Hallyu Archives

5 Most Loved K-Beauty Brands in PH

17/12/2023

Skincare and makeup are two of the most well-known things that make South Korea famous. They made their signature through brown soft eyeliners, aegyo sal eyes, shimmer lids, soft brows, face masks, face serums, and gradient lips. Curating products have a formula of rich skin-loving ingredients that are healthy and beneficial inside and out. Korean brands also prioritize products that are well-made for Asians. So it’s no surprise why Filipinas and even Filipinos go crazy about their brands. As a makeup and skincare junkie, let me share with you the five most loved K-beauty brands that have been famous for awhile and are still sold here in our country. Innisfree. This brand is known for its products, which are mostly made with ingredients that come from Jeju. Green Tea, one of their well-known signature products, is made from real green tea leaves that, according to them, take 5 years for its tree to grow. They experienced 20 years of attempts at creation and a series of tests in order for them to master and deliver the green tea variety ‘solely dedicated to skin.’ Innisfree’s main products, which are included in the Green Tea line are Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum and Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Cream. While the famous endorsers of the brand are Lee Min Ho, Girls’ Generation’s Yoona, Seventeen’s Mingyu, Twice, and Ahn Hyo-seop. Nature Republic. If you’re an OG skincare addict, you’ll probably remember the most hyped Aloe Vera Gel that everyone loved that was originally released by Nature Republic. For just P250, you’ll get a 300-ml round plastic green tub that contains a gel that imitates a real aloe vera gel that Nature Republic claims to be formulated with 92% organic California aloe vera that gently soothes and moisturizes all skin types. This famous gel can be used as a moisturizer or a leave-on face and body mask. Yes, it can also be used to moisturize and soothe your body. This aloe vera gel and other products under the aloe vera skin line, like foam cleanser, facial mist, eye serum, shower gel, toner, cleansing water, mask sheet, gel cream, and eye patch, can still be purchased through their physical stores and official online stores. The Face Shop. While Nature Republic gained popularity over the famous Aloe Vera Gel, this brand called ‘The Face Shop’ innovated an improved version of the gel and called it ‘Jeju Aloe Ice.’ This aloe ice retails for P250 for 300 ml, just as much as the Nature Republic ones. It also claims to deliver a soothing and moisturizing gel, which is more effective if it is stored in a refrigerator before application for a more cooling effect. Laneige. As my personal favorite, I can truly say that Laneige only provides the best of the best quality that everyone deserves. One of the most-loved products from them that I can truly vouch for is their Lip Sleeping Mask, which can hydrate and heal your cracked, dry lips overnight. According to the product’s name, this lip sleeping mask will only take one night for you to see the difference that it can provide. It gently peels the dead skin from your lips, and you’ll surely wake up with a soft, luscious, and healthy-looking pout. Also from the brand, Water Sleeping Mask is a good contributor to glow and hydration for your skin. However, all of these excellent and beneficial products will cost you thousands but are guaranteed to be worth your money. Banila Co. Just like the previous list of brands above, Banila Co. has also focused on skincare, which drives them to offer the most well-known cleansing balm called ‘Clean It Zero.’ While they don’t limit themselves to the skincare line, as they also offer makeup products, they have mastered the formula of this cleansing balm to effectively remove dirt and makeup. It also acts as a deep double cleanser before you proceed with washing your face. It claims to have active botanicals, spring waters, and vitamin E and C for luxurious, healthy skin. As we explore these beautiful and powerful brands, Capstone-Intel shared their social intelligence report, which reveals that these top five k-beauty brands greatly influenced Filipinos through their famous endorsers, which helped them boost their marketing sales. From August 10 to October 10 of 2023, Capstone-Intel collected data that shows the Facebook performance of the following brands: With 73 posts, Innisfree got a total of 414 comments, 222 total share counts, and a total reaction of 3,568, which, if broken down, is 1,560 likes, 1,971 ‘heart’ reactions, 1 ‘haha’ reaction, 22 ‘wow’ reactions, 1 ‘sad’ reaction, and 13 ‘angry’ reactions. While, Nature Republic, with 153 posts, got a total of 452 comments, 1,189 total share counts, and 5,154 total reactions, which, if broken down, a total of 2,896 likes, 1,886 ‘heart’ reactions, 280 ‘haha’ reactions, 280 ‘wow’ reactions, 45’sad’ reactions, and 12 ‘angry’ reactions. On to the third, with 728 post counts, The Face Shop got a total of 4,037 comments, 4,263 total share counts, and 52,921 total reactions, which, if broken down, a total of 41,372 likes, 10,941 ‘heart’ reactions, 226 ‘haha’ reactions, 290 ‘wow’ reactions, 57 ‘sad’ reactions and 35 ‘angry’ reactions. Fourth is Laneige, with 27 post counts, with a total of 406 comments, 4,263 total share counts, and 10,493 total reactions which if broken down, a total of 6,305 likes, 4,176 ‘heart’ reactions, 1 ‘haha’ reaction, 11 ‘wow’ reactions, 0 ‘sad’ reaction, and 0 ‘angry’ reaction. And lastly, Banila Co., with the fewest post counts of eight, got a total of 39 comments, 23 total share counts, and 260 total reactions, which, if broken down, a total of 41,372 likes, 10,941 ‘heart’ reactions, 226 ‘haha’ reactions, 290 ‘wow’ reactions, 57 ‘sad’ reactions, and 35 ‘angry’ reactions.

