The most effective K-beauty campaigns in the US pair a hero product with TikTok-led discovery, then convert that attention on Amazon and, later, on store shelves. Nielsen data cited by eMarketer shows US K-beauty sales rose 37.2% to $2 billion for the year ended July 31, 2025. The 25 examples below come from Laneige, Medicube, Anua, Beauty of Joseon and the retailers racing to carry them.
Figures below are attributed to the source that reported them. Several come from the brands or their agencies, which is noted where it applies.
How did Laneige turn one lip mask into a US franchise?
1. The Lip Sleeping Mask as the anchor product
Laneige's Lip Sleeping Mask became the product that pulled shoppers into the rest of the range. A July 2024 report on Amorepacific's US push said the limited-edition Holiday Lip Sleeping Mask topped Sephora sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023. Laneige's own site claims the No. 1 US lip treatment ranking for 2024 based on Circana data, according to BrandVM's analysis of the brand.
2. Sydney Sweeney as global ambassador
Amorepacific named actress Sydney Sweeney a Laneige global ambassador in 2024, according to the same July 2024 report. The report links the signing to new product pushes such as the Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask.
3. The Phoenix Mercury partnership and a Los Angeles pop-up
Laneige became the official skincare partner of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury in a deal led by Giovanni Valentini, the new head of Amorepacific's US business. The brand also ran a Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask pop-up store in Los Angeles in April 2024, per the same report.
4. The Baskin-Robbins Rainbow Sherbet Lip Sleeping Mask
Laneige and Baskin-Robbins released a limited-edition Rainbow Sherbet Lip Sleeping Mask, the brand's first marbled lip mask, scented orange, pineapple and raspberry, according to Beauty Packaging.
5. The Bubble Tea Collection
In 2025 Laneige launched a Bubble Tea Collection of Matcha Bubble Tea and Taro Bubble Tea lip sleeping masks and Lip Glowy Balms. BrandVM, citing Glossy, reports Amorepacific credited the collection in its second-quarter earnings as a driver of lip and skincare growth.
For the full brand profile, see EPR's Laneige profile.
How did Medicube turn celebrity TikToks into device sales?
6. The Hailey Bieber TikTok
Medicube's US breakout traces to July 2023, when Hailey Bieber posted a TikTok using its Age-R Booster Healer device, according to FN News. Glossy also lists the 2023 Bieber post as a major organic endorsement for the brand's Booster Pro.
7. The Kylie Jenner partnership
Medicube partnered with Kylie Jenner in April 2025 for TikTok content showing her skincare routine, according to Social Life Magazine. The Booster Pro retails for about $220, per Glossy.
8. Amazon Prime Day 2025
Medicube drove $22 million in sales during Amazon Prime Day in July 2025, according to the brand as reported by Glossy. FN News put the four-day total at about 30 billion won, 136% above Amazon's Big Spring Sale in March, with "Medicube" the top search term in Amazon's beauty category.
9. The Broadway pop-up in New York
Medicube's Broadway pop-up in New York drew more than 12,000 visitors, according to Retail Boss. The same report describes offline expansion as a hedge against e-commerce volatility and import tariffs.
10. A TikTok Shop-first launch for the Booster Pro X2
APR, Medicube's parent company, launched the Booster Pro X2 on TikTok Shop in the US first, starting June 11, with Amazon in the US and TikTok Shop and Amazon in the UK to follow, according to a PR Newswire release. The release said Medicube's US TikTok Shop store had passed 500,000 followers.
How did Anua grow from Amazon to Ulta and Boots?
11. An Amazon-first US entry
Anua entered North America through Amazon in December 2022, according to CosmeticsDesign-Asia. Its parent, The Founders, reports a 537% sales increase during Prime Day in July 2023 and an 800% jump in daily sales on Black Friday.
12. TikTok content at scale
Anua's brand-related TikTok content has drawn more than 2.4 billion views, and its Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil more than 338 million, according to a February 2025 release from The Founders.
