Superdrug expands K-beauty range into cosmetics

Superdrug is expanding its K-beauty offering beyond skincare and into cosmetics, bringing a set of leading K-beauty makeup names to the UK high street.

The launch adds makeup from Etude, Banila, Missha and Rom&nd, with further additions from Fwee focused on lip-and-cheek products. The line-up centres on the formats driving K-beauty makeup at the moment: glass-skin bases, blurring pigments and lip-and-cheek tints. Superdrug's PURESEOUL Edit, previously skincare-only, has been refreshed to bring K-beauty base, blush and lip formulas together in one place, alongside a cushion and base refresh and new tint and balm launches.

Superdrug’s customer research, based on 645 respondents in November 2025, found that 68 per cent of customers associate South Korea with facial skincare but only 43 per cent make the same connection with cosmetics, rising to 56 per cent among 18 to 24-year-olds. The retailer sees K-beauty makeup as a bridge between skincare and colour, in step with the skinimalism trend towards lightweight, skin-first formulas.

The expansion forms part of Superdrug's wider Beauty Playground approach, a more hands-on, shopper-led way of presenting beauty trends in store. It is aimed at a category that is harder to shop online, where customers want to swatch, test and compare shades before buying.

Megan Potter, trading director at Superdrug, said: "K-beauty make-up has exploded across social feeds, but a viral tint or cushion foundation only tells you so much, shoppers want to swatch, blend and see a shade against their own skin before they commit. We're bringing those buzzed-about formats and formulas off the screen and onto the high street, where customers can actually get hands-on and have fun experimenting."

The K-beauty cosmetics edit is in selected Superdrug stores including Westfield White City, Trafford and Bristol Cribbs Causeway, with a rollout to further stores planned later this year. The full range is available online at Superdrug.com.