Teen leads K-beauty in China

Beauty creator “Daddoa,” Lee Da-sol, has nearly 700,000 regular subscribers on YouTube and Chinese video-sharing websites. / Courtesy of Daddoa

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Lee Da-sol, 19, may be considered too reckless by conservative Korean society for dropping out of high school in her first year in a bid to chase her dream of becoming a beauty expert.

However, she has now become a YouTube sensation with more than 500,000 regular subscribers, introducing cosmetic products and related makeup skills via her private channel, Daddoa TV (youtube.com/user/daddoatv).

Lee has also launched her beauty channel on Chinese video-sharing social networking websites Weibo and Youku where she has 120,000 and 30,000 subscribers, respectively.

Dubbed “Daddoa,” Lee has introduced and offered reviews of a number of top-tier cosmetic products from companies including AmorePacific, MAC and L’Oreal, via her channels in Korea and China with English and Chinese subtitles in her video clips. Her audience is mostly teenagers and women in their 20s.

“Teenage girls’ interest in beauty is phenomenal in Asia, and I was also interested in makeup since I was 12,” said Lee.

“After I dropped out of high school, I launched a blog to introduce how I do my own makeup to my peers. My blog was the first of its kinds helping teenage girls with makeup.”

Her photo-based blog, however, had a limitation in providing detailed information so Lee said she decided to launch a video-based beauty channel on YouTube.

She joined the nation’s first beauty content-incubating company MCN Leferi to learn video-editing techniques and how to film herself doing makeup.

Lee officially launched her YouTube channel on August 22, 2014, after one year of preparation.

“Unlike most other beauty creators mainly targeting female consumers in their 20s and 30s, Daddoa offers practical approaches for teen consumers like me,” said an 18-year-old high school student surnamed Bae.

“I visit her YouTube channel every time she uploads a new video clip.”

Lee’s immense success on YouTube has attracted not only teen consumers but also cosmetic company officials. The nation’s cosmetic giant AmorePacific invited her to the company’s products showcase last year while global cosmetic powerhouse MAC sponsored a number of MCN Leferi’s promotional events.

The 19-year-old beauty creator is also executive director of her own company.

“Beauty-related demand in China is growing rapidly lately. They directly send me e-mails and social network messages whenever they have questions over cosmetic products or makeup skills,” said Lee.

“Despite the language barrier, interactions with Chinese subscribers are always thrilling. I am proud of myself for contributing to let Chinese people know about K-beauty.”

Lee is also helping train other people as well with one-on-one mentoring sessions and beauty seminars.

“Millions of people at home and abroad watch beauty-related videos every day. I believe the role of beauty creators will receive more attention in the future. I hope more people join in promulgating K-beauty.”