Korean beauty labels are replacing French luxury brands in the global cosmetic and skin care market, leveraging on their technical qualities and gaining over the European legacy labels, according to the North American marketing chief of K-beauty brand Anua.

Michelle Miller, chief marketing officer for Anua in the United States and Canada, said the next generation increasingly values product performance over brand reputation and legacy.

She has witnessed the shift in consumer preferences through Anua's nationwide expansion. The brand is now sold at all 1,500 Ulta Beauty stores across the United States, as well as on Amazon, Ulta and Anua's online store.

Since it was launched by The Founders in 2019, Anua has rapidly gained ground against established French luxury brands such as Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Guerlain.

“French beauty has historically defined luxury through heritage, elegance and prestige. K-beauty brings different kinds of premium values such as innovation, efficacy, advanced textures and a deep cultural expertise in skin care,” Miller said in an interview with The Korea Times.

“We believe the next generation of premium beauty will not only be about traditional luxury codes. It will be about performance, trust, innovation and cultural relevance. K-beauty is very well positioned for that shift.”

Working at The Founders’ American subsidiary, Anua Inc., in Los Angeles, Miller advocates K-beauty based on Anua's soaring performance in the U.S. where the brand debuted in 2022. Since that year, the brand’s global sales have grown more than 200 percent annually and surpassed $500 million in last year alone.

What contributed to the popularity is online content made by the brand’s users. Miller said Anua has built one of the strongest online skin care communities in North America with nearly 9,000 online content creators talking about the brand. She added that from January through May, Anua generated $97 million in earned-media-value (EMV) with 70 percent year-on-year growth — and only less than two percent of that conversation was sponsored.

“It demonstrates genuine consumer enthusiasm. Today, Anua ranks among the top 10 skin care brands globally for EMV and social share of voice,” she said.

“We have also seen significant growth in consumer demand. Following recent brand activity, searches for 'Anua' increased more than 30 percent, while searches for our hero products such as the PDRN Serum Spray increased more than 37 percent, reflecting growing brand awareness and purchase intent.”

Miller admitted Anua’s popularity has been fueled by K-beauty’s global boom. She said K-beauty has now become associated with “innovation, sensorial textures, gentle formulas and visible skin results.”

“Yes, many U.S. consumers recognize Anua as a trusted Korean beauty brand, and that is definitely part of the brand’s appeal,” she said. “Our products like Heartleaf, PDRN, Azelaic Acid and TXA stand out because they combine recognizable skin care needs with uniquely Korean innovation. So K-beauty opens the door, but product performance builds the loyalty.”

On June 1, Anua appointed Kendall Jenner as its first-ever global ambassador for its PDRN Collagen Glow Facial Serum Spray. The American media personality attended the brand’s pop-up in New York City’s SoHo district later that month.

Miller said that while celebrity ambassadors certainly help beauty brands, their roles are now increasingly shared by consumers who have become more aware than before.

“Celebrities still play an important role in beauty but the role has changed. A celebrity can create awareness, cultural relevance and scale very quickly. But today’s consumer is very smart. Awareness alone is not enough,” she said.

“Consumers want to see real product education, real reviews, creator contents, expert validation and visible results. That is why we see Kendall as a catalyst, not the whole strategy. She helps introduce Anua to a broader audience but the creator community, product quality and consumer experience are what turn awareness into trust and repeat purchase. In modern beauty, celebrity creates the spark. Product performance and community create the staying power.”