K-beauty might have flipped the world of skin care on its head, but the best Korean makeup is where the innovation really goes to show. Think sheer, skinlike finishes with a whisper of natural-looking glow, intentional placement, and formulas that are so featherlight, they feel like second skin.
“Korean products tend to prioritize hydration and natural-looking finishes,” says celebrity makeup artist Ham Gyungsik. “In contrast, Western makeup formulas typically emphasize a sun-kissed look, often relying on bolder pigments and more noticeable shimmer.”
“The biggest difference I’ve noticed is in the color stories—you generally get a lot of pastels, and soft pinky, peachy, or purple shades in Korean cosmetics, whereas in Western makeup, you have more neutral colors,” says Judy Lim, a bridal makeup artist and content creator.
I love Korean makeup formulas for their unique texture—some are cushiony and soufflé-like, while others could only be described as liquid glass. Whether it’s velvety blushers, glittery eye shadow palettes, cushion foundations, or the famed Korean lip tints, the world of Korean makeup knows no bounds (which is also why it can be a bit overwhelming for the uninitiated). Luckily I’ve spent the past two months on a mission to narrow down all the best formulas, some of which are consistent bestsellers at Olive Young (South Korea’s equivalent of Sephora ). Plus, I’ve quizzed celeb MUAs and bridal makeup artists on their top application tips.
The best Korean makeup, at a glance
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The best Korean foundations
Are you after a formula that delivers a more dramatic result? Say less. This best-selling cushion foundation from Tirtir offers exactly that—all the coverage, minus a cakey feel.
“I often rely on it for longevity (be it for weddings, nights out, or long office days. It’s hands-down the most long-lasting complexion product I own—the kind that doesn’t slip or slide regardless of how much I may be sweating. I also love the finish: not too matte and not too dewy. It delivers a blurred finish that still manages to look like my own skin,” says Glamour beauty contributor Denise Primbet.
There aren’t many foundations out there that are just as natural-looking as this cushion compact from Unleashia. Infused with SPF 50+ protection, this clever formula delivers all the hydration and lightweight coverage you need for a barely there makeup look. Plus, since it comes enriched with a whole bunch of skin-soothing ingredients, it’s a solid contender for those of us with sensitive skin. The result? Glasslike finish and healthy-looking skin in a matter of minutes.
Founded by renowned South Korean celebrity artist Jung Saem Mool, her namesake brand has gone absolutely viral for its famed cushion foundation, and deservedly so. Offering weightless yet buildable coverage, this formula delivers a gorgeous skinlike finish, leaving you with a natural-looking glow. The best part? The brand has just extended the shade range to 30 options (including cool-toned, warm-toned, and neutral iterations) to suit plenty of skin tones.
“This foundation is one of the most innovative formulas I’ve tried,” says Primbet. “I love that it comes with the spatula built in to the applicator, making the application process super seamless while ensuring seamless coverage. Personally, I think it’s a great formula for everyday wear. It doesn’t pill, oxidize, or feel too heavy throughout the day. In fact, whenever I wear it, I can count on receiving a handful of compliments on my base makeup.”
The best Korean concealers
Whether your goal is to counteract dark undereye circles, conceal blemishes, or cancel out redness, you can’t go wrong with this pot concealer from Thesaem. Depending on your color-correcting preferences and your skin tone, each iteration includes three shades that can be used underneath or on top of your foundation to create an even-looking base. The coverage is easily buildable, too, so you can adjust it to your desired finish.
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“This concealer has been an absolute game changer in my makeup routine. Since it’s double ended (the solid end is used for spot concealing while the liquid end is similar to a traditional concealer), it includes everything I need to create a near-flawless base. Apart from using it to cover up my acne or discoloration, I often use the solid creamy end to define the outline of my lips. The liquid end, on the other hand, is one of the best noncreasing formulas I’ve used on my undereyes. It blends like butter and feels super hydrating throughout wear,” says Primbet.
The best Korean blushes
One of our all time favorite Korean blush brands is Dasique, known for its four-pan blush palettes in warm and cool tones. The brand also regularly launches limited-edition versions like this Mauve Bear palette. (We also love the bright pink Strawberry Smoothie edition.) This powder blush formula is blendable and blurring, making it a great option for anyone looking for a natural finish with a filtered effect. From your cool-toned pinks to muted mauve shades and peachy hues, it comes in an array of flattering shades that can also double as eyeshadow. “On past trips to Seoul, Korean makeup artists always told me that I looked best in cool tones, so I tend to reach for lilac, berry, and cool pink blushes,” says Glamour contributor Sarah Y. Wu. “I love how the mauve blush palettes from Dasique instantly brighten my complexion. This formula is definitely on the sheerer side, but I like how subtle and easy it is to work with, especially for blush beginners.”
