From L’Oreal to Chinese copycats, here’s why everyone wants a piece of the K-beauty pie

K -beauty has taken the world by storm. South Korean make-up trends such as bright-pink ombre lips, pale dewy skin, and thick, straight eyebrows have become ubiquitous from Hong Kong to Ulan Bator. More than simply a cosmetic trend, K-beauty has become major cultural force throughout Asia and beyond.

“The typical Korean beauty we would imagine is very fair-skinned, a small face with a small pointed chin, a narrow nose with a slightly upturned tip, and large eyes with double eyelids,” says Bettina Ding, a Chinese luxury retail specialist at Cherry Blossoms Marketing Research and Consulting. “Such typologies of beauty have a far-reaching impact on other countries, starting off with China and Japan, then across Southeast Asia and now possibly the West.”

Since the mid-2000s, K-beauty has become one of South Korea’s most successful cultural exports – along with K-pop, K-dramas and K-fashion – thanks to savvy online marketing, the rise social media and, most importantly, the overall spread of Korean culture.

For many Asian women, K-beauty is both inspirational and aspirational.

‘To me, Korean women have something Japanese women are losing … they’re [strong] and sexy,” says Lina Hitomi, a Tokyo-based branding expert who has consulted for fashion and cosmetics firms. She believes K-beauty’s affordable price points are attractive to younger Japanese consumers.

“Japanese beauty products are a little bit more expensive, but Korean products they can buy a whole set – repeat and buy. I look at young people’s magazines and a lot of sections now feature K-beauty [trends]. So it’s to do with pricing and then also that K-beauty is more sexy and more dynamic.”