There’s no doubt that a new K-Beauty product is always trending, especially when a K-Celeb is the face of said product. In recent news, we’ve seen big names like SEVENTEEN’s WonWoo named as the new model of Korean beauty brands like The Face Shop, ZEROBASEONE becoming the new faces of COLORGRAM, and RIIZE becoming the new models of ETUDE, and many more.

There is an abundance of K-Beauty brands with K-Celebs as the face/model/ambassador of the brand - and fans are dedicated to buying these products to support their favorite K-Pop idol or Korean actor. The Olive Young top product ranking (of Apr. 25, 2024) is a great example of this. Out of the 8 products shown, 4 of them have K-Celebs (namely MONSTA X's HyungWon, Go YounJung, 2AM's Jo Kwon, and ZEROBASEONE's Kim JiWoong) as the face of the product, which can increase the odds of consumers buying the product.

Olive Young Screenshot (25/04/2024)

If you've ever wondered why brands opt to add celebrities to their marketing campaigns, a look at the following data from 2021 by LaunchMetrics proves the impact that Korean celebrities (namely BLACKPINK's Jennie and JiSoo, and BIGBANG's G-Dragon) have had on international luxury brands for fashion and cosmetics (which has only grown stronger since then).

LaunchMetrics

If that is the impact that K-Celebs can have on international brands, then it goes without saying that they would have a similar impact on local K-Beauty brands, too.

However, recently fans have been raising the question wondering why K-Celebrities (especially veterans and big names) don't venture into creating their own cosmetics and beauty brands. If they did, surely they'd make a lucrative profit from their fans' support...

In the case of the Western world, artists like Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, and Rihanna have infiltrated the global beauty market with their respective brands. Beyoncé has recently gone viral for her content utilizing her hair care products Cécred, Selena Gomez has become a sensation on social media with her cosmetics brand Rare Beauty, and Rihanna has also created a cosmetics brand that is a staple on the dressing tables of many in the form of Fenty Beauty. So, why don't K-Celebrities leverage their fandoms and take the leap?

The K-Beauty Celebrity Cosmetics Landscape Is Not Non-Existent

If you're looking for K-Celebrity cosmetics, but feeling bleak because you can't find any, then don't despair. There is one brand that you can seek out!

That's not to say that K-Pop idols haven't ventured into creating their own cosmetics brands at all. Jeon SoMi is one of the first K-Pop idols to attempt her own cosmetics line.

 

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She launched the makeup brand GLYF which she had been working on since 2023.

Negative Reactions To A K-Celebrity Makeup Line

However, the product launch was met with some pushback from netizens as they questioned her intention/sincerity and the pricing of the product.

Some argued that Jeon SoMi's first product, the ILLUÉTTE Highlighter Palette (four colors) at 43,000 Korean won (about 31.39 USD), is too expensive.

Whilst this sentiment spread across communities, to be objective, similar celebrity brands in the West charge similarly or even more. The Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter (one or two colors) retails for 74,100 Korean won (about 54.02 USD) and the Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter (one color) retails for 25 USD (about 34,274 Korean won).

On the other hand, if you compare a similar highlighter palette (with 4 colors) from the Korean brand IPKN called the IPKN Flap One Face Palette, it retails for 32,000 Korean won (about 23.23 USD).

Note: all prices and conversions are as of Apr. 24, 2024.

GLYF Official / Fenty Beauty Official / Rare Beauty Official / Olive Young

Taking these brands into consideration, Jeon SoMi's product is slightly on the pricey side but not entirely out of reach. It is up to consumers to buy a product in their comfortable price range.

The Likeliness Of More K-Celebs Opening Brands In Future

Whilst K-Pop idols are at a career and popularity advantage to launch products in the form of beauty and fashion brands, there might be some hesitance on their part due to potential backlash from fans. Jeon SoMi is one case study, but so is former Girls' Generation member Jessica Jung, who faced backlash from her agency when trying to launch her current fashion brand BLANC & ECLARE.

Some fans perceive pursuing businesses like this as a distraction and a lack of dedication to being an idol. Even in the West, Rihanna has received a lot of backlash for not releasing music and focusing solely on her beauty brand, for example.

As K-Pop fandom prioritizes a relationship with the K-Pop idol, for instance, whilst there might be an outpouring of support for the idol's brand - fans might not like the change in focus.

There is also the issue of K-Pop idols losing out on much-needed brand deals essential to marketing their groups or themselves. This is because beauty brand models are usually tied to only promoting that specific brand due to exclusivity clauses in the contract.

Lastly, and naturally, creating a brand in a saturated market is also a huge risk that K-Celebs may not have the time or energy to take on. Especially in South Korea, where K-Beauty giants such as Olive Young rule the day, it might be difficult to navigate the brands under that umbrella and other competitors. Even a brand (distributor) as huge as Sephora (selling international brands) has had to close down operations in South Korea due to being unable to beat the local K-Beauty market.

If competition can be this fierce between distributors, then it will undoubtedly be just as fierce amongst actual brand competitors.

However, there is still hope that more K-Celebs will take the leap to create products that can help fans feel closer to or like them.

What do you think? Should more K-Celebs be starting beauty brands? Do you reckon that being the face of another K-Beauty brand and not starting their own is the best way for K-Celebs to be part of the K-Beauty industry?

