Discover 2025’s New J-Beauty & K-Beauty Trends with CANMAKE

In 2024, the Japankuru team took a deep dive into the trend of color seasons and personal color palettes – considered a keystone of Japanese beauty – and used those themes to recommend some of the most popular products from the beloved Japanese beauty brand CANMAKE. In 2025, we’ll be looking at some of the newest beauty trends in Japan and around Asia to discover, compare, and contrast trends in the Asian beauty scene. This time we’re focusing in on the different K-beauty and J-beauty techniques and varying palettes that are setting the scene for beauty lovers around the world.

While it might not always be obvious from the start, Japanese and Korean beauty gurus tend to favor different makeup styles, products, and techniques, so we’ll be breaking down the latest 2025 highlights for both cosmetic styles, and recommending a few CANMAKE products to help you achieve each look!

The Base Makeup Battle: Korea’s Semi Glow vs Japan’s Brilliant Matte

^{_{Fit Glow Cushion [01] Light, Marshmallow Finish Powder ~Abloom~ [01] Dearest Bouquet}}

First, let’s talk about the heart of modern makeup – a beautiful clear base. In K-beauty makeup, the goal is to achieve naturally radiant, flawless-looking skin with the light gloss of a “semi-glow” finish. For this, we recommend the Fit Glow Cushion (our model used the shade [01] Light). This foundation product feels moisturizing but still lightweight on the skin, reflecting Korea’s emphasis on skincare to create a natural glow. In spite of the moisturizing effect, this compact actually boasts excellent staying power, sticking around through daily wear and tear, sweat and tears, to keep your skin looking fresh all day. For many, the Fit Glow Cushion is a constant companion throughout the seasons, and thanks to CANMAKE’s signature kawaii aesthetic, you’ll be happy to spot the cute pink case in your makeup bag!

J-beauty base makeup, on the other hand, emphasizes a velvety-smooth texture. The final effect looks naturally clear, with an almost airbrushed soft finish. To achieve this on your own skin, we recommend a light veil of the Marshmallow Finish Powder Abloom in the color-correcting shade [01] Dearest Bouquet. This best-selling powder from CANMAKE helps create a silky, clear complexion through its unique blend of five colors (yellow, green, pink, purple, and white), which can be mixed to even out skin tone or used separately for targeted correction.

On-the-Go Touch-Up Powder

^{Marshmallow Finish Powder Mini [MI], [ML], [MO]}

With a warm spring breeze in the air, it’s time to start thinking about tackling enlarged pores and makeup breakdown, so if you’re looking for an easy-to-carry solution for quick touch-ups, check out the Marshmallow Finish Powder Mini! CANMAKE’s base makeup is generally produced for the paler skin tones common in Japan, but if it’s the undertone that keeps you from finding the perfect match, you might be excited by the variety of different tones available to help you customize your look. Apply the palest shades to the center of your face and use the deeper tones on the outer areas for a refined, dimensional finish. Plus, with SPF 50 PA+++, this powder not only refreshes your makeup but also provides sun protection at the same time.

The Eye Makeup Showdown : Korean Influencers vs Japanese Magazine Models

Eyeshadow

^{_{Silky Souffle Eyes (Matte Type) [M06] Lima Greige, Petit Palette Eyes [01] Plume Flower}}

Finely blended mauve-toned shades around the eyes have been all the rage in Korea, touted by influencers and lining the shelves in Korean beauty stores, but this look can also be created using CANMAKE’s Silky Souffle Eyes (Matte Type) in [M06] Lima Greige. This palette includes everything you need for the look, from the pink-greige base color to shading and accent shades, and it fits in perfectly with the K-beauty preference for matte eyeshadows. CANMAKE’s signature sheer pigmentation enhances the matte texture, allowing you to create an eye look straight from a MUA social media page with ease. This particular palette also includes a pearl shimmer, which will come in handy if you want to try pulling off an aegyo-sal under-eye look, which has become a firm staple in both the Korean and Japanese beauty communities.

For a J-beauty-inspired eyeshadow look, we recommend trying out the Petit Palette Eyes [01] palette in the shade Plume Flower. This palette is an excellent representative of the delicate, natural hues characteristic of the Japanese beauty scene, and includes one pearlescent shimmer shade that gives the lid a glossy wet-look sheen – a look often seen in Japanese fashion magazines. With eight shades in one conveniently portable palette, you’re likely to reach for these shadows in all kinds of situations, when putting on subtle everyday makeup or when you want to add a little extra drama to the eyes.

Eyeliner, Mascara, & Eyebrows

Once you’ve settled on the overall look for your eye makeup, whether it’s inspired by K-beauty or J-beauty eye makeup with eyeshadow, it’s time to define your eyes and enhance the overall impression with Japan’s eyeliner, mascara, and eyebrow products!

