For this month’s Webtoon feature we’re reading Lee Yone‘s completed series ‘The Makeup Remover‘. We had previously featured their more recent series ‘Surviving Romance‘, and after reading ‘The Makeup remover’, I can confidently say I’m a fan. The minute Lee Yone (Lee Yeon) starts a new Webtoon, I know I’ll be subscribing.
The Makeup Remover is listed and presented as a romance series, however it *very much is not*. I can’t confidently say whether the misdirection was a result of marketing people reading nothing but the summary and assuming a lot, or an intentional move by the author to subvert the readers expectations. Either way, leave your romance radars at the door for this one.
The story
‘How did everyone become so pretty? Did they take lessons or something!?‘
Yeseul is a plain looking photography major in college. While she was single-mindedly focusing on getting good grades, getting into University, it feels like she missed the special seminar on make up and style. Sidebar: literally the most relatable thing I’ve read in a Webtoon ever. Seriously, when did everyone figure this stuff out?
While normally she doesn’t care enough to feel down about her looks, some careless comments spurred her to do a makeover. Bringing a photo of Heewon, her famous classmate as reference, this went about as well as you’d expect- horrifically. Enter Yuseong, famous makeup artist.
He comes across a gloomy Yeseul and offers to fix her makeup. This time around, the result is spectacular; as ‘repayment’ he asks her to be his model for a makeup competition on TV. Hesitant at first, Yeseul agrees as long as her identity remains a secret.
Over the course of the competition, she meets various different people, she comes to evaluate her own aspirations and perceptions and learns to face herself with more honesty and love.
The verdict
Let’s start with the art; I’ve said this before, I really like this author’s style. Clean lines, impactful panel transitions, lovely colours, simple but beautiful character designs that don’t feel like a simple palette swap. The same is true for this series. I really enjoyed the artwork in The Makeup Remover.
Now for the themes; an inevitable comparison for this series will be Webtoon staple ‘True Beauty’. Both center on makeup and are presented as romance series. In reality, the similarities don’t even go as far as that. Makeup is indeed front and center, as are the societal perceptions and prejudices around it, the pressures of looking a certain way, the privileges ‘beauty’ affords as well as the dismissal of those who don’t have it. But where ‘True Beauty’ is almost wholly taken up with love triangle drama shenanigans, and barely grazes these topics in passing, here they are the actual point of the series.
As I mentioned above, be it intentional misdirection or unfortunate marketing, ‘The Makeup Remover’ is not a romance series. There’s people crushing on others but it’s far from the main plotlines. The focal relationship is in fact Yeseul and Heewon’s developing friendship, and how it changes both girls for the better.
Finally, the story: I really enjoyed that it didn’t drag on more than it had to. It concludes at a very natural point, and while my romance-holic heart felt unsatisfied, I must admit that was the right ending for this series. It’s paced really well, and thankfully since it’s completed you don’t have to worry about cliffhangers anymore.
We love ourselves a journey of self-empowerment, and women supporting women. The Makeup Remover is a fun read that delivers a powerful message, so I’m happy to recommend this for a slice of life series that makes you think a little too.
