Beyond K-Beauty: Seung-min Lee on AMUSE and the Rise of K-Makeup
A lip tint can tell you a great deal about a beauty brand. At AMUSE, it begins with hydration, color and the way gloss catches the light. Dew Tint and Jel-Fit Tint bring those details together in formulas made to be layered and adjusted throughout the day. The pleasure is in having room to play: a different shade, another layer, a look that changes with your mood.
Seung-min Lee has built AMUSE around that everyday freedom. The Seoul-born brand combines vegan beauty, a peach-glow aesthetic and makeup informed by skincare, with joy as part of the product brief. That direction also gives the team a clear way to work. Its "AMUSE language" shapes which trends become products and which are left alone. The partnership with Jang Wonyoung brings the same bright, expressive identity to a generation that wants to make beauty its own.
AMUSE brought that identity to Paris with its March 2026 pop-up at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées. We spoke with Lee about the growing identity of Korean makeup, the textures that made the brand recognizable and her ambition for skincare-powered makeup. Our conversation moves from the pleasure of a lip formula to the decisions behind an international beauty brand, with a constant interest in how people actually use and enjoy their products.
AMUSE's Paris Fashion Week debut adds a second chapter to this conversation. Backstage at Niccolò Pasqualetti's Spring-Summer 2027 show, makeup artist Carole Colombani built a cold pink and violet palette around translucent, wet-look skin, using AMUSE's Cushion Ceramic Skin Perfector and Dew Serum Liquid Blush. It is the same logic Lee describes here: texture that adapts to the person, and color that melts into skin.
Crédits : Axel De Lai
You founded AMUSE in 2018 when K-beauty was already a global phenomenon, but you chose to position the brand around vegan beauty, joy, and a very specific peach-glow aesthetic. What did you want AMUSE to say that other K-beauty brands were not saying loudly enough at the time?
When I found AMUSE, K-beauty was already a global phenomenon. But much of the conversation was still centered on perfection-perfect skin, perfect coverage, perfect routines. At the time, I felt something essential was missing. Beauty was becoming more advanced, but also more demanding and less personal. I wanted to create a brand that felt lighter, more intuitive, and emotionally connected to everyday life. AMUSE was built on the idea that beauty can be joyful, expressive, and easy to live with. Vegan beauty, for us, was not simply a claim-it was a reflection of a more conscious, modern lifestyle. And the "peach glow" aesthetic was our way of redefining beauty: not perfected or masked, but healthy, radiant, and softly alive. Ultimately, we wanted to shift the narrative from "how flawless can you be" to "how good can you feel in your own skin?" I believe that shift continues to shape the future of beauty.
Lip tints, especially the Dew Tint and Jel-Fit Tint, have become AMUSE's calling card. What makes a lip formula interesting enough to build a brand identity around it, and why do you think these products resonated so strongly with Gen-Z consumers?
A lip formula becomes powerful when it delivers more than color - it must deliver a complete experience. With Dew Tint and Jel-Fit Tint, we focused on creating something sensorial and intuitive. The hydration, the way the gloss reflects light, the subtle plumping effect, these are all designed to feel natural yet addictive over time. It's not just about how it looks in a moment, but how it feels throughout the day. Gen-Z consumers responded strongly because their approach to beauty is fundamentally different. They are not looking for transformation-they are looking for expression. They want to layer, adjust, and personalize their look depending on mood and context. Our lip products became a tool for that kind of self-expression. Rather than offering a fixed standard, we give them the freedom to build their own version of beauty.
Your partnership with Jang Wonyoung has been central to AMUSE's visibility. How do you navigate that kind of influence: as a business opportunity, a creative collaboration, or something more complex?
Our partnership with Jang Wonyoung is not something I would define in a single way. It is at once a business collaboration, a creative partnership, and a shared expression of identity. She naturally embodies the energy of AMUSE - brightness, confidence, and a modern sense of femininity. But more importantly, she has a very authentic connection with her generation. She doesn't just represent beauty; she represents a mindset. Today, the relationship between a brand and a model has evolved. It's no longer about delivering an image - it's about conveying a perspective. We see her not simply as the face of the brand, but as someone who helps shape how the brand is interpreted and experienced. That requires mutual trust and a clear shared vision.
AMUSE succeeds by responding quickly to trends. How do you balance being fast with being intentional?
Many people describe AMUSE as a fastmoving brand, but I believe we are, first and foremost, a very clear brand. Speed comes from clarity. We are able to move quickly because we know exactly what aligns with us and what does not. Internally, we refer to this as our "AMUSE language." Trends change constantly, but a brand's core should not. If something does not align with our values-joy, lightness, and wellness-we simply do not pursue it, no matter how relevant it may seem in the moment. For me, balancing speed and intention is not about slowing down. It's about making precise decisions with conviction.
AMUSE's first European pop-up is at Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées. What does launching in Paris mean for the brand's European positioning?
Launching in Paris is both symbolic and strategic for AMUSE. Paris has long defined global standards of beauty, so entering this market is not just about expansion-it is about positioning AMUSE as a global voice in beauty, not only a K-beauty brand. At the same time, we bring a distinct perspective. Our approach blends skincare driven performance with sensorial, emotional beauty. This combination introduces a slightly different dimension to a market that already values authenticity and nuance. For us, Paris is not just a location-it is a moment where our identity becomes more clearly global.