Poweful Women of K-pop

14/12/2023

Whether you are a fan of K-pop or just a casual listener, we all know that South Korea’s pop music is made up of almost 80 percent women who made these songs known worldwide. From 2NE1, Girls’ Generation, Wonder Girls, Sistar, Red Velvet, Blackpink and Twice, these talented women have captured our hearts with their looks, voices, dance moves, and styles. One of the most well-known girl groups of this generation is TWICE. Consisting of nine members, Jihyo, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, who were formed during the ‘Sixteen’ in 2015 and debuted in the same year under JYP Entertainment. Their track “Cheer Up” helped them become nationally famous twice in 2016. It was the best-performing single of the year, peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart, and won “Song of the Year” at the Melon Music Awards and Mnet Asian Music Awards. Their following hit, “TT,” off their third EP, Twicecoaster: Lane 1, spent four weeks at the top of the Gaon charts. The EP was the 2016 Korean female group album with the greatest sales volume. Twice had sold over 1.2 million copies of their four EPs and special album in just 19 months following their debut. The group has sold over 15 million records in South Korea and Japan as of 2022. With the release of their first studio album, Twicetagram, and its lead song, “Likey,” in 2017, Twice became the first female Korean act to concurrently top Billboard’s World Albums and World Digital Song Sales charts. Twice became the third female Korean act to chart in the Canadian Hot 100 with the release of their single “Feel Special” in 2019. Taste of Love and Formula of Love: O+T=<3 in 2021, Between 1 and 2 in 2022, and More & More and Eyes Wide Open in 2020 all peaked into the US Billboard 200 when the group signed with Republic Records for American marketing as part of a cooperation with JYP Entertainment. “The Feels,” their debut official English-language single, peaked at 83rd and 80th on the charts in the US and the UK, respectively, and earned their first entry into the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. They have been nicknamed the “Nation’s Girl Group” of the future, and many celebrities have mimicked their point choreography, which includes “Cheer Up” (2016), “TT” (2016), “Signal” (2017), and “What Is Love?” (2018). With all of these achievements, it is really impossible for TWICE not to gain Filipino fans, especially since they are being considered the best girl group next to Blackpink. Just recently, TWICE performed at the Philippine Arena last September 30 and October 31 with their sold-out concert called “Ready to Be.” It proved us how many Filipino fans were left high during the electrifying performances of these nine stunning women who became the main talk of the town with their successful concert. Based on the social intelligence report of Capstone-Intel Corporation, the keyword “Twice” alone got 31,529 comments, 32,360 social volume, and 128,937 shares, for an overall total of 1,468,438 reaction counts. Meanwhile, “Ready to Be” got 57,817 comments, 60,795 social shares, and 96,141 shares, for a total reaction count of 670,494. Lastly, “Ready To Be in Bulacan” received 7,248 comments, 7,375 social volume and 24,217 shares for a total reaction count of 215,048. Capstone-Intel also revealed that TWICE has a great impact on the preferences and culture of Filipino K-pop fans. Their “Ready To Be” concert garnered a total of 670,094 total reactions. Breaking down, we have 399,346 ‘heart’ reactions (59.56 percent), followed by 167,142 likes (24.99 percent), 96,856 ‘sad’ reactions (14.45 percent), 4,285 ‘wow’ reactions (0.64 percent), 2,343 ‘haha’ reactions (0.35 percent), and 122 ‘angry’ reactions (0.02 percent). In this social intelligence report, Capstone-Intel also stated that one of the several reasons why Filipino fans of various demographics are enamored with international bands, particularly K-pop, is cultural globalization. Filipinos’ love of K-pop singers, according to the agency, “evidences both cultural globalization and the aspiration for a universal culture since it allows Filipinos to engage with a type of culture that defies geographical boundaries and promotes a sense of identification.” “It also provides Filipinos with a feeling of community that goes beyond their immediate surroundings as they become connected to a wider global network where enthusiasts host forums and gatherings to fortify their group and inspire others to follow in their footsteps,” the statement continued. The research and intelligence organization claims that the way unique K-pop material is being distributed to Filipinos, whose numbers are growing and who are getting more involved with it, is a “massive” component in how K-pop culture has influenced fans’ identities and the generations they belong to. K-pop material is popular with a wide spectrum of viewers, including Filipinos, due to its widespread distribution across several media channels. This demonstrates how media and technology shape people’s cultural choices, according to the study agency. Additionally, it was observed that these events, such as concerts, provide a forum for group celebration and self-expression, reinforcing the importance of community and shared experiences among Filipinos.

