11 Memorable Makeovers In K-Dramas
In times of uncertainty, it is nice to chill and watch a light-hearted K-drama with some memorable makeover scenes. Makeovers aren’t always necessary when it comes to some of the males and females in K-dramaland, but when it does happen, it’s usually fun-filled and entertaining to watch. These characters have shown that a tiny bit of make-up and wardrobe change can make people feel confident in their own skin. There have been a fair share of them, but here are just 11 that are pretty unforgettable.
Note: These dramas only focus on subtle makeovers, thus nothing pertaining to weight or plastic surgery.
1. “She Was Pretty”
Starring Hwang Jung Eum as Kim Hye Jin and Park Seo Joon as Ji Sung Joon, the story takes viewers on a journey of love with the two main leads, who are each other’s first loves. They meet when they are children, but Sung Joon moves away and the two are separated. As adults, Sung Joon returns to Korea and still can’t seem to get over his first love, Hye Jin. What he doesn’t know is that his new workplace has an employee by the name Kim Hye Jin who reminds him an awful lot of his first love.
The makeover part of the series comes into play through the character Kim Hye Jin. Growing up, she was always the most prettiest girl in school, and people around her couldn’t compliment her naturally beautiful looks enough. But as she got older, the strains and hardships of finding a decent career and trying to make ends meet made her care less about self maintenance. After realizing that she wanted to give herself a little self-esteem boost, Hye Jin rewards herself with a complete head-to-toe makeover, which is indeed very fun to watch.
Catch Hwang Jung Eum and Park Seo Joon in this drama of first loves and makeovers:
2. “Secret Garden”
Kim Ju Won (Hyun Bin) is an arrogant CEO with a big chip on his shoulder. He doesn’t care about other people’s feelings and is incredibly selfish. By chance, he meets Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won), a stunt woman whose main priority is to become the best at what she does. Much to his own dismay, Ju Won takes a strong liking to Ra Im and becomes very persistent about wanting to sweep her off her feet.
After Ra Im makes it clear to Ju Won that she doesn’t want to be with him, she starts to look deep within herself and realizes that she does in fact love him. She decides to do something grand for him for once and dresses up, gets her hair and make-up done, and heads over to an exclusive party hosted by Ju Won. She impresses him with her new get-up, but he is more just thankful that she has made the move to accept his feelings.
Check out this adorable romance drama:
3. “Pinocchio”
Makeovers are obviously not just done by female characters in dramaworld. There are more than a handful of male characters who have also done their part in making sure they freshen up for some confidence. The first male on this list is none other than Ki Ha Myung, played by Lee Jong Suk in the hit romance “Pinocchio.” In the first few episodes, Ha Myung is introduced as a younger man who is staying with In Ha (Park Shin Hye) and her grandfather, as he lost his family at a young age.
After a few episodes, Ha Myung gets a total makeover after some encouragement from his grandfather. Even the grandfather states that Ha Myung could use a little bit of a makeover and literally has to drag him to the store. It’s a touching moment as the grandfather just wants Ha Myung to feel good about himself. Needless to say, the transformation is jaw-dropping and impressive.
Catch Lee Jong Suk’s transformation in the drama below:
4. “Boys Over Flowers”
Gu Jun Pyo (Lee Min Ho) is a mean chaebol who makes Geum Jan Di’s (Ku Hye Sun) life a living hell. He teases and bullies her until he realizes that the feelings he has for her may not be hate after all. Upon realizing his newfound feelings, Jun Pyo takes it upon himself to show his affections for Jan Di the only way he knows how – with money. He brings Jan Di to his mansion and gives her a full makeover of massages, facials, wardrobe, and makeup. It’s a K-drama dream come true for a lot of girls, except Jan Di is uncomfortable and still can’t find it in herself to fully forgive Jun Pyo. Despite this short-lived makeover, Jun Pyo falls in love with Jan Di as she is and therein starts their whirlwind of a romance.
Start watching “Boys Over Flowers” now:
5. “Romance Full of Life”
“Romance Full of Life” is the second installment of a trilogy produced by MBC. The trilogy is called “Three Color Fantasy” and the second one in particular stars Yoon Shi Yoon as an aspiring police officer named So In Sung. He has failed the test several times and hasn’t had much time to take care of his physical self, which results in his girlfriend dumping him. In hopes of making some money, In Sung gets involved in a freak science experiment and he wakes up with superhero type powers. He gets super strength, sight, and has gotten good-looking overall. The transformation brings a nerdy In Sung to a confident and suave In Sung!
6. “Heirs”
Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho) is a high school student and chaebol who falls in love with his housekeeper’s daughter Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye). Despite their differences, Tan is willing to do anything to be with Eun Sang, but Eun Sang is a bit more cautious. After spending some time apart, Eun Sang realizes that she wants to be with Tan and takes the leap into love. The night of a big event with the Tan family household, he gives Eun Sang a head-to-toe makeover, making her look her best to show his family and the world that they are willing to overcome all of the obstacles hand in hand.
