The 2003 box office hit "Untold Scandal" was a draw in itself, with a sophisticated adaptation of "Dangerous Liaisons" set during the Joseon Dynasty and dazzling cinematography, not to mention a rare glimpse of actor Bae Yong-joon's body.
But one of the most talked-about scenes was when actress Lee Mi-sook woke up in the morning to be cosseted by her maids. A tray full of miniscule pots and saucers, as well as puffs and brushes, were brought in. Lee inhales a couple of oils and chooses rose, and a maid carefully runs a cotton wad through her combed hair.
Then the highlight of her beauty ritual begins. The maid mixes ashes of flower with lampblack and neatly draws her eyebrows in. There is a small ceramic case containing several pink balls (similar to the famous Guerlain Meteorite powder beads), and the maid smears a small puff with one and then spreads it on Lee's cheeks. Her lips are painted crimson red with red powder mixed with camellia oil.
A poster for the exhibit "Accessories, makeup and unguents of ancient Korea" [Coreana Cosmetics Museum]
"Women took very good care of their appearances, all with natural ingredients. Safflower powder was preserved and used as a blusher. And oils extracted from plants such as sunflower seeds and apricot seeds were applied", explained Yu Sang-ok, the founder and chairman of Coreana, a leading local cosmetics company. Besides his obvious interest in the beauty regimen of Korean women, he is also an acknowledged avid collector of antiques and art. In 2003, Yu decided to share his collection of over 5,000 antique pieces and paraphernalia with a museum.
Next month, Yu, who served as president of the Museums Members Society of Korea, is taking it one step further with an exhibition entitled "Accessories, makeup and unguents of ancient Korea" in Paris.
The exhibit, to be held at the Centre Culturel Coreen from Sept. 11-23, will include about 200 of Yu's personal collection.
"Making products alone is not enough in this age, and I believe we should put our culture on an international stage. Make them see that we have nurtured this culture and tradition", he said.
So in time with the 120th anniversary of French-Korean diplomatic ties, he decided to host this exhibit in Paris, arguably the mecca of the beauty industry. "Seeking beauty has been a common interest throughout history in the East and the West. So this exhibition will appeal to those in Paris and will demonstrate how the natural, neat beauty regimen of our Korean ancestors has developed over time", said the chairman.
The collection, including cosmetic containers made of celadon (Goryeo Dynasty) and white porcelain (Joseon Dynasty) as well as an ox horn mirror stand and other ornaments, will be showcased in chronological order to help understand the history.
Visitors can also take part in various programs such as concocting cosmetics oils with botanical oils extracted from rice and apricot seeds, and having their nails stained in the traditional Korean way by applying natural pigments from garden balsams.
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