Ever since stepping foot onto the Kpop world, IU has become the idol for many young generations. Despite having one of most captivating voices in Korea, her bare face is what attracted me the most.
I have been following her music videos for a while now and she isn’t your typical Korean beauty. In fact, when the makeup is removed, I find her facial features to be rather “ordinary”.
But perhaps this is the reason why I like her so much because unlike some surgically enhanced celebrities in the country, I believe her beauty is 100% natural.
So, let’s take a look at 13 photos of IU without makeup.
By the end of this, I’m sure you will agree with me.
1. Pre-debut Look:
This was during IU’s pre-debut audition at JYP. With her mushroom curl and makeup-less face, she gave her best at the singing event. Although the audition wasn’t successful (their loss), she definitely learned a lot from this experience.
2. High School Selfie:
Unlike most Koreans, IU has naturally beautiful eyes that doesn’t require much enhancement. Without needing an eyeliner nor mascara, her natural double eyelids were enough to make her eyes glow, as seen in his high school selfie.
3. Graduation Photo:
IU, also known as Lee Ji-eun in real life, was still studying when she began her professional singing career. She eventually graduated from Dongduk Girls’ High School and decided to pursue her dream as an artist. This was one of her graduation photos.
I can’t exactly make out whether she had makeups on, can you?
4. Peace Sign:
Here is another picture of IU during her teen. While making a peace sign, she happily posed for the camera without makeup.
5. Natural Smile:
This photo clearly shows how beautiful a natural smile looks. With no foundation, blush or lipstick, IU is displaying her purest face in public.
One question though…would you recognize her on the street?
6. Eating Ice-cream:
Who needs makeup when you have an ice-cream in your hand?
I don’t.
7. No Eye Makeup:
With her eyes closed, IU shows us how gorgeous her upper face look even without any eye makeup. Perhaps she was just trying to tell us how long her natural eyelashes are. Not sure about you, but I see some.
8. Short Eyebrows:
Is it the camera angle or do IU’s eyebrows appear shorter than usual? I know she’s au natural here so she wouldn’t have used an eyebrow pencil. Hmmm…interesting.
9. Too Sunny:
According to most Korean girls, they all want white skin. They would use whitening cosmetics, face masks and would avoid the sun at all costs. I wonder how many of these skincare products IU uses as she has very fair skin too. But it appears she isn’t afraid of the sun here.
10. Victory Selfie:
It appears that the Kpop singer was celebrating a victory moment when she posted this V hand sign selfie online. She definitely knows how to get the best angle as her face shape looks gorgeous here, even with no makeup at all.
11. Natural Black Hair and Face:
One thing I’ve come to realize is that IU doesn’t like to dye her hair much. You don’t see her changing hair colors often. Perhaps she enjoys sticking to her roots with natural black hair and to be honest, I think it makes her beautiful skin stand out even more.
12. High Five:
Was she just high fiving her fans or was she celebrating her success for becoming an all-time chart leader with “five” number-one songs topping the Billboard’s Korea K-Pop Hot 100 chart? Either way, my focus is still on her face.
Really…who needs powder when you have a face as white as her’s.
13. Pure Happiness:
When I look at this picture, I see pure happiness. Even though IU’s raw face looks ordinary without contouring, but at the same time, she didn’t need to hide behind any cosmetics. It seems like a weight has been lifted off her shoulder. She no longer needs to be the standard of Korean Kpop beauty. She can be her true self, Lee Ji-eun.
