Hallyu and The Rise of Korean Cosmetics in China

The East is Red. More specifically, the East is PK029 - this is Korean cosmetic giant, Etude House’s top-selling lipstick shade, which can be spotted on women all over Shanghai, thanks to the brand’s ever-growing reach in China.  

Etude House is one of a host of Korean makeup brands making a (very successful) foray into the Chinese market. Behind South Korea itself, China is the world’s largest market for Korean cosmetics, China Daily reports. Warc.com writes that within the past year, Korean products have accounted for 25% of China’s cosmetics imports, while China Daily reports that exports to China account for a whopping 41% of South Korea’s total cosmetics exports.

Etude House products. Photo from matome.naver.jp

Historically, Chinese consumers preferred European, American, and Japanese cosmetics brands, but the combination of the popularity of Korean culture in China and expert marketing have launched Korean products to the forefront of the Chinese cosmetics market.

Makeup artist Linda from Face Slap, a creative makeup and body painting company, has been based in Asia since 2010 and has noticed the effect of Korean influence as it moulds the Chinese approach to beauty.  “From blonde hair, fake eyelashes, colored contacts, to more serious changes like jaw shaving,” she says, “the Korean beauty culture is something China seems to be following.”

This growing audience for Korean beauty has translated into the success of Korean makeup brands in China. Speaking from her six years of experience in China and Hong Kong, Linda notes, “The Korean makeup industry [is] expanding in China, as they have their entire shops now instead of just a shop-in-a-shop or a counter in a mall.”

Photo from cosmeticsdesign-asia.com

Didi Rocha, another professional makeup artist living in Shanghai for six years now says she first grew aware of the growing trend of K-Beauty when she was studying Chinese at Donghua University. There, she noticed that the Chinese students were inspired by the beauty of their Korean classmates and began to adopt Korean beauty products and techniques. “Much of Chinese pop culture is heavily influenced by Korea and Japan,” she explains, making cosmetics products and beauty regimes a natural extension of Korea’s cultural exports to China. 

Hallyu, a Romanization of the Korean words for “Korean wave”, refers to the global popularization and subsequent dissemination of pop culture from Korea.

In many parts of the world, this wave truly crashed when, in 2012, Psy’s “Gangnam Style” took the Internet by storm. In China, however, Hallyu has been more of a steady stream than a wave, regularly captivating Chinese audiences with pop music, TV dramas, and celebrities.

Korean brands haven’t missed this opportunity to capitalize on the Chinese demographic – product placements on TV and in movies along with celebrity endorsements have Chinese fans clamoring after the lipstick worn by their favorite celebrity and even the meal of choice of their favorite TV character.

Korean TV series You Who Came From the Stars started an epidemic of fried chicken-and-beer guzzling after the series portrayed this as their female lead's favorite snack, subsequently inspiring the opening of many new Korean fried chicken restaurants in the country, while sales for cosmetic brand Laneige have skyrocketed largely due to their brand ambassador Song Hye-Kyo, who recently starred in the massively popular Descendants of the Sun.

Descendants of the Sun - the latest Korean TV series craze to hit China

Makeup brands in particular have moved to profit from the Korean Wave as it laps at China’s shores and floods its cities. Rocha has borne witness to the extent of the K-Wave’s influence in China and predicts its continued success, remarking, “I'm always talking to my Chinese and Korean friends about [why K-Beauty is so popular in China,] and all of them say the same thing: K-Pop and Korean soap operas have a huge influence on the success of K-Beauty in China." "

Chinese consumers are copying the style of South Korean music stars, and they also want to use the same products the music stars are using. I don't see a way that this trend can end with so many new beauty innovations coming out of South Korea.”

The K-wave cosmetics craze is hitting China at a time when there is a gap in the cosmetics market for reliable, high-quality products sold at a low- to mid-level price point.

Continuously pumping out new products at what is probably the most rapid rate of product development in the global cosmetics industry, Korean cosmetics brands have launched campaign after star-studded advertising campaign, complete with China-specific social media integration across applications like Weibo and WeChat. This allows Chinese fans to easily follow their favorite Korean stars and emulate their look while simultaneously converting them to the brand. 

