For a K-pop enthusiast like myself, 2022 has become a turning point of sorts, with travel restrictions lifting and artists seemingly coming over in droves to — finally — perform for their fans in the flesh. (Virtual concerts just don't hit the same, speaking from personal experience.) Few K-pop groups are buzzier than LOONA, a 12-member group who embarked on their first-ever world tour this past August and tore up stages across 14 cities in North America with hits like "So What," "Butterfly," "PTT (Paint the Town)," and "Flip That."
I've always been fascinated with LOONA's styling because their music is filled with such color that their looks have to fit the bill. While LOONA has mastered the art of the "girl crush" concept (darker, mature themes and sounds associated with female "baddassery," if you will) with powerful anthems like "PTT (Paint the Town)," even they aren't insusceptible to the wave of bright concepts that washes over the K-pop industry come every summer. And, because it's LOONA, the ladies (and their makeup teams) went all out.
Their most recent single, "Flip That," is an explosion of sunshine and good vibes, and even the name itself is a wink to the switch-up in concept and styling. This comeback is a bit reminiscent of the innocence we saw in LOONA's debut song, "Hi High," but it's been dialed up several notches — showcasing elevated, more experimental looks that highlight the ladies' confidence.
In the music video, everyone is wearing what I associate with classic Korean eye makeup. All of the members (who look incredibly angelic, by the way) don halo-like eye makeup in pastel colors — mostly corals and pinks — and delicate black flicks. As accents, some have dabbles of sparkles around their eyes, colorful gems scatted across the cheekbones, and even hearts in place of blush.
Beauty-wise, there was so much to soak in that I found myself rewatching the music video just so I could focus on individual members and their looks across the different sets. I would never play favorites, but YeoJin's look is arguably the most striking as she dons two orange outlined hearts on both sides of her face,. (I need to copy this look, stat.)
Besides the gorgeous mix of pink, red, and ginger-toned hair, accessories come out in full swing — ribbons and barrettes of all colors — and I'm here for it all. I'm suddenly missing summer more than ever, which is probably why I still have "Flip That" on repeat on my Spotify.
Before their NYC show, I spoke to 11 members of LOONA backstage (Chuu did not participate in the tour) to dive into their musings about beauty, hair colors, teamwork, and more.
Talking Beauty
Allure: How would you describe your relationship with beauty from your debut days until now? Any personal learnings or observations you'd like to share?
Yves: Because it's something that we've done for so long since our pre-debut days, our relationship with beauty is deep. We've learned a lot in the sense that [beauty] is a sort of challenge. Just like we take on new genres and challenge ourselves with different concepts for comebacks, beauty is a challenge in itself because we can try new things and take on new concepts through it. It has as much variety as our discography does.
Allure: What was the inspiration behind the concept for “Flip That”? What was it about this comeback that made it special and unique from the others?
HeeJin: It really takes after the actual title of the track, "Flip That," where we turn everything that we have done upside down and try something new. We've done strong, tough, and chic concepts, but this one was special not only because it was a summer special release, but it was a fresh idea that showed the pure and innocent sides of ourselves.
Allure: What was your favorite look from the "Flip That" comeback, and why?
HaSeul: There are outfits that we're wearing with flower patterns on them and I liked those because they really brought out a more elegant and beautiful side to us. [laughs]
Allure: Is there a concept you haven't tried yet but would like to? Or, one you would like to revisit?
Olivia Hye: We're really open to any and all concepts that we can take on.
HeeJin: Now that we've done a pure and fresh concept like "Flip That," it shows that we can take on themes like this, too, and I'd like to see us do this more often.
Allure: Does your "work" makeup ever influence your "personal" makeup? Do you ever try to replicate certain looks while you're off duty?
HeeJin: I think it's inevitable that "work" makeup influences our "personal" makeup because as we're getting our makeup done by the artists, if there's a color that matches us or a product that we like, we'll go out and purchase it. Also, if we like their techniques, we'll even try to mimic those for ourselves.
Allure: What's the best skin-care tip you've learned throughout your career? Or a skin-care product you can't live without?
Kim Lip: It's something that I've learned while on tour, but with every place and new location, the water changes and that can be rough on my skin. I have sensitive skin, so I try to reduce the problems by actually using bottled water to wash my face so that it's not as harsh on my skin.
Allure: If you could dye your hair one color for the rest of your life (with the magical caveat that your hair wouldn't incur any damage and you wouldn't have to touch it up), what would it be?
YeoJin: I'd say black. If you have lightened or dyed hair, people have a tendency to look at you. They're more likely to see you and ask questions because you stand out, so if it's going to be for the rest of my life, I'd say black or brown for myself.
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HeeJin: Maybe something light like HaSeul's current hair because hair accessories match with it a lot and if I do end up wanting to color my hair on top of it, lightened hair is a lot easier to put color on.
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Allure: If you had to describe yourself as a fragrance, what would it smell like? What types of notes do you resonate with?
ViVi: If I were to express myself, I think it's a calm, natural scent. I like natural and comfortable scents, so rather than sweet or strong, I prefer light, floral scents or sea-inspired scents.
Allure: Are there any beauty trends that you're particularly drawn to these days? If so, what and why?
JinSoul: I'm really into making my eyelashes stand out recently. I like them to really pop out, so the makeup artists have shown me a few tips to make them long and voluminous. In order to have long and beautiful lashes, they have to be very healthy, so I like to use eyelash serum at least twice a day.
Embodying the Music
Allure: Out of LOONA's entire discography, which song would you say represents you the best, and why?
HyunJin: I'd say "Why Not?" because just like the title says, I like to try new things and challenges. I'm someone who doesn't like to be caged in by a concept or idea, so it represents me well when I question 'why not?'
Go Won: "Butterfly." It's a beautiful track that wonderfully envelopes the messages that we're trying to convey to our fans, so I think it's my favorite. It also represents my way of life well.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Allure: What is one quality you admire from another member, and why?
Choerry: I think JinSoul's confidence and strength are something I admire.
Allure: What do you think is the key to LOONA's teamwork?
Yves: Communication! In a group with so many members, it's hard to maintain flowing communication and it's easy to have misunderstandings. We like to discuss issues as they pop up so that we can resolve them quickly on the spot, but if that's not possible, we'll take the time to pull the other person aside so that we can talk it out.
Allure: What kind of legacy do you want LOONA to leave behind, in K-pop and beyond?
HaSeul: I'd like to go beyond K-pop and make it on the main Billboard charts. Maybe number one? We can do it!
Allure: Because this is your first world tour, what have been some of the most special or funniest moments?
Yves: There are a lot of things we can only see on tour, and I actually went out with some of the members in Chicago, I think it was, to a small cafe with puppies that were running around. It was so nice because I love dogs.
More interviews with Asian artists:
- The Ladies of (G)I-DLE Are Redefining the Girl-Crush K-Pop Concept with "Tomboy"
- OH MY GIRL Shares Their Favorite Beauty Moments from Debut to "Dun Dun Dance"
- The Beauty in Combatting Imposter Syndrome, According to Keshi
Now, watch Madison Beer try out 9 things she's never done before, like attempting ASMR:
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