1. Why Do “Korean Makeup Brands” Always Make Up Headlines Again?
The popularity of Korean makeup has never truly waned; it’s just that a new batch of brands emerges every few years.
From early collaborations emphasizing “unnie’s favorite” idol endorsements to today’s focus on high-quality packaging, niche color selections, and “atmospheric makeup looks,” Korean brands consistently capture consumers’ makeup bags with speed and creativity.
This new wave of emerging makeup brands no longer relies solely on low prices or celebrity endorsements. They are more concerned with: whether the products are effective, whether the shades are close to Asian skin tones, whether the packaging looks good in photos, and even whether it represents a lifestyle aesthetic.
2. Common Keywords for the New Generation of Korean Makeup
Observing the brands and products repeatedly mentioned on Korean and Taiwanese social media in recent years, several distinct trends emerge.
- “Niche Appeal”: Rather than mainstream products, consumers crave brands and shades known only to a select few. Emerging brands like Perware and Braye are beginning to be featured in fashion media. – “Everyday Wear”: Whether it’s foundation or blush, most emphasize lightweight, adherence, and easy blending. It’s no longer just about looking good in photos, but about being able to accompany you from morning to night.
- “Atmospheric Makeup, Not Heavy Makeup”: Eyeshadow palettes mainly feature earth tones, milk tea colors, and peach pinks, using fine pearlescent and soft matte textures to create a “looks like you’re not wearing any makeup, but actually adds a lot” finish.
- “High-Value Packaging”: Although targeting the affordable or mid-range market, Korean makeup brands heavily utilize frosted, transparent, and geometric packaging to create a “luxury” feel. Brands like Hince and Dasique have generated a lot of buzz due to their packaging.
These commonalities have allowed Korean makeup to evolve from simply “easy to buy” to “beautiful and photogenic,” allowing brands to quickly go viral on social media.
3. Korean Makeup Brands Worth Noting
Below are some makeup brands that have garnered significant attention in both Korea and the Chinese-speaking world in recent years, serving as a foundation for inspiration when choosing products and writing makeup reviews.
1. hince: Affordable Luxury Brand with a High-Quality Look
Hince is often called a “budget-friendly luxury makeup brand” by beauty enthusiasts. It focuses on low-saturation colors and clean packaging, creating a mature yet approachable visual style.
- Style Features:
- Colors: Leaning towards misty rose, cool-toned nude, and gray-pink shades, ideal for those with sallow or olive skin tones, brightening the complexion without looking harsh.
- Packaging: Magnetic clasp, frosted finish, and simple text design; opening the makeup bag is like opening a small exhibition.
- Popular Items:
- Highlighter sticks and luminous products are known for their subtle reflective properties and “naturally smooth” skin effect. Suitable for use on the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and under-eye area, creating the appearance of naturally well-maintained skin.
For those who don’t like overly cute packaging but still want to maintain a Korean aesthetic, hince is like a “grown-up” version of Korean makeup.
2. FWEE: The Healing Brand That Gained Popularity with its “Pudding Cream”
FWEE’s core concept is “Smile like Fwee,” and from product naming to advertising visuals, it follows a healing, cute, and playful approach.
- Style Characteristics:
- Packaging: Pink, with rounded curves and a compact size, like a pocket-sized toy.
- Colors: Daring to launch a wide range of colors and shades, encouraging layering and mixing.
- Popular Items:
- Pudding Cream: Primarily for both lips and cheeks, with a soft texture, the color range spans nude, coral, rose red to grayish-purple-pink, with dozens of shades to suit almost every temperament.
- Glass Lip Gloss: Boasting different “intensities” of shine, from sheer gloss to mirror-like reflections, suitable for layering over other lip glosses as a final touch to lock in shine.
FWEE transforms makeup into entertainment: it’s not about “perfect makeup today,” but about “which pudding to use to change your mood today.”
3. AMUSE: Idol-Inspired Transparent Gloss
AMUSE has rapidly gained immense popularity thanks to its transparent packaging and endorsements from Korean celebrities. From Jessica and Gong Hyo-jin to IVE Jang Won-young, many have been brand ambassadors.
- Style Characteristics:
- Appeal: Combining vegan, eco-friendly, and lifestyle elements, it’s suitable for consumers who value ingredients and image.
- Visuals: The jelly-like transparent casing and candy-colored inner core are eye-catching even on a vanity.
- Popular Products:
- Glossy Lip Gloss: A frequent visitor to various beauty rankings, emphasizing high shine, high hydration, and non-stickiness, it creates “glass-like plump lips” and is a key product for many to emulate the “Won-young look.”
- Jelly Cushion: Radiant yet with some coverage, it became popular alongside the Korean-style dewy foundation trend. AMUSE centers on “light,” with each product designed to enhance the complexion with a clean, radiant glow.
4. dasique: A Blend of Girlish Charm and Practicality
dasique establishes its brand identity with soft pinks and petal imagery, often described as an “affordable 3CE,” but its textures and color schemes lean towards a gentler, more work-appropriate aesthetic.
- Style Characteristics:
- Color Scheme: Utilizes a large amount of milk tea, peach, and dusty rose shades, extremely flattering for warm skin tones.
- Target Audience: Suitable for everyone from university students to young professionals.
- Popular Items:
- Nine-Panel Eyeshadow Palette: Finely milled powder, clearly arranged colors, covering everything from base and color enhancement to shimmer—all in one palette, easy for beginners to use.
- Blush and Watercolor Palette: Focuses on a transparent and natural flush, blending seamlessly with foundation to create a radiant, natural glow.
For those who enjoy unboxing videos and makeup tutorials, dasique is a safe choice that offers both aesthetic appeal and practicality.
4. Why are Korean makeup brands so adept at “understanding faces”?
The key to Korean makeup brands’ success in the Asian market lies in their extremely high sensitivity to Asian skin tones and facial features.
- Color Adjustment: Most shades are based on yellow-toned or neutral skin tones, avoiding overly gray or pale shades. Foundation emphasizes “brightening” rather than “bleaching.”
- Glow Control: They favor using micro-shimmer and targeted highlighting to add dimension to a flat face without relying on heavy contouring to alter facial features.
- Texture Design: Foundations tend to be dewy, and lip glosses are lightweight and easy to layer, allowing for quick touch-ups and makeup transitions between commutes, dates, and after-work gatherings.
This design, based on “real everyday faces,” ensures that Korean makeup not only looks good in front of the camera but also reflects your reflection in the mirror.
5. How to Choose a Korean Makeup Brand That Suits You?
Faced with so many brands and popular products, try narrowing down your choices with a few simple questions.
- What kind of makeup look do you prefer?
- If you prefer a minimalist, mature, cool-toned look: check out hince first.
- If you love playing with colors and cute packaging: FWEE is a good choice.
- Want to create an idol-like dewy makeup look: try AMUSE’s cushion foundation and lip gloss.
- For everyday work or school: dasique’s eyeshadow and blush palettes are perfect.
- Do you take a lot of photos?
- If you frequently take photos and videos, prioritize brands with highly recognizable packaging; the quality of your photos will be significantly improved.
- Are you willing to try new things?
- If you enjoy trying new things, keep an eye on seasonal new products and collaborations. For example, limited-edition collections created by brands in collaboration with cartoons, clothing, or artists are often collector’s items.
Ultimately, whether a brand is worth keeping on your vanity for a long time depends not only on trends, but on whether it can give you that extra bit of “health and courage” on busy days—that’s the true magic of makeup.
