Korean Makeup

Korean Makeup, from cushion foundation to lip tint

What is Korean makeup?

Korean makeup is the makeup style that belongs to K-beauty. The idea behind it is simple: your skin is allowed to look healthy, so you do not have to cover it up. Korean products therefore tend to have light to medium coverage, a dewy finish and plenty of moisture in the formula. The look that comes out of it is called glass skin, skin that reads smooth and lit from within rather than flat. Korean makeup and Korean Skincare overlap, because ingredients you know from your routine sit just as easily in a cushion or a lip balm.

What makes Korean makeup different from Western makeup?

The difference is in the build and in the finish. Where Western makeup usually starts by covering everything, Korean makeup starts with layers:

• Lighter coverage. Cushions and BB creams let your own skin join in instead of hiding it.
• Dewy instead of matte. Glow is the goal, on your cheeks and on your lids.
• Gradient lips. Colour in the middle of your lip, blurred towards the edge, with a lip tint instead of a full-coverage lipstick.
• Soft blush, high on the cheek. Pink, coral and peach, built up layer by layer until it looks like a real flush.
• Skincare formulas. Hyaluronic acid, ceramides and plant oils show up in the foundation just as often as in your serum.

How does a cushion foundation work?

A cushion is a compact with a sponge soaked in foundation, plus a puff to apply it. You tap it on instead of sweeping it across, and you build until the coverage is right. That makes it the easiest Korean product to start with: it fits in your bag, you can top up all day and you do not need a brush. The TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Cushion is the bestseller on this page, and it comes as a mini and as a trial kit so you can take your time finding your shade. To see every cushion in the shop side by side, go to cushion foundation.

Which lip tint suits you?

Lips are the biggest part of this collection: roughly four in ten products are lip products. A lip tint leaves colour that stays put without you feeling a layer on your lips, and it is the base of the gradient lip. The Dear Darling Water Tint by Etude House is watery and bright, the Juicy Lasting Tint by Romand is glassier and fuller, and the Glasting Melting Balm by Romand sits between a balm and a tint. If you want something softer, the lip oils and tinted lip balms in this collection are a good place to start. Every tint in the shop is on lip tint.

Korean blush for a natural flush

In Korea blush is not an accent, it is the centre of the look. The colours are soft, the formulas thin, and you place them high on the cheek so it looks like you just came in from the cold. The Better Than Cheek by Romand is a powder blush with a milky finish, the Moist Ampoule Blusher by House of Hur is creamy and glowy, and the Cotton Blush by Missha is so light it is hard to overdo. With a liquid blush, use your fingers or a small sponge and tap the colour out.

Eyeshadow palettes and mascara from Korea

Korean eyeshadow stays close to neutral: peach, rosy brown, camel and champagne, with a single glitter as the accent. This collection holds around fifteen palettes, among them the Better Than Palette by Romand and the Glitterpedia Eye Palette by Unleashia. For lashes, the Kill Lash Superproof Mascara by Clio is the best known choice: thin, curling and slow to smudge. Etude House also has the Dr. Mascara Fixer to hold your curl and a lash serum for the days in between. Brows stay straight and soft, for example with the Shaper Pomade Eyebrow Fixer by Unleashia.

Which Korean brands does Boozyshop stock?

This page rests on a handful of brands you see in every Korean drugstore:

• Romand is the biggest brand in the collection, known for lip tints, melting balms and the Better Than palettes.
• TIRTIR is the cushion brand. The Mask Fit line is the reason cushions caught on here too.
• Etude House does lip tints, mascara and a lash serum, with the Dear Darling line as the classic.
• Colorgram and Fwee cover the blur tints, glosses and highlighters.
• Peripera, Dasique, Unleashia, Clio and House of Hur fill in with tints, palettes, mascara and blush.
• Laneige, Heimish, Mixsoon, A'pieu and Missha sit between makeup and skincare, with glow bases, lip oils and tinted balms.

How do you build a Korean makeup look?

You do not need ten steps. A complete look takes five:

• Start on cared-for skin with a glow base or primer, so your cushion does not settle into dry patches.
• Tap on your cushion or BB cream in thin layers and only build where you need it.
• Place your blush high on the cheek and blend it towards your temple.
• Keep your eyes neutral with a matte base shade and a glitter in the middle of the lid.
• Finish with a lip tint in the centre of your lip and blur the edge with your finger.

Combining Korean makeup and Korean skincare

Korean makeup sits best on skin that is already hydrated, so the two belong together. If you want to look beyond makeup, Korean Beauty holds the full K-beauty range and Korean Skincare has the toners, essences and sunscreens. If you watch ingredients, the vegan part of our range is gathered on vegan makeup.

Ordering Korean makeup at Boozyshop

Torn between two shades, or not sure which cushion suits your skin? Message us in the chat and we will think it through with you. Order before 8 PM and we ship today, and there is a free gift waiting with your order. Looking for something to give away? Have a look at makeup sets too.