POWDER ROOM Releases "Monthly Korean Beauty Insight"... Highlighting the Trend of Character Collaboration Cosmetics

The Korean beauty media platform "POWDER ROOM" presented the expansion of "character collaboration cosmetics" as a major trend in the Korean beauty market for the first half of 2026 through the April 2026 issue of "Monthly Korean Beauty Insight".

According to the report, collaborations between Korean cosmetic brands and global character IPs such as Sanrio, miffy, Monchhichi, Toy Story, and Disney Princesses have been active in recent years. Related consumption, such as selling out on the day of release or trading at premium prices in secondary markets, is taking root as a solid trend. This tendency is also clearly confirmed by the content view count and user engagement data held by POWDER ROOM.

In addition, highly anticipated collaboration cases based on actual user reactions were introduced.

The collaboration that recorded the highest reaction was "Monchhichi x AMUSE", achieving approximately 570,000 views, marking the highest number of views ever recorded on the platform. It is analyzed that the combination of "retro x cute" gained high support as the Japanese character Monchhichi, born in the 1970s, was reinterpreted with the sensibility of Korean Gen Z.

Following this, the "WAKEMAKE x Hello Kitty" collaboration recorded approximately 210,000 views. Through the fusion of a representative character IP and a trendy cosmetic brand, it combined "cuteness" and "functionality," garnering interest from both character fans and beauty users.

The "miffy x rom&nd" collaboration took 3rd place with approximately 160,000 views. Characterized by its simple and iconic design, it is said to have stimulated the desire to collect and attracted consumer interest.

This expansion of character collaborations is also closely related to changes in cosmetics consumption styles. Products are no longer recognized merely for their intended use, but as objects for collection and display, and sharing on SNS and self-expression are influencing purchasing behavior.

Furthermore, there is a tendency for character IPs supported across generations, such as Sanrio, miffy, and Monchhichi, to simultaneously evoke "nostalgia" and "trendiness," leading to emotional consumption.

In addition, the visual-oriented consumption structure centered on SNS is having an impact. It is analyzed that packaging designs that make users want to share are naturally spread as user-generated content (UGC), contributing to the improvement of brand awareness.

Through this report, POWDER ROOM suggests that character collaboration cosmetics are not just a temporary measure, but have become established as a major trend tied to changes in consumer behavior and the structure of content consumption.