The Makeup Remover

The witty web-to-print debut from Yeon is a reverse-makeover comedy about finding oneself under layers of foundation. Plain-Jane photography major Yeseul was always told she’d blossom in college, but instead “everyone glowed up except me.... Did they all take lessons or something?!” Seeking professional help turns into a disaster when even the cosmetologist disses her looks, but Yeseul catches the eye of Yuseong, a genius makeup artist who wants a perfectly blank slate for his canvas. Together they enter a reality competition show called “face-off Cinderella,” where Yeseul serves looks against her hottie influencer friend Heewon. The manhwa is aware of the silliness of its premise and often pushes the proceedings to comic extremes: Heewon exposes a creeper via her color-changing anti-roofie nail polish; Yuseong is so dedicated to his craft that colleagues whisper no one has ever seen his bare face. But it’s serious about makeup, with tips included on palettes for different skin tones and the many uses of petroleum jelly. Yeseul learns not just what to apply to meet beauty standards, but how to come out of her shell. The cute, upbeat art, if not showstopping, does a nice job rendering the transformations of characters under different makeup treatments. Yeon’s message about the importance of self-love is sure to put a smile on readers’ faces. (Mar.)