Beautiful superwoman

• Published Sep 2, 2014 6:40 PM KST
• Updated Sep 2, 2014 6:40 PM KST

By Rachel Lee

Underneath her genial, relaxed demeanor, Cho Sung-ah is determined to continue succeeding in Korea’s highly competitive beauty industry.

After more than 25 years as a makeup artist, Cho has worked diligently to get where she is now ― the country’s leading beauty expert. Her energy and youthful good looks belie her 46 years.

“No matter how old we are or how we look, I believe we can still feel as if we are in our 20s,” she said at her ChoCho factory in Seoul.

In the makeup industry, those who worked under Cho are known for competence. They call themselves the “Cho group.” Makeup artist Kim Hwal-ran is one of them. Kim runs makeup and hair studio Musee Neuf, the “it” place for makeovers.

After working with Aekyung Group and Kukje Pharm since 2006, Cho launched cosmetics brand Chosungah 22 two years ago ― and it became a mega hit on TV shopping channels. The brand’s items flew off the shelves, turning over 700 million won in just an hour on the first day. Customers take a fancy to its unique charm ― funky package designs and some interesting products, which include powder foundation Bounce Up Pact Master and facial hydration cream Tangle. Of course, it is a good quality brand. What else?

“I literally had every single line of cosmetics at my fingertips, everything from the affordable brands to the most prestigious luxury ones,” Cho explains “And still there wasn’t anything out there that I was 100 percent happy with. I thought to myself, there has to be something better and I wanted to create something that will make us feel fully satisfied.”

Her natural ability to make clients not only look beautiful, but feel beautiful, has made her a favorite among movie industry heavyweights and actresses.

“I’ve met a diverse range of people of all ages and the most tragic problem I’ve found in this country is that most women ― including those girls with a flawless complexion ― lack self-esteem,” Cho says. “This has spawned a huge group of wannabes and clones. All the women out there look like they are sisters because they look so similar because they have had the same plastic surgery. I absolutely hate to see this.”

Luckily, the creative director is very self-confident. She learned at an early age the importance of accepting and loving who she is.

She was born and raised in Korea, and her parents promoted her self-esteem by consistently encouraging her to enjoy her greatest pleasure: makeup.

“It was one of those things that were kind of always in the back of my mind,” Cho says. “When I was younger, I used to go through my mother’s makeup drawer and put all the pricey stuff on my friends’ faces. She never told me off for doing that. Never. She always encouraged me, and supported me as best she could.”

This experience motivates Cho, and has led to her incredible success in the fiercely competitive beauty industry.

“You should be self-confident or you will become a monster,” she says. “Beauty is about loving your real self. You are unique with your own special beauty, and every bit of you is meant to be authentic and original,” says Cho, mother of a teenage daughter.

The media darling is ready to go global with her brand ― she plans to open 90 stores in Hong Kong by the end of this year and will soon tackle the United States.

“We should be proud of what we have,” she says. “I think we are especially good at keeping up to date with the latest trends and development and the global market is paying attention to us for that. We are an emerging beauty player.”

Cho’s ultimate goal is rather surprising ― the creative director hopes to publish a fairy tale for parents.

“I feel women should feel beautiful and confident about themselves before putting makeup and whatnot,” she says. “And since parents play the biggest role in raising their children’s self-esteem, I would love to tell them how to do this, based on my experience. It’s ‘real’ beauty.”