Popular beauty show gets new emcee

Yoo In-na, center, listens to questions from the press about starting a new tenure at the “Get it Beauty,” a beauty talk show launched in 2010 and has since grown into an influential guide on beauty tips. Yoo is joined by Jae-gyeong, left, a member of the girl group Rainbow who will support her in the upcoming episodes and chief producer Ki Ho-yeong. / Courtesy of OnStyle

By Kim Ji-soo

These days, there is information galore on the internet and offline on almost everything, including cosmetics and beauty secrets. But purchasing the best cosmetics remains a confounding task, perhaps a reason that makes it all the more interesting.

When “Get it Beauty” started in July 2010 with the actress and former S.E.S member Eugene as emcee, not many expected it to grow to become the guiding hand in beauty-shopping.

Nearly four years later, the show has grown powerful where one can easily go into Korean cosmetics store and rely on a little posting that usually reads “Get it Beauty-recommended” in purchasing cosmetic products. The first emcee Eugene even launched a line of cosmetics after her name, spurred by the success of the show.

In the highly-wired Korean society and the increased use of SNSs, consumers have more readily identified with celebrities in consuming beauty products and fashion, giving celebrities more influence.

Thus when Eugene said she was leaving, many eyes were on who would replace her.

“I really wanted to do this show. At the same time, it’s a tremendous responsibility,” said Yoo In-na, in a press conference held last week in Seoul to announce the change of emcee.

Yoo was just coming off the final taping — her part reportedly ended at 4 a.m. that morning — of “My Love from the Star,” where she played the main heroine’s friend and rival.

“I heard that Eugene did a lot of research during her stint, and I expect to do the same,” said Yoo.

The actress said that her stint as a radio DJ has helped her in adapting to the beauty talk show format. As an actress who boasts of “honey-like” skin, she said she drinks a lot of water, stays away from white rice and applies home-made facial packs made from natural ingredients at least twice a week.

For her episodes, Yoo said that if possible she would like to enlist fellow actors such as Jun Ji-hyun, Hwang Jeong-eum and singer/actress IU.

For the first episode that aired Wednesday, Yoo succeeded in inviting IU to share her beauty tips for spring make-up.

She knows that these days men are into beauty. Asked what she would recommend to her actor boyfriend Ji Hyun-woo who is currently serving in the military, she said “I think men can take full advantage of the BB cream.”

Despite her attraction as an actress and radio DJ, the 31-year-old said that she found the big television set for “Get It Beauty” daunting. Thus, she is glad to have help from Jae-gyeong, a member of the K-pop girl group Rainbow.

“One thing I would like to share with viewers is the power of make-up,” said Jae-gyeong. “When you know how to effectively apply on cosmetics, you can grow beautiful without surgery.”

The chief producer of “Get it Beauty” said that the show will also present life-trend specials such as make-up for the elderly, for the family and make-up that will improve one’s life fortunes and tips to deal with ultrafine dust.