Whitening remains a major skincare category in China, but local brand Herborist is shifting the focus from simply lightening the skin towards creating a more translucent and radiant complexion by combining traditional herbal formulas with Chinese culture. Traditional herbal knowledge as a brand asset, not decoration Herborist’s...
WHEN PERSONAL TASTE BECOMES BUYING ADVICE Fashion influence in China is shifting from aspiration-led styling towards opinion-led product curation. More creators are using reviews, try-ons and styling analysis to turn personal taste into a practical decision-making tool, helping consumers determine what is genuinely worth buying. Fashion commentary...
Created by Douyin creator Feifeifei, AI-generated character Fang Taozi rose to fame through the relatable workplace stories and female growth narrative of the short drama The Laid-Off Girl. She has since evolved from a virtual protagonist into a new kind of AI celebrity with her...
Getting dressed is exhausting and this summer, Chinese consumers are saying so out loud. "Low-Energy Outfit" (低能量穿搭) has become one of the season's fastest-growing fashion trends, prioritizing comfort and ease over elaborate styling. Low-energy as a business signal, not a phase The trend reflects a broader cultural...
In June 2026, actor and singer Ouyang Nana marked her birthday not with a gala, but with a working farm outside Shanghai, and unintentionally launched one of the summer's biggest lifestyle trends. Farm-core as a business signal, not a backdrop The party : a custom farm market,...
This summer, China's F&B sector isn't just innovating on product , it's innovating on flavour, format and occasion. Gelato has become the season's clearest signal: a category once confined to dessert shops is now reshaping how tea, dairy and snack brands compete for attention. Gelato as a...
South Korea is experiencing a quiet but powerful cultural shift. As younger generations navigate the pressures of the AI era, many are turning inward — reaching for ancient spiritual practices to find meaning, identity, and emotional grounding. Shamanism, fortune-telling, and destiny-themed rituals are moving from...
For 2026, CJ Olive Young selected “FULLMOON” as the keyword to reflect 8 evolving beauty consumer behaviors. FULLMOON represents wholeness and balance. This echoes the current shift in consumer attitudes from appearance-centric beauty to a holistic approach that emphasizes emotional well-being, physical recovery, and long-term...
Google Gemini 3’s makes a hit in South Korea Google Gemini 3’s global launch in November 2025 has challenged ChatGPT’s leading position in generative AI. Within three months, South Korea became the second-largest market for Gemini’s paid subscriptions on the Apple App Store, generating around $21...
LEGO Bloom Bar Becomes the Hit Dating Spot For celebrating Valentine’s Day, LEGO launches a romantic “LEGO Flower Shop” pop-up called LEGO Bloom Bar in Seoul. Open from February 5th to 25th at Musinsa Store Seongsu Daelim Warehouse, the pop-up themed around LEGO flowers, created a...
Cover Picture XHS user @Xuanxuanxuan As festive moods build and social needs intensify, pastries are taking on a new role in China’s urban lifestyle. Beyond birthdays or celebrations, a new phenomenon is emerging among young consumers: the “cake-killing party” — a social gathering centered on tasting...
Cover Picture @Songmont A More Emotional Reading of the Horse Year 2026 marks the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac: an animal rich in symbolism, often associated with ambition, success, and upward momentum. Among the twelve zodiac animals, the horse is also the one...
Cover Picture XHS user @KresnikWang As winter arrives, “sportcation”, sports-focused vacations, has been on the rise in China. This season, the trend has evolved further into "snowcation", blending winter sports with leisure, culture, and lifestyle experiences. From Doing Sports to Living the Scene Rather than traveling "to rest",...
Cover picture @ASPIR China’s urban and educated youth is shifting from intense 996 working culture to a “slow living” (#slowliving 880M views on RED) ideology, as the economic slowdown pushes young consumers toward meaningful, rational spending, while big-city burnout and rising mental-health anxiety drive them to...
Cover picture RED user @Shiyi TCP identified a social buzz word "HuoRenGan" on social media mainly on RED. Adopting "HuoRenGan" attitude, Chinese netizens are reclaiming digital spaces for ‘real human’ expression, seeking for sincere, and genuine connections while rejecting AI perfection and ‘too fake’ personas. What is...