'Level-5 glam is for your ex’s wedding': K-beauty trends go global
Dr. Seo Yoo-hyun / Courtesy of tvN
K-beauty’s famously precise routines are now shaping global beauty culture, with millennial and Gen Z consumers driving trends like the “five levels of glam” and this summer’s viral “tanning kitty” look.
A beauty talk event for tvN’s variety show “Perfect Glow” took place Monday at Stanford Hotel Seoul in Mapo District. The panel included Dr. Seo Yoo-hyun, CJ ENM entertainment production head Park Hee-yeon, celebrity hairstylist Cha Hong, makeup artist Pony and Olive Young brand strategy head Yeom Ji-hye.
“Perfect Glow” follows hosts Ra Mi-ran and beauty director Park Min-young as Korea’s top hair and makeup artists open a Korean-style beauty salon called “DANJANG” in Manhattan. The show documents their encounters with local clients as they attempt a “K-beauty takeover” in New York, delivering Korean-style precision in real time.
‘Five levels of glam’ go mainstream
During the talk Seo introduced an analysis of how millennial and Gen Z consumers now categorize their appearance with surprising detail.
“Young people these days ask each other, ‘How many levels are you getting ready today?’” Seo said. “There are levels one through five, known as the ‘degree of glam.’”
According to Seo, level three is considered “upload-worthy for social media,” while level five is the “ultimate battle mode — the look you wear to your ex-boyfriend’s wedding.”
This hyperspecific routine has also changed what consumers expect from products. “Because this generation gets ready so meticulously, they’re extremely knowledgeable about ingredients,” Seo said. “In the past we had to explain things like glutathione or retinol, but now they often know more than we do.”
Seo also pointed to seasonal buzzwords — particularly the “tanning kitty” trend, which dominated Korean social media during the summer. The style merges bronzed makeup with cute, character-inspired aesthetics, heavily influenced by the global popularity of Sanrio characters.
These crossovers are reshaping brand strategies. Seo noted that while many indie brands have been exploring character intellectual property (IP) collaborations to tap into youth trends, Olive Young has now begun directly incorporating character IP into its platform, allowing partner brands to use them freely. This approach, she said, reflects the speed and sensitivity required to keep up with millennial- and Gen Z-driven culture shifts.
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.