September saw some interesting trends in the realms of makeup and skincare, with certain brands rising to the top in terms of attention and popularity. Among Korean consumers, two brands stood out in particular, Etude House in the makeup division and Estra in the skincare division.
Etude House, a popular makeup brand, secured the top spot for the month. A significant factor in its popularity seems to be the launch of the new collaboration “Hipkaki” collection with fashion brand “aeae”. Capturing the trendy Y2K fashion with a chic, vintage vibe, this collection drew attention for its practical and hip gifts like ball caps and eco-bags. Also contributing to the brand’s popularity were various events featuring the popular idol group “Rise” and the “Color Lasting Glow Stick” event.
As for the skincare category, Estra secured the first place. This brand attracted attention with the launch of its new product, the Regedum 365 Retinoid Eye Serum. The event held to celebrate the launch of this product proved a hit, as the prizes were the main products of the brand. Additionally, as the recruitment of participants for the “Youth Heart Festival” got word-of-mouth in social media, the mention of the gift “Ato Barrier 365 Cream” increased as well.
While these two brands topped in the popularity division, Pia (in the makeup division) and Dermatori (in the skincare division) emerged as the “popular HOT brands”. These are the brands that surged up in popularity due to newly released products.
In the makeup category, rising brand Pia moved up six places in the rankings, with an increase of 80% from the previous month. Dermattori in the skincare category experienced a rise of 22.5% from the previous month, resulting in a 34-place increase in the rankings.
Taking second and third place in the makeup category were Rom-Ann and Clio. Clio particularly drew attention with its new product, the Butter Bomb Crayon, and an event featuring brand model Ahn Yu-jin drew a considerable number of comments on Instagram.
In skincare, second and third places were held by Mediheel and Sulwhasoo. MediHeel’s ranking rose four notches, largely due to the release of the Disney Pixar collaboration product “Disney Pixar Edition”. The skincare brand’s offers of various goods such as character padded pouches and grip talk as presents generated positive responses.
Meanwhile, events like Olive Young’s regular September sale and Musinsa Beauty Festa also drew substantial attention among consumers. Thanks to its “All Young Sale” from the end of August to early September where products were recommended for purchase during the sale, Olive Young saw a 7% increase in its mentions in various reviews compared to the previous month.
In addition, the advancement of Musinsa stood out with more than 18,000 visitors visiting the Musinsa Festa, driving an increase in comments. Musinsa hosted the Beauty Festa event in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, involving 41 brands.
Another noteworthy development was Coupang’s “Beauty Fair”, which saw a 26% increase in its mentions compared to the previous month. Coupang’s beauty fair drew attention with the introduction of moisturizing-oriented skincare products and products reflecting the FW makeup trends at a significantly discounted rate.
Thus, in September, consumers showed a clear preference for brands releasing new products and holding engaging and rewarding events, demonstrating the effectiveness of these strategies in attracting attention and securing a position at the top.
