Olive Young has released the 2025 Olive Young Awards, a comprehensive summary of this year’s K-beauty and wellness trends based on 1.8 billion annual customer purchase data points. The awards analyzed data from July 2024 to June 2025 and selected 166 top products across 40 categories, reaffirming Olive Young’s position as Korea’s leading beauty authority. Reflecting rapidly evolving consumer behavior, the award categories were significantly expanded this year. New additions i

British Vogue has unveiled a list of seven must-buy K-beauty products that visitors should pick up in Seoul, published online on November 17 (local time). The feature is based on items that Vogue editors personally purchased during their visit to Olive Young stores in the city. The first product selected was Mediheal’s Madecassoside Essential Mask , praised for its ability to instantly soothe irritated skin—especially after long-haul flights. Round Lab’s Birch Juice Moisturiz

According to new data released by the fashion resale platform KREAM, the “Granola Core” trend has emerged as one of the strongest fashion shifts this winter based on a comparison of transaction records from October 2024 and October 2025. The term refers to a style inspired by natural, health-focused outdoor living—essentially, the look of someone who “seems like they eat granola.” KREAM’s October trend report shows that padded outerwear transactions rose by 108 percent year-o

Male consumers are emerging as a powerful growth driver in the K-beauty industry, prompting rapid investment and innovation among cosmetics companies. Once limited to basic skincare such as toners and lotions, the men’s beauty market is now expanding into color cosmetics, fragrances, and scalp care, establishing “men’s grooming” as a mainstream lifestyle trend. Recent data highlights this shift. According to Mintel, nearly half of Korean men aged 18 to 24 wear makeup, and 17%

The Equal Berry serum line from the Korean cosmetics company Boosters has ranked high on North American Amazon, catching the attention as a rising force in K-beauty. On the 27th, Boosters announced that its Vitamin Illuminating Serum had earned 1st place in Amazon's Best Seller Rank (BSR) for facial serums in North America. The BSR is a real-time indicator of product rankings based on sales volume and trends. Equal Berry, which entered Amazon in January of last year, achieved

Developed by Professor Hae-shin Lee of KAIST’s Department of Chemistry and a team of young scientists, Grabity Shampoo is a breakthrough anti-hair loss functional product backed by advanced science. The shampoo contains a high concentration of LiftMax 308™, a patented KAIST ingredient, designed to form a protective layer on the hair surface and minimize damage from external stress.Clinical studies meeting international standards have confirmed its powerful results — a 6.27% i

Cosmetics company LOEWE announced the launch of a new antioxidant skincare brand, HydrogenZen, with its first product, HydrogenZen The First Essence, released on the 22nd. HydrogenZen The First Essence is a hydrogen-based essence that has scientifically proven its ability to stabilize hydrogen and enhance the skin’s antioxidant mechanisms through extensive testing. This product contains 2 billion hydrogen nanobubble capsules that help eliminate free radicals, penetrate deeply

Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae announced in her inaugural press conference that she aims to develop Japan’s relationship with South Korea in a forward-looking manner. According to NHK, Prime Minister Takaichi said during the press conference on the 21st, shortly after being elected, “South Korea is an important neighboring country for Japan and a necessary partner in responding to various global challenges.” She further emphasized, “I want to develop Japan-South Korea

LG Household & Health Care has successfully identified six key indicators and genetic factors linked to facial aging using advanced Vision AI technology. This large-scale analysis, based on high-resolution facial images of over 16,000 Korean participants, marks the country’s most comprehensive study on facial aging — revealing for the first time that aging progresses at different rates across facial areas such as the eyes, lips, and contours. The findings were published in th

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has issued a warning about the growing number of false and exaggerated advertisements for whitening and anti-wrinkle functional cosmetics. As public interest in anti-aging and skincare continues to rise, some companies have begun using misleading claims such as “cell regeneration,” “anti-aging treatment,”  and “anti-inflammatory effects”  — phrases that suggest medical-level efficacy — to attract consumers. Whitening funct

As Korea’s 2025 Chuseok overlaps with the golden holiday week, the concept of “Meconomy” (me-centered consumption) has emerged as a...

As the economy slows, “ultra-low-cost cosmetics” are making a comeback, creating a sensation across Korea. Major retailers and fashion...

Real Barrier has released three limited-edition products in collaboration with Pogon Village. The packaging follows the “Happy Barrier...

Korean premium hair salon brand WENEED will open its first store in Nagoya, Japan this October, marking its entry into the overseas...

The beauty industry is increasingly embracing “hybrid beauty,” a trend that blurs the line between skincare and makeup. Korean brand The...

Aekyung Industrial’s skincare brand ONE THING announced on the 24th the launch of its “Peptide Retinal Mist.” This new product is...

Foreign tourists visiting Korea are expanding their K-beauty shopping habits beyond the familiar “Olive Young, Daiso, and Musinsa” trio...

Despite economic downturns, the “lipstick effect” — consumers seeking small luxuries for happiness — is expanding into high-end...

CJ Olive Young’s “Olive Young Sale” (Aug. 29–Sept. 4) revealed that ingredient-focused beauty and pack cleansers are emerging as new...

Louis Vuitton has officially entered the global beauty market with the launch of its first cosmetic line, La Beauté Louis Vuitton . On...