Ahead, our K-beauty experts break down the four essential Korean makeup trends to know in 2026, from fresh-faced techniques to playful, expressive color—so you can wear your favorites the Seoul-approved way.
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Blurred Lips
Arguably, the entry point to Korean makeup are lip products—from lip oils to balms, glosses, and more—which are always prominently featured at major retailers like the everything store. Though it’s important to go back to basics, the blurred lip is like the little black dress of Korean beauty. “Some iteration of blurred lips has been hot in Korea for years. But the twist this year was a bit softer,” Lee previously told Vogue. “Rather than a distinct ombré look, lips were lined with a chunky, rounded, soft lip liner, and subtly blended.”
Chung Park points to Unleashia’s chunky liner as a leading contender in the category, with Rom&nd making an equally popular pick. Both help create a rounded, plumper-looking pout with no Botox required. And for a lip combo, there’s velvety long-wearing liquid lip formulas, rich in emollients for an impossibly lightweight feel.
Aegyo Sal
Under-eye filler and photo retouching be damned—in Korea, aegyo sal is all the rage. Lee says it’s the subject of entire product categories devoted to creating this under-eye makeup trend. So what is it? “Aeygo sal accentuates that puffy area of ‘cute fat’ (what the trend translates to) below the eyes when you smile,” she explains. “It’s a trendy technique that creates the illusion of brighter, wider eyes, especially on people with East Asian eye shapes.” While aegyo sal has been a prevalent makeup trend in Asia for some time, Lee explains it’s only recently had its western mainstream moment this year—another thing we can attribute to the TikTok democratization of beauty.