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If you prefer cream to powder blush formulas, consider this roll-on version from Rom&nd. Available in six bright shades, this dewy blush is formulated to leave a glasslike finish and a hydrating feel. You can either roll it directly on cheeks and blend out with your fingers, or apply with a blush brush. Like most of the Korean blushes we tried, the formula starts off on the sheerer side but is easily buildable, leaving a natural finish.
“I’d recommend this formula to anyone who doesn’t usually wear a lot of makeup (especially if you love a good skin tint), since it offers that minimal yet impactful coverage and glow that looks as though you’ve just had a hydrating facial. It feels like a nourishing serum that can easily be blended in using just your fingers. Although the pigment isn’t as dramatic, it still delivers an effortlessly chic look that’s great for everyday wear,” says Primbet.
Looking for that diffused, soufflé-like finish? Meet the Fwee Pudding Pot, a hybrid blush formula that also doubles as a lip product, leaving a matte finish for a blurred look. Having gone viral all over TikTok for its fun packaging and bouncy texture, it comes in a shade range that’s nothing short of impressive. Whether you choose to apply it using a blush, your fingers, or the brand’s special silicone applicator, it’s a foolproof product that suits beginners and pros alike. The pigment is easily buildable, too, so you can easily amp it up for a more dramatic result.
The best Korean contour
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According to MUAs, Korean makeup is less about dramatic contour and more about intentional and lightweight placement. This formula is, by far, one of the highest quality products out there. Featuring three cool-toned shades in one compact, it helps mimic a natural shadow with ease, without looking muddy or resulting in any patchiness whatsoever. About the only qualm worth pointing out is that it doesn’t offer a great shade range, which could be an issue for deeper skin tones.
The best Korean highlighters
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If you love the glass-skin look, you can’t go wrong with this radiant highlighter stick from Glint. Unlike traditional cream highlighters, it has more of a bouncy gel texture that feels incredibly hydrating and silky on your skin. It doesn’t contain chunky shimmer particles but can easily be built up to a reflective shine. “I’m wearing the shade 02 Milky Moon here, which gives my skin the prettiest pearlescent finish,” says Wu. “I find this particular highlighter stick easiest to apply with fingers, which makes it great for throwing in my bag and using on the go. I pat a little on the inner corners of my eyes, on my Cupid’s bow, and on the center of my cheeks for instant glow.”
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Glow’s popular liquid glitters are the ultimate eye-makeup highlighter. Paint them on your eyelids and inner corners, or above your aegyo sal (the puffy area immediately below the lower lashes). The large glitter particles are designed to imitate the look of shattered glass and may look intimidating in the bottle, but they’re suspended in a gel base that minimizes fallout and helps them apply smoothly. “I’ve tried the blue, rose gold, and pink shades, but my favorite Glow glitter remains the champagne-tinted #1979,” says Wu. “It’s surprisingly wearable for daily makeup looks, and the thin brush is perfect for placing the sparkle exactly where I want it to go in one swipe or dab.”
The best Korean brow products
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Soft bleached brows remain a popular Korean beauty trend, and this thin pencil is perfect for ensuring your eyebrows look defined and shaped without adding too much pigment. It features a triangular tip so you can draw in fine hairs with the pointy side, or flip it to the flat side to fill in larger areas. The waxy formula glides smoothly and is impossible to overdo. Plus, it comes with a brush to easily blend out your brows when you’re done. “My favorite thing about Korean brow pencils in general is that they’ve nailed the cool-toned shades,” says Wu. “A lot of the brow products in my collection either look way too harsh or warm on me, but every shade I’ve tried from Espoir is natural and flattering. I soft-bleach my brows every few weeks, so I’m using the Light Taupe shade right now.”
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“As someone who comes from Asian heritage, I know all too well that it takes a village to keep my brows in place, yet I can always count on this shaping pomade to deliver a strong and natural-looking hold that will last all day long. If you’re someone who isn’t a huge fan of a dramatic laminated look and if traditional brow gels never really do the trick, you’ll love this formula from first use. Think defined, fluffed-up brows that still look effortlessly groomed and natural,” says Primbet.
