7 Konglish K-Beauty Makeup Terms — From Tone-Up Cream (톤업크림) to Shading (섀딩)

💝 Natural English Guide: Korean Konglish – Part 4 (Makeup Edition)


K-Beauty Makeup Konglish words: tone-up cream, cushion pact, blusher, viewler, eye hole, pearl, shading

안녕하세요. I'm Hangeulia ^-^

Ready to add some color? After skincare basics in Part 3, we’re stepping into makeup. In Korea, you’ll hear plenty of English-looking words that mean something a little different — especially at Olive Young or in K-beauty tutorials.

In this post, you’ll learn the natural English for each term (so you can explain it clearly), plus quick examples of how Koreans actually use these words in real life. Let’s join two friends at Olive Young and later at home as they get ready for a night out 💄



💜 Tone-Up Cream (톤업크림)


Situation
Friends browsing Olive Young’s makeup aisle.

Dialogue
A: 이 톤업크림 발라봤어?
(i ton-eop-keu-rim bal-la-bwat-seo?)
B: 응. 피부가 환해 보이더라.
(eung. pi-bu-ga hwan-hae bo-i-deo-ra)

Natural English
A: Have you tried this brightening cream?
B: Yeah, it really makes your skin look brighter.


💛 Story Note
In Korea, 톤업크림 (tone-up cream) is a product that instantly brightens your skin tone. It often contains SPF, so many people use it like a brightening sunscreen or as a quick makeup base before foundation.
👉 It’s popular for a natural “no-makeup” look (쌩얼) while still evening out skin tone.

In natural English, people usually say brightening cream or brightening sunscreen. You might see “tone-up” on some K-beauty packaging, but it’s not everyday English.

  • 톤업크림 = brightening cream / brightening sunscreen / makeup base


💜 Cushion Pact (쿠션팩트)


Situation
Two friends testing a new compact on the back of their hands at Olive Young.

Dialogue
A: 이거 쿠션팩트 신상이래.
(i-geo ku-syeon-paek-teu sin-sang-i-rae)
B: 오~ 촉촉하고 커버력 좋은데!
(o~ chok-chok-ha-go keo-beo-ryeok jo-eun-de!)

Natural English
A: They say this is the new cushion foundation.
B: Oh~ it feels moisturizing and the coverage is great!


💛 Story Note
In Korea, 쿠션팩트 is a compact with a foundation-soaked sponge, applied with a puff. It’s one of the most popular K-beauty items for quick touch-ups.
👉 In English, people don’t say “pact.” Most people will understand cushion foundation or just cushion.

  • 쿠션팩트 = cushion foundation (often just “cushion”)


💜 Blusher (블러셔)


Situation
Two friends trying out makeup at Olive Young.

Dialogue
A: 너는 블러셔 어떤 색 좋아해?
(neo beul-leo-syeo eo-tteon saek jo-a-hae?)
B: 나는 코랄 계열이 잘 받더라.
(na-neun ko-ral gye-yeol-i jal bat-deo-ra)

Natural English
A: What color blush do you like?
B: Coral shades look good on me.


💛 Story Note
In Korea, people often say 블러셔 (blusher) for cheek color. But in natural English, the common word is blush (or “blush makeup / blush powder” depending on context).

  • 블러셔 = blush


💜 Viewler (뷰러)


Situation
Still shopping at Olive Young, looking at makeup tools.

Dialogue
A: 너 뷰러 어떤 거 써? 나는 속눈썹이 자꾸 쳐져.
(neo byu-reo eo-tteon geo sseo? na-neun sok-nun-sseop-i jak-ku chyeo-jyeo)
B: 나도 그래~~ 그럼 너도 이거 히팅 뷰러 한번 써봐.
(na-do geu-rae~~ geu-reom neo-do i-geo hi-ting byu-reo han-beon sseo-bwa)

Natural English
A: Which eyelash curler do you use? My lashes keep drooping.
B: Same here~~ Then try this heated eyelash curler.


💛 Story Note
뷰러 (byu-reo) is Konglish — it’s not an English word. In English, say eyelash curler.
👉 Be careful: “curler” alone can sound like a hair curler.

  • 뷰러 = eyelash curler
  • 히팅 뷰러 = heated eyelash curler


💜 Eye Hole (아이홀)


Situation
Still shopping for eye shadows at Olive Young.

Dialogue
A: 어떤 색 아이섀도 찾는 거야?
(eo-tteon saek a-i-syae-do chat-neun geo-ya?)
B: 여기 아이홀에 자연스럽게 음영 넣어보려구.
(yeo-gi a-i-hol-e ja-yeon-seu-reop-ge eum-yeong neo-eo-bo-ryeo-gu)

Natural English
A: What kind of eye shadow are you looking for?
B: I want to add some natural shading on the crease.


💛 Story Note
아이홀 (eye hole) sounds funny in English 😅 What Koreans mean is the eyelid crease — the fold where you usually place shading.
👉 In English, the simplest word is crease (or “eyelid crease” if you want to be extra clear).

