In K-pop, the camera rarely keeps its distance. Idols have to prepare for the signature full-face camera shots in music videos. Whilst unforgiving angles and bright lights would send some of us into a nervous spin about our makeup choices, the Katseye girls remain flawless. They have perfected true makeup wizardry, enhancing their features whilst maintaining a natural skin-like finish. Their base makeup appears undetectable. Even though the majority of us don’t need to be music video-ready, we can adopt the idols’ expertly curated makeup style. One built to withstand extreme close-ups.

Katseye base makeup never looks caked on, heavy or overly bronzy. Manon and Sophia both use the Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh tint, which is a skin tint-foundation hybrid, or ‘complexion enhancer’. It achieves sufficient coverage without looking as thick as a regular foundation.

The formula boasts a 75% water base and skin-loving ingredients, delivering hydration for 12 hours. It’s formulated with Microfluidic technology, an innovative technique in the cosmetics field that disperses micropigments in a water-based formula, allowing them to melt into the complexion for a more natural base. 

Choosing a glowy, lightweight base product is the key to dimensional makeup on camera. A matte base prevents light from bouncing off high points, flattening features. Liquid highlight on the cheekbones and bridge of the nose allows Katseye to achieve a structured look.

The Katseye girls are instantly recognisable by their defined eye looks. Daniela is known for wearing slick, winged eyeliner. She also lines the inner corner of her eye to achieve her signature ‘siren eye look’. She uses black eye shadow on a thin, angled brush to create this effect. Daniela says she ‘performs with her eyes’, and there’s no question her eye makeup enhances this aspect of her artistry, allowing her expressiveness to come through on camera.

Megan and Yoonchae opt for a smoky eyeshadow look on the lids to enhance their doe-shaped eyes. The girls have taught us to pick techniques that work with your eye shape, amplifying your unique features and individuality. Lara takes this further, framing and accentuating her bindi through her makeup looks, integrating cultural identity into her close-ups.

Manon has shaved the tails of her eyebrows to snatch her face. This highlights her facial structure without needing the heavy contour that can look muddy on camera. Sophia, Lara and Daniela quickly followed suit. Making this lifted brow look an instantly recognisable feature in the group’s red carpet appearances. Precise brow pens help to complete this structured look, as the extra sharp brush strokes achieve a microbladed brow effect. Lara even sometimes uses eyeliner for her brows, so the sharpness translates under bright lighting.