When IU first debuted on the music scene, she captured hearts with her cute, girly makeup and blunt bangs.
Her second album sees her maturing into a fine young lady, but one thing’s for sure, her go-to lip colour is still pink. She revealed during an appearance on Get It Beauty, “I actually like the colour pink. I use pink a lot on stage to express a bright image.” Her fave? A deeper shade of fuchsia, the hue that adorned her puckers in the music video of “The Red Shoes”.
Even when she’s acting in Scarlet Heart, in which she uses her birth name Lee Jieun, she’s almost always seen with pink lips. But instead of a full-coloured finish, she chooses a softer hue that’s often achieved with a lip tint. Here’s how to recreate her barely-there makeup look.
Use a BB Cushion or foundation with sheer coverage to achieve the no-makeup effect that IU is going for. To brighten up your complexion, use a colour corrector before foundation.
Before applying your lip colour, make sure that you moisturise your lips first. In Scarlet Heart, IU opts for a matter finish, so you can either dab light pink lipstick on your puckers and spread the colour using your fingers or go for a matte lip tint.
In real life, the singer-actress likes a glossy finish (if her Instagram photos are anything to go by). Apply pink gloss onto your lips, or if you want a long-lasting finish, put on lipstick before layering with gloss.
IU is known for her straight brows, which are always tinted brown. While not everyone can pull off the straight-brow look, you can lighten your brows with eyebrow mascara for a softer one.
The key to nailing her look is wearing minimal eye makeup. However, to brighten your eye area, use a brightening concealer or sweep shimmery pearl eyeshadow all over.
Text: Hidayah Idris/Cleo
All photos from IU’s Instagram