su•per•la•tive
/suːpɜːlətɪv/
adjective
1. Of the highest kind, quality or order, surpassing all else, or others. Supreme.
In Beauty Superlatives, No Manners brings you a finely curated list of “most” and “best” moments in the beauty sphere. In this installment, beauty contributor Mel Simmons revisits standout looks from K-pop star Felix Lee’s beauty portfolio.
Over the years, Australian star Felix Lee has delivered style inspiration aplenty with daring beauty looks. The singer isn’t afraid to revive a fad from decades past or tap into the newest trends. He doesn’t shy away from exploring new beauty territories and bringing novel styles into the limelight, either. This versatility, along with Felix’s ability to influence what’s in, has secured his status as a beauty icon.
As Felix continues to build his style book with standout beauty, No Manners takes readers down memory lane, looking back at some of the artist’s most prolific makeup and hairstyling moments.
Most Dazzling: Reimagining Rhinestones
In 2020, Felix’s eye bling made waves in the K-pop scene. The star received global attention for donning chunky eye gems during the promotions of Stray Kids’ “Back Door.” While the rhinestone makeup trend shot to fame in 2018, the Aussie trend taster put a spin on it for the new decade.
Prior to Felix’s appearance, the rhinestone trend had largely consisted of scattered gems or small gems placed closely together on the corners of the eye. Introducing a twist on the bejeweled eye look, Felix sported large gems just under his lower lash line. The bold bling framed his pupils and gave his eyes a striking effect on stage.
Not only did Felix present a bolder take on bedazzled makeup with geometric, sharp-edged rhinestones, but he also matched the explosive energy of his group’s music release. Plus, Felix laid the foundation for bejeweled details to become everyday makeup staples, welcoming a new era of maximalist makeup.
Best Trend Revival: Colored Mascara
In the music video for Stray Kids’ Japanese single, “TOP,” Felix revived the long-forgotten colored mascara. The track was a part of the original soundtrack from the anime series, Tower God. Fittingly, Felix sported striking beauty statements proper of an animated character.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the colored mascara trend, it originally appeared in the 1960s and peaked in popularity during the 1970s. The era’s beauty moguls used bright blue, green, and purple mascara to match the vibrant crowd at Studio 54.
Over the decades, the trend has evolved, embracing subtlety and permeating spaces like red carpets. But Felix always reaches beyond the expected beauty norms. In the music video, he opts for an unusual mascara color: white. The result? The singer offered a standout rendition of frosty makeup that struck the right balance between beauty-forward and stage-ready.
The Sweetest: Reinventing Strawberry Makeup
In 2024, the beauty industry was wading out of the food-inspired trend wave that reached its height in 2023. However, the kitschy trends had the best of us in their grasp. Felix was no exception. The star breathed new life into the strawberry makeup trend during the promotions of Stray Kids’ track, “Chk Chk Boom.”
While most strawberry makeup followers drew fake freckles, Felix allowed his natural features to shine. He complemented the look with fresh and vibrant pink blush and lip tint. Bubble gum blush was swept on his nose bridge and the under-eye area. Meanwhile, a generous amount of brown shadow smoked out his upper and lower lash line.
The juxtaposition balanced the trend, whilst adhering to Stray Kids’ fierce stage presence. On stage, Felix’s cute, food-inspired makeup contrasted with his deep voice, delivering that signature duality he is so famous for.
Best Hairstyle: The Fantasy Heartthrob Look
Felix made his Met Gala debut alongside his group members at the 2024 Met Gala. Dressed in Tommy Hilfiger, the octet switched their bold stage fashion for dashing coordinated looks. To match the occasion and theme, Felix updated his hairstyle. The rapper didn’t part ways with his icy blonde locks. Instead, he swapped his edgy styling for an ethereal, fairycore-infused look.
On the front rows, Felix has generally preferred to spike his hair with pomade to achieve the popular wet-hair look — a staple on the red carpets since 2023. However, for his first Met Gala, the Sydney-native kept things minimal with a lived-in half-up and half-down hairstyle. Felix’s hairdo featured slightly tussled braids and effortless strands framing the face.
