The Korean Beauty Show Podcast

Olive Young is now Korea’s biggest beauty retailer, but it wasn't always that way. In this episode, Lauren dives into the business story behind Olive Young's rise to dominance and explains why its success goes far beyond selling Korean skincare. Learn how the company built an ecosystem that helped shape the modern K-Beauty industry, why Harvard Business School chose Olive Young as the subjec...

Lauren shares the latest K-Beauty industry news, including Olive Young’s much-anticipated US launch, why fans are frustrated with the brand and product lineup, Kendall Jenner becoming the face of Anua, and Korea’s regulators cracking down on Dr. G and Medicube’s advertising claims. Plus, Lauren shares her thoughts from the APAC Beauty Trends Report, what she’s been working...

  Lauren shares a global K-Beauty industry roundup spanning Australia, China, Germany, the U.S. and Canada, breaking down why 2026 marks a maturity shift for the category. This episode explores the major partnership signalling K-Beauty’s next phase, what happens when hype and expectations aren’t managed properly, and why trust is becoming the real currency of global growth. For fu...

Lauren shares the worst K-Beauty products and formats she personally tried in 2025 and explains why they failed in real-world use. This episode is a follow-through from the previous discussion on K-Beauty marketing trends that need to die in 2026, focusing on how hype, sensation and viral appeal often break down when products meet real skin. For full show notes and resources, visit STYLE STORY&nbs...

K-Beauty marketing reached a breaking point in 2025. Scientific language became performance, clinical procedures were mimicked with cosmetics and skincare education was replaced by spectacle. In Episode 275 of The Korean Beauty Show podcast, K-Beauty expert and industry consultant Lauren Lee examines the K-Beauty marketing trends that need to die in 2026 and why they matter for consumer trust, reg...

Exosomes are the hottest topic in K-Beauty right now and one of the most misunderstood. In this deep-dive episode, host Lauren Lee breaks down what exosomes actually are, how brands are using the term, what the regulations says, and why Korea’s MFDS has officially banned “exosome” claims in cosmetic ads from 2025. Lauren also explains how this trend spread through clinics and Tik...

Did one of Korea’s most-loved lip tints secretly torch thousands of customer's lips? In this week’s K-Beauty News Update, host Lauren Lee breaks down the Rom&nd Juicy Lip Tint scandal and what the brand is doing to manage it.  Plus, we’re exploring how refill packs are changing the way we travel with skincare and the new stat proving Australia’s K-Beauty obsession...

K-Beauty is no longer niche; in fact, it’s becoming a must-have toolkit for beauty industry professionals, from aesthetic doctors to dermal therapists. In episode 272 of the Korean Beauty Show podcast, Lauren Lee shares key insights from Australia’s biggest professional beauty expo, including: Why exosomes are everywhere (and what you really need to know) How professionals are adopting...

From lawsuits and mass brand closures to global expansions and lip product fails - on episode 271 of the Korean Beauty Show, we're breaking down what’s really happening in the Korean beauty industry in July 2025. Access Full Show Notes for this Episode Here   CONNECT WITH LAUREN Book a Consultation:  https://stylestory.com.au/pages/k-beauty-consultancy Watch the Show on YouTube: ht...

What kind of brand shuts down its entire production line for 72 hours just to ferment a single ingredient? In episode 270 of the Korean Beauty Show podcast, we’re sitting down with Mixsoon, a K-Beauty brand that stands out for all the right reasons.  In an industry built on speed, duplication and sometimes more hype than integrity, this brand is doing things differently, from farming it...

In Episode 269 of The Korean Beauty Show, host Lauren Lee takes you behind the scenes at in-cosmetics Korea 2025 to uncover the latest ingredient trends. From marine sponge microneedling to fermented collagen and high-performance sunscreen tech, Lauren breaks down what was real, what was marketing fluff and what might end up in your next favorite beauty product. This episode also touches on the fu...

In Episode 268 of The Korean Beauty Show , host Lauren Lee dives into the latest updates from the K-beauty world. This episode covers the shifting retail trends in Korea, the rise of convenience stores as beauty destinations, and the $435 million acquisition of Round Lab by Goodai Global. Plus, we explore the growing trend of dermacosmetics and the exciting news of Jelly Ko’s official launch...