The Hallyu wave has naturally seen an increase in popularity from Korean entertainment. Whether it's a famous idol group or ongoing K-Drama, there's multiple layers to what makes the Hallyu wave so great. As interest in these celebrities grow, so does the attention towards their outfit styling, makeup, and skincare routine.

K-Beauty has revolutionized the way people handle their skin. They become exposed to a myriad of different products that effectively add ten years of life, helping to add a new glow to their visuals. Among the many beauty brands out there is goodal. One of it's slogans, "Feed your glow — skincare made for all", has certainly convinced many to try its products, walking away with happier and healthier skin. And with high profile celebrity, Go YounJung as one of their models, it's easy to buy into the brand and try out one of its many products.

Considering the sheer amount of products out there, here's 5 that you can incorporate into your routine, gaining revitalized and glowing skin. All of the products are available for purchase on Olive Young!

Heartleaf Hyaluron Soothing Cream

Olive Young

Every skincare routine needs a good moisturizer to keep your skin in tip-top position. The Heartleaf Hyaluron Soothing Cream does the trick for when your skin is feeling particularly dry. Even if your skin is more sensitive than others, there'll be no irritation during application or afterwards when the nutrients have seeped in. Olive Young also offers a special refill set at a discounted price, so you'll be able to purchase two for the price of one.

Green Tangerine Vita-C Dark Spot Triple Set

Olive Young

As important as skincare can be, it can get quite pricey, depending on the amount and quality of products you use. However, it's always a blessing to find a product that you can stock up on in a singular purchase. This is where the Green Tangerine Vita-C Dark Spot Triple Set comes in. It offers many positives: from moisturizing your skin to evening out your complexion, it's a magical product, receiving thousands of high reviews from consumers worldwide.

Green Tangerine Vita-C Eye Gel Patch

Olive Young

Do you have pesky dark circles that need a little extra care? K-Beauty brand goodal have just what you're looking for in the Green Tangerine Vita-C Eye Gel Patch! Once more Olive Young offers an enticing website special, providing the opportunity for a two-for-one purchase. In a matter of 5 minutes, you'll feel the skin under your eyes feeling fresh and good as new. And with consistent applications, your dark circles will certainly become a thing of the past.

Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Ampoule

Olive Young

When it comes to healthier and more vibrant skin, the Black Carrot Vita-A Retinol Ampoule is always an option. This product is especially useful for those with more sensitive skin types, looking to avoid any irritation and improve their skin condition. The addition of Retinol ensures that your skin will receive the appropriate healing and benefits to look even younger than ever before. It tackles multiple issues of your pores, making sure you see a difference in as little applications as possible.

Heartleaf Hyaluron Soothing Jelly Mask

Olive Young

As the day's about to end, it's time to snuggle up with your favorite book, TV show, or K-Variety program and have on a face mask to elevate your skin even further. Look towards goodal's Heartleaf Hyaluron Soothing Jelly Mask to accomplish just this, helping to fully revitalize your skin. It has a cooling effect that will put you in a state of comfort as it helps to moisturize and improve your skin.

With these products, your skincare routine and skin itself are bound to change for the better. These are just a few of goodal's various products that you definitely should add to your cart and proceed straight to checkout.

Which goodal product will you be adding to your skincare collection?

Summer is here and it's time to switch up your style! One of the best ways to do that is by changing your hairstyle. So, you must be wondering - what's in these days? Well, you've come to the right place! Let us introduce to you the hot new trending "it girl" Korean hairstyle that's taking the internet by storm - antenna bangs!

You've heard of microbangs, curtain bangs, wispy bangs, blunt bangs, and several other variations of bangs before. However, antenna bangs are the current hot trend, especially in Korea.

This Y2K-inspired hairstyle involves pulling out the thinnest little strands of hair from the front section of your hair where you'd usually cut your bangs, and...that's about it! You can pull them out on one side of the face or both and they can be as short or long as you'd like! Anyone can do it, and it looks good on virtually everyone!

While the antenna bangs can give you a bold and striking look (as seen on Hailey Bieber below), Korea's version of the antenna bangs is more delicate and subtle.

Amanda Lee Hair

After all, Korea loves the "effortless" look, so antenna bangs in Korea are also softer, more natural, and more inconspicuous but add a touch of feminine elegance to the face. Antenna bangs are much lighter and sparser than face-framing layers but still do a great job of enhancing the facial features.

tvN

Recently, Song HaYoon sported this hairstyle in the K-Drama "Marry My Husband", which contributed to the popularity of the antenna bangs even more. You may have also seen actresses like Go YounJung, Shin SaeKyeong, Suzy, Jeon YeoBeen, Shin HaeSun, Lim SeMi, and Kang MinAh sporting this trending hairstyle.

Harper's Bazaar / Elle Korea / Shin SaeKyeong's IG / Cosmopolitan / BYLYNN.SHOP / YNK by IOK Company / Lim SeMi's IG / Kang MinAh's IG / Kpopmap

The antenna bangs are a quick and easy way to keep up with the current K-Trend without having to make a drastic change to your hair. There's almost no chance of them looking bad on you, and if you happen to think they do, you can just tuck them away, and no one would even know! We love that!

Then, are you going to try the trending Korean "it girl" hairstyle - antenna bangs too?