Min Kim, a makeup artist, shared her little secrets

Min Kim, a Paris-based makeup artist, can be found in Vogue Korea and T: The New York Times Fashion magazine. Her work can also be seen on Dazed. Kim tells her story here for us.

I’m originally from Seoul, South Korea and studied makeup in Busan. It has a great atmosphere. It has a beach and it is very colorful. We held a huge, national makeup contest. I was the winner, and I was able to travel to Paris to study. I was living with a friend at the time and she was studying fashion styling. I was asked by her if I would like to work with her on a project that she had for school magazines. That’s how my portfolio began.

After that, I worked as an assistant at the Armani Shows for many years. My first experience backstage was when I applied creams to the legs of models. To become the person you desire, it takes passion and a lot of effort.

It is quite different in Paris than the United States. It’s all about contouring and covering up in the U.S. We say it’s like “Kim Kardashian makeup.” Although I love her, and that trend is great, traditional Parisians may not like too much makeup.

I live in my bubble. I can be found at the Musee de Orsay and Louvre, looking over their permanent collections. To have a fresh interpretation of classics, I enjoy going back to them again and again.

Now I do editorials mostly. I am very analytical about makeup. The difference between what I want and what’s right is more important. My work is largely based on intuition and sense because it’s artistic.

Bottega Veneta wanted to make a shoot with pearlescent lips and body paint. Everything had to shine. I coated the lips in gold pigment, and then finished the look with a thick gloss. Another time I removed the wings from taxidermic butterflies, and applied them symmetrically to the model’s faces. Instant shadows were created by the wings that made makeup stand out more than the makeup. Recently, I did a shoot at the desert. It was about aliens landing in Earth. I bleached my eyebrows. It was hot. Even though the makeup was waterproof, it melted quickly.

To become the person you desire, it takes passion and a lot of effort.

Margaret Qualley was my Cannes colleague this year. That girl is my favorite. She is beautiful, natural, joyful. Margaret was suffering from jet lag so I began with a facial massage. I learned the basics from my mom. You can increase blood circulation by using massage. You can also reduce dark circles under the eyes. Margaret was glowing after just 20 minutes of massage. I didn’t even need foundation… just a mild blush.

People say I am efficient because I work quickly. It is important to have a clear idea and practice the whole operation. Although I love makeup, confidence is something that is very different to me. It’s a challenge. You can get to the next step. That meditation is something I repeat to myself often. It’s like being a surgeon when the talent is in front of you.

Because it isn’t boring, I love makeup. Every person is unique, and every color is different. When I’m at work, I don’t think about going home. It’s the best. This job is the best thing in my life.