Together with other cultural exports of the Hallyu wave, K-Beauty has become globally popular over the past few years. In the UK, western makeup trends have been leaning towards ‘clean girl’ aesthetics and softer ‘-cores’ such as balletcore. Korean beauty trends have always been soft, natural and skin focused which has led to consumers finding K-beauty. The natural, clean ingredients used in K-Beauty and its historical links to traditional Korean medicine also entices audiences who like plant based ingredients!
What Defines K-Beauty?
While the simple definition of K-Beauty is beauty products originating from South Korea, K-Beauty has become known for innovative products and formulations that focus on natural looking results and effective but concise ingredient lists.
K-Beauty is also to thank for the expanded idea of what steps we can include in our skincare routines through understanding what each step does: the 10 step Korean skincare routine is a good guide on what products are out there and what order to use them in. Not every step has to be done every day – for example, exfoliants or treatments – but others, such as sunscreen, are vital for daily use.
Top K-Beauty Trends Captivating The UK Market
Glass skin is the longest lasting trend that never goes out of style. Good skin looks good with everything and is a perfect base for even heavier makeup looks or trends. We can’t go through an entire routine in this blog since every person’s skin is different, but for now we’ll put you on to the Artless Glow Base by Heimish. This skincare-like primer features glow-inducing ingredients like niacinamide, as well as being a mineral sunscreen with SPF 50 protection.
Lip tints are another enduring trend, coming back into vogue with the blurred liplines characteristic of Douyin makeup. When lip tints first appeared on the scene, the corals and pinks dominated. Now, for the lovers of neutral and dark glam makeup looks, makeup heavy hitter Rom&nd created the Milk Tea Velvet Tints – beautiful brown shades that can also be worn as nudes for deeper skin tones!
Best K-Beauty Brands in the UK
Everyone has their favourites, but some brands have achieved acclaim through their signature products beloved by UK audiences. Here are just a few examples!
Pyunkang Yul – This brand started off as a Korean medicine clinic, focusing on natural ingredients and traditional remedies. Though the Essence Toner is their most popular offering (we’ve personally had loads of customers come back for a repurchase), we also love the Moisture Ampoule, which boasts an impressively concise and effective ingredient list consisting of only 6 ingredients!
COSRX – One of the brands that paved the way for K-Beauty on a global level. Their flagship product is the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, which nearly singlehandedly introduced the world to the health benefits of snail mucin.
Rom&nd – Widely known as one of the most consistently brilliant Korean makeup brands, Rom&nd’s lip tints and blush are immensely popular. Since we already covered one of their tints earlier, check out their Better Than Cheek Blush next – placing a pink blush sparingly in the undereye area can brighten your face and create balance with warm-toned makeup!
The UK’s Adaptation to K-Beauty Regimens
Like the UK, Korea experiences the four seasons and has made products that would work best for hot and cold weather. For an example of adapting your routine to the season, Choi Soobin of TXT has mentioned he swaps between a gel cleanser in the summer and a creamier cleanser in the winter.
Since skincare is such a personal journey, combining your tried and true western brands with Korean favourites is always an option. You can also use the clear ingredient guidance of K-Beauty to find what active ingredients work for you across brands! Hyaluronic acid, for example, is widely used across hydrating products.
Aigoo: Your Trusted Destination for K-Beauty in the UK
If you want guidance and help creating a personalised skincare routine with K Beauty Products, come by our stores to talk to our expert staff! You can also do patch tests to make sure products react well with your skin. Aigoo stocks nothing but the best of authentic K-Beauty, direct from Korea – check out our K Beauty Products selection to shop online, with no long wait times and no delivery across borders.
Share your skin journey with us with the hashtag #aigooloves to be featured on our socials and website! We would love to see what your routines look like and spread the K-Beauty buzz here in the UK!