5 K-Beauty Trends to Look Out For in 2016

As we are already in February, it is not an overstatement to say that this year has definitely been flying by. With a new year, I’ve noticed that the beauty trends have definitely shifted from 2015. Check out the most anticipated Korean beauty trends for 2016 down below!

I’m sure by now you know that the colors for 2016 are serenity blue and rose quartz. Although I love both colors, I was initially drawn to rose quartz. When I saw the baby, rosy pink color, I realized that not only could you use this color on a daily basis with eyeshadows and blushes, you could also use this beautiful color on your hair, something a lot of K-pop stars have already done. Unlike hot pink, rose quartz adds a subtle sense of femininity to your hair and isn’t as crazy or as shocking for those of you who aren’t too bold with your hair colors. I’m definitely going to try out this color next!

If you also want to dye your hair rose quartz, check out the DARIYA Palty Hair Color in Sakura. The DARIYA Palty Hair Colors are a foamy consistency that makes it easy to apply. It’s quick, doesn’t have a strong scent like other hair dyes, and isn’t as damaging as others, something I definitely look for in hair coloring products since I color my hair so often.

As EXID would say, PINK HOT, PINK HOT PINK! Pink is definitely a color to catch this year. In my opinion, I think the color pink is definitely the most versatile color to use when it comes to makeup. Not only can you use pink on your lips or cheeks, you can also use it as an eyeshadow or even a cute point eye liner.

However, the one downside to using bright pinks on your eyelids is that if the shade of pink doesn’t perfectly suit your skin tone, it can make your eyes look puffy and slightly red. Definitely a no no in my book. A solution to this is to invest in a bright pink mascara. Not only is it the perfect amount of color to add to your eyes, it’s also playful and fun. If you’re not looking for a bold eye statement, try adding the mascara to your bottom lashes.

If you don’t have one already, check out The Etude House Shocking Lash Perm Curl Fix Mascara in lovely pink! It’ll be the perfect addition to your makeup collection!

I know when you think of K-pop stars, contouring is not usually the first thing that comes to mind. K-pop stars are all about the milky white skin and cutesy eye make-up. However, this year, contouring is definitely a trend that many celebrities have been rocking. Contouring not only brings the illusion of a smaller, sharper face, but also brings the perfect amount of color back into your cheeks! By contouring the face to perfection, K-pop stars have been bringing out their well-defined cheek bones as they add a glowing tan to their face.

If you are looking for the perfect bronzer, I would recommend the Too Cool For School Art Class By Rodin. This product is a cult favorite and is loved by many Korean Youtubers as well. It has three different shades of bronzer so that you can use it both for your nose and your cheekbones. It also is perfect for Asian skin tones because it does not have any reddish undertones.

One of the makeup trends that I have been absolutely adoring this year is the dual-chrome eyeshadows. Out of all my makeup products, eyeshadow is definitely one of the products that I hoard the most. However, out of my huge eyeshadow collection, I noticed that not a single one of my shadows resembled the beauty of dual-chrome eyeshadows.

Dual-chrome eyeshadows are the most gorgeous because depending on the sunlight and your reflection, they can appear as different colors. Initially, I wanted to get the NARS eyeshadow in Phasphae after seeing it appear on an episode of “Get It Beauty.” However, as a broke college student, I couldn’t justify splurging over $30 for a single eyeshadow. After hours and hours of countless YouTube videos, I realized that Etude House’s latest eyeshadow collection had a color that was extremely similar to the NARS eyeshadow. The Etude House Monkey Wish Eyeshadow in GR 707 is my new favorite these days. In the pan, the eyeshadow looks extremely green and unwearable. However, when applied, the eyeshadow is a cute shade of brown with unique dark green sparkles. I would highly recommend you check out this eyeshadow if you also like to collect unique yet highly wearable eyeshadow colors.

One of the struggles I have everyday as an Asian-American is my lack of hair in the eyelash department. I want to have long Kim Kardashian-like eyelashes, but they’re just not there. In order to make up for my lack of lashes, I always find myself layering different mascaras over each other, but due to the weight of my mascara, my eyelashes inevitably begin to droop. 
I know that I am not the only one who struggles with the curse of short, droopy eyelashes. However, I noticed in K-dramas that many actresses have perky eyelashes that don’t droop even when crazy angry moms throw cups of water in their faces. Again, after hours of research, I came across this magical product. Are you guys ready? It’s a heating wand.. for your EYELASHES! It sounds crazy and it sounds like you’re probably going to burn off your already short eyelashes. Regardless, I ordered one of these magical tools for myself as soon as I heard of it and I can say that I did not burn my eyelashes off. These eyelash curlers heat up enough to lift up your lashes but do not heat up to the extent of you hurting yourself as long as you are careful.

Check it out for yourself! I got the Chasty Hot Eyelash Curler and loved it so much that I threw out my old eyelash curler. Who needs a manual eyelash curler when I can just heat up my lashes?

Which of these 2016 K-beauty trends are you most interested in?

lahkim is a Soompi writer who is passionate about Korean beauty products as well as the beauty trends of Korea. Other than her love for Korean beauty, she is also a fan of K-dramas, K-indie, and K-hip-hop. Her favorite K-pop artists include Bobby, Hyukoh, Zion.T, and WINNER. Some of her favorite K-dramas are “A Gentleman’s Dignity” and “Kill Me, Heal Me.” When she is not going crazy over the latest update about Bobby or obsessing over the newest episode of the latest drama, she can be seen either studying for her Biology midterms or helping out at her campus ministry.