10:50 a.m. on the 20th at the Flower Knows popup store (temporary shop) in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. When the reporter registered at the kiosk 10 minutes before opening, the waiting number was 52. Even on a weekday morning, an opening-run crowd gathered. It took 20 minutes to actually enter. On weekends, about 1,000 teams a day visited, and key popular products were sold out, according to the organizers.
Kim Eun-seo (22), who visited the Flower Knows popup, said, "The case and the embossed blush are pretty, so I want to collect them," and noted, "It's a 'princess sensibility' that is hard to find in K-beauty."
Flower Knows, a leading Chinese beauty brand distributed by Jowon International, opened its first popup store in Korea, launching a full-fledged push into the market. It also opened an official online mall. Observers say this move is aimed at expanding major distribution channels in Korea. China, once the largest importer of K-beauty, is now on the offensive, drawing attention to whether C (Chinese) beauty will emerge as a new competitive axis for K-beauty.
◇ C-beauty grew on patriotic consumption, accelerates global push
According to the industry on the 21st, China's cosmetics market has grown on the back of the patriotic consumption (guochao) boom. Recently, exports have also increased. According to the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products, China's cosmetics exports last year reached $7.2 billion (about 10 trillion won), up 10.8% from a year earlier. Imports fell 9% in the same period. Domestic brands have seized the home market and are expanding into global markets.
Korea's cosmetics exports to China fell 34% in four years, from $3.8 billion (about 5.29 trillion won) in 2020 to $2.5 billion (about 3.48 trillion won) last year. As of 2023, half of the top 10 online lip product brands in China were local brands, a sign that the market structure is rapidly being reshaped.
Flagship brand Flower Knows targeted the tastes of Millennials and Gen Z around the world with ornate packaging and pastel tones known as a "princess-style sensibility." Its social media followers exceed 10 million, and more than 10% of total sales come from the United States. Last year, it entered the U.S. select shop Urban Outfitters and is expanding sales channels to Japan and Europe.
In Korea, popularity formed mainly through direct overseas purchases. More consumers are buying products on Taobao, Temu, and AliExpress, or picking them up locally while traveling in China. The lavish colors and decorations, rarely seen in domestic cosmetics, have stoked a "desire to collect," observers say.
◇ C-beauty bets on "flashiness"… Will it threaten K-beauty
The "Douyin makeup" trend, which has been spreading in Korea mainly via TikTok, has also fueled the rise of C-beauty. It features flamboyant colors and sharp contours. It is the opposite of K-beauty's "effortlessly put-together" aesthetic. JudyDoll of China, one of the brands leading this trend, operates a Korean-language social media account and is preparing to enter Coupang.
According to Statistics Korea, direct purchases of Chinese cosmetics in the second quarter of this year totaled 21.6 billion won, up 38% from a year earlier. From January to August this year, imports of Chinese cosmetics were $80.38 million (about 112.7 billion won), up about 20% from last year. China has risen to the No. 4 import source after France, the United States, and Japan. C-beauty, backed by low prices and stylish design, has aligned with the "frugal spending (rational consumption)" trend among those in their teens and 20s.
Korea's cosmetics industry expects the spread of C-beauty will not be a short-lived fad. In addition to C-beauty's price competitiveness, product performance and design quality are rising fast. In fact, K-beauty's growth slowed this year in Japan and Southeast Asia. In August, Korea's cosmetics exports to Japan fell 21.5% from a year earlier, and exports to Southeast Asia dropped 10%. The spread of C-beauty overseas, including in Southeast Asia, is the reason.
An industry official said, "K-beauty's strength of 'good quality at a low price' is no longer exclusive," adding, "Many Chinese brands have raised their quality levels by using Korean ODM (original design manufacturing) firms." The official added, "C-beauty is strong in concept play, so K-beauty could fall behind in the competition of sensibility and worldbuilding."