By Keens Academy
Same idol. Same face you've zoomed in on at 2 a.m. Different makeup shop.
A few idols have sat in more than one famous Seoul chair, and the shops posted the results. So we put the looks side by side. Your job: find the differences. We'll grade you at the end of each round.
How to play
Check five things in every pair:
- Liner: sharp wing, soft smudge, or barely there?
- Lip: crisp, glossy, or blurred?
- Base: glassy, satin, or soft-focus?
- Blush: where does it sit? (This one's the giveaway.)
- Vibe: if the look had a playlist, what's on it?
Round 1: Wonyoung, WeWe Atelier vs Kitts
Found all five? Here's the answer key.
See the answers
Liner
WeWe Atelier. A brown line that stretches out past the eye. Long and sleek.
Kitts. Barely any liner. The lashes do the talking.
Lip
WeWe Atelier. Rosy nude, glossy in the middle, fading at the edges.
Kitts. Juicy coral pink. Fresh-bitten-peach energy.
Base
WeWe Atelier. Glassy, with sculpted shine down the nose.
Kitts. Soft-focus and velvety. Like a filter you can't download.
Blush
WeWe Atelier. Barely there, swept back along the cheek.
Kitts. A peachy flush parked high, right under the eyes.
Vibe
WeWe Atelier. Cool and chic. Runs the stage, then runs the company.
Kitts. Soft, vintage, romantic. Main character in a period drama.
Score yourself: 5/5 means you can probably tell your bias's eyeliner apart from across a stadium. 0/5? Zoom in. We'll wait.
WeWe Atelier's history with Wonyoung goes back years: Seo Ok did her makeup in her IZ*ONE days too. Kitts, meanwhile, recently posted two whole Wonyoung shoots. Same face, two very different ideas of it.
Want to see how a stage face gets built, step by step? Choose your free lesson.
Round 2: Rosé, Woosun vs Bit&Boot
Answer key:
See the answers
Liner
Woosun. A sharp black wing. Red-carpet sharp.
Bit&Boot. A soft brown wing, smudged along the lower lashes.
Lip
Woosun. Rosy pink with a clean, defined edge.
Bit&Boot. Glossy mauve-nude, plush and a little blurred.
Base
Woosun. Warm and luminous.
Bit&Boot. Dewy and bright.
Blush
Woosun. A warm flush that blends into the cheekbones.
Bit&Boot. Pink, spread soft across the cheeks and under the eyes.
Vibe
Woosun. Old-Hollywood glam.
Bit&Boot. Soft and lovely, with a little rock edge.
The Woosun team worked with BLACKPINK as a group, and Lee Myungsun posted this Cannes look of Rosé on her own account. Bit&Boot's Won Jeong-yo did Rosé's "APT." video makeup. Yes, THAT "APT." It's in your head now. Sorry.
Bonus round: Red Velvet, Soonsoo vs Woosun
Quick one: Soonsoo's year-end stage looks go bright and festive, made to read from the back row. Woosun's Seulgi is all dewy peach and a glossy pink lip, made for a close-up. Shin Kyungmi worked with Red Velvet from their debut, so this shop has real history with these faces.
Karina fans, we looked. Every Karina makeup credit we could trace led to one shop: Kitts. One shop can't play spot the difference against itself, so she sits this round out.
Meet the five shops (and their tells)
All five are in Cheongdam, Seoul. Here's how to spot each one, based on the looks they posted.
WeWe Atelier: the polished one
The tell: glassy skin, a long soft-brown liner and lips that fade at the edges. Expensive and very camera-ready. Seo Ok has worked with Wonyoung, IVE and IU.
Kitts: the blush one
The tell: blush placed high, right under the eyes, and lashes over liner. Then it flips to full glam when the show calls for it. Jo Eunbi worked on Karina's makeup for a Prada film and on Jennie's "Mantra" looks.
Woosun: the skin-first one
The tell: skin that looks like skin, brushed-up brows and quiet, neutral eyes. Quiet luxury, but make it makeup. Lee Myungsun did makeup for Jisoo and Lisa.
Bit&Boot: the warm, lovely one
The tell: warm pink and mauve tones, a soft brown wing and a plush, glossy lip. Won Jeong-yo did TWICE's makeup for about a decade, plus Rosé's "APT." video. Some of us can't commit to a lip color for ten days.
Soonsoo Cheongdam: the stage-bright one
The tell: color that holds up under big lights, and group looks that match without looking identical. Shin Kyungmi worked on Red Velvet's makeup from their debut.
(Red Velvet's Soonsoo look is up in the bonus round.)
Quick reality check: some of these shops take public bookings, but booking a shop doesn't mean you'll get the artist behind an idol's look. Artists move around, too: one hair stylist on Soonsoo's Red Velvet credits later shows up on Kitts' aespa credits. (Keens doesn't book salon appointments, either.)
Plot twist: you don't need a Cheongdam booking
Minjeong teaches makeup and dance at Keens Academy. Before BLACKPINK debuted, she taught them dance. Yes, that BLACKPINK. Take a second.
In her free lessons, she builds a stage face that survives sweat, step by step. No plane ticket required.
Pick your free lesson
- Simple Everyday Makeup: the base, brows and shading.
- Stage Makeup: stronger eyes, lashes and finishing details (hi, glitter).
Both have English subtitles.
Sources
These examples come from past shoots and performances. Artists and teams can change.
- Wonyoung by WeWe Atelier (@ouioui_kr)
- Wonyoung by Kitts (@kitts_hairmakeup)
- Rosé by Lee Myungsun (@iammaeng)
- Rosé by Bit&Boot (@bit.boot)
- Red Velvet by Soonsoo (@soonsoobeauty)
- Seulgi by Woosun (@woosunofficial)
- Woman Donga: Wonyoung makeup
- Allure Korea: Seo Ok interview
- Allure Korea: idol beauty interviews
- Harper's Bazaar Korea: Karina Prada film
- Vogue Korea: Karina Prada shoot
- Harper's Bazaar Korea: BLACKPINK makeup shops
- ELLE Korea: Red Velvet makeup
- Every other photo links to its shop's Instagram post right under the image.
Part of: What Is a K-pop Trainee Contract?