'Self-care is doing what you love': 'The Heirs' star Krystal Jung on what being beautiful really means
MANILA, Philippines — Marking the 12th year anniversary of her debut as the lead vocalist and visual center of the five-piece K-pop girl group f(x), Krystal Jung has masterfully navigated the highly-pressurized K-pop scene with such grace and style.
One could easily say that Jung has a wealth of experience when it comes to achieving success on the center stage, as she’s regarded as one of the most influential Korean celebrities in the last decade with a career spanning across different facets of the entertainment industry.
We’ve watched her grow from being a teenybopper idol from a multi-awarded K-pop group, to snatching her first acting gig in the star-studded 2013 K-drama series “The Heirs,” alongside titans such as Park Shin-hye and Lee Min-ho.
Jung was even given the moniker “Ice Princess” mainly because of her intimidating-slash-drop-dead gorgeous looks. But her versatility, raw talent, creativity, and work ethic have allowed her to venture beyond music. Perhaps this is one of her greatest achievements. After all, idols successfully translating their K-pop charisma into K-drama prowess is a rare feat.
Fast-forward to the present, Jung is now one of the busiest and hardworking Korean TV personalities whose body of work relays a message of inspiration to other women: anything is possible when you work hard for it. This is the message she lives by as the newly named global brand ambassador of AHC, one of Korea’s most iconic skincare brands.
In time for her global livestream, Philstar.com briefly spoke to the K-pop superstar about what it means to inspire other women, being a brand muse, and how self-care has immensely helped maintain her natural glow all these years.
Finding her new voice as beauty brand ambassador
With her innate female strength and becoming a source of inspiration beyond the silver screen, Jung personifies the journey of beauty that AHC advocates. This, among other things, has prompted the Korean skincare brand to appoint her as their new international spokesperson.
“It’s wonderful to be part of such a well-respected brand that has allowed me to amplify my platform in inspiring women to feel their best, inside and out,” said Jung when asked about how she feels being the new face of AHC.
Being celebrated for her beauty as a brand muse certainly holds weight. It’s a huge responsibility but one that Jung is prepared to tackle.
Whether through the headstrong female characters she portrays or through her music, Jung uses her influence to encourage other young hopeful women to have the confidence to follow their dreams. This very much coincides with the brand's values, which is all about discovering your own beautiful journey of transformation.
Being beautiful in a brave new reality
It’s clear that the concept of empowerment has been at the heart of Jung’s personal transformation over the years. Her tenacity to pursue the things that truly matter to her has shaped her definition of beauty. In a world where highly choreographed social media personas and living up to what society expects of you have become the new currency, Jung has managed to redefine what being beautiful truly means.
“Since becoming the brand's ambassador, my definition of beauty has grown tremendously. My idea of beauty is as much about the inside as the outside. If you love yourself and take good care of yourself, your real, inner beauty will shine through. Beauty is when we feel good and confident about ourselves, too,” said Jung.
Indeed, the standards of beauty in Korea are slowly changing but with the stature and global prominence that come with being a K-pop star, the entirety of this cutthroat industry still has much to learn. When asked if she experiences the same level of pressure to always look a certain way, she said, “To be seen as perfectly beautiful? Not at all. But there is pressure to always give my 100% best as an actress or a musician. I think I owe it to the people who have supported me all throughout my career.”
Being good to yourself has never been more important
In addition to her newfound meaning of what it takes to be truly beautiful, Jung also spoke about the importance of self-care. Emerging from the traumatic last two years of the pandemic, this topic has never been more holistically relevant.
When the whole world shut down in 2020, AHC was among the few brands that not only championed self-care but also expanded the conversations around physical and mental well-being and the role it plays in a balanced lifestyle.
“Self-care is doing the things that you enjoy the most. For me, that’s music and expressing my creative side. But over the past few years, it’s become much more about my skincare, and I’ve really focused more on that side of my routine. (The brand) has an amazing set of products tailored for all skin types and preferences. My daily skincare fixture includes the brand's 2-in-1 Eye Cream For Face, which is brilliant and a life-changing beauty must-have.”
Self-care is a thoughtful practice that includes a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, regular exercise, looking after your spiritual needs, and so much more. And while we can all agree on its importance and value, it’s also incredibly difficult to be consistent with it. So for Jung, it’s quite imperative to follow through with her daily routine, and with her line of work, self-care wouldn’t be complete without having a simple yet effective skincare regimen.
True to its ethos of making K-beauty expertise available for all, the brand is teaching women around the world how to bring home its unique professional aesthetic spa experience, which Jung has delightedly signed up for.
“I built a small spa corner at home with all my favorite (beauty) products, along with my face rollers, scented candles, and my relaxing spa playlist to complete and personalize the whole experience,” she concluded.
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