On December 31, a new episode titled “Who Needs Personal Color? If You’re Cool, You’re Cool-Toned” was released on Hyoyeon’s YouTube channel Hyoyeon’s Level Up. The video showed Hyoyeon sitting down with her production staff at an SM Entertainment conference room to review the channel’s direction ahead of the new year.

While reviewing a presentation prepared by the staff, Hyoyeon reacted modestly after being told that many viewers praised her as “one of the best MCs of this generation.” She brushed it off, saying, “I wouldn’t call myself a great MC,” and added that she was open to constructive criticism rather than seeing only positive comments. “You don’t have to show only nice feedback,” she said. “Comments that help me improve are fine too.”

That prompted the staff to carefully bring up an area they felt could be improved. “There aren’t any hate comments,” they clarified, “but some viewers mentioned your facial tone.” They explained that after Hyoyeon changed her hair color, there were days when the overall tone didn’t seem to match well.

Hyoyeon looked genuinely surprised. “You’re saying the issue is my facial tone?” she asked. “This is the first time I’ve heard something like this in my 18 years of working.”

The staff continued honestly, explaining that on some days the hair color felt off, while on other days the lip color or blush didn’t match. “It’s not that there’s a problem,” they said, “but the overall balance doesn’t always come together.”

Hyoyeon was left momentarily speechless.

The team went on to admit that styling inconsistencies sometimes made post-production more difficult. “When the tone doesn’t match, we end up spending extra hours correcting it during editing,” they said, joking that the issue had even made some staff half-seriously consider quitting.

Realizing the situation might be more serious than she thought, Hyoyeon asked, “ Then what should I do?” The production team suggested a solution: getting a professional personal color analysis to find tones that suit her best.

The exchange drew attention for its honesty and humor, showing Hyoyeon’s openness to feedback even after nearly two decades in the spotlight. Fans praised the episode for offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the realities of producing idol-led YouTube content and Hyoyeon’s down-to-earth reaction only added to her charm.

Sources: Daum