[INTERVIEW] YouTube Make-Up Enthusiast Soo Beauty Dishes Out On Her Viral IU Diet Challenge & Favourite Products

When up-and-coming Korean Youtub-er Soo uploaded a video of herself trying out IU’s diet for a week, she had no idea that it would become a hot issue within the YouTube community especially K-pop fans. We decided to have a little chat with Soo to find out more about her thoughts not only about the video, but also to glean more information regarding her skincare and make-up routines! Check out the video below, and special tips Soo shared with us from our exclusive interview! Who knows? You might just be one step away towards clearer skin and your optimal natural make-up look! 🙂

 

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Q: Hello Soo, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview with us! First off, can you start by introducing yourself?
A: Hello! My name is Soo and I run a beauty channel on YouTube called “Soo Beauty”! I currently live in Seoul, South Korea and I love to share my passion about beauty all around the world. Don’t be a stranger and come say hi!

 

Q: When did you first start being curious about make-up?
A: I was actually pretty late in entering the makeup world. I was a book nerd growing up, so I never applied any makeup throughout my high school years. It was when I entered university that I started to play around with makeup. I had a crush on this “oppa” that I knew, and so I started to do my hair, wear makeup and try different styles of clothing. Oh, and that’s also when I discovered my eyebrows!

 

Q: Who has been your fashion inspiration throughout the years as you were growing up?
A: My fashion inspiration is actually a character from the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada”. Andy, played by the beautiful Anne Hathaway, eventually develops her own sense of chic and feminine style throughout the movie and I always try to emulate her fashion. The scene where she’s on her way to work showing her in different outfits is just magical! I think it reflects my personality and how I want to be perceived to others – well put together, neat but still stylish.

 

Q: What are your TOP 5 Korean beauty products?
A:
1. Innisfree Eco Science Wrinkle Spot Essence (best eye cream that I’ve used)
2. Etude House Curl Fix mascara (a must-have for those with weak and straight eyelashes)
3. Etude House Fix and Fix Powder (the magic powder for oily/combination skin)
4. JungSaemMool the Nuder Cushion (it lacks longevity but it gives you the most natural and beautiful finish while still having coverage)
5. Aritaum Water Tint (these do not come off!)

 

Q: What are your TOP 5 non-Korean beauty products?
A:
1. YSL All Hours Foundation
2. SK-II Pitera Essence
3. Lush Angels on Bare skin (cannot live without this – the best mild yet effective exfoliator)
4. Makeup Forever Brush no. 216
5. Kiko mascaras

 

Q: How is your daily skincare routine like?
A: Contrary to a lot of popular fads in the K-beauty world, my skincare routine is actually simple. I definitely believe that it’s quality over quantity in skincare and applying what is right for your skin type. Because I have combination skin, I make sure to use light but moisturizing serums to hydrate my face together with oil-free creams. Also, I’ve been using eye creams ever since I was 20 years old, and I think this is an important regime that a lot of people tend to skip out on.

 

Q: Your IU Diet Challenge went viral when you first posted it a month ago, and is still being talked about now. What were some thoughts that went through your mind while going through the diet?
A: I actually had no idea that this video would get so viral! I still can’t get over how many people watched this video. Although so many people enjoyed watching the video, when I was going through that diet, I thought I was going to pass out from lack of food. I honestly spent most of my days on the bed because I was too weak to do anything. At one point, it freaked me out because I thought I was going to faint!

 

Q: Do you have any advice for people who might want to start trying out IU’s diet after seeing your video?
A: I noticed that a lot of people actually wanted to try this diet out which I definitely do not recommend. It leaves your body very fragile and weak. I recently uploaded a video where I worked out on my abs every single day for a month and hopefully, this inspires people to exercise and adopt a healthier way of living.

 

Q: What are some of your favourite make-up looks to wear?
A: I honestly love all kinds of make-up looks, from fierce bold ones to soft sweet ones. One of the compliments that I received from professional makeup artists is that my facial features is like a chameleon, meaning that I could pretty much pull off various types of makeup look from sweet romantic Korean style makeup to sexy and bold western style makeup. Ever since then, I try to explore different types of looks.

 

Q: You have been to a lot of countries before settling down in Korea. Did you experience any culture shock in school or in public when you moved back to Korea?
A: Yes, I did and most of them weren’t positive unfortunately. One of the things that I did notice was that people in Korea don’t say “excuse me”, “sorry” or “thank you” as much. For example, when I need to get off from the subway, I always make sure to say, “excuse me” just in case I push some people accidentally, but in Korea, people aren’t as apologetic.

 

Q: What are your thoughts on the way people in Korea perceive beauty, compared to people in other countries you’ve been to so far?
A: I definitely do think that Korea is a society where there is lot more focus on self-presentation and emphasis on standard beauty.  Whereas in the countries that I grew up in, I think they were more inclusive and placed more emphasis on diversity.

 

Q: Are there any personal YouTube makeup/fashion gurus you look up to?
A: Kathleen Lights, Chriselle Lim, and Liahyoo!

Kathleen Lights was the person who got me addicted to the beauty community on YouTube in the first place with her cute and sweet personality. I also look up to Chriselle Lim because she stands for everything that I strive to be in the future, not only in terms of work but also sense of style and personal life as well! As for Liah, I had the chance to meet with her personally and she is such a genuine and sweet person!

 

Q: Who would you want to collaborate with in the future, should you get the chance to do it, and why?
A: I would absolutely love to collaborate with Liah, of course!

 

Q: If you are able to give a Korean celebrity makeover, who will you want to work your magic on?
A: To my subscribers! I love interacting with my subscribers online and I think it would be even more amazing to meet them in person. I would love to give them a Korean celebrity makeover!

 

Q: You are currently schooling right now. How do you divide your time between schoolwork and producing YouTube videos?
A: Basically, any time that is not dedicated to school and schoolwork, I pour into my YouTube channel. It really is a challenge to balance school life and YouTube, but sometimes, you have to make it work! This is why I am currently addicted to coffee, which is something that I don’t usually drink but nowadays I need it to keep me alive.

 

Q: How do you get ideas on what kind of videos to upload next?
A: I get my inspirations from different and diverse sources. First, comments left by my followers, of course! I thrive on the comments that my followers leave me and so I try to take their opinions into account as much as possible. Also, I believe that keeping up with the latest trends in the beauty industry is very important, so I always watch out for new releases by other Korean beauty YouTube-rs.

 

Q: Generally how long do you spend time filming and editing your videos?
A: It really depends on what kind of video I’m producing, but in terms of just filming and editing, it takes about two to three days on a regular basis. But the planning and preparation takes much longer because I like to test out products for a good amount of time.

 

Q: Do you have any plans for the future after you graduate from university? Will you be doing something related to beauty maybe?
A:
Hopefully, even after I graduate from university, I’ll still be running my beauty channel and creating contents. But, I also would love to be part of developing beauty products and being part of the branding and marketing process.


Q: Where do you see Soo Beauty five years from now?
A: To be honest, I have no idea! The best and scariest thing about taking an unconventional path is that you have no idea what the future holds for you. But in five years, no matter what I’m doing, I hope I am happy, healthy and doing something that I love!

 

Q: Based on your own perception, describe beauty, in three words.
A: It’s something creative, it’s about confidence, and it’s something unique.

 

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Thank you so much Soo for allowing The Seoul Story this special interview opportunity! 🙂 We wish you all the best in your future endeavours and looking forward to more amazing videos from your channel! In the meantime, do remember to stay in touch with Soo via her social media sites:

YouTube | Instagram | Naverblog

 

Written by: Aqilah
Photo Credit: Soo Beauty

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