By Marinel E. Peroy
Fresh and radiant is the signature Korean glow that has long captivated beauty enthusiasts across Asia. But achieving it doesn’t have to mean a full glam overhaul. Sometimes, it’s about small, thoughtful steps that enhance what’s already there.
On April 24, the Korean Cultural Center of the Philippines (KCC) invited beauty lovers to experience this firsthand through a makeup workshop held as part of its weeklong K-Beauty Exhibition. The event featured renowned makeup artist Chuchie Ledesma, who showcased an everyday Korean beauty signature look that feels effortless, youthful, and glowing, suitable for Filipina skin.
Ledesma brings rare, firsthand expertise in the makeup industry. In 2023, she became the only Filipina scholar to be awarded a spot in the International Intensive Makeup Course at Jung Saemmool Art & Academy in Seoul. Last year, she further deepened her training under Jenny Hyun in Gangnam through the “K-Beauty for International Clients” special class.
Her approach blends technical precision with a deep respect for natural beauty, something that came through clearly during the session (which this writer had the privilege to attend). With this, here are 7 key takeaways worth carrying into your daily routine:
1. It’s all in the technique
Korean-style makeup is less about piling on products and more about how you use them. Ledesma demonstrated long, fluid strokes, light layering, and gentle patting after each step to help products melt into the skin. It’s a method that prioritizes control and softness over speed. When done right, the finish looks seamless and almost invisible, like skin that simply happens to be glowing.
2. Start with skin that’s cool, calm, and hydrated
Before any makeup touches the face, the focus is on bringing the skin to a calm, balanced state. Cooling and hydrating products help lower skin temperature, reduce redness, and create a smoother surface.
The skincare prep step, often rushed in everyday routines, is treated as non-negotiable.
“If you skip the skin prep, I don’t think you will be able to achieve your total Korean-style makeup,” she shared. “You can get there through technique, but prep is what makes everything work.” Her tutorial was also more intentional and rooted in how the light touches can actually create more impact.
3. Choose hydration over harsh actives
One of the biggest mindset shifts is what not to use before makeup. Strong actives like retinol or exfoliating acids are typically avoided during daytime prep.
“They (Korenas) rarely use skincare with actives like retinol or acids in the morning,” Ledesma said. “Sometimes those ingredients react with foundation. That’s when you get pilling or patchiness.”
Instead, she recommends sticking to calming, hydrating ingredients. “The safest would be hyaluronic acid. Anything hydrating. Cica is also a favorite because it helps calm the skin.”
Aside from that, products with green tea ingredients were an option. However, she noted that it is important to follow one’s dermatologist’s recommendations.
4. Layer light to heavy, always
K-beauty routines follow a disciplined order, moving from the lightest to the heaviest textures. Toner comes first, followed by serum, moisturizer, and finally sunscreen! Proper layering allows each product to fully absorb, leaving behind a slightly tacky finish that helps base makeup adhere better and last longer.
“Based on experience. Sunscreen is one of the skin skincare products that gives you that below makeup, below skin for palang glowing ka na, that’s the goal,” she explained.
5. Shade matching takes time
Finding the right foundation shade isn’t a quick swipe-and-go decision. Ledesma encourages letting the product sit on the skin before committing on purchasing. Tip: Swatch from the chin to the neck, instead of the wrist!
Foundation needs time to interact with your natural oils, which can subtly shift its tone. The right match is the one that disappears after 30 to 60 minutes, blending seamlessly into your skin without turning too pink or too orange. This is why it is also important to know your undertone – whether you’re cool, neutral, or warm.
6. Apply makeup where it’s actually needed
Instead of covering the entire face, Korean base makeup focuses on strategic placement. She shared about the V (blush placements) and Star techniques (lighter coverage + proper highlighting of the face). Ledesma works in targeted zones, often the center of the face, building thin layers only where needed.
The result is coverage that feels breathable and looks real. Skin still looks like skin, not a uniform mask. Contour (1-2 shades darker only). For putting eyeliner, it doesn’t need to be in the waterline, just in the lashline (and a subtle wing) while looking at the center in doing so.
Highlighting should be at the center of the face, rather than the “C” placement on the cheekbones. Remember that K-beauty is all about giving your Filipina look a natural glow. For gradient lips, too, use a light shade of lipstick followed by a dark shade between the lips, or a finishing touch with a gloss.
(Bonus: Using a burnt wooden BBQ stick helps in curling the eyelashes and making them long-lasting, which is often applied by Koreans after mascara to prevent clumping).
Her tutorial was also more intentional and rooted in how the light touches can actually create more impact. “Patience is key,” as Ledesma reminded everyone in the room.
7. Don’t forget the small details
In this approach, no area is an afterthought. Lip balm is applied early as part of skin prep to prevent patchy color later on. Hydrating products and sunscreen are extended beyond the face to the neck, ears (yes, don’t forget them when applying foundation!), and even hands. These are the areas that often reveal texture and sun exposure first, yet they’re easy to overlook in daily routines.
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By the end of the session, one thing became clear. Korean makeup isn’t about transformation; it’s about refinement. There’s this quiet discipline to it — a kind of restraint that allows natural features to come through. Even when the makeup’s finish looks less, however, it really gives more of a lived-in kind of beauty that feels both intentional and effortless, like a real Asian diva.