News: Metrosexual Koreans Seen as Guinea Pigs for New Cosmetics

The Chosun Ilbo recently reported an upturn in men's cosmetics. As more and more Korean men realize the importance of good grooming and skincare as part of their health, South Korea's cosmetic industry rises to premiere status in Asia. Here's the full report:

Metrosexual Koreans Seen as Guinea Pigs for New Cosmetics

High-end foreign cosmetics brand SK-II recently introduced a skincare line for men in Korea, its first such foray in any country. The decision came after liquid essence for men, which hit local stores last October and costs W160,000 (US$1=1,120) a bottle, saw a month's worth of inventory sell out in just four days.

"Korea accounts for 40 percent of the world's high-end cosmetics market for men, and Korean men are often considered in the industry as test beds for new products," a sales associate of SK-II said.

Men are quickly forming the main ranks of cosmetics shoppers, with the domestic market for men's beauty products growing 15 percent each year. Industry watchers expect the market will surpass W1 trillion this year.

/Yonhap News Agency

In Korea, concealers, products that minimize pores and whitening products have seen higher sales growth than basic skincare products such as lotions or skin conditioners among men. Meanwhile, domestic cosmetics brand Amore Pacific opened a make-up store for men in the trendy Hongik University area in northern Seoul and it attracts 300 customers a day on average.

The same holds true for apparel. Sales of women's clothing at Lotte Department Store nationwide fell 5 percent in January compared to a year earlier, but increased 7 percent over the same period for men's clothing. Shinsegae Department Store became the first retailer in the industry to open a section last year specializing only in men's fashion and sales have already risen 450 percent since it opened.

Domestic retailers say Korean men in their 20s and 30s have grown up watching popular men's dance groups since the late 1990s and are used to spending money on personal grooming. For example, many online shopping sites saw a surge in sales of men's undergarments that make the wearer look more muscular. Sales of body shaping or padded underwear rose 170 percent in February from one year earlier, according to popular online shopping mall 11st.

Source: Chosun Ilbo English

Wow! W 1 Trillion (PhP 37 Billion/$800 Million)! Anyhoo, I'd give anything to see Daniel Henney endorse a cosmetics brand. Anything!!!!

Makeup: Laneige Water Bank Mineral Skin Mist

Summer is nearing the Korean peninsula so if you're planning to go there soon or are already there, watch out for Laneige's newest product from their Water Bank line, the Mineral Skin Mist, which will help keep skin moisturized throughout the warm days. It revives exhausted skin by providing instant hydration and skin purification with optimal mineralized water and extracts from organic parsley purifying complex and lemon verbena. Optimal mineralized water made specifically by Laneige is made up of special mineral ingredients mixed and helps in skin rejuvenation and hydration.

Price: 22000 원/120 ml

Sources: Amore Pacific, hopeinablog

Photo: Amore Pacific

News: Korean Makeup Trends Find Global Following

Taken from the Chosun Ilbo:

Korean Makeup Trends Find Global Following

First there were TV dramas and K-pop, and now Korean makeup style is becoming a global fad. Already the makeup styles of Korean actresses and young pop groups influence fashions in China, Japan and Southeast Asia, where the Korean Wave first started, but recently American and European women, too, have been learning the techniques on YouTube, which features hundreds of videos promising to reveal Korean "beauty secrets."

◆ What Is the Appeal?

Beauty expert Lee Kyung-sun says the videos started being uploaded from all over the world about three years ago. In the early stages it was mostly Malaysian, Filipino, Thai and Taiwanese women who posted videos on how to make up like Kim Yu-na, Song Hye-kyo and Kara, but now the trend is expanding to the U.S. and Europe.

Another beauty consultant said, "What foreigners are especially interested is Korean women's natural-looking skin and one-point technique that highlights just one part of the face. They want to emulate the Korean style of light makeup that leaves the skin looking natural, rather than slathering thick makeup all over the face."

◆ From Test Market to Trend Leader

U.S. channel WNBC's program "Extra" reported in September last year that Korean makeup techniques were embraced by many Hollywood stars. Now, large cosmetics companies in the U.S. and Europe are recognizing Korea as a leader in beauty trends, a shift from the country's traditional image as a test market. A spokesman of cosmetics brand MAC said, "Until two or three years ago, Korea was simply regarded as a country where we test new products before the official launch as it has a huge demand for cosmetics goods, but now things have changed and we think that we should read trends in Korea first."

MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundation N18 and Behave Yourself Lipstick were launched after studying the reaction from Korean women. Beauty consultant Pi Hyun-jeong said, "Wherever in the world I go, I get questions about the secrets of Korean women's natural-looking beauty. I think Korea can look to the position of a global beauty trend leader like Paris and New York."

Domestic cosmetics brands have been riding the wave of this popularity, holding promotional events and makeup demonstrations in China, Japan and several Southeast Asian regions, while planning to launch or expand new branches in U.S. and Europe.

Source: The Chosun Ilbo