In Part 2 of Lauren’s interview with beauty concierge Jennifer Seo, from Aneue Concierge, the two dive into the surgical side of Korea’s booming beauty industry. From cultural attitudes to surgery to what really happens behind the scenes at a Korean clinic, this is your go-to guide for medical tourism in Korea. If you’ve ever considered getting a procedure done in Seoul - or just...

This week on the Korean Beauty Show podcast, Lauren sits down with Jennifer Seo, a former Wall Street exec turned beauty and wellness concierge, who now helps international clients travel to Korea for cutting-edge skin treatments, medical checkups, aesthetic procedures and more. From stem cell therapy to booster injections and Korea’s famous full-body medical exams, Part 1 of our chat dives...

On this episode of the on The Korean Beauty Show Podcast , host Lauren Lee - founder of K-Beauty Consultancy STYLE STORY and beauty brand Jelly Ko - spills the tea on everything shaking up the Korean beauty world globally - from the biggest K-Beauty news stories, to listener Q&As, a behind-the-scenes brand update and Lauren’s no-filter product reviews in our brand new segment One Must, O...

K-Beauty has officially gone global—but what do international consumers really think about it? In this episode, we explore the strengths and growing pains of Korean beauty through the eyes of a global audience. From its innovative ingredients and luxurious textures to the confusing product overload, “whitening” language mishaps, and cultural disconnects—this is a candid loo...

Korean beauty has a new member of the trillion won club; "Korean skincare" is the most trending term by increase in popularity in 2025; and we've got a new crop of K-Beauty brand ambassadors this year. Lauren answers a listener's question about the crossover between snail mucin and dust mite allergies. Plus, a recommendation for a Korean sunscreen to try if you're sensitive or rosacea prone. Tune...

Skincare is in its sensory beauty era. On episode 262 Lauren explores how the colour, scent, texture and feel of beauty products is coming to the fore in 2025, shaping social media, consumer preferences and brand product developments.  CONNECT WITH ME   Book a Consultation  Watch the Show on YouTube  Follow me on Threads My Instagram Shop Kbeauty Shop Jelly Ko  Follow...

There’s a lot going on in the K-Beauty-sphere right now; Olive Young is expanding to the US, Aestura is launching at Sephora and multiple global beauty brands are exiting the Korean market due to increasingly tough competition in the domestic market. Plus, what are the cultural attitudes about plastic surgery in Korea and just how common is it? All these and more answered in this episode.&nb...

If you’re keen to learn more about the most popular Korean hair care products plus some interesting facts about the domestic hair care industry in Korea, then stick around. On this episode, we’re covering the hottest products, some categories you might not have heard of plus a few surprising things you may not know about Korea’s hair care industry.  CONNECT WITH ME  Boo...

Welcome back to another year of K-Beauty! We’re kicking off 2025 with a round-up of everything that’s bene happening in Korea over the holidays. We’ve had multiple mergers and acquisitions, K-Beauty exports have officially surpassed the US $10 billion mark. Plus, we’re answering a listener’s question about the elusive Korean beauty products that don’t contain hy...

Which beauty products and technology are we going to be seeing in 2025? On this episode, K-Beauty expert Lauren Lee is sharing part 2 of her predictions for the Korean beauty trends we’re going to be seeing more of in 2025. If you missed part 1, tune in here .    ACCESS FULL SHOW NOTES: Here CONNECT WITH ME   Book a Consultation  Watch the Show on YouTube  Follo...

Which Korean skincare ingredients are we going to be seeing in 2025? On today’s episode, K-Beauty expert Lauren Lee is sharing part 1 of her predictions for the Korean beauty trends we’re going to be seeing more of in 2025.    Access Full Show Notes for this Episode : Here   CONNECT WITH ME   Book a Consultation  Watch the Show on YouTube  Follow me o...

Which makeup products captured the attention of Koreans in 2024? Stick around to find out. On this episode, Korean beauty expert Lauren Lee is covering the most popular Korean makeup products of the year, from foundations, to cushions, concealers, lipsticks, highlighters and more. These are the products people couldn’t get enough of.    ACCESS FULL SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE: http...

What were the most popular Korean beauty products of 2024? If you’re keen to find out which products, ingredients, categories and trends topped the charts in Korea this year then stick around because on today’s episode Lauren is rounding them up!   Access Full Show Notes for the Episode Here   CONNECT WITH ME   Book a Consultation  Watch the Show on YouTube&nbs...