Blending art and tech, 'Just Makeup' redefines K-beauty, drawing male viewers

[OSEN=Ha Su-jeong, Reporter] Coupang Play's variety show 'Just Makeup' has maintained its position as the most popular work on the platform for the third week since its release, showing a vertical growth trend with a 748% increase in viewership compared to its first week, approximately 8.4 times higher. Beyond beauty, it has captivated not only female but also male viewers with its stage where intense battles of art and technology unfold, sparking a new syndrome in the K-beauty survival genre.

'Just Makeup' is a large-scale makeup survival show where makeup artists representing K-beauty globally clash fiercely with their unique styles. It immediately captivates not only existing beauty fans but also male viewers and those new to makeup, sparking buzz as soon as each episode is released.

Reviews such as, "I'm a guy who only knew lip balm, but I just kept watching," "I don't know anything about makeup, but it's so fun," "Everyone is so professional and cool," "Since 'Culinary Class Wars,' this is the first survival show I've seen that's visually and structurally perfect," "The thrilling survival format like 'Culinary Class Wars' and watching amazing makeup is really fun!," "It's a program where you can learn and enjoy makeup skills, so I'm watching it very enjoyably," and "I wondered why it felt like 'Culinary Class Wars,' and it turns out it's produced by the same studio, Studio Slam," continue to pour in. This has formed a broad consensus, rapidly attracting viewers new to the makeup genre and male audiences.

The show's hot response among male viewers stems from its portrayal of makeup not as a mere "tool for adornment" but as an "artistic skill" where new works are born from the artists' fingertips. By witnessing the process of creating entirely different characters, viewers have come to recognize makeup as a high-level art requiring creativity and precision. Combined with vibrant color palettes, original concepts, and the tension of completing the best results within a limited time, the show delivers a thrilling immersion akin to watching a sports match.

'Just Makeup' is a large-scale makeup survival show presented by Studio Slam, a leader in genre-based variety shows, and global content studio SLL. It has elevated makeup to the stage, creating a new survival genre. Beyond simple skill competitions, it showcases the participants' challenges and growth, proving its establishment as a new survival show that transcends gender and fixed target audiences.

Meanwhile, the sixth episode of Coupang Play's 'Just Makeup' garnered explosive reactions as the top four finalists -- Paris Geumsons, Son Tail, First Man, and Macist -- chosen by the participants themselves, became team leaders and competed to create stage makeup for K-POP groups TWS and STAYC. By expanding makeup into an artistic performance through the historic meeting of K-beauty and K-POP, it has drawn praise for being irresistible even to those unfamiliar with makeup.

In response to viewers' support, 'Just Makeup' is holding a binge-watching event with fans. From Saturday, October 25, to Saturday, November 8, the event will be held every Saturday at 12 p.m. on the Coupang Play app. Participants can binge-watch from episode 1 to the latest released episode and communicate in real-time via live chat. All Coupang Wow members are eligible to join.

Coupang Play's 'Just Makeup' is released every Friday at 8 p.m. on Coupang Play and is available for free viewing to all Coupang Wow members and general members.

Coupang Play's 'Just Makeup' Captivates Men, Viewership Soars