The best Korean eye shadows
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Be it a natural wash of color or a cute pop of glitter, these eye shadow palettes come with 12 shades to do it all. Known for wearable color combinations and smooth, blendable formulas, Clio’s palettes are a steady seller in Korea. The compact design makes them easy to travel with or keep in your makeup bag, and all three formulas (matte, shimmer, and glitter) are smooth, soft, and blendable. “Clio’s palettes basically do all the work of putting together an everyday eye look for you,” says Wu. “The shades are on point, the glitters aren’t chunky, and the eye shadow doesn’t crease or cause fallout even if I skip primer. I’m using the Shopping Cheese edition here, which has such a nice mix of champagne, peach, and muted brown shades.”
Be it a natural muted look, a bold wash of pink, or a cute pop of glitter, these eye shadow palettes come in a variety of iterations made for every taste and preference. Offering lasting wear, each palette features nine shades (including shimmery and matte formulas), making them compact yet versatile enough to create just about any eye makeup look. Each color blends like butter, offering an impressive level of pigment without causing any fallout.
The best Korean mascara
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“I have a confession to make: I never really found a Western mascara that worked well on my Asian lashes, which is exactly what compelled me to find a Korean formula that would actually deliver. Since trying this lifting mascara from OddType, I never looked back. Not only is it waterproof and long-lasting, but it also delivers an extremely natural result, leaving my lashes slightly curled, defined, and separated. Above all, the thin wand allows me to get even, root-to-tip coverage in just one coat—none of that clumpy or heavy feel,” says Primbet.
The best Korean setting powder
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Although Korean makeup is all about that healthy-looking glow, a quick dab of setting powder around the T-zone ensures that your look is blurred in all the right places, leaving you with a lasting result. This finely milled powder compact features a unique technology that helps control your skin’s sebum production while feeling extremely lightweight on the skin. It also doesn’t feel too drying, either, which is a great bonus for any of us with drier skin types.
The best Korean lip products
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“If there’s one thing I love about Korean makeup, it’s that it’s the antidote to a perfectly defined look. This blurring lip pencil from Unleashia is easily the best for softly sculpting and shaping your pout before applying your gloss or your lip tint. It glides on effortlessly, leaving a natural-looking shadow (a whisper of color, if you will),” says Primbet. You can also apply it all over for an even matte finish. Plus, since precision isn’t this product’s forte, top-ups are a lot easier too.
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Featuring a cushiony silicone applicator, this tinted lip balm offers a sensorial application, leaving your lips glossier and more nourished than ever. Whether you’re after a subtle wash of pink, coral, or mauve, or if you’re in the mood for a clear glossy topper, this formula is a must for those no-makeup makeup days. Packed with skin-loving components, it helps ensure lasting hydration and a near-instant soothing effect.
This tinted lip balm has a cushiony formula to match its squishy donut-shaped applicator. Infused with peptides and ceramides, it does all the hydrating work of a balm while giving your lips a smooth, plump finish (without the pain of a lip plumper). You can choose from eight sheer shades that range from pink to coral to plum. It’s noticeably shinier and glossier than the brand’s famous Lip Sleeping Mask but doesn’t feel sticky or tacky. “I fell for the hype of the donut applicator, but this is genuinely a great tinted balm,” says Wu. “I keep the shade Sugar Glaze in my makeup bag; it has a slight pinkish tint that looks great on bare lips or as a glossy topper.”
“Every K-beauty enthusiast knows that Rom&nd lip products are a force to be reckoned with, and this lip gloss is one of my personal favorites. Its nonsticky feel and ultrashiny finish can elevate virtually any lip combo. From rosy mauves to cool-toned pinks and neutral browns, the shades are universal enough to complement a variety of undertones and skin tones, delivering a natural hint of coverage and an instant boost of hydration,” says Primbet.
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Combining hydration, shine, and the ideal level of tint, this formula from Hera ticks just about every box for the ultimate lip gloss. Several of the shades like Lingerie have gone TikTok-viral after being worn by Blackpink’s Jennie. “I’m obsessed with this gloss in Lingerie,” says Wu. “One thing that surprised me about all of the shades in this gloss range is that they look very different in the tube than on your lips, so I recommend looking up videos and swatches for a better idea of the true color. Lingerie looks like a warm brown at first but applies much rosier on my lips. I’ve recommended this gloss to so many makeup artist friends outside of Korea, and they’re all obsessed. The way it smooths your lip lines, the precision applicator, the reflective finish—it’s all 10/10.”
