Top 5 summer beauty obsessions in Korea
Now that good weather is finally here in Seoul, the downsides are also back with a vengeance, with temperatures skyrocketing and humidity kicking in.
To deal with the sweat and frizz, Seoul women have accordingly been switching up their beauty regimes.
Here are the top five summer beauty obsessions in Seoul.
1. Lash extensions
“In the summer, extensions are popular because people sweat a lot and it is burdensome to cake on the makeup,” says Hong Kwang-min, 36, CEO of the eyelash extension chain Miho. “Plus, if you get them, then you can avoid potential smudging from mascara by skipping it altogether.”
Why not falsies?
Extensions look more real, says Hong.
Miho trains all their employees and makes all its own lashes, including ones made from real human hair.
According to the experts, the trend is not about big, flashy lashes, but about subtly enhancing the eyes in a way that looks 100 percent natural.
To achieve perfection, Miho consults with each client to design state-of-the-art sets of lashes that are the right length, width, curl and color.
One session (which lasts for up to four weeks) clocks in at around ₩50,000 to ₩70,000 won.
There are 18 Miho outlets throughout Korea.
817-11 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu (강남구 역삼동 817-11); www.mihoeye.co.kr; +82 2 393 0130
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2. Special grooming
Although the waxing trend has been around for years in other countries, in Korea it has emerged as a beauty phenomenon only very recently.
“During the summer, more of our female clients go for the full Brazilian,” says Kim Ah-young, 26, general manager of professional bikini waxing salon chain La Beauté.
In addition to standard bikini wax styles, La Beaute’s specially shaped waxes -- like butterflies and hearts -- are also in demand.
According to Kim, La Beauté’s Cheongdam-based flagship store has seen an increase of about 2,000 registered customers annually.
Kim added that they also get a lot of male customers and that their clients are not just coming for bikini waxes.
“In the summer, people wax everywhere,” she says.
Bikini waxing costs around ₩60,000 to ₩100,000 per session.
3/F 22-13 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu (강남구 청담동 22-13, 3층);www.labeautekorea.com; +82 2 512 1162
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3. Pore-fection
“When it gets really hot out, your pores loosen up,” says Hong Min-jeong, 28, PR chief of Korean cosmetic brand “It’s Skin,” explaining why women obsess over their pores during the summer.
While pore packs are nothing new, Hong says pore regimes are getting more elaborate.
“When I was young, we had a lot of nose packs,” says Hong. “But now it is becoming more systematic. It’s not just about extracting sebum. It is also about prepping your skin before you put the pack on and it’s about taking care of your pores afterwards too.”
In response, “It’s Skin” released their new three-step pore product line in July.
A heating gel opens up pores to help the peel-off nose pack pull those blackheads out. A pore tightening cream completes the regime.
The brand also sells pore cleansing balls made from pure silk.
Shaped like cones, you are meant to soak them in warm water to soften them up and then massage away to get your skin squeaky clean.
The blackhead clear kit costs ₩14,800. One pack of 12 pore cleansing silk balls costs ₩3,000. Sold at “It’s Skin” stores nationwide.
www.itsskin.com; +82 80 020 0186
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4. Golden girls
There may have been a time when pale ivory was the “it” bikini bod complexion in Korea. But not anymore.
According to Tan California CEO Park Eun-hee, 40, while tanning has yet to go mainstream in Korea, it still attracts a substantial summer crowd.
“It’s more popular here as a fashionable summer trend,” says Park. “A tan makes you look slimmer, healthier and sexy."
Park says she recommends golden brown hues to her customers. The salon provides face masks because Korean customers tend to only want to tan their bodies and not their faces.
While Tan California offers both UV and spray tanning, Park says UV is more popular because customers can control the shade of their tan to make it darker and because it lasts longer.
UV tanning (tanning lotion included) costs ₩162,000 to ₩200,000, spray tanning ₩49,000 per session.
3/F Keumho Building, 572-2 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu (강남구 신사 572-2 금호빌딩 3); www.tancalifornia.com; +82 2 542 5405
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5. Trendy tresses
Summer hair is an art. Done the wrong way, it can turn into a frizzy mess.
If anyone knows what kind of coif is on trend this season, it is The Red Carpet director Kang Ho.
The hair and makeup salon is famous for tending to the manes and locks of some major celebrities, including "City Hunter" star Lee Min-ho and Girls' Generation.
As a place that must stay at least one step ahead of the latest hair trends to keep high profile clients happy, The Red Carpet knows what is in and what is out.
So what is chic right now?
For guys, director Kang Ho, 33, says it is all about a double layered cut that is short on the bottom and long on top.
For the ladies, Kang Ho says that “bling bling” waves, which showcase tighter ripples are on trend.
Orange brown is apropos for fans of the tan, while wine red and soft apricot hues are also hip hair colors for this summer.
Perms, says Kang Ho, are not just for the girls. Fashion-forward lads will be going for what he calls a “baby” perm, a mix of loose and tight curls to create infant-like soft, tousled hair.
As for updos, Kang Ho says that women are doing “cutie” coifs put up to one side or plaited into loose pigtails. Braids in various shapes and sizes are major this season.
Don’t expect these trends to last too long, though. According to Kang Ho, Hallyu styles can change in the blink of an eye.
Cuts cost ₩40,000 to ₩80,000, perms and coloring start at ₩165,000.
3/F, 4/F 648-9 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu (강남구 신사동 648-9번지 3, 4층);www.theredcarpet.co.kr; +82 2 516 8588
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