K-Beauty Influencer Marketing: KOLs, Diverse Partnerships, and Emerging Brands

The Rise of K-Beauty

Celebrity Kylie Jenner was one of many stars who visited Medicube’s Glowland Pop-Up.

According to data from Future Market Insights, the global K-beauty industry is projected to surpass $11.2B in market value by 2025, driven by high international demand for innovative, high-quality skincare and cosmetics. By 2035, the global K-beauty industry market value is expected to grow with a CAGR of 6.1% to $20.4B. Social media has and continues to play a massive role in the widespread adoption of K-beauty via beauty trends and challenges, informational videos and reviews, and the power of influencer marketing on key platforms like TikTok and Instagram, especially in the United States.

Key K-Beauty Statistics You Need to Know

More than 1.6B posts and counting are tagged #kbeauty on TikTok!

• Future Market Insights reports that the U.S. K-beauty market is projected to grow at a strong CAGR of 6.8% between 2025 and 2035, fueled by rising interest in Korean skincare and a growing demand for cutting-edge beauty innovations.
• The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety reported that K-beauty exports to the U.S. increased by 57% to $1.9B in 2024.
• Over 1.6B posts on TikTok are tagged #kbeauty. According to TheIndustry.beauty, more than 769K TikToks were tagged #kbeauty in 2024 alone.

Building Brand Awareness Through Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has become one of the most powerful tools for K-beauty brands looking to break into international markets like the United States. By partnering with creators who resonate with global audiences, brands can drive awareness, build trust, and translate product virality into long-term visibility. From viral TikTok reviews to strategic long-term ambassadorships, influencers play a crucial role in putting K-beauty products “on the map” and in the hands of consumers.

TirTir

Beauty influencer and official TirTir Ambassador Darcei Amanda poses with viral foundation.

TirTir is one of the best-selling K-beauty brands on the market, known for its viral cushion foundation. The TirTir Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation first launched with only three fair shades, but has since expanded to over 45 shades, 40 of which are available in the United States, thanks to the power of influencer content.

Top beauty influencers and creators such as Darcei Amanda and Mikayla Nogueira were some of the first to bring TirTir to the U.S. beauty market with their unfiltered reviews. In March 2024, influencer Darcei Amanda shared a TikTok video reviewing TirTir’s extended line of 9 cushion foundation shades, highlighting the viral appeal of the brand’s quality but urging fans and fellow creators to ask for more diverse options. Millions of views later, TirTir enlisted the help of Amanda as well as other BIPOC influencers like Golloria George, known for her viral complexion cosmetic reviews, to gain insights on consumer needs and how to take a more inclusive approach to research and development.

By June 2024, TirTir expanded from 30 to 40 shades of its viral cushion foundation thanks to the help of its influencer network and additional consumer surveys. TirTir has now grown its TikTok following to 603.6K and has sold over 27K units of products via TikTok Shop. From mega-stars like Bretman Rock to micro-influencers like Rifa C, TirTir continues to tap into its diverse creator network to connect with new beauty lovers and revolutionize K-beauty.

Beauty of Joseon

When you think of Korean sunscreen, Beauty of Joseon is one of the first brands that comes to mind. The Business of Fashion reported in November 2024 that Beauty of Joseon was featured in 16 of TikTok’s top 20 videos about sunscreen, and the #beautyofjoseon hashtag had approximately 1.7B views. Beauty of Joseon’s virality and success didn’t happen suddenly. Rather, Beauty of Joseon strategically leveraged influencer marketing to build brand awareness and communicate value to new consumers.

The first step in Beauty of Joseon’s global marketing strategy was to build authentic relationships with top-performing beauty influencers. Connecting with trustworthy, informed creators who were already fans of Beauty of Joseon was critical in developing an effective influencer marketing strategy. “We tried to reach out to every single person who mentioned our products,” Beauty of Joseon co-founder Sumin Lee told The Business of Fashion. Ava Lee, Hyram Yarbro, and James Welsh were among the first creators to partner with Beauty of Joseon and promote its hero product, the Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics sunscreen. Skincare experts and beauty enthusiasts raved about the sunscreen’s lightweight formula, no-whitecast finish, and skin-loving ingredients, building hype for the product. Price was a key selling point for Beauty of Joseon as consumers could get their hands on state-of-the-art Korean UV protection for only $18.

Today, Beauty of Joseon’s sunscreen is still a cult favorite K-beauty find across social media and is available in top retailers like Amazon, with plans to expand to Sephora in August of this year. Social commerce is a growing strategy for Beauty of Joseon to boost sales with creators through affiliate marketing initiatives. Beauty of Joseon is a top-selling beauty brand on TikTok Shop with over 91.4K cumulative units sold, almost 16K being its viral Revive Eye Serum. As Beauty of Joseon continues to collaborate with top influencers and now UGC specialists, the brand demonstrates how influential creator endorsements paired with high-performance products can turn K-beauty brands into global powerhouses.

How Influencer Marketing Helps Build Community & Inclusivity

Check out Glossy’s recap of the second wave of K-beauty here!

