Korean vs. American Beauty Products -- Which Makeup Style Suits You Best?
Here are the 3 main areas where Korean & American beauty differs--the brows, base and the lips--find which style and product would suit you best!
When it comes to sussing out the beauty trends of the moment, we know exactly where to look--American and Korean trends. We love Korean makeup for their youthful and natural vibe, while American makeup has been known for a more glamorous and alluring look.
We break down the 3 main areas where Korean and American makeup products and styles differ--the brows, the base and the lips--to see which style and product would suit you best!
Eyebrows
Korean brows have always looked a little more natural, sporting flatter, straighter arches, though, of course, perfectly kempt.
An important part of rocking natural-looking brows is about having your hairs match the colour of your pencil or powder perfectly, which is why many girls go over their natural brows with a tinted brow mascara that’s in the same shade.
LANEIGE’s Eyebrow Cushion-cara lets you achieve this with just one product, which is great if you’ve been having a hard time finding a brow tint that perfectly matches your eyebrow pencil or powder shade.
Applying it is simple as well--after dabbing up a bit of the product, you draw out your desired brow shape with your angled brush and then use the spooly end of the brush to pick up more product to be brushed through.
This way you evenly coat your brow hairs and fill in any sparse spaces in a few quick swipes!
The liquid to powder formula is resistant to sweat and water, so if you have oily skin, this is a product that promises brows that’ll last all day! Another major bonus for anyone struggling with clumpy eyebrow tints is that the light and powdery finish of the product means you don’t end up with any unsightly clumps in your brows.
Pro-tip: If you’ve got a longer face shape, straight brows are perfect for you, because they balance out the length of your face. However, those with rounder, shorter face shapes should avoid straight brows because it can make your face appear even shorter and rounder in contrast.
Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Long-Wear Brow Pencil
Eyebrows have been an iconic part of American makeup through the ages.
From the pencil-thin brows of the 90s’ to the full and flicked arches we rock today.
All that aside, American brow shapes have always leaned more towards high, dramatic and perfectly precise arches.
We can’t forget the Kardashian-trademarked term, brows on fleek, after all.
To achieve full and fleeked brows, many opt for long wear eyebrow pencils for their precision and how blendable they can be.
Bobbi Brown’s Perfectly Defined Long-Wear Brow Pencil--as the name suggests--is designed to achieve full, natural-looking brows that just happen to be immaculately shaped.
The really interesting part of this pencil that many might not notice, is its bevelled edge.
This lets you use one pencil in three ways--to fill, to outline and to even out tiny gaps.
To fill your brows, turn the pencil on its wide and flat side for a light and even application. To define the outline of your brows, use the flat edge of the pencil. This gives you bolder colour while still letting you control exactly where it goes. The corner edge of the pencil then lets you get into those tiny little holes and gaps, giving you a fully defined and even brow.
Pro tip: Arched brows suit many face shapes, but it’s a lot about the angle of the arch. Square face shapes should go for rounded arches to offset their angular jaw shape, while round faces can go for higher, more angled arches to balance out the roundness of their faces!
Foundation Base
A recent trend we’ve been seeing from popular skincare and makeup brands alike is the surge of makeup with built-in skincare. Adding to that list is Sulwhasso, one of Korea’s most loved skincare brands.
Sulwhasoo is famous for working traditional Korean herbs into their skincare products, and the same can be said with their perfecting cushion compacts that have now become one of their bestsellers.
To help you achieve that signature dewy radiance that many now know as “glass skin”, the Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Intense uses Red Pine, Pearl Radiance Powder and Plum Blossom to instantly plump your skin and give it that healthy glow from within.
The light formula gives medium coverage but lets you easily build on it without any unnatural caking, which is something that can happen with many compact foundations. This also makes it really good for ladies with drier skin types who are looking for a foundation that won’t highlight any dry and flaking skin.
If you struggle with an oily complexion though, you may want to finish off with a setting spray or apply a setting powder to your oilier zones just to make sure the base product stays all in place.
MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15
While Korean makeup trends embrace the shine of a dewy complexion, American makeup styles have always leaned towards the perfectly powdered matte finish.
To achieve this, many popular American makeup brands design foundations to help control oil and shine.
Foundation formulas that are designed to give you that long-lasting oil and shine control can end up drying out the skin, which can leave you with a patchy looking base if you have dry or combination skin.
So if you’ve been looking for a base with a smooth, flawless matte finish, MAC Cosmetics’ Studio Fix Fluid Foundation promises all that, with pore minimizing qualities to boot.
Many rave reviews tout this foundation as the perfect “party” foundation because it stays on perfectly through heat and sweat--which sounds like a typical day in Singapore.
Another major thing we love about this foundation is that it doesn’t oxidise, so you can be sure your colour stays true throughout the day as well! The formula is said to be great for all skin types, but for oily ones especially. So if you have dry skin, you can go ahead with your usual moisturising routine before going over with your Studio Fix foundation and still expect that perfect streak-free finish.
Lips
Etude House Shine Chic Lip Lacquer
A huge Korean makeup trend that’s made waves in America as well has been the ombre lip. It’s all about soft, natural flushes of colour that have an effortless appeal to them. Achieving the look is easy enough--it’s all about concentrating colour in the centre of your lips, and slowly blending it out with a brush, or your fingers!
Achieving the perfect ombre look is more about the formula of your lip product. You want to go with something that isn’t too quick-drying, so you have time to blend your lip colour out evenly. This is why light, moisture-rich formulas are best for achieving a killer ombre lip!
The Etude House Shine Chic Lip Lacquer range is our top pick to achieve this for a multitude of reasons. Not only does the range come with 10 vibrant shades, this long-stay smudge-proof lip lacquer is blendable--before it dries--is super light on the lips, and even moisturises them throughout the day!
Pro-tip: Since the product does dry down to give you a lip colour that lasts all day (and even through meals) you’ll want to blend the lip lacquer out as fast as you can once it touches your lips. Lightly dot your product in the centre of your lips and slowly dab the colour outwards. Keep building on the same spot and gradually blend it until you achieve your desired ombre lip look!
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick
A timeless and glamorous makeup look that’s been loved since the age of classic Hollywood has been a bold and perfectly sculpted lip. The tricky thing about working this look on a day to day basis is streaking and smudging.
An easy solution is getting yourself a long-wear lip colour, but many have formulas that are drying and can emphasize chapped and cracked lips--which isn’t what we want. That’s why finding the perfect long-lasting lipstick is a real balancing act.
Kat Von D Beauty’s makeup products strike this balance perfectly, giving hours of smudge-free wear with the comfort of most other lightweight alternatives. Kat Von D’s range of everlasting liquid lipsticks has gained a massive fan following for their creamy texture, and high-pigment colour pay-off. The liquid lipsticks go on evenly and stay on well even after meals, which is something worth raving about to be honest.
The range currently boasts 42 creamy shades, so finding one that suits your unique skin tone will be an absolute breeze. For a classic lip colour that never goes out of style, we suggest finding yourself a signature red that you can rock any day!
It’s Up To You
Korean or American, there’s no right or wrong makeup choice to make. We suggest experimenting with these styles and seeing what suits your unique look and skin type. If you’re a makeup junkie like us, you may also want to check out some helpful tips on how to get a selfie-ready makeup look every time.