Metro Most Beautiful Korean Actresses: Kim Ji-Won And Her Beauty Secrets

Did you know? She doesn't carry around a "kikay kit," swears by the power of exfoliation, and keeps makeup and skincare to a minimum!

Metro.Style Team

September 14, 2020, 03:36 PM

Starting off Metro's Most Beautiful Korean Actresses list is Kim Ji-won, the beauty that began her career overseas in Japan then went on to headline some of the most successful K-Drama exports that have made it to the mainstream.

The 27-year-old has starred in Descendants of the Sun and The Heirs, and more recently, in Arthdal Chronicles and Fight for My Way. Currently with 13 TV series and four movie credits to her name, we're looking forward to seeing more from her in the months to come with her recent move to new agency, S.A.L.T. Entertainment. Who knows? This versatile talent might also open her career to more music and stage projects considering her singing background, something that could give her a lot more creative expression her fans would love to see.

Aside from her professional achievements, Kim Ji-won has conquered another territory as a Hallyu star: beauty! Her youthful looks and effortless beauty have become a signature of hers and are definitely a huge draw for skincare addicts hoping to cop her beauty routines and pattern their vanity counter after hers.

And if you're anything like us—a.k.a. one of Kim Ji-won's fans dying to know more about how she keeps that complexion glowing—you'll be just as excited about this deep dive into the products, tips, and tricks of her beauty regimen. Scroll through the gallery below to get in on her secrets!

Scroll through the gallery to find out some of her beauty secrets:

Metro Most Beautiful Korean Actresses: KIm Ji-won

By Metro.StyleSeptember 24 2023, 8:10 AM

First things first: Kim Ji-won's rule of thumb when it comes to beauty is less is more. Just like most Korean celebs, she doesn't believe in packing on the layers to look "made up," whether she's getting ready for a glam evening out for work, a lunch date with friends, or a commercial shoot. Natural is the name of the game here, and we approve! Way before the rest of the world embraced bare skin beauty, Kim Ji-won had already perfected the skill, so much so that it looks like she's been able to find the fountain of youth in the process.

Photo Credit: @salt_ent

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Here's another interesting tip we learned from her. Hearing the words "beauty routine," one almost always thinks of following the same steps, day in and day out, to care for skin - but that's only partly correct, according to Kim Ji-won! A better way to go about this is to listen to your skin on a daily basis and see which products in your routine are perfect for your skin's needs that day, or should be avoided. (Toner won't be necessary for dry skin days, for instance, while a heavier moisturizer will be perfect. Or on oily skin days, skip cream products and exchange them for lighter serums. Take the time to figure out the perfect combo for yourself).

Photo Credit: @salt_ent

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Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship IG (@kkbyss) and their website

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Photo Credit: Official Kim Ji-won Facebook page

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As mentioned, Kim Ji-won isn't big on heavy makeup looks. The same goes for her skincare, believe it or not. Despite the 10 (or even 11 or 12!) step Korean skincare craze that took the world by storm, she limits her products to five, at the very most, again depending on her skin's condition for the day. She starts off with toner, follows it up with sunscreen, and then an ampoule and a moisturizing cream. That's it.

Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship IG (@kkbyss) and their website

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She gives an extra tip for using ampoules, especially for those unfamiliar with the product. It's essentially like a serum, but denser and packed with more nutrients and good-for-your-skin ingredients, which means she concentrates it on areas of her face that could use the extra boost. She often uses it for undereye care, and doesn't apply it directly. Instead, she soaks two cotton pads with her amouple of choice, leaves the pads to chill in the fridge, then applies them to her face! And as we all know, cooled skincare products do wonders for shrinking pores, too, and for us ladies from tropical regions, we're definitely all in on that.

Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship IG (@kkbyss) and their website

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Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship IG (@kkbyss) and their website

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Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship IG (@kkbyss) and their website

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Here's another surprise from Kim Ji-won - she doesn't actually carry a makeup pouch with her. It's crazy to think that an actress like herself doesn't need to touch up when she's on the go, but she lets us in on a not-so-secret secret on that, too. On days when she knows she's going to be busy with very little time in between to refresh her look, she makes sure to spend time exfoliating. That way, whatever products she uses for the day are better absorbed and their skin-caring effects more potent.

Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship IG (@kkbyss) and their website

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Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship IG (@kkbyss) and their website

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Now onto the main event: the products she uses for herself! She's a big fan of Santa Maria Novella’s Idralia Cream, a day cream, followed by Dr. G Red Blemish Soothing Ampoule and Dr. G Medi UV Ultra Sun. Her preference for Dr. G products doesn't come as a surprise to us as she's endorsed Dr. G Gowoonsesang Cosmetics for years, a line of skincare perfect for those with specific skincare maladies to target.

Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship IG (@kkbyss) and their website

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As for her makeup preferences, she highlights two things: lips and cheeks. He's a peach and pink tone kind of girl, and for days when she wants to look extra feminine and cute, she uses a lighter than usual base on her face for hues to really pop. Her brows and eyes are often kept natural with just a swish of nude shadow, and she often foregoes dramatic eyeliner and lashes.

Photo Credit: King Kong by Starship IG (@kkbyss) and their website

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