K-idol IU says she perfected her famous smile by practising in front of the mirror
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
South Korean singer-actress IU is the face of Colgate Optic White Purple toothpaste.
PHOTO: COLGATE
Follow topic:
- IU believes smiling brings good fortune, overcoming initial awkwardness to embrace her smile for cameras and stages.
- Colgate-Palmolive partners with IU for its Optic White Purple toothpaste campaign, aiming to integrate oral care into K-beauty trends.
- IU emphasises the importance of dental health for confidence, using brushing, flossing, and water flossing for a bright smile.
AI generated
South Korean star IU is a firm believer in “useumyeon bogi onda”, a Korean saying that means “when you smile, good fortune comes your way”.
“I feel my life has flowed in a better direction ever since I started smiling more,” the 32-year-old singer-actress tells The Straits Times via email.
IU, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, adds that smiling in public was something she had to practise a lot.
“I tend to smile in my everyday life, but smiling in front of a camera or onstage is a different matter,” she says.
“When I debuted, I remember practising my smile in front of the mirror because it felt awkward. I think it was also because I lacked confidence back then.”
The K-idol, who made her debut in 2008, is famed for her bright, genuine smile. That has led to her being the first South Korean celebrity to front American personal care brand Colgate-Palmolive’s Asia-Pacific campaign for the Colgate Optic White Purple toothpaste.
The campaign, which launched in September, features IU promoting oral care as one of her beauty hacks.
“I truly like my smiling face now,” she says. “Smiles are contagious. I hope that when fans see me smiling in the Colgate campaign, they will find themselves smiling too.”
With IU’s endorsement, Colgate-Palmolive hopes oral hygiene will become part of the growing K-beauty phenomenon.
Says Mr Samir Singh, executive vice-president of marketing at Colgate-Palmolive Asia-Pacific: “K-beauty is the ultimate source of beauty authority and trends in Asia. However, oral care is not a part of those beauty conversations yet. This collaboration with IU is all about bringing teeth whitening into the larger beauty regimen.”
Purple and yellow are complementary colours as they sit opposite each other on the colour wheel. When mixed, their unique interaction creates a natural white shade by neutralising yellow tones.
The Colgate Optic White Purple toothpaste is said to colour-correct yellow tones on teeth, promising whiter teeth in seven days. The enamel-safe everyday toothpaste has micro-polishing crystals to help remove surface stains.
The campaign marks IU’s first toothpaste commercial. Dental health, says the Love Wins All (2024) hitmaker, is a big part of her personal beauty routine.
While she is not concerned about her teeth being stained by coffee or tea – she avoids them because she says her body does not react well to caffeine – she still brushes her pearly whites religiously.
“The most important thing about a bright smile and white teeth is through brushing of teeth,” she says, adding that she also uses dental floss and a water flosser.
“If your teeth aren’t healthy, your overall satisfaction with the day drops significantly. I believe that clean, healthy teeth give you confidence.”
South Korean singer-actress IU is the face of Colgate Optic White Purple toothpaste.
PHOTO: COLGATE
IU has enjoyed a fruitful 2025, with her biggest success stemming from the acclaimed Netflix K-drama When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025).
Her performance led to her first Best Actress award at the prestigious Blue Dragon Film Awards
She recently released a digital single, Bye, Summer, on Sept 10, followed by fan meetings on Sept 13 and 14 to celebrate her 17th anniversary in show business.
She is currently filming a new drama with South Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok of Lovely Runner (2024) fame, and working on her next album after the release of her EP A Flower Bookmark 3 in May.
