I Tried 4 Korean Beauty Trends — and Here's What Happened

Korean beauty is all maintaining the "look" of youthfulness. And that means you want to start with clean, moisturized skin so your makeup doesn't cake and make you appear older.

Puppy eyeliner is a simpler, cleaner take on eyeliner that gives the eyes a rounded, youthful appearance. All it involves is changing the direction of your flick — instead of directing the eyeliner upward like a traditional cat-eye, simply drag the liner down toward your cheek.

Those who have upper eyelids that naturally slope downward will see that going with, rather than against, their natural shape makes their eyes appear larger and rounder, compared to the more feline-inspired cat-eye, which elongates the eye for a more sultry look.

My eyes now appear brighter and more rounded, all using just a bit of liner in an unexpected way.

While this hue is becoming more popular in the West, it's always been a go-to color in Asian markets. To really play up your natural flush, place the orange blush higher on the cheekbone — which can really help "lift" a rounder face. Generally, Korean beauty trends favor a V-line jaw, so this blush placement is in line with achieving that look.

As you can see, the orange blush made my complexion more warm and flattering, while the placement has applied a more "V" shape to my face.

The logic behind gradient lips is this: By minimizing the mouth, the eyes appear bigger, creating a more youthful appearance. So to start, apply an ample coat of lip balm.

It may seem odd, but the next step is to add concealer to the whole lip area. This helps minimize the mouth, which in turn make the eyes look larger.

Instead of using a lipstick in the center of my lips, I used lip gloss for a less dramatic contrast. And I chose a light pink color because not only is it pretty, but the end result is more seamless. To get the gradient effect, concentrate on applying the color inward and in the center of the mouth.

Before I began, I used BB cream to cover up any blemishes. Next, I applied highlighter to my cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and cupid's bow, which are pretty standard highlighting points. But Korean beauty is more about creating glow as opposed to a heavy contour, so this look skips the dark shading you might otherwise use. Bonus: Adding highlighter to these key areas will make your skin look youthful and healthy.

Four Korean beauty trends, all rolled into one warm, pretty look that's perfect for any season.

The takeaway: Korean beauty trends are great if you want to switch up your look from time to time — and they don't take much more effort than a typical makeup routine! I love the heavy focus on the skin and find that puppy eyeliner works really well with my eye shape. Cat-eye and contouring naysayers, definitely give this look a try.