K-Beauty’s Global Glow-Up

Once posited as a trend, 2025 made clear that K-beauty is here to stay: In the past year, Korean cosmetics have taken the Western market completely by storm—flooding our social feeds, dominating our “best of” guides, and saturating our stores. Ulta partnered with K-Beauty World and Hansung Beauty to bring leading K-beauty brands to its stores last summer, Sephora increased its Korean beauty assortment, and even South Korean retailer Olive Young announced its plans to open its first US brick-and-mortar store in May.

“The current K-Beauty landscape in retail is only just beginning,” founder and CEO of Landing International and creator of K-Beauty World Sarah Chung Park tells magazine. “Expect far more brands and new categories in 2026, with both major and newly entering retailers investing heavily and expanding K-Beauty as a core growth priority. TikTok is accelerating this momentum, pushing more Korean brands into mainstream retail faster than ever.” Michelle Lee, Former editor-in-chief of Allure and K-Beauty World’s CMO, echoes this observation: “2026 is poised to be an even bigger year for K-Beauty, as education and awareness grows,” she says.

If K-beauty’s growth in 2025 was fueled by discovery, 2026 will be big on consumer education. “Curiosity is still growing—and there’s so much more room to grow,” says Lee. “People still want to know when and how to use a toner pad, what PDRN really does, etc.” As people learn more about skin techniques, formula types, and ingredients, they’re better primed to care for their complexions better.

“Consumers want visible results without compromising their skin, and Korean brands continue to lead there,” Charlotte Cho, co-founder of K-beauty marketplace Soko Glam and founder of skincare brand Then I Met You, says. “There is also a huge appetite for treatment inspired technologies that used to live only in clinics. When people can get real improvements at home, it builds long term loyalty and curiosity for what Korea will create next.” The result, all of our pros agree, will lead to the next iteration of the glass skin look we’re all familiar with.

If Cho could make a prediction, it’s the future is about to look a lot bouncier. “That springy, cushioned look is becoming just as important as glow, and people are paying more attention to how plump and supple their skin feels,” she says. “In Korea, a lot of innovation is focused on strengthening the foundation of the skin so that smoothness, lift, and bounce show up together. The goal isn’t shine for the sake of shine. It’s skin that looks fresh, lively, and full of life from every angle.”

However, just because we’re taking better care of our