^{_{Lasting Liquid Liner [10] Sepia Greige, Perfect Airy Eyebrow [01] Bitter Brown, Metalook Mascara [03] Sweet Black, Creamy Touch Liner [15] Cappuccino Pink, Mix Eyebrow [09] Peach Tea Brown}}

In the world of K-beauty, liquid eyeliners are often used to give the eyes a sharp, defined impression. Among the many liquid liners made around the world, CANMAKE’s Lasting Liquid Liner is a great choice due to its vivid pigmentation and precise application, making it a go-to item for K-beauty makeup in Japan. Shade [10] Sepia Greige offers the sharp definition of a liquid liner with a more gentle greige tone, creating a surprisingly natural look.

For the brows, you can finish the look with Perfect Airy Eyebrow pencil in [01] Bitter Brown. With its soft color and elliptical-shaped tip, this pencil can be used to apply both thick and thin lines to allows for precise eyebrow shaping, making it easy even for beginners to achieve the polished and sophisticated brows so beloved in Korea.

Ready to enhance those lashes? The Metalook Mascara in [03] Sweet Black is a versatile option that works for both K-beauty and J-beauty styles. The unique metal comb applicator captures each lash individually, and when combined with the silky oil-based formula, you can customize the look however you like. Apply multiple coats for the voluminous and lengthened lashes popular in Korea, or lightly brush the metal comb through for the curled, naturally extended lashes so sought after in Japan.

For the rest of the natural-leaning J-beauty eye look, line your lids with the Creamy Touch Liner in [15] Cappuccino Pink, a gel liner that glides on smoothly to offer the warmth and depth of a more subtle pinkish-brown shade. The liner maintains a natural aesthetic, but it’s a perfect match for shimmer-based eyeshadow!

To get the signature soft, airy brows that many in Japan strive to achieve, use the Mix Eyebrow palette in [09] Peach Tea Brown. This set of eyebrow powders allows for effortless blending, creating a fun fluffy brow straight from the pages of a Japanese fashion mag.

The Clash of the Blushes: Korea’s Moody Definition vs Japan’s Vim & Vigor

Next, let’s take a look at the wide variety of makeup products made to go on your cheeks, which can bring life and energy to your complexion, add definition, and enhance the overall balance of your look.

^{_{Powder Cheeks [P05] Classy Mauve Pink, Glow Fleur Cheeks [18] Peach Whip Fleur}}

The latest K-beauty cheek trend is to create a kind of moody definition with soft, dusty shades, and over the past few years mauve pink blushes have been widely adopted thanks to its sophisticated appeal. Powder Cheeks in the shade [P05] Classy Mauve Pink is a great example of this trend, with its rich mauve-pink base and subtle pearl shimmer, and it’s just the right tool for Korea’s refined blush application. To achieve the latest K-beauty look, apply the blush diagonally from under the eyes to the cheekbones – a technique frequently seen on K-pop stars.

The ideal face of Japanese makeup includes an effortless flush, which means that Japanese blush techniques focus on soft, natural hues that blend seamlessly with the skin tone. The Glow Fleur Cheeks blush can help you achieve this rosy look, and for an extra natural look, we used shade [18] Momo Whip Fleur. This warm, milky coral with a hint of pearl highlight delivers a natural glow and healthy radiance to the skin. Blend the blush from under the eyes to the highest point of each cheek to get that fresh-faced look so coveted in Japan.

The Great Lip Debate: Korea’s Juicy Glow vs Japan’s Rosy Flush

^{_{Glass Tint Syrup [04] Blissful Pink, Muchi Puru Tint [07] Fruit Au Lait}}

To complete the look, it’s time to move on to lip trends, but recently both Japanese and Korean makeup trends have emphasized hydrating, glossy products – they just approach this trend from slightly different angles.

K-beauty lip looks these days are all about glass-like shine and translucency, making lip tints particularly popular. The go-to product for this particular look is the Glass Tint Syrup, especially in the shade [04] Blissful Pink. The product has a high-shine glossy finish, and in combination with the mauve pink shade, it’s right on trend for K-beauty. To add volume and maximize the plump, juicy effect, you can try applying the lip tint in a gradient, concentrating the color on the inner lips to create extra depth.

Meanwhile, J-beauty lip makeup has trended towards a sheer vibrancy, a perfect example of which is the newest shade from the much-beloved Muchi Puru Tint series, [07] Fruit Au Lait. This milky coral shade with a subtle glow blends effortlessly into your natural lip color to create a healthy, fresh look. Since Japan always seems to be looking for a more natural effect, one popular technique is to apply the tint in the center of the lips and gently blur it towards the edges.

K-Beauty vs J-Beauty: Find Asia’s 2025 Makeup Trends in This Beauty Lookbook

With the help of a few of CANMAKE’s newest and best-selling products, we’ve managed to recreate both the sleek aesthetic of K-beauty and the natural delicacy of J-Beauty. Each style has its own unique appeal, but you can always mix and match the different techniques, shades, and aesthetics based on your own preferences – take this opportunity to try some of Japan’s most popular cosmetics, and add something new to your tried and true makeup routine!

Japanese Cosmetics Shopping in Japan

CANMAKE’s products are easily accessible at drugstores and big variety stores like LOFT or Hands all across Japan, which means it’s easy to test shades in-store before purchasing. For detailed product information, visit CANMAKE’s official website and explore the latest beauty trends!

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