I Tried Some of the Most Popular K-Beauty Makeup Products. Here Are My Honest Thoughts

If there's one thing I get sucked into on TikTok, it's Korean makeup trends. As a girl who loves a soft, clean makeup style, I'm always in tune with the next best thing to come out of Korean beauty, so when these new K-beauty products landed on my lap, it's safe to say I went straight to my vanity to try them out.

You've probably heard of the glass skin trend, which originated in Korea, home to some of the most glowy, glass-like skin in the world thanks to their innovative and extensive skincare routines. But something new that's actually trending amongst Koreans right now is the "lit from within" look: less glass skin and more soft semi-matte, still glowing from within but a little more elevated.

Korean makeup is shifting towards soft focus blush, blurred lips, satin finishes and complexion products that preserve your skin texture rather than mask it, with peach, rose, berry milk and muted apricot tones especially popular for adding freshness without overpowering the face.

Even highlighters are being toned right down, with base products designed for that soft lit appearance and a barely there finish.

In true boots-on-the-ground journalism style, I decided to try it out for myself, following a few tutorials on TikTok straight from the originators.

An important subcategory of this "lit from within" trend is blush placement and colour.

Using the "waterfall blush" method, I managed to achieve the softest gradient that made my makeup look glowy and almost youthful, all down to the placement and colour.

Interestingly, Korean beauty tends to favour blush placed slightly higher on the face than we're used to in the West, almost at the under-eye area, which is exactly what enhances that youthful lit-from-within effect.

Another popular subcategory is lips. Koreans love a soft gradient lip, often blurring out the lip line with a more neutral colour underneath.

These products from Fwee and Rom&nd are made to help you achieve that effortless "lit from within" style that's so popular right now.

Rom&nd especially is revered amongst Korean makeup artists and is often spotted on K-pop idols and celebrities as well as everyday beauty lovers.

Now to my review: it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed these products. They suit my makeup style perfectly.

The blush formula is so soft and blurring (and genuinely fun to play with). I pop a little on the back of my hand, warm it up and pick it up with my brush. The texture is insanely velvety and gives you the most effortless blend.

The tints stay on your lips really well. The shine fades, but you're left with a beautiful wash of tint underneath.

 Korean makeup is endlessly innovative and the trends coming out of it are so flattering across every feature.

So if you're into that soft, glowy but not shiny, clean makeup style, Fwee and Rom&nd should definitely be on your beauty hit list.