Metro K-Drama Awards 2021: Standout Beauty Moments Of The Year
Take a look at this year’s best hair, makeup, and beauty trends in Korean dramas
Flawless skin, gorgeous makeup, TDF hair—name it, K-Dramas have it!
Through the years, we’ve come to expect some of the biggest trends in beauty to come out of the latest Korean titles. No matter what genre, K-Dramas just have a way of starting new skincare, makeup, or hairstyle trends that the beauty-obsessed know to keep an eye out for. Whether it’s a beautiful lipstick shade on the female lead or a fresh new ’do on one of the supporting characters, there’s always something to take note of!
It’s an understatement to say that 2021 is a big year for K-Dramas, and the same can be said for the beauties we’ve seen in newer titles! Here, we’ve compiled some of the most memorable looks we’ve seen in K-Dramas this past year—from charming everyday looks to stunning transformations! Swipe through the gallery for a peek at our favorites in no particular order. (Warning: some minor spoilers ahead!)
Metro K-Drama Awards Best Beauty Moments
Metro K-Drama Awards Best Beauty Moments
Kim Da-li in Dali and the Cocky Prince
Starting off the series as the daughter of a well-to-do family who owns an art gallery, Da-li (Park Gyu-young) embodies the sophisticated grace of a young woman in both manner and style.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Kim Da-li in Dali and the Cocky Prince
Everyone knows bangs are *the* beauty trend of 2021, and Da-li steals the show with pronounced baby hair bangs that look straight out of a magazine editorial.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Goo Ra-ra in Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
One moment a flourishing heiress and a struggling young pianist the next, Ra-ra (Go Ara) is a naive young woman forced to make her way through life without the comforts of her silver-spooned upbringing.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Goo Ra-ra in Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
Whether wavy or straight, Ra-ra’s head-turning copper brown hair color and see-through bangs shine in the drama as they perfectly frame her innocent eyes and bright pink lips!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Yoon Hye-jin in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) is a city girl who finds refuge in a small town after her career takes an unexpected turn. Balancing her big-city sensibilities and newfound laid-back freedom, she eventually becomes the happiest she’s ever been in her life.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Yoon Hye-jin in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
As Hye-jin grows to love her new seaside home, her style eventually evolves to include the best of both worlds. You can see her beautiful glow shine through the romantic updos and bright-colored lips—especially this soon-to-be-wed look!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Chae Song-hwa in Hospital Playlist 2
A neurosurgeon by day and a bassist by night, Chae Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do) is either in the hospital, her best friend’s basement, or a campsite. Since the series’ first season, she’s always looked the same with her blunt bob and her wire-rimmed glasses.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Chae Song-hwa in Hospital Playlist 2
That’s why transforming into this total rock star for one of the series’ episodes is so memorable! The added texture to her bob and the eyeliner is a beauty moment we won’t soon forget!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Hong Chun-gi in Lovers of the Red Sky
The only female painter of her time, Hong Chun-gi (Kim Yoo-jung) is as striking as the beauty of her artworks. In a time when supernatural beings lived amongst humans, her ethereal charm truly stands out in this sageuk drama.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Hong Chun-gi in Lovers of the Red Sky
Chun-gi’s natural beauty is only enhanced by very subtle makeup—the most raved-about being her lip color in the drama achieved by using the Laneige Ultimistic Velvet Lipstick.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Lee Eun-o/Yoon Seon-a in Lovestruck in the City
In an attempt to escape the doldrums of life, Lee Eun-o (Kim Ji-won) hies off to parts unknown where she pretends to be the free-spirited Yoon Seon-a and falls in love with a man he met during the trip.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Lee Eun-o/Yoon Seon-a in Lovestruck in the City
If the streaks of blonde hair and mismatched nail colors are anything to go by, Eun-o’s alter ego is anything but ordinary. Her carefree, spontaneous self definitely shows in her style!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Lee Min-kyung in Mad for Each Other
Burned by a painful past, Lee Min-kyung (Oh Yeon-seo) is a reclusive woman who is dealing with post-traumatic stress, delusional, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Lee Min-kyung in Mad for Each Other
In her attempts to keep people away from her, she wears a flower in her ear and dark oversized sunglasses to appear “crazy.” More than that, however, she still turns heads with her flowing wavy hair and bright-colored lips anywhere she goes.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Jung Seo-hyun in MINE
