Korea’s Hottest Summer Trends

The three things you’ll quickly learn to be true while living in South Korea go as follows: kimchi is a cure all, your elders must be respected without question, and a beautiful face can get you through any tough situation. With these three nuggets of wisdom, I’d say having a beautiful face is the most important.

Korea is a country where fierce competition is common in any situation whether you’re on the hunt for a new job or on the prowl for a new relationship. Having said that, Korea is in no way in competition with the rest of the world when it comes to beauty innovative products and trends because the land of morning calm is highly regarded in the beauty world as the emergent victor without question. This summer 2014, Korea has the world watching as it brought back 5 tried and true beauty trends with an added flair to keep the trends up-to-date.

1. Natural Skin

Dewy skin is a far cry from new in South Korea, however, face coverage is seeing some slight changes this summer. While it’s still common to shy away from thick foundations and opt for lighter coverages, Korean women are starting to prefer more natural looking concealers and coverage creams in lieu of the harsh ghost white face make up that seemed ever prevalent. Rather than slathering on white powders to give the face a pale sheen, this summer, products are aiming to give a natural, flawless finish. The best part is that a great deal of the summer products have sun protection in them instead of a whitening agent.

2. Puppy Eyeliner

We all already know that cat people and dog people rarely get along, and I’m sad to say that this summer Korean trend in eye make up will only further add to the great divide between these two groups of people. Women who adore sexy, wispy cat eye liner will hate the cute, droopy effect that puppy eyeliner strives to achieve. Whereas cat eyeliner is meant to pull the eye up, puppy eyeliner is created by simply following the natural lash line from beginning to end to intensify the natural arch of the eye, which Koreans believe create a more round and youthful look.

3. Coral Cheeks

Bye, bye, princess pink cheeks! Hello, cool coral! In a slight move away from the ever adorable trends that Korea utilizes to achieve ultra girly and young looks, this summer a pop of gorgeous coral will don the apples of cheeks everywhere in Korea. This oh-so-tropical look is extremely refreshing when paired with the new natural (not ghostly) skin trend. Rather than focusing on reds, pinks and shimmery silvers, Korea has opted for a touch of gold, mango reds, and dusty orange bronzers. When rocking these exotic colors on your pretty cheekbones, it’s best to keep it the focal point of your face. That means light eye make up and swipe on pretty neutral lip colors.

4. Gradient Lips

The design behind gradient lips was strong summer 2013 in South Korea, but now we’re seeing it brought back in an array of new colors. Ditching the usual soft and pretty pinks, gradient lips are being created using wonderfully unexpected colors like tangerine, peach, rosy red and, the color that seems to be everywhere this summer in Korea, coral. To learn how to get the gradient lip look with the perfect Korean lip stain, read my article The Hottest Korean Beauty Trend: Tony Moly Bam Bam.

5. Medium Bobs And Soft Waves

Hair trends in Korea might seem at a halt if you’re just walking down the street glancing at strangers and their dos. Stick straight locks and blunt bangs still have an iron tight clench on the country, but in the world of fashion and style, there are a few winter trends that lingered yet. Medium length bobs are back again and better than ever when styled into soft, tousled waves and curls. A perfect styled shoulder length bob can be achieved using a slim straightener rather than the traditional rolling curlers, which are popular in Korea.

The straightener is better to style soft waves because you can add different textures to each curl giving it a more natural feel rather than the tight uniform look you’d get using rollers. This laid back look can easily be taken into night for a glamorous evening on the town when knotted into a low, loose chignon. Pull a few waves and curls out to frame your face to instantly add a pretty natural vibe to your look.

What’s your favorite Korean beauty trend at the moment? Tell us in a comment below!