  • 아이홀 = (eyelid) crease


💜 Pearl (펄)


Situation
Two friends doing their makeup at home.

Dialogue
A: 아이섀도우 이거 바를까?
(a-i-syae-do-u i-geo bal-leul-kka?)
B: 아니, 펄 들어간 게 더 나을 것 같아.
(a-ni, peol deu-reo-gan ge deo na-eul geot gat-a)

Natural English
A: Should I use this eye shadow?
B: No, I think the one with some shimmer would look better.


💛 Story Note
In Korea, 펄 (peol) usually means the sparkly finish in makeup (especially eye shadows).
In English, “pearl” isn’t used for this. People usually say:

  • shimmer = soft, fine sparkle
  • glitter = bold, bigger sparkle
  • sparkle = general word for shine

👉 So “펄 있는 섀도우” means an eye shadow with shimmer or glitter, not a shadow made of pearls 😅

  • 펄 = shimmer / glitter


💜 Shading (섀딩)


Situation
Two friends putting on the final touches before going out.

Dialogue
A: 나 턱에 살짝 섀딩 좀 해야 될까?
(na teok-e sal-jjak syae-ding jom hae-ya doel-kka?)
B: 응. 살짝만 하면 더 갸름해 보일 것 같아.
(eung. sal-jjak-man ha-myeon deo gya-reum-hae bo-il geot gat-a)

Natural English
A: Should I add a little contour on my jawline?
B: Yeah, just a bit will make your face look slimmer.


💛 Story Note
In Korea, 섀딩 (syae-ding) means contouring with powder or a stick. In natural English, the word is contour (or contouring), not “shading.”

  • 섀딩 = contour / contouring


💜 Extra Words You’ll Hear in Korea


Two more beauty words you’ll hear all the time in Korea. They exist in English too, but Koreans use them much more often:

  • Fixer (픽서): In English, people usually say setting spray. In Korea, many people casually call it “픽서.”
    👉 Example: 픽서 뿌려야지 (pik-seo ppu-ryeo-ya-ji) = “I should use my setting spray.”

  • Tint (틴트): The word “tint” exists in English (like lip tint), but outside Korea you’ll often hear lip stain or just lip color. In Korea, “틴트” is the go-to word for many lip products.
    👉 Example: 이 틴트 발라볼래? (i tin-teu bal-la-bol-lae?) = “Do you want to try this lip tint?”


💜 FAQ: K-Beauty Makeup Konglish (Quick Answers)


1) Is tone-up cream the same as foundation?

Not really. Tone-up cream is more like a brightening base that makes your skin look lighter right away. Foundation is for coverage (hiding redness, spots, etc.).

2) What’s the difference between cushion foundation and regular foundation?

A cushion is foundation stored in a sponge inside a compact, applied with a puff — great for quick touch-ups. Regular foundation usually comes in a bottle/tube and may be applied with fingers, a sponge, or a brush.

3) Is “blusher” wrong in English?

It’s not commonly used in everyday English. Most people simply say blush.

4) When Koreans say “shading,” what do they really mean?

They mean contouring — adding shadow to areas like the jawline or nose to create shape.

5) What does “pearl” mean in Korean makeup?

펄 usually means shimmer or glitter in a product — a sparkly finish, not actual pearls.



💜 Quick Recap


Here’s a quick recap so you can remember the terms when you’re shopping or watching makeup tutorials ^^

  • 톤업크림 (tone-up cream) = brightening cream / brightening sunscreen / makeup base
  • 쿠션팩트 (cushion pact) = cushion foundation
  • 블러셔 (blusher) = blush
  • 뷰러 (viewler) = eyelash curler
  • 아이홀 (eye hole) = (eyelid) crease
  • 펄 (pearl) = shimmer / glitter
  • 섀딩 (shading) = contour / contouring

Bonus: Koreans also say 픽서 (pik-seo) for setting spray, and 틴트 (tin-teu) for lip tint.



💜 Final Thoughts

That’s our makeup Konglish set! Now you’ll understand what Koreans mean when they say “blusher,” “eye hole,” or “shading,” and you’ll know the natural English to use too. With this guide, shopping at Olive Young (or following Korean makeup tutorials) will feel much easier — no guessing needed ^^


With love,
한글리아 😊



Part 4 of the Konglish series — ← Previous: Part 3. 7 Konglish K-Beauty Skincare Terms — From Skin (스킨) to Sun Cream (썬크림) | Next: Part 5. 8 Konglish Korean Hairstyles for Women — From Magic Perm (매직펌) to Hippie Perm (히피펌)



Now you know the key Konglish words for makeup ^-^ But the real glow starts before foundation — with 💧Korean Glass Skin (물광피부) skincare , the secret base behind every flawless look. And what about the signature Korean babyface style everyone talks about?
Find out here 💄dongan (동안) makeup secrets .



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