Taeyeon of Girl's Generation, poster girl for Nature Republic

This was the case for college student and Shanghai-native, Amanda Z., who was initially drawn to Korean cosmetics when she found out that her favorite Korean pop star, Taeyeon of Girl’s Generation, was the poster girl for the cosmetics brand Nature Republic.

Though she was pulled in by the celebrity endorsement, she was won over by the immersive customer experience and the quality of the products. “Shopping for Korean cosmetics for me is more than just buying cosmetics,” she muses, “It’s more like a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The other reason [why I use Korean cosmetics] is that Korean products work better for Asian skin.”

With the ever-increasing multitude of Korean cosmetics stores, Chinese consumers have more and more choices as to which brands to give their attention (and funds). According to Amanda Z. and the shoppers interviewed outside the Nanjing Dong Lu locations of Innisfree and Etude House, they turn to different brands to fill different needs.

When asked their preference between Etude House and Innisfree, for example, our interviewees unanimously said that they shop from Innisfree for eco-friendly products and natural ingredients, while they prefer Etude House for color cosmetics like lipsticks and blushes. 

Photo from modachicago.com

A lot of this perceived distinction between brands boils down to strong market differentiation. Innisfree stores are a tranquil green and white with wood accents and an abundance of plants, while Etude House shops are pink top-to-bottom and feel as though they came straight out of a fairytale.

These companies pick a niche and then create incredibly cohesive, compelling brands covering everything from the brand story, to the color palette, to the names of the products. In this way, they set themselves apart and each maintain their unique draw even in such a saturated market.

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Photo from dropdeadgorgeousdaily.com

However, the success of Korean cosmetics in China can’t simply be chalked up to a stroke of marketing genius. The K-wave cosmetics craze is hitting China at a time when there is a gap in the market for reliable, high-quality products sold at a low- to mid-level price point. Rocha explains that Korean cosmetics stand out from their competitiors due to a winning combination of good service, great quality, irresistible packaging, and attractive prices. 

One of Korea's most popular female pop acts - Girls Generation

Linda corroborates this view, saying that the soft and cute, yet still professional feel of Korean cosmetics is highly appealing not only to Chinese consumers, but to the global market as well. She goes on to cite the flawless, youthful aesthetic of Korean beauty as one of its selling points for Chinese consumers.

“Young beauty is attractive. A group of 13 Korean girls singing and dancing (with the same height and similar face shape) will grab your attention. If they star in a commercial selling an eyeliner, it is definitely going to be one of the hottest items in Watsons or Mannings”. 

Many Chinese consumers are turning to Korean products as an alternative not only to pricier American and European imports, but even to native Chinese brands as well. This can be explained at least in part by skepticism surrounding the safety of Chinese products. Amanda half-jokingly remarks that, “When a country can’t even make sure the food is safe, how are you supposed to trust their cosmetic products?” 

Shoppers we talked to echo these sentiments, citing the long-standing reputation of Korean brands, the excellent price-to-quality value of the products, and the buzz on social media as reasons why they chose to purchase Korean cosmetics. When asked why she chose to shop at Korean cosmetics stores, one customer simply assured us, “Oh, every girl does”.  

(L) Innisfree's No-Sebum Mineral Powder | (C) Etude House's Dear My Jelly Lips-Talk | (R) Mamonde's Rose Water Soothing Gel

So whether you want smoother skin, rosier cheeks, fleek-ier eyebrows or even just a little retail therapy, the Korean cosmetics brands that have taken root in Shanghai have you covered. But where to start?

As far as makeup goes, we recommend the cult-favorite No-Sebum Mineral Powder from Innisfree (great for keeping shine at bay) and the Dear My Jelly Lips Talk lip tint (we never said these brands had standout English) from Etude House. For skincare, we’ve been loving Mamonde’s Rose Water Soothing Gel for a light layer of cooling hydration.

That said, customers who want to surf the K-Wave beauty trend and are hoping for the total package can always pick their favorite Korean celebrity and simply steal their look!

Main photo from pingnshop.com