The Second Wave of K-Beauty

As K-beauty expands globally into new markets, brands are adopting a more community-based and inclusivity-focused approach to brand growth. K-beauty’s evolution over time can be categorized into two core “waves,” as described by Glossy. The first wave of K-beauty took place in the 2010s and is characterized by its notorious multi-step skincare routines. Layerable products and niche skincare treatments like sheet masks and snail mucin were popularized during this first wave thanks to social media influencers and skincare experts.

Our current second wave of K-beauty has embraced hybrid, multi-purpose beauty products, innovative makeup trends, and a push towards inclusive global expansion. Vogue highlights skincare-makeup hybrids like tinted sunscreens with niacinamide or cushion foundations infused with hydrating ingredients as central to this second wave of K-beauty. Beyond being inclusive of different skin tones and complexions, second-wave K-beauty brands and products cater to more diverse skin types and consumer needs that differ from region to region. As Sarah Chung Park of Landing International puts it, “A key difference between the first and second waves is the consumer demand on TikTok for K-beauty and from consumers of all ethnicities and skin tones.”

Prioritizing Inclusivity & Adopting Western Beauty Trends

For many K-beauty brands, expanding internationally has meant rethinking traditional approaches to shade ranges, product development, and representation. Historically, K-beauty brands have launched with only 3 to 5 shades of complexion products. “In Korea, there is not a wide range of ethnicities and skin tones, so this concept is new to K-beauty brands,” Park told Vogue. “[They] are learning how to better serve a larger audience.”

As previously mentioned, TirTir serves as a prime example of a K-beauty brand adopting Western beauty trends and consumer needs. “[We have to] know how important diversity is in the U.S., not only for the skin tone, but culturally,” Kaia Park, TirTir’s global PR manager, told Glossy. “We have to understand that it’s a diverse country, and we need to cater to every race in the U.S. and the world.”

The Influencer Marketing Factory’s K-Beauty Influencer Marketing Case Studies

Learn more about our top-performing K-beauty influencer marketing campaigns.

Purito Seoul

• The Background: Purito Seoul aimed to introduce their upgraded Wonder Releaf Centella Unscented Line, now in an unscented version, across the USA and multiple European markets, emphasizing its suitability for sensitive skin as well as improved ingredients.
• The Solution: To maximize visibility and drive sales during the initial phase of the launch, we executed a strategic influencer marketing campaign. By partnering with carefully selected influencers known for their expertise in skincare and beauty across USA and multiple European markets, we ensured authentic and impactful endorsements of the new Centella Line. Each influencer received a curated PR box containing the complete range of products, allowing them to experience the line firsthand. By combining influencer advocacy with a promotional offer, we generated buzz, increased brand awareness, and stimulated demand, establishing a strong foundation for sustained growth in the target markets.
• By the Numbers
  • 67 TikTok Influencers: 25.4M+ combined followers, 1M+ combined views, 33.1K+ combined likes
  • 34 Instagram Influencers: 3.3M+ combined followers, 709.3K+ combined views, 12.1K+ combined likes

Numbunzin

• The Background: The campaign aimed to introduce the Korean Beauty brand Numbuzin to a U.S. audience by authentically promoting it through skincare-focused creators aged 20-30. The objective was to spotlight the products’ consistency and variety. Simultaneously, it aimed to seamlessly translate the characteristics popular with the Korean audience to resonate with and effectively engage the American audience.
• The Solution: We strategically engaged medium-sized and macro YouTubers, aiming to generate comprehensive brand awareness at the top of the marketing funnel and drive conversions at the bottom. By incorporating links to the brand’s Amazon store, we facilitated a seamless transition for American customers to access international products effortlessly.Each influencer was encouraged not only to authentically share their product experience but also to collaborate with the client, ensuring a refined and accurate company positioning. This approach aimed not only to highlight the influencers’ experiences but also to craft a narrative resonating with the audience, contributing to an appealing and authentic brand presentation.
• By the Numbers
  • 4 Influencers: 1.47M+ combined followers, 2.9M+ combined views, 21.1K combined likes, 791 combined comments

Skin1004

• The Background: The campaign’s objective was to extend the reach of Skin1004 within the US market, a natural skincare K Beauty brand and introduce it to a broader audience. It sought to authentically showcase the brand’s products through skincare-focused content creators. The content goal was to spotlight Skin1004’s standout ingredient, Centella from Madagascar, distinguishing the brand amidst the array of skincare offerings.
• The Solution: To fulfill the campaign objectives, we collaborated with TikTok creators from within beauty, and skincare as well dermatologists, nutritionists and dieticians ensuring widespread brand exposure across diverse audiences. Each creator seamlessly integrated a link to the brand’s Amazon store, facilitating direct customer engagement and product purchases. Notably, we enlisted both female and male creators, underscoring the brand’s inclusivity across genders.
• By the Numbers
  • 36 Influencers: 25M+ combined followers, 10.2M+ combined views, 75.8K+ combined likes, 7.3K+ combined shares, 20K+ combined link clicks

Best Practices for K-Beauty Brands Partnering with Influencers