Sang Woo Kim On Septum Piercings and “Hat Hair”

British-Korean male model Sang Woo Kim has spent the past year taking a break from his Fine Arts studies at Goldsmiths, University of London to pursue a career in modeling. When he’s not painting on a canvas, he’s learning from the pros (and his own mother) how to best adorn himself. For instance, what’s the secret to maintaining a septum piercing? What are the pro’s of hat hair? And how he’ll never give up his Comme des Garçons cologne.

Your look in three words: Angry, happy, baffled.

How do you take care of your septum piercing? What products do you use? Every so often I’ll give the piercing a cleanse but other than that it stays in my nose. That sounds horrible but it’s definitely clean, don’t worry.

Never leave the house without: A pair of contact lenses, Paracetamol, reading book or sketchbook.

Beauty from the inside out: Smile.

Favorite beauty products: The only real product I use on my skin apart from cold tap water and no soap is Shu Uemura’s Anti/Oxi cleansing oil/skin purifier, which I apply only after shoots and jobs for makeup removal.

Exercise regime: Oh, I don’t exercise.

Snack of choice: Cashews, not roasted.

Pharmacy find: Those sticky seamless wound/spot stickers seem to work a treat.

Always in your suitcase: Sketchbook, notebook, reading book, my Contax T2 camera, loads of Kodak 400 film, my engraved Faber Castell fountain pen that my brother got me for my 20th birthday, ink, my cologne.

Cologne of choice: Comme des Garçons Wonderoud, the only one that I will ever use and even if it gets discontinued I will stock up.

Moisturizer of choice: Nuxe Reve de Miel night cream that my mum uses and she has the best skin, so it must work. I use her cream when I’m at my parents’.

Do you use face masks? If yes, with fun characters? I only use it for the novelty when I am in Korea, since my Dad has Shrek face masks.

Favorite hair product(s): I always wear my military beret.

Have you ever dyed your hair? Nope, never have. But I have thoughts in the future to either shave my head and dye my hair and eyebrows white, or grow it long and dye it yellow. Lol.

Grooming secret: Hat hair is my grooming secret. I’m not joking. In all seriousness. Asian hair needs to be contained. Fact.

Best advice from the pros: A haircut can change your life.

Beauty icons: Rooney Mara, Jane Birkin, Winona Ryder, Liv Tyler, Patti Smith… There are a lot of beautiful people in this world.