SEOUL – When Just Makeup debuted on Oct 3, few expected a reality competition centred on contour palettes and eyeliner precision to become South Korea’s next obsession.
Within weeks, the South Korean streaming service Coupang Play original has become a cultural talking point.
After the fourth and fifth episodes aired on Oct 10, the series climbed to No. 1 on the streamer’s chart. Viewership spiked 665 per cent compared with its first week.
The show’s premise is simple: 60 contestants from various backgrounds compete in a series of make-up challenges where brushes are their weapons. The contestants include make-up YouTubers, drag queens, and make-up artists who have worked with Hollywood A-listers.
Missions range from presenting signature looks and one-on-one matches built around themes like Barbie or clean-girl minimalism, to large-scale projects like glamming up K-pop idols whose fan bases determine the outcome.
The show targets women in their teens and 20s, as shown in missions tied to real K-pop acts such as TWS and StayC, as well as the YouTubers such as Shortform King, Office Worker A and Bori.
The names are well-known to the audience and have helped the show go viral.
However, the show has also struck a chord with viewers with no interest in make-up techniques. The artistry on display has astonished audiences with its high standards, making the show feel like the art-world version of cooking competition Culinary Class Wars (2024 to present).
Casting is another key factor. Rather than use beauty industry insiders, producers roped in YouTubers with large fan bases, theatrical make-up artists, and make-up artists from global brands such as MAC and Nars.
The result is a cross-pollination of styles that makes the show a spectacle, not just an art competition.
The show also contains the emotional storytelling of Culinary Class Wars through editing that casts contestants into storylines that cover male make-up artist rivalries and mentor-mentee clashes.
Just Makeup has managed to turn a niche subject into one of South Korea’s mainstream reality competitions.
Though Coupang Play has made the show available overseas on Prime Video, it has yet to gain significant global traction. Had it premiered on Netflix, it might already be enjoying broader international visibility. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Streaming – music/video/contentSouth KoreaReality TV shows