If you spotted my notes from Clinique’s forward trends conference in Paris (HERE), you’ll know that the brand has some very exciting forthcoming products. I think we could very safely say about Clinique that it is a brand that throws us some beautiful surprises every now and again.
Their recent make-up artist signing for The Clinique Colour Pro Program (a group of colour artists who will work closely with Clinique helping them to lead trends) is Korean artist, Saem Mool Jung who is taking them to the next level when it comes to trends. Saem has an obsession with the perfect base; she lays claim to the original transparent make up look and coined her method KOD7. I know… it sounds complicated – it IS complicated actually, but this magnifying glass attention to skin detail comes from a fine art background and she is intensely serious about skin nuance. You know when you look at a beautiful painting and you have literally no idea how the light was captured or the precision created? That’s what Saem does with skin. It’s a million miles away from creating a smoky eye or a decent brow arch which is why she is one of the most sought after make-up artists in Korea (with her own academy). Saem’s base application method involves blending away from the V zone (where skin is thicker than any other part of the face – i.e. the cheeks), so you begin application on the V and blend out and away, as well as separating the face into cool and warm zones. As well as the myriad of Korean and Japanese bases she uses, she also likes Clinique Beyond Perfecting.
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I really suggest that you check out this Korean video HERE to get an idea of the precision of her work.
When I spoke with Saem in Paris, with the help of a translator, we discussed trend looks that are very popular in Korea at the moment. Later, she drew a beautiful face chart (main picture) to illustrate what we’d discussed which was a complete surprise and I’m delighted to have it to share with you.
- One Point Make Up: using a natural looking, demi-matte make up base, focus on either eye or lip.
- Full on smoky is out, the demi-smoky is in using muted colours with plenty of reflectivity (i.e. swap your dark greys and browns for lighter versions).
- Gold – everything gold! Don’t think of a deep, old gold but more yellow gold that glimmers on the lids.
I wanted to know what Korean products lay in Saem’s make-up kit; as you know, I love Korean beauty products so she very kindly listed out a few of her go-to kit essentials. I’ve never heard of a couple of these products so I’m happy to have an expert run down.
- Peripera Peri’s Ink – a light weight, vivid lip colour that lasts.
- VANT 36.5 Vita 2 Complex Balm – a melting primer balm that allows make-up to sit well on the skin.
- Su:m 37 Secret Programming Essence – a hydrating essence from the brand that I showed a couple of weeks ago with their make-up removal stick balm.
- Son & Park Beauty Water – a multi-purpose product that can be used as a toner, cleanser or a moisturiser in a non-irritating formula (this sounds magical!).
Signing a significant make up artist from Korea can only mean that Clinique is looking ahead to bring out more Korean inspired looks and products. With Saem, they have someone who works with those products all of time, can see how Clinique can be incorporated and maybe more importantly, what Clinique needs to do to bring out more beauty that captures our imagination in terms of innovation.
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