Overcrowded lines snake down Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles as people clutched their chairs, umbrellas, line numbers and water bottles waiting to enter a Korean beauty pop-up where brands are whispering of new product launches, interactive giveaways and beauty kits for the first fans who are early to the event
“The post-pandemic craving for in-person experiences and beauty educational spaces really drew me to these pop-ups,” said content creator and USC Alumna Fiona Dan, who has attended more than a dozen of K-beauty pop-up events in LA this year. “My audience especially loves events that feel social and informative,” she said. “It’s not just about testing products, it’s about learning how to build a routine and connecting with others who share the same curiosity.” These moments, she explained, transform beauty from a niche ritual into a global shared experience, where attendees swap tips, discover new ingredients and bond over their skincare journey.
Dan witnessed firsthand how the industry transformed from “panda-themed sheet masked” to a luxurious level formulation with global appeal. “In the 2010s, K-beauty was seen as cute but not serious,” she said.
These events — immersive, lively and buzzworthy — illustrate how Korean beauty has shifted from subcultural innovation to an industry disrupter reshaping the U.S. beauty market.
Dan’s pop-up attendance list reads like a roadmap of K-beauty’s growing presence in the U.S., from Laneige and Jungsaemmool to Skin1004 and Anua. But behind the interactive activities and influencer buzz, a deeper shift reveals how K-beauty is no longer a niche category. It’s a cultural and corporate force rewriting how Americans think about skincare, beauty and innovation.
“Korean beauty has always been about skin health first. Enhancing, not hiding,” said Irene Ham, founder of Poom Cosmetics and USC Alumna. “That’s why I created Poom: makeup that lets your natural skin shine through, while giving you that glowy, breathable coverage.”
Ham launched Poom in October 2024, driven by her own struggle with acne-sensitive skin and a desire to offer non-comedogenic, clean and barrier-supportive cosmetics. Her brand is a great example of incorporating U.S. inclusivity into Korean-based beauty products. As K-beauty continues to evolve globally, its next move would be less about viral trends and more about lasting impact.
“I always struggle with Korean foundations feeling too gray or too pale,” she said. “While I know six shades isn’t perfect, I’m committed to expanding and improving. The effort to be inclusive should always happen.”
Inclusivity is a new theme among K-beauty brands and the new generation of founders and creators. Dan, who is Asian American, said she appreciated K-beauty’s emphasis on glowing skin but prefers a naturally tanned look over the skin brightening trend often aimed at lightening skin tones.
“I enjoy creating a balance of glowing, naturally tanned skin,” she said. “I believe the common goal across all beauty cultures is healthy skin.”
Gloria Park, co-founder and creative producer of KNEMO, said their brand is built around that very principle, but with a distinctly American-first approach. The idea behind KNEMO is also echoed by Poom when developing foundation shades that better match American skin tones and universal skin concerns. Dan sees this shift as a long-overdue expansion of k-beauty’s reach: “It’s exciting to see brands listen, evolve and reflect the diversity of American beauty ideals,” she said. By leveraging TikTok’s algorithmic reach and creator diversity, KNEMO’s seeding strategy reaches an audience where they are, creating organic moments of discovery that feel less like advertising. “TikTok lets us connect with people who might never walk into a K-beauty aisle,” Park said.
Together, these voices illustrate how the new K-beautywave will be a place where Korean principles meet American realities in ways that feel more personal, empowering and future-forward.
“Our brand prioritizes the attention of American [consumers] more so than Koreans,” Park said. “Our philosophy reveals itself in packaging, copy, marketing and our strong connection to the community here in the states.”
KNEMO’s booth at the TikTok Shop K-beauty pop-up on September 27-28 drew more attention for the LipLock Jelly Serum, which many consumers have never seen before. Adding PDRN — a type of DNA fragment used in skincare for its potent regenerative, healing, and anti-aging properties — into lip balms created a huge buzz around the brand due to the advanced actives that increase moisture content. This innovation reveals how, although KNEMO is catering more towards American audiences, its product principles remain within Korean beauty philosophies.
Park said the pop events allowed her team to connect with creators and casual shoppers alike, especially those outside the traditional k-beauty niche. “We seed many different influencers outside of the K-beauty niche that most Korean brands exclusively seed to,” she said. “This is where TikTok comes into play.” Park explained that TikTok’s algorithm rewards authenticity and experimentation, making it the perfect platform to reach a community who may not have a skincare-first identity but still resonates with a wider audience. Whether it’s a fashion creator with a bold aesthetic or lifestyle influencers exploring different routines, KNEMO sees value in voices that reflect the multifaceted reality of American beauty consumers.