It didn’t take long before comparisons with beloved characters from fantasy films and anime started to surface. Felix’s angelic hairstyle, paired with an all-white fit, became a viral style moment that kept the internet talking for days.
Most Impactful: A Headline-worthy Glam
Consolidating his influence in the fashion and beauty industry, Felix made a cameo appearance on the Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 show. For his runway debut, the star embraced futuristic aesthetics in a white and silver fit. Beauty-wise, Felix sported a look crafted by celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath.
Coined “RUNWAY RADIANCE” by McGrath, Felix’s glam centered around ultra dewy skin and soft colors. McGrath applied pearlescent blush and highlighter on the rapper’s cheekbones for a spotlight effect. Soft pink blush and lip gloss sealed the look for a headline-worthy appearance. For context, that season, Felix’s runway debut generated $9.1 million in Media Impact Value through echo mentions, representing about 25% of the media coverage related to the Louis Vuitton show. Wow.
The Glowiest: Felix’s Brownie Boy Gloss
Felix’s standing in the beauty world has steadily solidified through the years. His reputation recently landed him a new gig as the face of the Korean cosmetics brand Hera. The company falls under the Korean beauty conglomerate AmorePacific Group, placing Felix among the most influential names in the K-beauty industry.
As the brand’s newest muse and global ambassador, he fronted Hera’s latest campaign for the Reflection Skin Glow Line. Titled “LET YOUR GLOW SPEAK,” the campaign advertises the Reflection Skin Glow Cushion Foundation, Black Cushion Foundation, and Sensual Nude Gloss. In the images unveiled on August 25, Felix sports a flawless base with subtle highlights on his nose bridge and cheekbones.
The real highlight, however, was his lip look courtesy of Hera’s newest product, the Sensual Nude Gloss, “Brownie Boy,” inspired by Felix himself. The sheer lip product has hints of terracotta and mauve, a flattering pigment blend for nearly anyone. If you want to shop Felix’s special lip product, presale will start on September 24, followed by an official release on October 3.
The Boldest: a Y2K Throwback and Bold Frames
To celebrate the launch of Gentle Monster’s “Bold” collection, Felix visited the HAUS NOWHERE SEOUL Pop-Up. The retail experience — coined ‘The Future Returned’ — combined design features from the past, present, and future. The brand’s futuristic image was etched into every part of the event, from the architecture to the chrome frames.
Felix had pivoted towards pink hair ahead of the occasion. The artist swept up his newly dyed locks in a modern braided hairstyle with face-framing pieces that let his statement sunglasses speak for themselves. The braids were reminiscent of the Y2K style that thrived in the early aughts and his onstage presence, but Felix added a context-appropriate twist with a leather suit and glossy lips.
As for accessories, the star sported the Gentle Monster Mosh 02 sunglasses for the evening. The clear bayonetta glasses featured timeless lenses and cyber-sigilism-inspired hardware. Novel yet clean, the new release perfectly aligned with Felix’s recent summer staples. Per Gentle Monster, the glossy silver metal design “has been garnering a lot of attention on social media and various communities.” So, it was only suitable that the brand’s newest ambassador sported them at the event.
To top off the look, the artist paired the chrome frames with a single Louis Vuitton earring. Felix’s cyber-sigilism frames and monogrammed earring represented each relationship he holds in the fashion sphere. Thoughtful styling all around.
Best Front Row Transformation
Felix underwent a complete style transformation to attend the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2026 show. The rapper, who had previously bid goodbye to his platinum curtain bangs, showcased a cherry blossom hair color. His pin-straight hair was swept back for an ultra-sleek finish, channeling an image of stylish maturity.
Felix’s hair wasn’t the only detail receiving attention in his beauty repertoire. The “Unfair” star completed his transformation with steel blue contact lenses that featured a dark rim around the iris for depth. His makeup wasn’t any less impressive. The Sydney-native’s glam utilized peach tones and glossy textures—a springtime combo that actually matched his fall-ready ensemble. Toasted peach eyeshadow and lip products were used to warm up his complexion. But Felix’s makeup artist didn’t stop there. “Letting his glow speak,” Felix sported a hydrated glow on his temples, cheekbones, and lips — Hera, we suspect!