Be it the adorable and compact packaging or the wow-factor shade range, this lip gloss from Fwee is a bestseller for a reason. The angled applicator brush cocoons the shape of the lips, while the formula blurs out any fine lines and imperfections, delivering a high-shine finish and a replenished feel. Its versatile nature makes it just as suitable to wear on makeup-free days as it is layered over your favorite lipstick for extra dimension. Thanks to its lightweight, nonsticky texture, it feels comfortable for hours while giving your lips that fresh, plumped-up look.
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This lip tint from Entropy is a testament to South Korea’s approach to innovation. Having gone viral on TikTok for its charm-inspired design and impressive shade range, this unique formula acts as both a lip tint and a hydrating gloss—a must for a high-shine look with a subtle wash of pigment. It also comes in a matte formula, which is equally gorgeous and leaves a soft-blurred finish. “I’m not easily impressed with lip products, yet since trying this formula from Entropy, I haven’t spent a day without applying it. I love the nourishing feel that helps avoid the tint from looking patchy or feeling drying throughout the day,” says Primbet.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best way to prep the skin for makeup?
“One of the defining characteristics of Korean makeup is the detailed skin prep routine, which plays a crucial role in the final look. Even the most basic routine usually includes several hydration-focused steps,” says celebrity makeup artist Ham Gyungsik. He usually starts the process with a sheet mask or a toner pad, followed by an essence, ampoules, and a moisturizer, before finishing up with a layer of SPF.
According to Judy Lim, a bridal makeup artist and content creator, “Korean makeup is often done in very thin layers to keep the skin looking natural.” She says that compared with Western makeup trends, Korean makeup is less about higher contrast looks and is more about subtle techniques.
If you want to build a Korean skin care routine with Glamour-approved K-beauty products, take a look at our guides to the best Korean skin care products, including Korean sunscreens, retinols, face masks, and eye creams from popular skin care brands like CosRx, Medicube, and Beauty of Joseon. And to remove longwear Korean cushion foundations and mascaras, you can’t go wrong with these Korean cleansers and cleansing balms.
What are some of the key focuses of a Korean makeup look?
Korean beauty brands are known for fast-moving trends, but a few things stay consistent in Korean makeup products. First, a natural-looking base.
“While every step is important, base makeup is arguably the most critical element. A clear, radiant, healthy-looking complexion is the heart of K-beauty,” explains Ham. To achieve a near-perfect base, Ham advises using color correctors underneath foundation to cancel out any undereye darkness or redness. Next, he recommends applying your foundation gradually (in thin layers) for a “natural, glowing finish.”
“Blush is often applied as a cream or liquid, blending it seamlessly into the base. Depending on the skin type, a light dusting of powder may be used to set it,” he says.
As far as the lips go, Ham reiterates, “Layering is essential” Rather than relying on one type of a lip tint or a gloss, he suggests carefully curating multiple formulas for a juicy pout.
His first tip is to neutralize the natural lip color using a sheer base (this can be done using a blurring lip liner or a creamy lipstick). Next, use a small amount of vibrant color in the center of the lips, and seal everything together using a glossy formula to enhance the shine.
What are the best Korean makeup application techniques?
According to Korean makeup artist Amy Lee, creating the aegyo sal (a unique technique that emphasizes the puffy area immediately under the lower lash line) is a great way to make your look appear more youthful and cute. This is often done by combining “soft highlight and contour techniques to create the look of smiling eyes.”
“Blush placement has moved slightly upward—now sweeping across the cheekbones toward the outer corner of the eyes for a more lifted, youthful look,” says Ham. He says that according to the latest trend, there’s a trending word, mijigeun (미지근), which translates to “lukewarm” or soft. With this in mind, Ham says, most brands are “releasing more products with sheer finishes and subtle, clear tones instead of bold, saturated colors.”
Now to the most important part—the base. “Korean makeup artists are a fan of the spatula technique that evenly applies a superthin layer of foundation onto the skin before patting it in with a dense sponge,” says Lim.
“The brows are also often lightened and filled in softly, creating a straighter shape (instead of arched). Eyeliner is rarely drawn in an upturned cat-eye shape, and is often drawn outwards or even downturned,” she says.
Elsewhere the eye makeup is more or less understated—although some K-pop-inspired looks call for a touch of glitter. And as far as lashes go, Lee recommends making sure you’re not using anything too heavy or dramatic. “It’s all about sticking to natural, separated lashes,” she says, so if you’re going for falsies, make sure to opt for individual lashes as opposed to strips.
Meet the experts
- Ham Gyungsik, Korean celebrity makeup artist
- Judy Lim, bridal makeup artist and content creator
- Amy Lee, Korean makeup artist based in New Jersey