Foreign tourists flock to Seoul for hands-on K-beauty sessions in Gangnam, Myeongdong, and Hongdae

Foreign visitors from the United States, Russia, Malaysia, and Singapore gathered at BeautyPlay’s Hongdae location on Oct. 17 to take part in a K-personal makeup class. The instructor described Korea’s trend toward Mirror Skin—a clear, luminous base—while explaining tone-matching foundations. An English translator provided real-time explanations as participants asked questions about makeup techniques.

Across Gangnam, Myeongdong, and Hongdae, K-beauty makeup classes are expanding beyond simple product purchases to hands-on experiences, becoming a popular tourism itinerary. In many shops, instructors demonstrate on one side of the face while students copy on the other in a 90-minute class that can cost around 209,000 won per session. The rise in Chinese visitors following visa relaxation has also boosted bookings, according to industry officials.

CreateTrip, a domestic inbound travel platform, reported that makeup-related tour orders this year through the third quarter already surpassed last year’s annual total. CEO Lim Hye-min noted growing interest in personal-color analysis and Korean makeup, highlighting that the natural, pure makeup style of K-pop idols is particularly popular among learners.

Cosmetic brands are expanding shade ranges to suit foreign skin tones. Missha increased from four to ten shades in its M Perfect Cover Serum BB Cream line, while Tir Tir’s Mask Fit Red Cushion has expanded to 45 colors. Amorepacific’s R&I Center is training AI skin-diagnosis data with Dr. Amore to improve accuracy across ethnicities, and is conducting Hyper Allergy testing in multiple markets. Amorepacific officials emphasized that the program aims to diagnose diverse skin types and broaden research on color rendering for darker skin tones.

Industry players say inbound demand for makeup experiences is being driven by the global reach of Korean content. With foreigners visiting Korea for makeup experiences, the industry is diversifying product lines and expanding programs to attract international customers.