TikTok said on the 26th that on the 23rd, local time, it held Beauty Crush London in Shoreditch, London, to showcase the beauty category of its in-app shopping platform TikTok Shop.
Hundreds of leading U.K. beauty creators and 18 beauty brands, including six Korean brands, attended the event. Among the Korean brands, Medicube, Dr.Melaxin, Beauty of Joseon, colorgram, BIOHEAL BOH, and Mixsoon opened on-site booths, introduced products, and held time for discussions on collaborations with local creators.
At the event, K-beauty accounted for half of the presentations. According to TikTok, searches related to K-beauty and Korean skincare on the U.K. TikTok Shop increased 125% over the first half during the past six months. With the spread of routines represented by "glass skin (#GlassSkin)" and ingredient-focused layering trends, K-beauty is influencing how U.K. consumers approach skincare, the analysis said.
TikTok also said K-beauty (#kbeauty) has established itself as the third most used beauty hashtag in the U.K. The average basket size for K-beauty brands was about 35% higher than the overall skincare average. In the case of Medicube's Zero Pore Pad, searches rose 400%, showing a pattern in which interest in efficacy-focused products is expanding as it combines with content-based discovery.
TikTok said, "Instead of choosing a brand first, consumers are increasingly referring to explanatory content created by creators based on their own skin concerns, understanding ingredients, usage, and routines first, then searching for brands that fit and moving on to purchase." Accordingly, brands are using informational content and real-time communication channels to help consumers understand products, while live shopping—offering immediate Q&A, routine suggestions, and product bundles—is spreading; beauty-focused live shopping in the U.K. has grown by nearly 90% from early last year to now.
Emily Caine, head of beauty for TikTok Shop U.K., said, "On TikTok Shop, rather than deciding on a specific product from the start, users naturally form an experience of discovering and learning through content to find routines and products that suit them," and added, "As information tailored to skin concerns connects with content, a flow is created where discovery leads to purchase."