Observing South Korea’s Supremacy in PH

08/12/2023

There is no denying that we are indeed hooked on the beautiful culture of South Korea. From their food, movies, series, places, skincare, makeup, and of course, music, they always deliver the best quality they can offer to people, which makes them admirable. 10 years ago, a group of 7 men called BTS, shortened term of ‘Bangtan Sonyeondan’ (Bulletproof Boy Scouts) debuted without knowing that they would become iconic, successful and loved by millions of people across the globe. Before getting into this great fame, Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung, Park Jimin, Jung Hoseok, Min Yoongi, Kim Seokjin and their leader Kim Namjoon, headed by their mentor, Bang Si Hyuk, also known as Bang PD, was just music producer and composer in his struggling agency way back in 2005. He slowly met each of the seven members and recruited them as his artists. Not just like any other artists, they didn’t start as well as everyone expected. They didn’t sign up for a rough road, but they all still chose to walk on it. All together, as trainees, they had to sleep and share a small dorm, one bedroom, and one bathroom. They pass flyers and free concert tickets to strangers personally just for them to have their audience. They were also disrespected and mistreated by different variety shows. One of the most heartbreaking memories that Armys (names of their loyal fans) will always remember is when Jungkook appeared on a TV show called ‘Flower Crew’. Jungkook, being the sweetest and most genuine person that he really is, gave burgers and sodas to hosts and cast members, but instead of thanking him, they refused to accept the food he offered and told him that they looked like leftover foods. The worst part is that they even asked him to take away the food. Some people said that Jungkook was noticed to be holding back his tears after what happened. Aside from being humiliated on TV shows, BTS also experienced being pulled out at the last minute from their line-up of performances at the Busan One Asia Festival 2016. The seven members decided to continue performing, but they were cut from the TV live broadcast. Despite all these unfortunate events, they grew strong, humble, and kind to everyone, which proves why they are ‘bulletproof.’ As they received a huge number of awards, both local and international, they decided to do solo albums in the meantime before enlisting in the military. Jungkook, the youngest member of the group, released his solo album ‘Golden’ on November 3, which includes his hit songs “Seven,” “3D,” and “Standing Next To You.” With a total sales of 951,000 albums sold, he tops the chart, surpassing Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version).’ There is no doubt that BTS and Jungkook have become worldwide icons, and to prove this, Capstone-Intel shared a social intelligence report from August 27 to September 27, 2023, which shows that Jungkook’s Facebook performance got over 46,627 comments, 118,137 shares, 562,516 likes, 1,155,390 ‘love/heart’ reactions, 101,828 ‘haha’ reactions, 5,038 ‘wow’ reactions, 580 ‘sad’ reactions and 156 ‘angry’ reactions. He is set to enlist in the military in December 2023 together with Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, and Kim Namjoon. Meanwhile, the Philippines is also proving that P-pop, or Pinoy Pop, has a lot to offer. SB19 was formed by ShowBT Philippines and has five members, which include Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin. With an obvious influence from South Korea, SB19 has also received a fair share of awards, both local and international. Some of them include the Dabeme Music Awards, SEC Awards (Brazil), BreakTudo Awards (Brazil), Prêmios Awards (Brazil), Box Office Entertainment Awards, PMPC Star Awards for Music, TikTok Awards Philippines, and the list goes on. They are known for their hit songs called ‘GENTO’ and ‘Mapa’, which are both recognized internationally. According to Capstone-Intel’s social intelligence report, from August 27 to September 27, 2023, SB19’s Facebook performance is not far behind Jungkook’s. With 82,426 comments, 116,904 shares, 308,099 likes, 1,347,723 ‘love/heart reactions, 646,577 ‘haha’ reactions, 26,626 ‘wow’ reactions, 4,377 ‘sad’ reactions, and 379 ‘angry’ reactions, P-pop can also serve and shine on its own. Whether local or international, Filipino fans are indeed hardcore in supporting their idols in their hardships and successes. It also shows how creative we can be and how Filipinos love singing, dancing, and music.