Aegyo sal: what it is and how to achieve this makeup effect

Bags and dark circles under our eyes are one of the “imperfections” that we most try to get rid of. Nevertheless, and as is the case in many walks of life “we always want what we haven’t got”, an expression that makes even more sense in the world of cosmetics.

Now, highlighting the little bags of fat that appear under our eyes is the trend, although beware! It is nothing to do with signs of ageing or tiredness that you are most likely thinking about; quite the opposite in fact.

What is aegyo sal in makeup?

It is a new makeup technique that has gone viral recently in social media, which seeks to highlight that fat that we have under our eyes. It is originally from Korea and is known as “Aegyo sal”, which roughly translates as “small adorable fat”. This trend consists of highlighting and making that little bag more noticeable, in order to achieve a wider, sweeter, younger, happier look.

Difference between aegyo sal and bags under our eyes

Aegyo sal has nothing to do with dark circles or bags under our eyes. The Korean expression refers to that small amount of fat or muscle just beneath our lower eyelids, which confer a younger, adorable look.

On the other hand, bags under our eyes do not have that effect, but rather make us look tired due to liquids that are retained in the dark circle area. They are permanent and, sometimes people resort to aesthetic surgery to get rid of them.

Aegyo sal is highly rated because it gives a brighter look to our facial expression, an effect that can be recreated and enhanced with makeup, highlighting the lower volume of our eyes for a more youthful look.

How to achieve the aegyo sal look step by step

First of all, we need to know if we have a natural aegyo sal. How? All you need to do is look in the mirror and smile widely. If you have a small horizontal fold under your eyes, it's because you do have aegyo sal. 

1. But don't worry if you haven’t, because even if you can’t see it or if you want to highlight it, we are going to provide some very subtle makeup tips that will help you achieve that effect. 
2. As always, the first step is to prepare your skin. Clean the area under your eyes and moisturise with cream. We can now apply some concealer for a more uniform texture.
3. Afterwards, we define the line under our eyes, just below where our eyelashes are, using a liner or eyeshadow in a darker, matte shade, such as brown, following the natural curve of our eyes.
4. We then fade that line, trying to make sure that it is not overly defined, as we only want a little eyeshadow. To do so, we should use a brush.
5. A little just above that line, fading it towards the crease of your eye to create some contrast between light and shadow, applying some highlighter.
6. We then blend it all together so that the two parts integrate. We are seeking a subtle, natural effect, because it is important to make sure that it is not too obvious.
7. Finally, if we want our eyes to look even bigger, we can use a white shade liner for our lower waterline and then a little mascara on our lashes for more expressive, open eyes.