13. The 1,400-store Ulta rollout
Anua launched on Ulta.com in December 2024 and expanded to 1,400 Ulta stores on February 2, 2025. The in-store launch used branded displays and a Double Cleansing Duo gift with purchase through February 22, per the same release.
14. Official Amazon launches in Europe, the Middle East and Australia
On April 4, 2025, The Founders announced official Anua launches on Amazon in Europe, the Middle East and Australia. The company said the move was meant to supply authentic products and reduce confusion from unauthorized listings.
15. The Boots launch in the UK
Anua's Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil set record sales among K-beauty brands at Boots, and the retailer said initial results exceeded its expectations, according to CosmeticsDesign-Europe in October 2024.
For the brand profile, see EPR's Anua profile.
How did Beauty of Joseon scale from viral sunscreen to Sephora?
16. Education-led creator content for Relief Sun
Beauty of Joseon built its Western growth around education-led TikTok content that translated its Joseon Dynasty and hanbang positioning for Gen Z and millennial shoppers, with Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics as the hero product. House of Marketers, the TikTok agency that ran the US and UK campaign, reports 500% year-on-year sales growth and the No. 1 best-selling sunscreen spot on Amazon and Sephora. Those figures are the agency's own.
17. The 600-store Sephora debut
Beauty of Joseon began its US store debut in July 2025 with a rollout to 600 Sephora stores, following viral buzz for Relief Sun, Glow Serum and Ginseng Cleansing Oil, according to Retail Boss citing Glossy.
18. Ulta's K-Beauty World
Ulta launched K-Beauty World in July 2025 with Landing International and added 13 Korean brands across stores and online, according to a July 22, 2025 industry report. Beauty Independent says the program brings in more than 200 K-beauty brands.
19. Sephora's exclusive US debuts
Beauty of Joseon, Hanyul and Aestura all made their US brick-and-mortar debuts at Sephora in 2025, per Retail Boss. The same industry report says Sephora has doubled its Korean brand lineup.
20. Sephora and Olive Young
From fall 2026, Olive Young will curate a K-beauty assortment for Sephora in 650 stores in the US and Canada and 48 locations in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, according to eMarketer.
21. Amazon's Korean storefront
Amazon launched a dedicated storefront for Korean products and says the segment is growing three times faster than the average beauty category on its site, per eMarketer. Samsung Securities data reported by KED Global showed US Amazon sales of Korean basic cosmetics up 122% in the third quarter of 2024, against 29% for the category overall.
22. TikTok Shop as a K-beauty sales channel
K-beauty sales on TikTok Shop soared 132% in a year, outpacing the platform's overall sales, according to Beauty Independent.
23. Olive Young's first US stores
Korea's dominant health and beauty retailer, Olive Young, is set to open its first US stores in 2026, per Retail Boss and eMarketer. It already runs more than 1,300 stores in South Korea.
24. Mass retail joins in
Walmart, Target and Costco are expanding their Korean beauty lines alongside Sephora and Ulta, according to a July 2025 industry report on K-beauty's US retail growth.
25. Ulta signs TikTok-native brands
Ulta has signed brands that grew on TikTok, including Anua, Medicube and Tirtir, according to Beauty Independent. Ulta's first-quarter 2025 report cited a 38% increase in Korean skin care sales, as reported in coverage of the NielsenIQ data.
What do these K-beauty campaigns have in common?
Each brand tied a hero product to content that spreads on its own, then moved that attention to a sales channel. Laneige used a single lip product and celebrity and sports partnerships. Medicube relied on celebrity TikToks and Amazon events. Anua started on Amazon, then took the same demand to Ulta and Boots. Beauty of Joseon paired education-led creator content with a Sephora rollout.
For the agency side of the category, see Best Beauty PR Agencies and the wider Beauty PR guide. For a creator who moved a mass-market skincare brand, read the Hyram profile.
