2025 J-Beauty vs K-Beauty Makeup: Explore Asia’s Cosmetic Trends With CANMAKE
Ready to explore the hottest makeup looks from Japan and Korea in 2025? This year’s beauty trends are bringing a fresh wave of colors, textures, and techniques to the Asian cosmetics scene. In this beauty breakdown, we’re diving into a few key differences between K-beauty and J-beauty, and how you can recreate each trend using popular products from the Japanese cosmetics favorite CANMAKE. Discover the latest makeup styles in Japan and Korea, and find your new must-have products for 2025!
Base Makeup
Korean makeup has favored super-moisturized skin for years, and the current trend is the “semi-glow” finish. CANMAKE’s Fit Glow Cushion in shade [01] Light offers lightweight coverage with a soft shine to create luminous skin. It’s ideal for building a smooth, hydrated base that lasts all day — even a long, sweaty day of travel.
Japanese makeup takes a more gentle approach, emphasizing flawlessly velvety-soft skin. The Marshmallow Finish Powder Abloom in [01] Dearest Bouquet uses a five-color blend for color correction and a natural matte finish, creating a silky complexion that still looks fresh and light.
For touch-ups, the Marshmallow Finish Powder Mini comes in a convenient compact size perfect for an on-the-go fix any time! Get it in the shades [MI], [ML], and [MO], each of which offers SPF 50 PA+++ protection. Get them all and blend lighter tones in the center and deeper shades on the outer face for subtle contouring!
Eye Makeup
Matte mauve and greige tones are dominating Korean makeup these days. To get the look, the Silky Souffle Eyes (Matte Type) in [M06] Lima Greige features blendable, influencer-approved shades, including a hint of shimmer for aegyo-sal under-eye accents.
Japanese magazine models have been leaning towards a soft shimmer finish, and the Petit Palette Eyes [01] Plume Flower includes eight subtle, feminine shades with a glossy highlight for that signature wet-look shine across the lids.
Define the eye look with liner, mascara, and brows! The CANMAKE Lasting Liquid Liner in [10] Sepia Greige gives K-beauty precision in a wearable greige, while the Creamy Touch Liner in [15] Cappuccino Pink is a J-beauty favorite for warm, barely-there definition. Get a defined yet natural K-beauty brow look with the practical elliptical-shaped pencil tip of the Perfect Airy Eyebrow in [01] Bitter Brown, or go for the fluffy powder blend popular in Japan with the Mix Eyebrow in [09] Peach Tea Brown. Finish the look with the Metalook Mascara in [03] Sweet Black — you can use it to build volume for a bold lash or apply lightly for a fluttery J-beauty finish.
Blush
Sophisticated and sculpted, K-beauty blush trends are again highlighting muted mauve tones, like the [P05] Classy Mauve Pink shade of CANMAKE’s Powder Cheeks. Rich in pigment with a soft pearl finish, this blush is perfect for contouring under the eyes toward the cheekbones. J-beauty falls back on cheerful, natural tones — the Glow Fleur Cheeks in [18] Momo Whip Fleur blends warm peach with a gentle shimmer for a youthful, sun-kissed glow that’s effortlessly fresh.
Lip Tints
Korean makeup has been all about high shine and high impact these days, and the glossy, sheer formula of the Glass Tint Syrup in [04] Blissful Pink gives lips that juicy, dewy finish that K-pop idols love. Try a gradient application for added volume and a modern twist! Or go for the soft, kissable tints that remain a J-beauty staple. The Muchi Puru Tint in [07] Fruit Au Lait offers a coral hue with subtle shine for a look that enhances the lips’ natural tone — blur the edges slightly for a soft-focus effect.
K-Beauty or J-Beauty? Try Both in 2025!
CANMAKE is a staple of the Japanese cosmetics scene, widely available at drugstores across the country, and the brand focuses on all the tools you need to achieve picture-perfect J-beauty looks every time. But with the brand’s versatile range of cosmetics, they’ve made it easy to switch between the glassy glamour of K-beauty and the soft sophistication of J-beauty. Whether you’re building a new routine or looking to refresh your current look, you’ll want to take a look at what’s coming out of Japan for your next beauty transformation!
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For detailed product information, visit CANMAKE’s official website and explore the latest beauty trends!
