for evening, choose white sparkly liquid liner to bling out your big dolly eyes. I'll use the Etude Tear Drop Liner in 1 White Tear. 

There's also a really pretty gold and pink one, but I like the classic white. Just use it to line the inner corner of your bottom lashes for a sparkly effect. 

You should stop when you reach your pupil.

For a sexy lip look, choose a cherry red lip tint to make a nice gradient look. I'll use the Face Shop Lovely me:ex My Lips Eat Cherry Aqua Tint in 01 Juicy Cherry.

The one on the left.

Just do as you did before and dab it in the center of lips and blend. Use as much as you like for the desired gradient effect. 

That was easy, right? ^^ Here's the finished look:

I call it Betty Boop style kk

Use your cuteness responsibly, lovelies! <3

Thanks for reading! I hope the Korean makeup inspired ulzzang look works well for you! Please comment and tell me what you think or if there are any other Korean styles you'd like to see! ^^

Love,

Angela

Early August Girl Group Style Roundup: Wonder Girls, T-ARA, Apink

Hi lovelies! Wow, I've been falling behind on my posts! Let's kick off my return with a K-pop style inspiration roundup featuring the 3 biggest girl group comebacks so far this month! Click on the photos for shopping info. ^^

Wonder Girls - I Feel You by luhunnie

Aw yeah, WG are back! I can't even express how much I loved this song. It was very old school with a serious 80's vibe, proving that Infinite isn't the only K-pop group that can channel that decade's sound properly! The looks themselves were pretty simple--the girls mostly wore bathing suit style leotards and heels as they "played" their instruments lol.

I, however, have neither the body confidence nor desire to leave my house wearing a leotard, so how about a simple bodycon sleeveless dress instead? Add a black belt around the waist and platform sandals, and you're golden! Don't forget the chandelier earrings and matching bright lipstick.

Also don't forget the cleavage and come hither eyes. Get it, Yubin!

The middle look is based on Hyelim's striped crop tank and shorts in the MV, while the American Apparel lip print tank appears on Sunmi in the first moments of the MV (you know...when she's on the toilet. Why, JYP??).

Did you enjoy the WC comeback as much as I did? What do you think of the 80's retro sound in K-pop? 

Next we had some of the usual zany cuteness from T-ARA with 'So Crazy.' I'm not a huge fan of all the aegyo-filled silliness of the MV, but the song is usual T-ARA catchy and I love the little finger pointing dance at the "oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh" part haha. The girls look super cute in their marine girl fashions, but I don't recommends copping them exactly unless you want to look like you either raided a lingerie store or thought Halloween came early. 

Ahoy, sailor! kkkkk

Instead, let's stick to a cute but realistic outfits in nautical white and blue with a few marine inspired accessories. Those navy and gold peeptoe pumps even have an anchor embellishment! <3

Did you enjoy T-ARA's comeback? What did you think of the MV and their marine girl costumes? 

Seriously, the dance is super easy and fun!

Last but not least was Apink's 'Petal,' which featured some really lovely floral dresses and skirts. The looks in the MV were actually quite simple with the director opting to focus instead on the girls' pretty hair and faces. I loved the water lilies in the scenery--the whole thing was like a Monet painting. SO pretty. Just pick a lovely floral dress or skirt as the focal point and add some understated jewelry and accessories. For makeup, give your cheeks and lips a fresh rosy glow and don't forget the bright orange nail polish! 

Aww they were so pretty! 

I actually just saw Apink on Saturday doing a fansign at Times Square mall in Yeongdeungpo. It was a circus, but the girls seemed very nice and down to earth. The fans seemed to really enjoy themselves. :)

What did you think of 'Remember' and 'Petal' this summer? Do you have an Apink bias? I loved Eunji ever since Reply 1997. ^^

Please comment with requests for any K-pop style inspiration posts! 

Kisses,

Angela