Korean Makeup Trick To Make The Eyes Look Bigger Is Making A Comeback In A More Sophisticated Version

By Karmen on 05 Dec 2021

Digital Editor

The aegyo sal, or under eye fat, makeup trend has been around for eons, but it has recently starting trending again in Korea but with a more sophisticated, 2021-friendly look.

Keep reading to find out more!

For those unfamiliar with aegyo sal, it's the bit of under eye fat, not bags, that looks more prominent when smiling. Since the 90s gyaru days, it's been a popular trend in Japan to accentuate this charming pocket of fat. In the 2000s, there was also a surge in this trend in Korea when the ulzzang look was all the rage. Apparently, it creates a cute, innocent and doll-like look.

The aegyo sal look used to be a little on the dramatic side with a thick line of faux under eye fat, strong contour and glitter. But these days, the trend has resurfaced in a more sophisticated and natural-looking form, while still creating a youthful look and the illusion of bigger eyes.

Without aegyo sal, the concealer will be applied all the way to the under eye lash line. This is a typical look in Western-style makeup and you'll spot it on celebrities like Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian. Notice that it creates a bold, sultry look that makes the eyes look defined and smaller at the same time.

Photo from @arianagrande via Instagram

Photo from @kimkardashian via Instagram

The aegyo sal trick prevents that tight-eyed look by highlighting some of the under eye fat subtly.

As demonstrated by Korean makeup artist 재유JEYU, the trick to making the eyes look bigger and creating a softer look is to highlight a small portion of the under eye fat and conceal the rest of the dark circles. Instead of following the model's natural under eye fat, she chose to create a thinner aegyo sal which looks more natural.

Photo from @u.jae_ via Instagram

Getting the aegyo sal look is pretty simple. Use a contour shade to draw a thin curved line just slightly under the eyes and blend the edges, then apply a brighter highlight shade on top of the line and blend. Make sure not to use shimmers or glitters to keep it looking natural.

Photo from 재유JEYU via YouTube

This creates a subtle 3D puffy effect that makes the eyes look bigger v.s. concealing the under eye area completely. Check out her video here.

For those who don't have prominent under eye fat, you can do the opposite and create a thicker puffed area by drawing the contour lower down. 안다 ANDA, another Korean makeup artist, has a trick where she squints her eyes slightly for her aegyo sal to appear. She then creates a slightly larger area than her natural under eye fat which suits her facial features and makes her eyes look huge.

It's not a one-size-fits-all deal when it comes to aegyo sal so you'll have to experiment with different thickness of "fat" to find out what suits you best.