Style Profile: LAPILLUS’ Yue Opens Up About Her Sartorial Inspirations, Haircare, and Go-To Fragrances
In the series “Style Profile,” celebrities exclusively share details of their fashion and beauty with EnVi. For the first installment, the members of the K-pop group LAPILLUS offer a picture of their personal style, sartorial inspirations and favorite trends.
Red-violet hair, Barbiecore sweater, and contagious smile…K-pop star Yue rocks them all effortlessly. In 2022, the young singer made her debut as a member of MLD Entertainment’s girl group, LAPILLUS. Thereafter, she has cultivated a style that favors comfort but still reflects her journey as part of one of K-pop’s up-and-coming acts.
For EnVi’s exclusive series, Style Profile, Yue takes us into her world, opening up about her fashion influences, haircare routine, and go-to fragrances.
On Personal Style: The Bulletproof Formula
Less than a year into her career, Yue is already forming a strong fashion presence as LAPILLUS’ main dancer and vocalist. Displaying her versatility as a performer, the idol has adopted a variety of styling concepts and trends on stage. Off-stage, however, is where Yue better channels her sartorial philosophy of embracing simplicity. It helps, of course, that she has found an easy-to-follow formula to guide her wardrobe choices.
EnVi: What style do you usually prefer for your daily life looks?
Yue: The styles I would often go for are just simple and chic styles because I really like comfortable clothes but I also want to look presentable in front of other people. I also have this habit of choosing similar colors and not using over three colors in an outfit.
What are the colors you find yourself wearing often?
I have three colors: black, white and brown. [Those] are my most commonly used colors.
What are some must-have items in your wardrobe?
I recently really got into corsets and belts, so I always find myself shopping for those kinds of accessories and wearing them for airport fashion. I also find myself wearing a lot of high-rise, wide-legged pants, whether it is jeans or just sports pants.
If you could describe your style in three words, what words would you choose?
Elegance, contrast, and comfortable.
Photos courtesy of MLD Entertainment
On Fashion Inspirations: Mom, BLACKPINK, and Frozen
From popular styles to people, Yue pulls fashion cues from a variety of places. To craft her looks, the star mixes influences as varied as her mother and the K-pop icons BLACKPINK — which she cites as big sartorial inspirations. When it comes to trends, just like many people of her age, Yue is retro gazing for guidance. As she tells EnVi, nowadays, fashion is connecting older and younger generations.
Who are some of your style icons?
For me, definitely BLACKPINK’s Jennie and Rosé sunbaenims. Rosé has that really chic YSL [aesthetic], and Jennie has that kind of really elegant, hot girl vibe. I really like their fashion. But I would also say that my mom is a big influence on my style because when I show her what I’m wearing, she always gives me advice and I also really like my mom’s fashion. I listen to her advice a lot.
What are some cues you’ve taken from your mom’s style?
The funny thing is that she always wears this kind of padded vest, so before she would always tell me, “You should wear it, it’s comfortable and it’s good when you’re feeling cold.” I never get her fashion, but I feel like nowadays [this style] is coming back and now I find myself actually shopping for padded vests or normal vests. I just like how it goes well with everything; you can wear a vest with a T-shirt under[neath] and it really changes the style of the outfit.
As a member of LAPILLUS, what are some of your favorite styling concepts?
We don’t really have any ways of promoting [new] outfits right now because we’re preparing for future projects, but right now I’m wearing a lot of vintage clothes with American high school girl vibes.
Is there any style you’d like to try in the future?
I think there’s a style called Y2K. I want to try that kind of vibe. Fashion is going back in time now. Before, people were always trying to find new ways, new styles, new kinds of fashions. I like how we’re bringing [vintage fashion] back. The style my parents used to wear, we would wear it now. I like how there’s this connection through fashion.
If you could live in a fictional world, for the style only, what universe would you choose?
I want to live in Frozen because one, that’s my favorite movie, and two, I really like the outfits the princesses wear. Sometimes I get that princessy mood too and I want to wear what they’re wearing. I also like the overall style in Frozen, the castles [give off] that Renaissance style. So if I could live in a fictional world, I would live there.
