K-Pop influences men to buy cosmetics in Korea

Published: 18-Nov-2014

Men stock up on cosmetics to imitate Korean pop music stars

The success of Korean cosmetics across much of Asia owes a great deal to the popularity of K-Pop - Korean Pop music and culture. When their fans began to look for the cosmetics that made their heroes look so good, the gates of opportunity opened for Korean brands. More recently, YG Entertainment, a leading South Korean management agency, has launched its own brand of cosmetics while a number of performers are said to be planning to capitalise on their fame by launching cosmetic brands.

However, there is another effect. The often ostentatious and colourful make up of male pop idols is fuelling booming market for male beauty products in Korea.

Of course, male make-up sales pale next to the market for women and only a minority of Korean men use products such as "BB Cream" on a daily basis. However, last year, South Korean men spent US$635m on whiteners, lotions, and skin creams, according to Euromonitor.

Observers agree that, helped by K-Pop, the market for male cosmetics has definitely expanded in the last couple of years. Cosmetics are no longer associated exclusively with women. The old gender divisions no longer apply so strictly.

At beauty school and through YouTube tutorials, male fashionistas study and apply these K-pop influenced beauty masks and gels. Many take their cue from advertisements or the endless pop celebrity endorsements for gels and lotions.

Trickling down to the mass market, most make-up-wearing men are not as flamboyant as the stars and may do no more than use hints of whitener and eyeliner.

However, students and school leavers who have yet to learn to worry about their professional appearance, have the luxury of sticking out with more extreme looks and feel free to adopt the bold colours and extreme looks they see in stage performances.

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