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Her Dramatic Transformation Is Not a Crime
Bold and flashy 'gyaru' style rides the retro wave
A bare-faced woman and a makeup artist with bold eye makeup appear on screen, while a song by a Japanese girl group plays in the background. Moments later, the screen changes and the bare-faced woman is transformed beyond recognition from head to toe. From an oversized flower hairpin and a blonde wig to dramatic eye makeup with false eyelashes and nails decorated with pink nail art, it is truly a striking transformation.
The star of this fascinating transformation is actress Lee Min Jung (44). The video, posted on her personal SNS channel on the 6th of last month, has recorded about 7 million cumulative views. It also drew explosive public attention with about 190,000 'likes' and 1,191 comments. The video shows her receiving a distinctive retro-style makeover from a makeup influencer, and the so-called 'gyaru' style, which originated from a Japanese subculture of the past, is now emerging as a new beauty trend among younger generations in Korea.
The Return of Y2K Shaking Up Pop Culture and Industry
A bold transformation sweeping short-form platforms
'Gyaru' is the Japanese pronunciation of the English word 'Girl', and refers to women who break away from conventional norms and pursue free-spirited, highly individual fashion and makeup. It is generally characterized by bright hair colors, eye-emphasizing makeup with false eyelashes, and outfits that are somewhat rebellious yet attention-grabbing. This culture, which had a major influence on Japanese teenagers in the 1990s and 2000s, has recently met retro sentiment and been reborn as playful new content.
Stars join in one after another, proving its mainstream appeal
The broader pop culture scene is also actively embracing this trend and leading the wave. Minami (19), a Japanese member of a rookie girl group, became a hot topic after perfectly recreating a distinctive nasal tone and attitude in the internet broadcast content of fellow member Woni (22). A video of Minami traveling to Geoje on the 22nd of last month in this style has now surpassed 5.9 million views, proving its popularity. In addition, content released by girl group Hearts2Hearts on the 27th of last month recorded 590,000 views, while content attempted by model Han Hye Jin in March also reached 380,000 views, showing that various stars are communicating with the public in a fun way through distinctive makeup.
A trend that has entered everyday life
The beauty industry is also responding sensitively to this heated wave. A popular character collaboration edition, originally released overseas as a limited item by a well-known cosmetics brand, was made available in small quantities in Korea due to a flood of requests from domestic consumers. A related notice posted on the 27th of last month quickly reached 69,000 views, and the product sold out immediately as soon as sales began on a major beauty store online mall.
Mobile applications are also gaining popularity with virtual filters that apply artificial intelligence technology to retouch personal photos into distinctive retro styles. Even in offline nail salons, there is a noticeable increase in customers looking for colorful nail decorations.
Kim (27), who runs a nail salon in Daegu specializing in related designs, explained why younger generations are looking for highly individual styles as follows.
"It really seems that more customers than before are looking for flashy retro styles or unique designs. In the past, people would simply refer to them broadly as glamorous styles, but these days more customers make requests by specifying a detailed concept. There is an atmosphere of enjoying the process itself, freely combining favorite elements and expressing them."
A Confident Alter Ego Culture That Expresses Confidence
The confidence to complete my own character
Experts analyze that this beauty trend has gone beyond a passing fad and established itself as a means of independent self-expression. Rather than being concerned with how others see them, people are maximizing their individuality to the fullest and enjoying deviation and fun through an 'alter ego', a kind of virtual character. Singer Mijoo also received a strong response last November after posting a video in which she perfectly pulled off the makeup, recording 1.86 million views and 50,000 'likes'.
On the 29th of last month, beauty creator Anzzi, who shared how to create this makeup look, offered an interesting analysis of why the trend is spreading.
"There was a desire to try bold and highly individual styles that people had not tried in everyday life, and this makeup was the peak of that desire. A style that maximizes individuality without worrying about what others think represents freedom and confidence, and offers the joy of transforming into various characters rather than defining oneself in just one way."
Communication that transcends generations and cultures
Unlike in the past, the open attitude of younger generations, who accept pop culture from other countries in a friendly way without prejudice, has also become an important foundation for the trend. Pop culture critic Kim Heon Sik pointed out that younger generations feel deep enjoyment in the process of rediscovering past culture on their own, voluntarily sharing it through SNS, and consuming it as a form of play.
"Compared with the past, today's generation has a much freer atmosphere for posting related content on personal channels. The attitude of rediscovering past subcultures and enjoying them lightly and playfully appears to have had a major influence."
In Closing
Highly individual styles once considered non-mainstream culture have met modern sensibilities and digital platforms, and have been wonderfully reborn as a confident means of self-expression for younger audiences. The attitude of confidently revealing one's own unique value without being confined by the gaze of others will continue to be a driving force behind the creation of various beauty trends.
In a beauty trend that encourages people to confidently express their individuality, the role of excellent cosmetics that protect the skin's natural health is becoming even more important. We will continue to support reliable product research and development in step with changing trends, and will always be with you so that you can safely complete your own special beauty.
