J, K, C, T, G: beauty takes on the world, and the alphabet

J, K, C, T, G: beauty takes on the world, and the alphabet

Asia has long influenced the beauty regimes of western nations, and now countries that are farther away are joining the trend.

Japan and Korea, which have long influenced the beauty routines of the west, are now joined by China, Taiwan and others. (Envato Elements pic)
PARIS:
While K-beauty still rules supreme when it comes to skincare, social networks have seen the emergence of new trends from the four corners of the globe in recent months.

Last year, J-beauty progressively made a place for itself in the cosmetics landscape, surfing on the wave of a minimalist beauty trend and drawing a global crowd of followers along the way.

Now, C-beauty, T-beauty and even G-beauty are up and coming, celebrating the rituals of neighbouring, as well as more distant, countries.

A global beauty routine

With their ancestral rituals, Asian countries have long influenced the beauty routines of western nations, especially in Europe and the United States.

It was evident with K-beauty (Korean beauty) and J-beauty (Japanese beauty), and the trend continues today with C-beauty (Chinese beauty) and T-beauty (Taiwanese beauty), which are progressively gaining ground with cosmetics inspired, once again, by age-old techniques and traditions.

C-beauty comes straight from China, and is characterised by formulas based on herbs and native plants, while also drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine.

It’s a kind of holistic beauty, in short, tapping into a trend that has been making waves around the world since the beginning of the pandemic. This all comes with the now-essential eco-friendly slant, synonymous with the cosmetics of the future.

T-beauty, hailing from Taiwan, is very similar, since it too is inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, while combining scientific expertise and natural ingredients. Roots are in the spotlight, as well as certain local plants such as the loofah.

Contrary to K-beauty, which is characterised by a beauty routine in around 10 steps, C-beauty and T-beauty “only” require four or five steps, with the ritual of cleansing, toning and moisturising the skin, before applying a mask tailored to your needs. Simple, basic, and faster.

Beauty made in Europe

While Asia has largely established its influence in the world of cosmetics, Europe is now intent on catching up, it seems. So watch out for G-beauty, which stands for German beauty.

Here again, the concept is based on authenticity and naturalness, right in line with the clean beauty trend. And, like its Asian counterparts, G-beauty is at the crossroads between natural remedies and scientific expertise, all focused on the health of the skin. Once again, it’s an approach to holistic beauty.

Evidently, all these new beauty trends are similar in many ways, except each is based on very different traditions and ingredients, specific to each individual culture. It’s over to you to experiment with each of these to find out what works best for you.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.