You can start watching “Heirs” here:
7. “Healer”
Seo Jung Hoo (Ji Chang Wook) is a man of many masks. He disguises himself and runs errands for people and has to make sure no one finds out about his real identity. He runs into Chae Young Shin (Park Min Young) while doing one of these errands and after several accidental run-ins with her, he ends up falling in love. He goes under the alias Bong Soo and acts like a naive and dimwitted intern while working closely with Young Shin. When it comes time for Bong Soo and Young Shin to go undercover in order to crack the mystery of a story that they’re covering, they both clean themselves up in order to fit the role. The scene when Bong Soo and Young Shin show up dressed to the nines is pretty memorable as they both looked astonishingly perfect. Although, it can be argued that the two already looked pretty perfect before the makeover.
Catch the drama featuring this dynamic duo here:
8. “Coffee Prince”
Yoon Eun Hye stars as Go Eun Chan, the lovable tomboy who takes on various part-time jobs in order to make ends meet. Opportunity arises when she’s given the chance to work at a coffee shop, but the only catch is that the staff is required to be all men. The employer, Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) thinks she is a man and hires her. A friend of Eun Sang, Choi Han Sung, (Lee Sun Gyun) takes a liking to Eun Sang and invites her to one of his events. Eun Sang gets a complete makeover for the event and even sports a killer wig. Despite the makeover, Eun Sang looking comfortable is way more adorable and fitting!
Start watching “Coffee Prince” here:
9. “Crash Landing on You”
You’d be surprised at the amount of makeovers that were shown in the K-drama hit “Crash Landing on You.” Hyun Bin stars as the North Korean soldier Ri Jung Hyuk alongside Son Ye Jin as Yoon Se Ri. In a freak accident while paragliding, Yoon Se Ri stumbles into North Korean territory where she meets Ri Jung Hyuk. He takes it upon himself to watch over her while he figures out a way to get her back to South Korea. While in North Korea, Se Ri must adjust to the society standards of fashion. Ri Jung Hyuk hooks her up with some solid pieces to complete her North Korean look in hopes that she doesn’t draw attention in the neighborhood.
She looks so cute!
Although Son Ye Jin looks beautiful no matter what she wears, the real makeover that had viewers excited was none of other than the makeover of Ri Jung Hyuk’s crew of North Korean soldiers. Pyo Chi Su (Yang Kyung Won), Park Kwang Beom (Lee Shin Young), Kim Ju Meok (Yoo Su Bin), Geum Eun Dong (Tang Jun Sang), and Jung Man Bok (Kim Young Min) are ordered to follow Jung Hyuk to North Korea, and while they are there, Se Ri gives them a credit card to spend on whatever they want. The first place they find themselves is at the clothing store so that they can fit in with the Seoul men.
Before:
And after:
This makeover was of epic proportions. Our North Korean soldiers suddenly looked like handsome Seoul city men!
10. “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay”
Moon Kang Tae (Kim Soo Hyun) works as a caregiver in a psychiatric hospital. He meets a woman named Go Moon Young (Seo Ye Ji) who writes dark children’s books, and she takes a strong liking to him. She is determined to win Kang Tae’s heart, but Kang Tae can’t be bothered with romance and relationships because he is devoted to taking care of his older brother Moon Sang Tae (Oh Jung Se) who is autistic. Because Kang Tae is always caring after his brother and working at the hospital, he can’t be bothered with caring about the clothes he wears and doing his hair. So when he shows up to a photo shoot with Moon Young and Sang Tae, we see what he could look like if he put in a tiny bit more effort, and it’s glorious.
11. “True Beauty”
The series that seems to be the talk of the town, “True Beauty” is all about a girl named Lim Ju Gyeong (Moon Ga Young) who teaches herself makeup so she will stop getting bullied because of her looks. She moves to a new school and befriends the two most popular boys in school – Han Seo Jun (Hwang In Yeob) and Lee Su Ho (Cha Eun Woo). The scenes of Lim Ju Gyeong doing makeup are entertaining to say the least, but it’s really the lethal love triangle that is winning our hearts.
Check out this should-not-be-missed series right here:
Hey Soompiers, which of these K-drama makeovers were your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
binahearts is a Soompi writer whose ultimate biases are Song Joong Ki and BIGBANG. She is also the author of “K-POP A To Z: The Definitive K-Pop Encyclopedia.” Make sure you follow binahearts on Instagram as she journeys through her latest Korean crazes!
Currently watching: “Youn’s Stay,” “Run-On,” “She Would Never Know,” “The Uncanny Counter,” and “True Beauty”
All-time favorite dramas: “Secret Garden,” “Goblin,” “Because This Is My First Life,” “Star In My Heart”
Looking forward to: Won Bin‘s return to the small screen
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