Which do you think suits her better?

Korea’s unique fashion and makeup trends have a marked influence on Japanese teenagers of today, and it comes as no surprise that even adults are enjoying a wider range of clothes and cosmetics to choose from. But while our Japanese-language reporter Meg appreciated the makeup style of Taiwan or China, she remained puzzled as to why the Korean look seemed to be all the rage in Japan these days.

▼ Japanese youngsters seem to love it.

“Why not try it out myself then?” exclaimed an excited Meg. Indeed, why didn’t she think of it sooner? The only problem was that she didn’t exactly know how to pull off such a daring feat — Meg claimed to have never ventured into Korean makeup styles — and so she grabbed her purse and zipped out of the office.

When Meg arrived at a makeup studio, professional makeup advisor Ichiyo Fukushima was quite accommodating with her simple request. But how would Meg be able to distinguish between Korean and Japanese styles?

▼ “I’ll just do both on the same face! Korean on the right and Japanese on the left.”

Ichiyo began applying powder to both sides of Meg’s face, and it quickly became apparent that the two styles were completely different, right down to the foundation base.

When it was all finished, Meg took a look in the mirror and did a double take. “Who are you!?” Meg demanded of Meg.

▼ The difference isn’t immediately apparent…

▼ …but when she donned a wig and covered half her face,
this Korean version of Meg oozed sex appeal.

▼ We can play peek-a-boo with her all day.

▼ And here’s the Japanese-style Meg we’ve all come to know and love.

▼ A side-by-side comparison between sexy cute Korean (left) and standard Japanese (right) makeup.

According to Ichiyo, both styles were complete opposites of each other. While Japanese makeup achieved a natural, innocent look by employing blending and shading techniques, the Korean approach aimed to produce an ideal face by filling up what’s missing.

So what exactly were the differences?

▼ Let Meg-sensei guide you through!

The Korean makeup style (shown on the left) features pale and vibrant skin, with straight and thick eyebrow highlights connecting to nose shadow. Employing moderate eyeshadow, bold eyeliner, and drawn eye bags will emphasize matureness, while cheeks get a bit of brush and shading, finishing with gradient red-colored lips.

Things are more straightforward for Japanese makeup, starting with a semi-matte natural skin tone. Slightly enhance the eyebrows and aim for a 3-D look for the eye shadow, coupled with plenty of mascara. Then shoot for a pinkish beige coverage for cheeks, completing the look with pink lipstick.

After all that Ichiyo had done for her, Meg thought she should at least keep a memento of her escapade.

▼ And with makeup still on, she made her way to a photo sticker booth to take some snazzy pictures.

▼ Korean Meg and Japanese Meg all in one!

So which version of makeup do you prefer? Sexy cute Korean Meg or natural Japanese Meg? The two styles are intrinsically different, but for an even closer look at what goes where, you might want to check out this beautiful Korean YouTuber for even more beauty tips.

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