Wearing face masks, Korean girls now invest in elaborate nails, nail polish, manicure with detailed drawings. Despite the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on most industries, many nail salons are still doing well, with a sharp increase in revenue. From being unpopular, Korean girls are now willing to spend tens to hundreds of thousands of won for a nail job. Photo: Stock. Pleasure during quarantine “Since I started working from home, I spend a lot of time painting my nails, trying on colors and drawings that I have never done before,” said Kim Gyu Ri (22 years old) from Daejeon. Lee Ji Eun, 23, from North Gyeongsang, said, “Whenever I look at my pretty nails, I feel so beautiful and well-groomed.” Lee has a hobby of doing his own nails and spends an average of 300,000 won ($270) on essentials every month. Yoon Chae Hyun used to be a regular customer of nail salons, but recently she started making her own to save money. “It will be cheaper on its own in the long run. I can add as many details as I want without worrying about spending extra money,” she said. A set of gel polish usually costs 20,000-50,000 won at Seoul nail salons. Photo: KoreaBoo. “But for those who can afford it, going to work is still worth the experience. Talking to the workers is quite relaxing, they are professionals after all,” she added. Nail art products at home, serving girls who like to tinker by themselves are equally expensive. Nail polish sales at popular Korean beauty stores such as Olive Young and Lalavla both increased by 30-40% last year. “Investing in nail art is like spending money to buy clothes” Nail salons are ubiquitous on the streets of Korea today, but this beauty demand and service only really took off about 10 years ago. According to the Korea Statistical Information Service, the number of nail salons has increased from 10,382 stores in 2016 to 16,464 stores in 2020. “The concept of beautifying nails didn’t exist until the early 2000s. The first nail salon in Korea opened in Itaewon in 1988, but mainly caters to foreign customers,” said Cho A Ra, a nail technician. Professional since 2002, used to be a nail artist for the group Wonder Girls, said. The original nail salons in Korea only used regular nail polish, which peeled off easily and needed frequent repainting. The rise of gel polish, which lasts longer, started gaining popularity after 2012, and is currently the most popular. By 2018, with the promotion of K-pop girl groups like Mamamoo, the trend of adding fake nails is so popular. Korean gel polish is not only popular in kimchi but also in other Asian countries. Photo: Insider. According to Cho A Ra, nail art is not just for beauty. Gel polish provides a protective layer to the nails, preventing them from biting or breaking. “Recently, I see more and more elementary and middle school children being taken by their parents to get their nails done for this purpose,” she said. But before being recognized, she faced many objections about her work. “Many people think that these colorful nails are untidy, only for indecent girls, working as a hostess in a bar. Even my mother did not dare to tell her friends about her daughter’s work, until she was proud of me working with the Wonder Girls.” On the other hand, spending tens of thousands of won on 10 fingers initially shocked many people. Gel polish at nail salons in Seoul ranges from 20,000-50,000 won for simple, one-color coats. The price just keeps getting higher when painting other textures, adding decorative details, especially since crystal nailing is so popular. “A client of mine spent 320,000 won for a manicure. While this may seem absurd to some people because our nails are only a small part of our body, investing in a manicure is like splurging on clothes.” “At the end of the day, you are the one who looks at your own nails the most. Beautiful nails bring self-satisfaction,” said Cho.

Korean women tend to have cosmetic surgery from a very early age, even when they were in middle school, they were allowed to go under the knife to improve their beauty. Not only cosmetic matters, but also the care and maintenance of skin’s youthfulness and smoothness are also done very early by Korean women. Almost all the girls of Kim Chi, young and old, have in their hands the secrets of flawless white skin. They were taught and passed down from their mothers and grandmothers and started taking care of their skin very early, when they were only 13, 14 years old. #first. Always clean the skin with makeup remover oil and remember as printed in 2 cleaning steps Cleansing is the first step of any skin care routine, and it’s not surprising that Koreans are meticulous with their daily cleansing step. Korean mothers always advise their children to use an oil-based makeup remover first to remove impurities and makeup from the skin. Then, use a mild water-based cleanser to clean the entire face, which is a “double cleanse” step to remove any remaining oil from the cleansing oil. Note that you should choose alcohol-free and gentle cleansers as possible so that the skin does not dry out after cleansing. #2. Never forget essence Essence is a very unique product in Korean beauty culture; most K-Beauty brands have a bottle of essence to nourish the skin. Korean women were very surprised that in other places, women often skip the step of using essence while in Korea it is indispensable. Essence should be used after skin care and before serum and moisturizer of Korean women. All Korean women affirm that essence essence is an important step in their skin care routine. Essence essence with liquid milk form, the main effect is to hydrate the skin, keeping the skin smooth and full of vitality. Because this product is in liquid form, the active ingredients in the essence can penetrate the skin faster and better. Thanks to this, this cosmetic has the ability to provide nutrients to nourish the skin from deep within. #3. I have to massage my face every day Facial massage exercises have been supported by Koreans for a long time, and this is also an indispensable step in Korean girls’ skin care routine, whether it is going to a spa or taking care of their skin at home. When they were young, the Kim Chi girls were taught by their mothers the AEIOU mouth stretch to tighten their faces. Besides the jade roller is passed down from generation to generation, mothers use the jade roller to roll and move onto the skin, while moving and gently pressing to detoxify, improve blood circulation and reduce appearance. of wrinkles. And now, when many beauty technologies have been born, Korean women still have the habit of rolling their faces with jade stones every night. #4. Apply serum/cream and gently press with fingertips If you observe Korean women doing their skin care routine, you will notice that they always do it very gently and use extra finger press every time they apply a product. This action they learned from the mothers who went before, lightly pressing the fingertips not only stimulates blood circulation, improves skin elasticity but also limits aging wrinkles imprinted with age. Source: dailyvanity.sg