Elegance and intelligence personified, Jung Seo-hyun (Kim Seo-hyung) is the daughter-in-law to a chaebol family and the director of a gallery who looks exactly the part in every single episode of this mystery-thriller.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Jeong Seo-hyun in MINE
Perhaps best characterized by her pixie cut, Seo-hyun’s statement ’do is befitting of a strong woman such as her. With bold reds and deep nudes on her lips, you can’t help but be in awe of her striking beauty.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Kim So-yong in Mr. Queen
Jang Bong-hwan is a celebrated chef who somehow finds himself trapped in the body of a Joseon dynasty queen. As he lives life as Queen Kim So-yong (Shin Hye-sun), he discovers many secrets in the royal palace.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Kim So-yong in Mr. Queen
Being the dowager queen of Korea’s past, So-yong’s impeccable hair and makeup are all part of the traditional Joseon style. But did you notice how subtly her eyes and lips complement her wardrobe’s color? Genius!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Lee Dam in My Roommate is a Gumiho
Lee Dam (Lee Hye-ri) is a university student who ends up living with a 999-year-old nine-tailed fox after one drunken night. Dam is silly, funny, and a little rough around the edges, but still very charming.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Lee Dam in My Roommate is a Gumiho
You can tell it’s Dam from a mile away with her see-through bands and blunt lob. The show’s makeup artist also revealed a few behind-the-scenes secrets, including her lippie being Yves Saint Laurent’s Rouge Volupté Shine!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Yoo Na-bi in Nevertheless
A university student majoring in art, Yoo Na-bi (Han So-hee) is a young woman in the throes of her first love’s heartbreaking end. She then meets a mysterious young man with whom she starts a complicated relationship.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Yoo Na-bi in Nevertheless
Na-bi is the beautiful girl-next-door—simple and effortless. She has a penchant for barely-there makeup and woke-up-like-this hair, which she achieves with Charlotte Tilbury makeup and a Dyson Airwrap.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Cheon Seo-jin in The Penthouse 3: War in Life
Back with a vengeance for a third season, Cheon Seo-jin (Kim So-yeon) is as ambitious and as villainous as ever. Once released from prison, she becomes the director at an arts center and continues to wreak havoc in Hera Palace.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Cheon Seo-jin in The Penthouse 3: War in Life
Now on her second year on this list, Seo-jin’s bold, fiery makeup lives on. Is it even her if she’s not wearing red lipstick? We still can’t get enough of her!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Jo Hee-ra in The Witch’s Diner
Jo Hee-ra (Song Ji-hyo) is a sorceress who borrows a restaurant from a down-on-her-luck woman to run her own, where she whips up wish-granting dishes in exchange for a steep price.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Jo Hee-ra in The Witch’s Diner
Aside from her red hair, Hee-ra stands out with her smoky eye makeup and strong lip colors—not a common look in many K-Dramas and certainly one of the boldest on this list!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Lim Ju-kyung in True Beauty
Having always been called “ugly” by her family and her peers, Lim Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young) developed an inferiority complex that she carried through to high school. Before transferring to a new school, she masters the art of makeup and transforms herself into a goddess.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Lim Ju-kyung in True Beauty
While she feels confident in her newfound beauty, Ju-kyung is still terribly insecure deep inside. Still, we can relate to the empowering feeling she finds with skincare and makeup and we truly enjoy watching her transform herself!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Hong Cha-young in Vincenzo
Sassy and spunky, Hong Cha-young (Jeon Yeo-been) is always in fighting form whether she’s working closely with the show’s titular Vincenzo or trying to avenge her father’s death.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Hong Cha-young in Vincenzo
Cha-young’s fondness for bright-colored lipsticks make her stand out in and out of the courtroom. And while she normally wears her hair down, this low ponytail in the show’s last episode makes it one of her best beauty moments!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Kim Yumi in Yumi’s Cells
We get to know Kim Yumi (Kim Go-eun), a single woman in her 30s, through the 200 cells in her brain that help get her through her day-to-day life—including a newfound romantic relationship.
Photo Credit: Hancinema
Kim Yumi in Yumi’s Cells
Despite being an “every girl” character, Yumi’s choppy bangs and short bob set her apart in a crowd. Yet another big moment for bangs!
Photo Credit: Hancinema
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