6 Current Korean Beauty Trends

Newsie · April 16, 2015

Korean Beauty is becomingly increasingly hot as the popularity of K-Pop and K-Dramas grows. Singers and actresses are known for their glowy skin and beautiful makeup looks and become spokesmodels for many cosmetic brands. The following are some current K-Beauty trends that are sweeping the nation and the world.

Cushion Makeup

The first K-Beauty trend that went worldwide was BB and CC creams. While those products are still popular and widely used, something called cushion makeup has become a mass hit. This trend started last year, but is continuing to grow rapidly. Basically a liquid foundation is contained in a sponge which is encased in a compact. The product is popular because it is easy to use, has buildable coverage, and quite foolproof. It boasts multiple skin benefits including protection from sun damage, wrinkle prevention, evening out skin tone, and more. The product includes a separate sponge/pad which is used to apply the product onto your face. You press the applicator sponge onto the foundation sponge and press or bounce the applicator sponge on your face. Also, you won’t need to worry about germs as the foundation includes antimicrobial agents. This is the original cushion foundation that started the cushion craze:

IOPE Air Cushion XP (the product has been reformulated since its initial release).

They even have one for males!

Here are some helpful directions!

IOPE Men Air Cushion

There’s even cushion blusher and cushion eyeliner:

IOPE Air Cushion Blusher

HERA Cushion Liner

Gradient Lips

Gradient lips have been popular in Korea for years. However, there have been some recent innovative products that help you achieve the gradient lip look in one step. This product has two colors on one lipstick for an easy gradient lip. If you’re feeling daring, you can even use a different color for your top and bottom lips.

LANEIGE Two Tone Lip Bar

If two colors aren’t enough for you, you can have three!

VDL Tint Bar Triple Shot

Colorful Eyes

This trend isn’t groundbreaking, but K-Beauty has focused on neutral makeup looks for quite some time. While glittery and natural colored eyeshadows are still popular, the tide is turning a bit. More daring colors beyond typical golds and browns have become increasingly popular amongst Korean women. While celebrities wear heavy eye makeup looks on a regular basis, it’s not so common for the average Korean lady. Recently, more vibrant colors especially variations of reds are being more frequently purchased and used.

Aritaum Mono Eyes Eyeshadow

Espoir Pro Eye Color Palette

Honey

Food trends in Korea are sometimes reflected in K-Beauty products. While cosmetic products utilizing honey has existed for a lengthy period, the popularity of a snack called Honey Butter Chips has resulted in an increase of honey related beauty products. Check out some examples below:

Innisfree Canola Honey Jelly Mist

Skinfood Honey Butter Sheet Mask

Sparkling Water

Similarly, sparkling water is quite trendy in Korea and has resulted in products that are sparkling. These products might not feel as fizzy or sparkling as you might expect though.

Laniege Sparkling Water Whipping Cleanser

Holika Holika Soda BB Deep Cleansing Oil

The Face Shop Sparkling Apple Face Mask

Mineral Water

Another trend that is a bit similar to the sparkling water trend is the mineral water trend. Mineral water, especially from hot springs, is being touted as extremely beneficial for one’s skin.