On Beauty: The Cleansing Routine
In recent years, beauty and skincare have experienced a boom. Despite the influx of viral products and routines, Yue believes that the foundation of an effective skincare routine is cutting through the noise and finding what suits each person best. The star, for example, places special attention on cleansing. As she puts it, keeping her face as clean as possible is a non-negotiable even during her “lazy days.”
How do you approach beauty and skincare? What does your routine look like?
For me, cleansing is super important. As an idol, I wear a lot of makeup every day and I wear it for a long time so I always want to make sure I wipe off all my makeup. Then, I go through an oil cleanser and then a foam cleanser just to make sure that all my makeup is gone. Then, I put on a normal toner and use moisturizing cream because I have pretty dry skin. I also try to use facial packs as often as I can. That’s usually my routine but there are also times when I just get kind of lazy. You know, we all have those kinds of days. On those days, I just try to make sure to, at least, clean my face.
Whenever you have days off, what is your beauty routine like?
When I have days off I never wear makeup because I feel my skin needs to breathe.
Do you have any habits or tips for when you’re not wearing any makeup?
Something I like to do is to keep my lips very moisturized. In Korea is very cold [now]* and it’s also very dry so my lips get really chipped. I try to keep my lips as moisturized as possible. We also use a stick moisturizer — it’s really affordable — so whenever we feel our lips are kind of dry, we put it on.
Do you have any beauty tips for our readers?
Skincare-wise, I hope everyone finds the right products for their skin. Something I’ve found out is that not all skincare products are a match for everyone. Some skin products could be good for one person but for other people, they could not be the right ones. I hope people don’t only buy things that are popular, but things that are actually fitting for them.
On Haircare and Fragrances: The Go-To Choices
In addition to their overflowing talents and distinctive fashion, K-pop stars are known for their bold beauty and hair statements. For instance, Yue greets me through a computer screen flaunting a red, luscious mane. Colored hair, however, requires special care. To keep her hair healthy, Yue follows a few expert-approved recommendations. Meanwhile, as far as fragrances go, Yue is a self-confessed enthusiast. Switching her personal choices to match her mood, the singer certainly understands the power of curating a perfume wardrobe for different occasions.
What is your go-to hairstyle, your safe choice?
I have really bad hair because I’ve dyed my hair multiple times so I try not to touch my hair as much. Most of the time I usually just wear one of those hair clips and clip my hair because I don’t want to damage it any further.
Haircare is really popular now. Do you follow any routine?
Because my hair is really damaged, I actually use special shampoo and I go through a hair treatment that our salon gave to me. Then, I use hair essence to keep my hair as healthy as possible. A recommendation that our salon gave me is not to shampoo every day so I shampoo one day and then [apply] hair treatment the other day.
Do you currently have a go-to fragrance?
I actually really like fragrances so I have a whole shelf of just perfumes but I feel like [current] go-tos are from Gucci and Jo Malone. And the one I really like is Prada’s CANDY; it has this sweet scent to it, which I really like.
How do you pick what fragrance you’re using?
I pick them depending on how I feel. When I want to feel luxurious, I use the Gucci one. If I want to feel sweet and cute, I use CANDY. And then if I’m just on a normal day I use the Jo Malone one. But it really depends on the moment or my mood.
Flaunting a fearless and comfort-embracing ethos, Yue perfectly showcases her generation’s approach to fashion. The star knows that dressing in style goes beyond sporting luxury brands and hip, viral items. Hence, her ultimate advice for those looking to dive into the world of fashion is not to be afraid of wearing things that make them comfortable. “Fashion is not just [about] brands, it’s also how you style clothes. Accessories and simple clothes can make your outfits very fashionable too, so I just hope people can feel confident about what they’re wearing.”
LAPILLUS’ Get Ready With Me Playlist
Yue’s Picks
Wildest Dreams – Taylor Swift
Kill Em With Kindness – Selena Gomez
Interested in more EnVi-exclusive content? Read everything about LAPILLUS’ Shana and her style affinities here.
*Editor’s note: this interview was conducted during winter.