Crédits : Axel De Lai
The pop-up is themed "PEACH glow, SEOUL." How do you translate what AMUSE means in Seoul to a European consumer who may not yet understand those codes?
"PEACH glow, SEOUL" is not simply a visual concept-it is a translation of a way of living. In Seoul, beauty is closely tied to daily rituals, wellness, and self-expression. It is not a final result, but a continuous process. Rather than explaining this concept, we wanted people in Paris to experience it. Through textures, colors, and atmosphere, we invite them into the feeling of Seoul beauty. It is not about teaching a system. It is about creating a mood that people can intuitively understand.
K-beauty conquered the world through skincare. Do you see AMUSE as part of a larger shift where Korean makeup is finally claiming its own identity, separate from skincare's shadow?
I do believe that K-beauty is entering a new phase. For many years, it was defined primarily by skincare innovation. But now, Korean makeup is developing its own distinct identity-one that is more fluid, layered, and intuitive. AMUSE is part of this shift. We see makeup not only as an extension of skincare, but also as an independent form of expression. This evolution reflects a broader cultural change, where beauty is becoming less about correction and more about individuality.
How would you define the philosophy of K-makeup, and what makes it culturally distinct, not just in formulation, but in the way it asks women to relate to their faces?
If I were to define K-makeup in one word, it would be "amplification," not transformation. It works with your natural features rather than trying to redefine them. The formulas are designed to be buildable, tactile, and adaptable-allowing subtle changes depending on mood, time, and context. Culturally, this represents a softer and more flexible relationship with beauty. It invites women to see their face not as something to perfect, but as something to explore and evolve. I believe this philosophy will continue to resonate globally, as consumers move toward more personal and fluid expressions of beauty.
Crédits : Axel De Lai
You're launching in Paris, a city with entrenched ideas about beauty: effortless, minimal. Does AMUSE challenge that aesthetic, complement it, or offer something French beauty culture doesn't yet have language for?
I don't think AMUSE challenges French beauty. I believe it resonates with it in a new way. French beauty values effortlessness anp authenticity, and we share that foundation. However, AMUSE introduces an additional layer-one that is more luminous, emotional, and sensorial. We approach glow not just as a visual effect, but as a form of expressionsomething that reflects mood, energy, and individuality. Perhaps what we offer is a language for a kind of beauty that is both subtle and expressive at the same time.
AMUSE's tagline is "making life colorful and joyful." In a market obsessed with active ingredients and clinical performance, how do you defend the value of joy and playfulness as legitimate product benefits?
Joy and playfulness are often underestimated, but I believe they are essential to beauty today. The industry has become highly focused on active ingredients and clinical performance, which are important. But beauty is also about how a product makes you feel in your everyday life. A moment of confidence, lightness, or pleasure can be just as meaningful as a measurable result. At AMUSE, we consider emotional benefit to be a real and valuable outcome. And increasingly, consumers are beginning to value that dimension just as much as efficacy.
You're the first woman to lead a brand within Shinsegae International. Has your experience as a woman in leadership shaped how you think about the products AMUSE creates and the culture you're building?
Being a woman in leadership-and stepping into that role at a relatively early stage within a large organization-has shaped how I see both brand and organization in a very fundamental way. I have never approached it as a title, but rather as an opportunity to bring a different perspective into how a brand is built and how a team operates. In beauty, especially, the ability to genuinely understand everyday experiences, emotions, and routines is essential. When we develop products, I focus on how they fit into real life-not idealized routines. How they feel, how easily they integrate, and how naturally they enhance a person's sense of self. From an organizational perspective, I believe strong performance and empathy are not opposing values-they are complementary. Creating an environment where people can express their perspective and creativity leads to better, more relevant outcomes. For me, leadership is not about providing answers, but about defining direction and asking the right questions. Ultimately, what matters is not the position itself, but the perspective you bring-and how that perspective shapes the brand over time.
Crédits : Axel De Lai
Where do you want to take AMUSE next: deeper into skincare, new categories, more sophisticated formulas? And as a founder, what does success look like now that the brand is no longer just yours to shape alone?
Looking ahead, our goal is to further define and expand what we call "skincarepowered makeup" as a distinct global category. We are not just expanding product lineswe are building a language. A way of approaching beauty that seamlessly connects skincare efficacy with emotional and sensorial experience. I believe this integration will become increasingly important in the global market. At the same time, we are actively exploring new categories that naturally extend our philosophy-prep skincare, hybrid formats, and lifestyle-driven products that connect with how people actually live. From a global perspective, our ambition goes beyond distribution. We want AMUSE to become a cultural brand-one that originates from Seoul but evolves through each market, connecting with local lifestyles while maintaining a clear identity. For me, success today is not defined by scale alone. It is about building a brand that can sustain creativity, clarity, and relevance over time. Even as part of a larger organization, my role remains the same: to protect the essence of AMUSE while enabling it to grow. Because ultimately, growth is not just about how far a brand expands-but how clearly it continues to define itself as it does.
