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K-Beauty in the Limelight: More Celebs Who Love Asian Skincare & Beauty

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K-Beauty in the Limelight: More Celebs Who Love Asian Skincare & Beauty
Ruth Kim
Ruth Kim

Apr 08, 2019


From politicians to Instagram-famous makeup artists, no one is immune to the Korean beauty bug. Here, we highlight a few of our favorite recent celebrity K-beauty sightings.


 

There’s simply no denying it: Asian beauty has taken the world by storm, and there are no signs of slowing down for the tidal wave that is K-beauty. Not only are hydration-focused sheet masks, cleansing balms, and hyaluronic essences now commonplace sightings in drugstores like CVS and Target, but celebrities and public figures from all spheres have taken to the ’gram to show that they, too, stan the K-beauty takeover. It’s been a minute since we covered our first round-up showcasing some of our fave celebs who proclaimed their love to sheet mask & chill, including Lady Gaga, Drew Barrymore, and Chrissy Teigen — so we’re back with another lineup of celebrity K-beauty sightings in the limelight.

 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s skincare agenda

 

Our first mention — and my personal favorite — is American politician and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (also known in badass fashion as AOC), who recently took a break from epicly dropping tweets and mics to divulge the deets on her skincare routine. AOC, a self-proclaimed science nerd, reportedly said skincare is a “straight-up hobby of mine”, and we gotta admit, she’s straight-up glowing with her signature red lip.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@ocasio2018) on

 

 

Contributing editor Sheryll already went full P.I. on Ocasio’s routine, which was shared in detail on her Instagram story, but here’s some key takeaways from AOC’s skincare agenda that I am totally here for:

 

AOC on double cleansing and removing makeup: "GET IT OFF your face.”

 

I like your hard stance on the No Sleeping in Makeup Policy, AOC.

 

AOC: "Toner should not have alcohol in it.”

 

And I’m personally advocating for a new Prohibition on alcohol-laden, astringent AF toners.

 

AOC: "...everyone’s skin is different and it’s like finding jeans that fit.”

 

Yup, basically YMMV in a nutshell, which apparently applies to finding both the perfect face AND booty enhancing holy grails.

 

There’s no debate that AOC knows what’s up with K-beauty, and we’ll just secretly hope that she’ll enact a new law on mandatory K-Beauty 101 courses in all schools nationwide.

 

Katie Jane Hughes loves the Korean glow

 

If you’re in the market to upgrade your makeup routine — or if you’re simply looking for some inspiration to revamp your signature look — then look no further than popular makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes, who quickly rose to fame after she started posting her makeup looks on Instagram. As described in her IG bio, she’s an earring-obsessed beauty enabler who’s #TeamGlossySkinAlways, and a little Byrdie told us that she swears by Korean brand VDL’s Lumilayer Primer for her signature glowing skin.

 

Her advice for perfectly applying primer is in line with K-beauty’s #1 application rule: pat pat pat. Instead of smearing or rubbing the product in, she takes a light tapping approach to “kill the edges,” which results in a subtle, light layer that sits beautifully on top of the skin. See the final glow-up in this gorgeous peach-pink look:

 

 

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A post shared by Katie Jane Hughes (@katiejanehughes) on

 

MUA Nam Vo also stans the compact version of the VDL Lumilayer Primer: “I like to use the VDL Lumilayer Metal Cushion Primer to make it look like there are beams of multi-dimensional colors on the face. I also mix it into my foundation and of course, use it as a traditional highlighter.” Beams of multi-dimensional colors? We’re sold.

 

After going down the inevitable rabbit hole one falls into when scrolling through a gorgeous MUA’s feed, I also discovered a couple of other gorgeous looks that feature another classic K-beauty brand, Innisfree. One of the brand’s concealer products is reportedly used for the base of this stunning icy look, a perfect mix of cool, silver-toned highlight with a warm sunset-hued eyeshadow look.

 

 

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A post shared by Katie Jane Hughes (@katiejanehughes) on

 

Hughes also repurposed an Innisfree honey lip mask as a highlighter, which just goes to show that you don’t need expensive makeup products to create runway-worthy, editorial-style makeup. Personally, I am so inspired, and I’m trying this look, like, IMMEDIATELY.

 

 

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A post shared by Katie Jane Hughes (@katiejanehughes) on

 

Tiffany Young’s Asian beauty-centric GRWM

 

I’m always here for an in-depth GRWM, so watching former K-pop star Tiffany Young’s video skincare routine on Vogue was no exception. Having started wearing makeup at the age of 17 when she first joined girl group Girls’ Generation back in 2012, Tiffany went into full detail on her beauty routine to show us how she achieves her gorgeous rosy, natural makeup look.

 

 

“The most famous thing about K-beauty would probably be face masks,” says Tiffany, and I’d definitely agree. Sheet masks and wash-off masks were definitely the gateway drugs to my incurable addiction that is Korean beauty. She starts off with the infamous Hanacure face mask, which was first made popular in the States when Drew Barrymore raved about its immediate lifting and tightening effects.

 

celebrity K-beauty

 

Sidebar: Even the two oldest Kardashian sisters took to the ’gram recently to shock the masses with their unusually contorted faces.

 

 

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A post shared by Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) on

 

After washing off the mask and applying toner, she goes into her eye treatment step. I love that she’s chosen an affordable roadshop brand product to treat the delicate skin around her eyes. (Celebrities: They’re just like us!) Her choice is the Innisfree Moisture-Volumizing Eye Serum with Lava Seawater, which sports a metal tipped-applicator. The cooling effect of the applicator, Tiffany explains, helps to cool and reduce any puffiness under her eyes.

 

You can get the same puff-reducing effects with the Mamonde Age Control Power Eye Cream, or you can get real bougie with the luxurious Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Renovating Eye Serum, which comes with its own golden-hued eye applicator-slash-massager to boot.

 

celebrity K-beauty

 

As she continues on from her skincare into her makeup routine, Tiffany stresses the importance of — yet again — the application method of her products. “What’s important when you’re putting product on your face is that you’re never like aggressively pulling your face down. It’s always kind of soaked in and lifted upwards.”

 

The same goes for applying non-liquid products like setting powder. Just apply a small amount of product to your cushion or brush and lightly tap the excess product off; then use a light hand when applying onto areas that might get more oily or creased throughout the day.

 

celebrity K-beauty

 

One final tip I loved from Tiffany’s makeup routine was her take on brows. She mentions that although the brow trend in Korea is to create the ulzzang, straight-brow look, Tiffany prefers to give her brows a natural, face-fitting shape. At the end of the day, she’s all for the natural, my-face-but-better look, and she poses the ultimate question we should all be asking ourselves: “Do you see the face, or do you see the makeup?”

 

Watch the entire video here:

 

 

K-beauty is obviously here to stay, and I personally love learning that some of the same Korean beauty products that grace my vanity are also featured in these celebs’ routines! Have you had any celebrity K-beauty sightings recently? Who surprised you the most? And what other brands or products have you seen in the limelight? Let us know in the comments below!

 

 


Author:

Ruth Kim
Ruth Kim

Ruth is a 20-something creative with a fixation on black coffee, black boots, and the beautiful black hole that is all things K-beauty. A Southern California native, she loves to share her current skincare favorites and lifestyle inspirations on her Instagram @ruthhlesslyy.


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