KNEMO is actively reshaping Korean beauty boundaries by pushing for inclusivity of those who don’t represent Korean beauty. Rather than solely having influencers who are well invested in the community and look the part, KNEMO is seeding out to creators who don’t fit the expected mold, but still resonate with diverse audiences through authenticity and cultural curiosity. “It’s not about fitting a look — it’s about sharing a feeling,” Park said. “That’s how we build real connection.”
The platform has become the key driver of discovery, education and feedback. Ham echoed that similar opinion, maintaining that consumers’ feedback, even when critical, helped her shape her brand’s identity.
This was especially true during a recent PR incident involving Poom and Glow, another Korean beauty brand. Glow accused Poom of copying its overall brand from logo to complexion product. Ham said she initially disagreed with the claims but chose to respond with humility.
“Even if the overlaps weren’t intentional, perception and outcome matter more than intention,” she said. “So I acknowledge that there may have been overlaps, clarified it was never my intention and committed to making Poom’s identity even more distinct moving forward.” Rather than escalating the situation, Ham chose transparency and accountability, reinforcing Poom’s mission to serve a community often overlooked by mainstream beauty brands.
The incident unexpectedly boosted Poom’s visibility, resulting in more than 500 orders in the days following the controversy. Ulta Beauty, which was reviewing applications for its MUSE Accelerator — a program designed to support and further grow early staged beauty brands found by Black, Indigenous and people of color — at the time, cited Ham’s response as one of the reasons it selected Poom.
“Choose humility over volume. Choose accountability over defensiveness,” Ham said. “They’re the harder options, but they’re the right choice.”
For Park, the future of K-beauty lies in sensorial marketing and cultural storytelling. KNEMO draws inspiration from Seoul’s Gen Z neighborhoods like Seongsu and Hannah, rather than traditional motifs like handbooks or palaces. This creative directive mirrors KNEMO’s desire to be presented as a living, breathing influence revolving around the youth community. It’s a deliberate move away from strategic heritage and towards a dynamic, lived-in aesthetic that mirrors how Gen Z experiences identity: multilayered, hybrid, and constantly in motion.
This shift of ideas reveals a broader redefinition of Korean identity — one that centers Gen Z culture, aesthetic experimentation and emotional resonance. Through channeling textures, colors, and moods of Seoul’s trend-forward districts, KNEMO crafts a distinctive brand experience that’s immersive and globally fluent.
“We don’t see Korea as hanboks and palaces, but as innovative gelato flavors, fashion to flex, and high standards for beauty,” Park said. “That sets the tone for all the products and photo shoots we produce.”
Dan said her audience responds most to activities that blend education with social interaction. Customizing keychains while learning about active ingredients blending with certain skincare routines creates a shared experience that feels both informative and fun.
“Pop-ups are where people learn why a product matters, not just what it does,” she said.
As Korean beauty attracts a wider market, its influence on American beauty standards is becoming increasingly recognized. Brands are offering more skin care-based makeup, offering more shades of pigmentation, embracing natural looks and promoting skin health over heavy coverage. Dan makes an example of Ariana Grande’s makeup shift from glam to glow, which is a mirror of current beauty trends.
Ham adds that the U.S. beauty industry still has work to do, not just on undertones and inclusive shade ranges, but also in addressing different skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis. These conditions are overlooked in mainstream product markets, leaving a good handful of consumers without safe yet effective options. She notes that many existing products prioritize aesthetic appeal over skin compatibility, often aggravating sensitive conditions rather than support them. For Ham, true inclusivity means formulating with intention – creating products that not only match diverse skin tones, but also respect the unique needs of every skin type.
For Ham, this gap isn’t a market opportunity — it’s a personal mission. As someone who has struggled with acne herself, she built Poom to prioritize skin-supporting, non-comedogenic formulations that empower users to embrace their skin, not conceal it.
“The market may feel saturated, but real gaps remain for communities that need safe, inclusive formulas,” she said.
Park believes the next chapter of K-beauty will rival French prestige brands in both product power and storytelling. “Don’t just bring a product — bring a point of view,” she said.
For Dan, Ham and Park, Korean beauty is more than just a trend. It’s a long-term movement built on philosophy, innovation, education and community — one pop-up at a time.