“I started dancing when I was young, but pretty quickly, my mom realized that I would not be able to sustain the rigorous lifestyle that classical ballet requires. She was like, ‘Kahyun’s a little too crazy for that,’ which was a very good assessment. [Laughs] She thought musical theater would be more for me, but then I realized I wasn’t the best singer in the world either. That left me with acting. I got into Julliard’s drama school and that was a huge stamp of approval. I’ve been lucky enough to have landed roles in projects like Cocaine Bear, American Gods, and most recently, St. Denis Medical, which is basically like The Office in a hospital. There’s a lot of looking into the camera and dry humor. I play Serena, who I call the fun nurse. She’s young and very honest. We shot the pilot almost a year ago, and after a slight pause, we got picked up. I’m excited for the world to finally see it.
I’m not going to lie, I have great skin. Some people are born with big butts—I was not—but instead, the universe gave me great skin. I will probably never get filler, but I do love masseter botox. My dentist was the one who recommended it because I grind my teeth so much. Now I get it both for my teeth and because I realized my face looks a little leaner with it. I always know it’s time to get more if I start to wake up with a sore face. I like Prima Medspa in Anaheim—I get Ultherapy and Reejuran there, too—and Spring Day Clinic in South Korea, where I also get InMode FX.
When I have makeup on, I love to take it off with Banila Co.’s Clean It Zero. I mix in cleansing oils, too. I’m using Mixsoon’s Bean cleansing oil right now, but I also love Manyo’s cleansing oil. Then I go in with The Face Shop’s micellar cleansing foam for my second cleanse. Afterwards, I normally use the MediCube Zero pore pads to tone, but depending on how I feel, I might use Mediheal’s collagen ampoule pads. For a while, everyone in Korea was using a face mask—usually a cheap sheet mask—a day. I used to do that, too, but I’ve started using Caudalié’s Vinergetic Instant Detox mask every couple of days instead. It really cleans out your pores and I see a big difference when I use it. Biodance’s Bio Collagen-Real Deep sheet masks went viral on TikTok recently because they turn clear as you sleep and give you an amazing glow in the morning. You can leave it on for a shorter time though, which I prefer. If I use one of them, I’ll follow it up with Caudalié’s Vinoperfect serum. It’s insanely good. I picked it up when I visited Paris last year. It feels similar to Korean products to me in that it’s not harsh at all. It’s just nourishing and moisturizing. Or I also like VT’s Reedle shots in either 100, 300, or 500—at some point, I’ll level up to 700 and 100. It’s basically like microneedling in a bottle. My products absorb better after and I wake up so glowy.
To moisturize, I’ve been loving Aestura’s Atobarrier 365 cream. And I could talk about sunscreen for days. Right now, I’m using the Round Lab’s Birch Juice SPF50+ PA++++. It’s so light. Then throughout the day, I reapply sunscreen with California Aloe’s sun stick, which I’ve used for a long time.
As far as makeup goes, if I have an audition or an event, I definitely wear more products, but on the daily, the less makeup, the better. If I want a little bit of a glow, I mix Supergoop!’s Glowscreen—in either Golden Hour or Sunrise—with La Roche-Posay’s tinted SPF 50 because if I just use the Glowscreen, it’s a little too reflective. That acts as my ‘foundation.’
I did a play in New York and shared a dressing room with Hari Nef. She used Tom Ford’s Shade And Illuminate and got me hooked. The highlighter gives you a beautiful glow, and the contour melts into your skin. I use Intensity 1.0.
To be honest, I do my eyebrows with whatever I have lying around. Right now, it’s The Face Shop’s fmgt brow pencil in either Grey Brown or Dark Brown. I don’t wear mascara, but I love ImPress’ No Glue Falsies. Like the name says, you really don’t need glue, which is great because it doesn’t work on my lashes for some reason. You just put the falsies on your real lashes like press-on nails. Oh, and Milk has an amazing lash and brow serum. My friend told me about it, and I’m so glad she did because other ones that I’ve tried gave me dark eye circles.
If I want a really good red lip, I wear Dior’s satin Rouge Dior lipstick in The Iconic Red. But I recently discovered and fell in love with Colorgram’s fruity glass tints. Lovely Raspberry is my favorite. Colorgram also has a great Pearl Gloss lip plumper. Other plumpers usually make my lips feel horrendous, but this one doesn’t make me feel like I’m going to die. Always a plus. [Laughs] Peripera’s Ink Mood glow tints are good, too. I love the Brown Yakgwa, Nude Area, and Captivating Pink shades.
Maison Louis Marie’s No.02 Le Long Fond perfume oil is one of the best smells ever. It sort of smells like a rich woman, and that’s all I want. I could wear it forever. And I have to say that whatever Ashley Tisdale is putting into Frenshe’s Bergamot Cedar and Palo Santo Sage body mists are like crack. I randomly discovered the brand at Target and I had no idea it was Ashley’s—I barely watched High School Musical. [Laughs] Every time I wear them, someone compliments me.”
—As told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Brittany Bravo in Los Angeles on November 17, 2024
