Kaitlyn Gomez
Image Credit: Jihea Kim
An internationally recognized permanent makeup artist (PMU), Jihea Kim has built a unique reputation in the Korean beauty market. Her presence in one of the world’s most competitive cosmetic environments reflects her ability, and the results speak for themselves. Through her work at Brow Gyeol, Kim’s reputation as a global demand PMU artist has grown almost entirely by word of mouth.
Organic Growth Through Expertise
Before emerging as a Korean PMU artist with global audience recognition, Kim focused on mastering the fundamentals. Her career began with a focus on precision, balance, and longevity over trends. This philosophy shaped her studies and early career, and continues to inform her subtle, intentional approach today.
Korea is a demanding market, with numerous foreigners visiting the country specifically to meet with beauty specialists. Where most artists build their careers with advertising campaigns and aggressive self-promotion, Kim does not follow in their footsteps. Rather, Kim’s clients organically share their outcomes, growing her social media following based on her expertise rather than hype.
Image Credit: Jihea Kim
Serving an International Clientele
Today, Kim boasts more than 83,000 followers on Instagram alone. These connections were formed based on real client results and have extended far beyond Korea. Kim’s client base is increasingly international, with approximately 90 percent of her clientele being foreigners visiting Korea. In this regard, she stands out as a top Korean PMU artist for foreigners and a sought-after PMU artist worldwide.
Kim has become popular among foreign clients traveling to Korea for PMU, but also as an influencer and trusted permanent makeup artist. She has worked with Devy Anastasia, who has 1.7 million Instagram followers; Ayren Park, who has 1.4 million followers; and Eye Charlene, who has 213,000 followers. Each has become a natural advocate of Kim’s work; when searching for PMU artists in Korea on TikTok or Instagram, her work appears in more than half of the top results.
Across her local, international, and influencer followers, Kim treats more than 250 clients per month and consistently maintains a waitlist of more than three months, maintaining a booking volume rarely seen among individuals.
Contributions as an Artist and Brand Leader
To date, Kim has been invited to serve as a judge at several major Korean permanent makeup competitions, a role reserved for artists who have demonstrated technical expertise and leadership in their industry. Additionally, Kim’s business, Brow Gyeol, has been recognized as a top brand at the 2024 Korea Customer Preferred Brand Awards, further solidifying her reputation for customer trust.
Ambition for the Future
Moving forward, Kim does not hope simply to accomplish more, but to deepen the quality, intentionality, and longevity of her work. Part of that vision involves expanding her professional presence in the United States and engaging directly with the American beauty and PMU market.