logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
27m 49s

How K-Beauty Revolutionized Skincare — A...

NPR
About this episode
When NPR host Elise Hu moved to South Korea to be an international correspondent, she ended up getting a crash course on Korean beauty and the country's billion-dollar cosmetics industry. She explains the rise of the industry, its appeal, and the high standards it sets for appearance. On this episode, a conversation with Elise Hu about her new book, "Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty capital." Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Jan 2024
Facebook at 20
Twenty years ago, a group of college sophomores created a website that would end up changing the world — fundamentally altering how we connect with other people, how much we know about each other, and how we curate our existence. That website was Facebook. In the years since, Fac ... Show More
49m 30s
Dec 2023
Uncovering the Inner Workings of the Oceans
What comes to mind when you think of the ocean? Maybe a day at the beach — swimming in the waves, snorkeling through coral reefs, fishing, surfing, and sunsets that kiss the blue horizon. But Earth's oceans are more than all of that; they're our planet's defining feature, its lar ... Show More
43m 26s
Nov 20
What Science Says About How Much Our Food Choices Matter
<p>Ahead of Thanksgiving, we do a deep dive into what we actually know about diet, and what we should and shouldn’t be eating. We talk with a nutrition and metabolism scientist about recent diet trends and how they affect our health, hear from several chefs about how they balance ... Show More
49m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
You used to be so pretty
Growing up, Haein Shim was taught that if she wanted to succeed, she needed to change her appearance. Shim was raised in South Korea, where a competitive job market and booming beauty industry combined to make careful beauty maintenance all but mandatory for gainful employment. B ... Show More
38m 45s
Jun 2023
Writer Elise Hu on Life in Seoul and the Rise of K Beauty
K Beauty is one of biggest beauty markets in the world—and one that people travel from all over the world for. This week, Lale chats with Elise Hu, a broadcast journalist, author, and host of the podcast TED Talks Daily, whose new book Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Beauty from t ... Show More
29m 1s
Jul 2023
How to Be a Better Human: How to embrace – and challenge – the idea of "beauty" (w / Elise Hu)
<p>Humans have always been captivated by beauty, and for almost as long, we've been marketed products and new technologies to help us achieve certain beauty standards. Elise Hu is a journalist and the author of "Flawless: Lessons in looks and culture from the K-beauty industry." ... Show More
33m 38s
Dec 2022
Beauty Costs: Why is Korean skincare so popular?
In today’s episode of our Beauty Costs series, we’re looking at a part of the beauty world that’s worth over ten billion dollars.K-beauty is one of South Korea’s biggest exports, and in the last couple of years it’s overtaken the United States in becoming the world’s second bigge ... Show More
17m 29s
Aug 2021
Elise Hu: The Beauty Ideal
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But it's also shaped by global norms. This hour, journalist Elise Hu reflects on what's considered beautiful now, and how we'll think about beauty in the future. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Priva ... Show More
49m 20s
Feb 2020
Do we really need ten-step beauty regime?
20 Feb 2020: Aysha Awwad from MedicoBeauty.com joined us to review the growing trend of Korean beauty. We asked her whether the number of beauty products has got totally out of hand. Korean beauty brands often recommend TEN step beauty regime. But is that needed? See omnystudio.c ... Show More
20m 48s
Jan 2023
Hallyu: How the Korean Wave Is Sweeping Global Culture
<p><strong>Background</strong>:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Korean cultural wave, also known as <em>Hallyu</em>, has become worldwide sensation a in recent years, with Korean art, music, drama, food and more sweeping the globe. Thanks to the fervour over the likes of K-pop and K-beaut ... Show More
22m 3s
Jun 2023
Kim Chi of KimChi Chic Beauty: ‘I want this to be a staple in a lot of people's lives’
When Kim Chi made the finals on season 8 of "RuPaul’s Drag Race" back in 2016, fans were captivated by her stunning makeup artistry. Not long after, she became the CEO and founder of her own makeup brand, KimChi Chic Beauty. Launched in 2019 under Bespoke Beauty Brands, the incub ... Show More
42m 24s
Jan 2021
How the co-CEOs of Glow Recipe found creativity (and heritage) in skincare
Since launching their first line of products in 2017, Sarah Lee and Christine Chang’s skincare brand Glow Recipe has been a driving force in the Korean beauty wave, particularly in the US—and it’s not hard to see why. From their colorful packaging to alluring scents, Glow Recipe’ ... Show More
34m 12s
Oct 2023
Cindy Crawford : Pepsi, dynastie et grain de beauté
<p>Quiconque né dans les années 80 se souvient d’avoir vu cette pub à la télé : Cindy Crawford sortant en minishort en jean d’une Lamborghini rouge, se dirigeant langoureusement vers un distributeur Pepsi, avant de s’enfiler une canette d’un trait sous un soleil de plomb. Grâce à ... Show More
20m 46s