Coupang Play’s competitors present “Simply Make-up,” which pitted 60 make-up artists towards each other in an intense event, wrapped its season with the ultimate winner announcement — and with an unlikely streak.
This system held the No. 1 spot on the platform for 5 consecutive weeks, drawing in not solely younger feminine viewers however a rising variety of male viewers as properly.
Producers say the important thing was easy: concentrate on the joys of competitors, not product promotion.
“We used make-up because the theme, however we designed the present as a pure survival competitors,” producers Park Seong-hwan and Shim Woo-jin mentioned in an interview in Seoul’s Samcheong-dong on Tuesday, joined by the ultimate high three artists: Paris Golden Fingers (Kim Min), Oh DolceVita (Oh Hyun-jung) and Son Tail (Son Joo-hee). “There have been numerous magnificence reveals introducing merchandise. We didn’t need to repeat that.”
Paris Golden Fingers (Kim Min), the ultimate winner of “Simply Make-up,” applies make-up to veteran actress Ban Hyo-jeong over the past spherical of the competitors. Courtesy of Coupang Play
A visible survival present with ‘clear-cut outcomes’
The collection debuted at a second when world curiosity in Ok-beauty is excessive, and expectations rose early as a result of it was the following survival mission from Studio Slam, the group behind Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars.”
Shim mentioned the visible readability of the craft was key. “In contrast to meals reveals, the place style must be imagined, make-up is immediately seen,” he mentioned. The present used cut up screens and clear modifying to assist viewers unfamiliar with make-up see outcomes “clearly and easily.”
Guaranteeing equity — a power challenge for art-based competitions — was additionally a significant focus. Judges have been instructed to prioritize adherence to mission themes over subjective requirements of magnificence.
For the primary spherical, the group recruited 60 fashions of comparable age and top; the second spherical used 30 units of twins to standardize situations. Last appears to be like have been filmed in excessive decision with minimal retouching. To keep away from skewing outcomes, most product placement proposals have been rejected.
Son Tail creates a make-up look impressed by Ko Sang-woo’s “Ka-madhenu” on “Simply Make-up.” Courtesy of Coupang Play
Make-up as an artwork kind — and a wide-open inventive canvas
One of many present’s greatest achievements, in accordance with contestants, was increasing make-up past aesthetics into an inventive medium.
Son Tail’s interpretation of artist Koh Sang-woo’s “Ka-madhenu,” which turned the canvas’s cow motif right into a three-dimensional phantasm on the mannequin’s face, captured vast consideration. Paris Golden Fingers recreated the anatomy of a “Crimson Horse” utilizing crimson fibers and impasto-like textures, replicating muscular tissues, tendons and veins with painterly element.
“It wasn’t nearly making somebody look fairly. We obtained to conceive total ideas and specific our personal concepts — that’s what moved me most,” mentioned Paris Golden Fingers, the season’s remaining winner.
Son Tail added that this system “expanded the function of make-up artists and elevated the standing of Ok-beauty,” whereas Oh Dolce Vita mentioned it lastly confirmed viewers “why make-up artists are actually artists.”
Season 2 already in dialogue
With viewership far exceeding expectations, producers and Coupang Play at the moment are in critical talks about transferring the present right into a seasonal format.
“Subsequent season, we need to preserve the inventive challenges however add missions with broader enchantment — like pure make-up,” Park mentioned.
Shim added that casting will widen past celeb artists. “We’d like to herald first-generation masters, freelance artists overseas, longtime neighborhood store homeowners, even the child in highschool everybody says is the very best at make-up. We would like a totally completely different image subsequent time.”
This text from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Instances, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Instances.
