Katseye Talk 'Gnarly', Makeup Hacks & Their Go-To Glossier Products

Refinery29

27-05-2025

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Glossier is a brand that has its finger firmly on the pulse. It pioneered the minimalist, "your skin, but better" look that has dominated the beauty trend cycle for years. There's also the cult-favourite You perfume, an intimate, musky fragrance that ignited the demand for skin-like scents. And, who can forget when the brand tapped a then up-and-coming Olivia Rodrigo as its first-ever celebrity spokesperson? So when we caught wind that the brand teamed up with pop girl group Katseye for the launch of its new product, a cooling lip oil named Lip Glaze, £22, we immediately knew that this was newsworthy on all fronts.
If you haven't heard of Katseye, start taking notes now: the rising girl group of the moment is poised to become the Spice Girls of the social media age. Its six members — Sophia Laforteza, Lara Raj, Meret Manon Bannerman, Daniela Avanzini, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeung — hail from all over the world, after successfully competing in Netflix's Pop Star Academy, a K-pop style survival talent show. The group's newest release, a campy earworm of a club banger named " Gnarly", has entered the Billboard Hot 100 and Spotify Global Charts.
Off the success of the group's latest single and the launch of Lip Glaze, we talked all things beauty with Katseye, from their secret skincare habits to the Glossier products they never go without.
R29: How do you personally define the word "gnarly"? From the lyrics of your new single, it feels open to so many interpretations.
Sophia Laforteza: A recent slang word that I've been using a lot is 'ew'. You know how when people think of the word 'ew', they think it's gross and disgusting? But I've been using it when something absolutely eats, like when someone's blush looks amazing. That eventually turned into using the word 'gnarly' to describe something that looks really good. There's a duality to 'gnarly'; you can definitely use it in a good way and in a bad way.
R29: How are you finding the response to "Gnarly"? There were lots of extreme reactions and memes at first, but the song has really caught on.
Lara Raj: It's been overwhelming and exciting. To be so real with you, people were really jarred by the song at first, so that was pretty hard for us. But [the turnaround in fan opinion] happened in the span of one day, when we did our first live performance in Korea. I think that because "Gnarly" is such a talking song, the visual part of the performance is something that the song needs. It's definitely been a rollercoaster for us, but we also understood the fans' perspective: when we first heard the song, we were like, "Wow, this is so different!', and it's something that gags you a little bit. We're so grateful to see how many people are loving it now and the success that it's bringing to us.
R29: Let's chat a bit more about beauty. In your GRWM video with Glossier, Manon talked about her love for shaved brows. Do you have any tips on how to do this perfectly?
Meret Manon Bannerman: I just love the straight brow look; it makes my face look snatched and more awake. Here's what I do: I shave off the top edge of my brow [where there's typically a natural arch] and I use a brow pencil to draw on the ends, so it looks more straight. PSA: You have to be very careful, or they might not end up looking good. But my members have all done it and they all look amazing, so I honestly feel like everyone should try having straight brows.
R29: Since you spend so much time together, what are some cool beauty tips you've picked up from each other?
SL: Lara loves using her eyeliner pencil as a lip liner.
LR: Yeah, it's because it stays on so much longer than regular lip products. I'm obsessed with Glossier's No. 1 Pencil, £18, in the shade Frame. It's a neutral dark brown that looks kind of ashy. I love to overline my lips with it and sometimes use it to draw freckles, too. I also put mascara on my eyebrows: it's literally a brush that has colour on it, and it works so well for brushing your brows. Another tip I have is to use highlighter as my eye shadow. I have naturally darker eyelids, so highlighter tends to brighten them up.
R29: Blush is having such a big moment. What are some of your favourite blush placements?
Daniela Avanzini: Surprisingly, I don't really use blush. I apply bronzer as my blush; it warms up my skin and helps me look more tanned.
Yoonchae Jeung: I do Korean-style makeup, which tends to look softer and sweeter than Western makeup. So I like to put blush right below my eyes, on my chin, sometimes even on my forehead. It helps your makeup look more even and perfectly matched.
MMB: I think I suffer from blush blindness and that's okay. I apply powder blush all over my nose and eyelids to create that pretty, slightly sunburnt look.
Megan Skiendiel: After my ginger blonde situation last year [for the group's hit summer song, "Touch"], it was very smart of me to dye my hair black and pink. It looked really cool and I wanted to keep my hair healthy. I'd love to go platinum blonde next, but dye the ends jet black.
R29: What's one beauty habit your fans might not know about?
SL: One thing about me is that I will never let my lips get chapped. I just can't focus when my lips are dry, and I use my lips to tell if I'm not drinking enough water. I love putting on a super thick layer of Glossier's Lip Glaze, £22, before going to bed, and exfoliating my lips in the morning. When I wake up in the middle of the night to drink more water, I will always top it up, or put on Glossier's Balm Dotcom, £16. I think that's what makes my lips look plump and glossy all the time; it really comes from how I take care of my lips.
R29: Last but not least, which Glossier products can't you live without?
MBB: Mine is the Futuredew Oil-Serum Illuminator, £26. It just gives me such a gorgeous glow and I just feel good putting it on. It also smells amazing.
YJ: I really love Boy Brow, £22. The brand offers one in grey, which is so hard to find and looks so natural on my darker brows.
LR: I'm literally wearing a full face of Glossier right now, but I think my favourite has to be the Stretch Concealer, £22. It's so full coverage, and yet it feels like nothing on my skin and covers up literally everything. I also love that it comes in a teeny-tiny pot.
MS: The Birthday flavour of Balm Dotcom, £16, has been my go-to ever since middle school. I recently lost mine and felt so sad that I went to the store to replace it immediately. The scent is so delicious and I feel nice putting it on.
DA: I have really dry skin, and The Stretch Fluid Foundation, £34, is the first foundation that I genuinely liked. It's super hydrating and creamy, and I'd definitely recommend that to anyone with dry skin. I also wear the Glossier You Fleur Eau de Parfum, £70, every single day.
SL: I love Cloud Paint, £22, as a blush, but I also like putting a little bit of it over my eyeshadow and on my lips. It makes my makeup look more cohesive.