In 2026, the world’s beauty eyes will still be on Seoul. After skincare routines, K-Beauty now imposes its make-up codes, between translucent skin and ultra-worked details. On TikTok as on K-pop clips, certain gestures keep coming back and intrigue French women who want to refresh their kit.
Good news, these new Korean makeup trends for 2026 do not require a professional level or a crazy budget. Second-skin complexion, graphic eyes, doll’s eyelashes and glowy strawberry pink make up four very different looks, but all easy to adapt to a French routine. All you have to do is find the one that best describes your current mood.
K-Beauty 2026: why Korean makeup inspires everyone
The success of Korean makeup continues unabated. The make-up market in South Korea grew by around 5.5% per year between 2021 and 2026 to approach 2.5 billion dollars, or nearly 2.3 billion euros. This creative energy feeds two opposing but complementary desires: a bare face almost without filter and very marked details.
First thing to do for Korean women: lingerie make-up, this “second skin” complexion which gives the impression of having woken up perfect. We stick to a palette close to your skin tone, with light BB cream, cushion or fluid foundation placed in the center of the face then stretched. We only correct dark circles and redness, before a micro touch of powder on the T zone.
Nude and strawberry pink complexion: two easy-to-copy Korean looks
On this nude base, doll make-up or strawberry make-up explodes the pink. Koreans use it as blush, makeup and shiny gloss for a very fresh glowy effect. Fair skin, a cold raspberry pink illuminates without hardening. Matte or dark complexions, a warmer pinkish coral instantly warms, especially applied high on the cheekbones going up towards the nose.
To tame it without looking like a filter, we dose the pink according to the context.
- At the office: lingerie complexion, veil of light pink blush, tinted lip balm;
- For appointments: deeper pink on the cheeks, strawberry gloss in the center of the lips;
- In the evening: addition of highlighter to the top of the cheekbones and light pink eyelids.
K-pop look: internalized eyeliner and XXL lower eyelashes
Next comes internalized eyeliner, a signature detail of K-pop idols like Kim Jisoo and Jennie Kim of the group Blackpink. Rather than a thick line towards the outside, we accentuate the inner corner by placing a cream or gel pencil on the level of the eyelashes, very close to the mucous membrane. On small eyes, it is better to limit yourself to the first third so as not to close your eyes.
Finally, the XXL bottom lashes give that doll-like look that we already see everywhere in South Korea. The idea is not to load, but to define: we apply a mascara with a fine brush only to the lower eyelashes, then we separate them one by one with the tip of the brush or tweezers. This structures the bottom of the eyes without kohl and also highlights the concealer.