We all had high hopes for 2020 and staying quarantined at home for months was definitely not one of them. It’s safe to say that no one predicted we would need to hit pause on our daily life and adopt brand new routines which included never leaving the house, practising social distancing and incorporating germ-killing ingredients into our skincare routine. But while most of our pre-corona activities had to take the backseat, there’s one thing in the beauty world that’s still prevailing—we’re talking about K-Beauty!
Ever since the rise of K.Pop a couple of years ago, Korean beauty started making its rounds on the trend charts and continues to do so. Every year K-Beauty evolves with new and exciting innovations that instantly become a worldwide hit. Take the 10-step skincare routine, it’s gone viral and how! And while we’ve seen the birth and resurgence of many trends in skincare and makeup during these past few months, we’ve got the low-down on 6 Korean beauty fads that are already a hit in Seoul and are said to be the next big thing in the post-pandemic world.
6 K-Beauty Trends To Look Out For This Year!
From a new skin craze to a futuristic sheet mask and even a new twist to the Japanese hungover blush trend, here are 6 K-Beauty treads that are going to be everywhere once we’re free from this pandemic.
Goodbye Glass Skin, Hello Cream Skin
Glass, yoga and the latest Dolphin skin have had their fair share of publicity on social media. Now, a new skin trend is making its rounds in the beauty world and it’s all about achieving baby soft skin. Cream skin made headlines back in February and it seems like it’s making a comeback just in time for winter. While glass skin was all about achieving that dewy, radiant, glowy and poreless appearance, cream skin, on the other hand, encompasses a product, texture and a look. If you aren’t familiar with Korean beauty terminology, ‘skin’ not only refers to the epidermis but also products like toners and essences. Cream Skin is a fusion between a toner and a moisturiser. This lightweight, creamy liquid once settled, gives a soft, supple, moisturised look minus the shine and since it doesn’t have a heavy consistency, it’s perfect even for oily skin type.
Electronic Sheet Masks
Yes, you read that right. Leave it to Korean Beauty to come up with futuristic trends. Move over messy serum-filled sheet masks, this new product is said to encourage cell regeneration sans any mess. Powered by electricity, these ION or LED masks use long and short wave light to improve skin elasticity, promote repair and regeneration of skin tissue, lift facial muscles and eliminate sagging to give you firmer, youthful-looking skin.
More Attention To Skin Microbiome
While over the past few months we’ve been focused on eliminating bacteria from the skin, this upcoming skin craze is all about focusing on the good bacteria present on the epidermis. Just like gut flora, your skin has a collection of good bacteria and other microbes that reside on the superficial layer of the skin. These bacteria are non-pathogenic. This skin flora is known as the skin microbiome. But not all bacteria are considered good so don’t put away your germ-killing products just yet. When there is an unhealthy balance of good and bad bacteria on the skin, it results in acne, eczema, rosacea and other skin issues. The future of skincare is all about promoting healthy microbiome in hopes to achieve better, protected skin.
Undereye Blush
K-Beauty is not only about skincare, but there are also a few 2020 K-Beauty makeup trends that have made the cut —one of them being, the undereye blush. We all know that the typical way to apply blush is on the apples of the cheeks, but this Korean trend is adding a new twist by changing the placement a bit. Similar to the drunk blush trend, many Koreans are applying either pink or coral hues underneath their eyes, going all the way down to their cheeks. While it may sound strange to some, this trend mixed with eyeliner and mascara can surprisingly freshen and brighten up the face.
Gradient Lips
This makeup trend has been around since 2015 and it continues to dominate the trending charts. But it has received a little upgrade to cater to the post-pandemic world. Due to the new must-have item a.k.a. face mask, many are ditching their creamy lipsticks and opting for matte formulas to eliminate smudging. While the formula changes, the process of achieving a gradient lip remains the same. First, exfoliate the lips to remove any dead skin cells, next moisturise the lips with a lip balm before applying the lip colour. While using a matte lippy, apply a bit on the centre of your top and bottom lip and later use your fingers to dab it towards the edges to achieve a softer, gradient look.
Ginseng
You can thank K-Beauty for the inclusion of snail slime, bee venom, white truffle, propolis etc. in your skincare products. Now a new ingredient is taking the spotlight, but luckily, it’s not as unusual as the previous contenders. Since many people are shifting their focus to Clean Beauty, Ginseng has become one of the new cult-favourites. Ginseng is a herbal ingredient from Korea and China that is known for its skin benefits. This new natural ingredient is said to increase collagen production, slow down the signs of ageing, improve blood circulation and accelerate skin cell regeneration. With so many benefits, no wonder it’s becoming a must-have ingredient in every beauty product.
While we aren’t out of the woods yet, these K-Beauty trends give us something to look forward to!
Featured Image: Unsplash