Spill It: Everglow Show Us Their On-The-Go Essentials

It only takes watching K-pop group Everglow's very first introduction to the world — their 2019 performance of their sassy, agile single "Bon Bon Chocolat" — to see that these women have it. The song itself is bold and twists in unexpected ways, but add in the sextet's hard-hitting choreography and fierce staredowns, and you can tell why Everglow has already established themselves as a force to watch within the global music industry. The Yue Hua Entertainment-managed group — E:U, Sihyeon, Mia, Onda, Aisha, and Yiren — have since released additional popular earworms, including the brassy “Adios” and cheeky “Dun Dun,” been nominated for a handful of Korean awards, and even embarked on a showcase tour of the U.S., which was unfortunately, cut short due to the continued spread of COVID-19. 

On stage, the women seem otherworldly as they shimmer in rhinestone-studded outfits and serve, without breaking a sweat. In person, however, the members are unmistakably down to earth. Everglow relish in the same joys and deal with many of the same gripes as other twentysomething on-the-go women — from fighting jet lag and homesickness to gushing about skincare and their favorite shows. Luckily, the women gave us a little peek into their world. Ahead of their stop in New Jersey, the women opened up their purses to Refinery29 for Spill It, in which we take a look at our favorite celebrities’ everyday essentials. 

Everglow’s leader, main rapper, and main dancer loves taking in the new sights and sounds of an unfamiliar place. Still, she loves a good Netflix and chill sesh, and is currently binging the popular Korean drama called Itaewon Class, and Spanish show Money Heist. 

In her bag, E:U carries items that will keep her hydrated and muscles loose. Among skin creams and a tube of lemon-scented hand lotion, she pulls out two red geometric contraptions and sets them on the table. “I use these yoga rings on my calves so they don't puff up,” she explains. “When my legs feel tired, I put them on and move around so that the blood circulates. It hurts a little, but it works well. Then I have this comb with me all the time: I've been bleaching my hair so it's suffered a lot of damage, and without this my hair would look like a bonsai tree. Finally, we like to wear colored contact lenses to add a dramatic effect to our looks, but they dry my eyes out. I put these artificial tears in my pockets and bags so I always have them on hand."

Before joining Everglow, the group’s lead vocalist made a name for herself as a contestant on two seasons of Produce — best described as Korea’s version of Making The Band or America’s Got Talent. She’s also envied for her healthy skin, for which she credits her newfound love of greens. “Honestly, I never really liked vegetables, but recently I've been drinking a lot of tea and eating a lot of salads, and I've noticed that my face has become a lot brighter,” says Sihyeon. She also makes sure to have her favorite skincare products in travel-size (she buys mini containers and fills them herself) in her bag for easy access. "I have really dry skin, so I have to repetitively spray my face with mist throughout the day — maybe 10 times if I don’t have makeup on — or else my skin gets really red and puffed up,” she says. When she’s traveling or resting, her airpods are a total necessity. These days, she says she’ll put up her hair in a high ponytail and put on something like Anne-Marie's "Birthday." “I love Anne-Marie for her lyrics,” she says. “She's always championing self-love.”

Even though Mia, the group’s 20-year-old main dancer, can command stages all over the world, she’s a bit of a homebody. “When I'm going back and forth from place to place I miss my bed,” Mia says. “When I first get to a hotel room, the first thing I do is go check the cushiness of the mattress and the pillows.” But when she is on-the-go between shows, her purse is stocked with the kinds of things that keep a performer safe and sane. “My legs puff up really easily and get kind of numb, so no matter where we are, I’ll put on these compression stockings,” she says. “My left knee and right ankle also tend to get sore, so I have these braces on hand. I also always have my headphones within easy reach. I get really hyper and overstimulated before going onstage, so I like listening to calming music.”

Vocalist and dancer Onda is currently rocking bright orange hair, illustrating her bright, bubbly personality. She comically holds up a little keychain of herself sporting a similar look, which is attached to her beloved airpods in a bear-shaped case. “I’m never without these in my purse, and I’m usually listening to foreign pop/r&b, like Kiana Ledé,” Onda says. But her favorite accessory is her neck pillow. “We fly and travel a lot, so when my neck is always in the cramped position I feel like my blood isn't circulating properly, so this pillow helps me sit up straight and rest. I like this neck pillow because it has a little desert fox character on it.”

Aisha, who at 5’8” is the tallest female Korean idol right now, commands the stage not only with her gait, but also her smoky voice as she spits bars. Off stage, however, she melts for a good movie and show — especially romance (she’s Team Peeta from the Hunger Games franchise), fantasy (Twilight), mystery (Law & Order: SVU), and drama (Itaewon Class and Crash Landing On You). When she’s not recommending Netflix titles to add to the queue, she’s dishing out other tips: first, jet lag. “We tried to beat it, but honestly we've all given up. My advice is simple: When you feel tired, just go to sleep,” she says, laughing. Then, there’s beauty. “When I go on planes my skin gets congested when I have makeup on,” Aisha says, “so I take it all off quickly with a cleansing wipe, and then I put makeup back on when I get off the plane. And I love collecting perfume, so when I travel, I carry a mini perfume with me at all times. Because I'm sensitive to smell, I like something that's not too strong, but still has a bit of weight to it.”

Chinese and youngest member Yiren does a bit of everything in the group, and has a passion for exploring new places. One of her first memories traveling was a cruise she went on with her mom to Japan and Korea, which helped ignite her love for drawing: “We had a drawing contest at school and I drew the scenery from the trip and won first place.”

Now, besides the occasional doodle, she keeps herself occupied on the road with games (“I could play League of Legends all day”) and with music. “I get a little bored when I don't listen to music, so I actually have separate playlists for when I get my makeup done, when I'm in the shower, and before I go onstage,” Yiren says. “When I'm getting my makeup done — this might sound a bit cheesy — I have this theory that when the mood is better the makeup is better. So, I listen to a lot of bright and fun music.” She also fights boredom by misting her face, and also keeps a bottle of perfume on hand. “Like Aisha, I also love collecting perfume. When I smell something I like — usually sweet and flowery smells — the rest of the day feels great.”