美国女性爱上了韩国化妆品

First came the wave of manufacturing, with Samsung and LG; then the K-pop stars, whose ubiquity reached its regrettable height with Psy. Now comes the latest import from South Korea: a formidable array of beauty products.
先是以三星和LG为代表的制造业；然后是韩国流行歌手，可惜他们的巅峰止于鸟叔(Psy)。现在是韩国的最新进口产品：一系列势不可挡的美容产品。

It all started with the BB cream. In early 2011, the Korean brand Dr. Jart introduced two BB creams at Sephora in the United States. They had dermatologic roots, intended to protect and heal patients' skin after treatment, and had been popular as all-in-one skin-care and makeup products in Korea for several years before they came to the United States.
一切都始于BB霜。2011年初，韩国品牌蒂佳婷(Dr. Jart)在美国丝芙兰化妆品商店(Sephora)推出了两款BB霜。BB霜有皮肤病学的渊源，最初是为了保护和修复治疗后的皮肤。作为一款全效护肤化妆品，它进入美国前已经在韩国畅销了好几年。

The cream was a hit. Major beauty companies took note. Soon enough, it had spawned versions from L'Oréal, Smashbox, Clinique, Jane Iredale, Stila and Dior — and paved the way for a Korean beauty invasion of the United States.
BB霜很受欢迎。大牌化妆品公司纷纷效仿。很快，欧莱雅、Smashbox、倩碧(Clinique)、珍爱芮德(Jane Iredale)、丝狄拉(Stila)和迪奥(Dior)等品牌都推出了自己的BB霜，为韩国化妆品进军美国铺平了道路。

The beauty market has long been led by European countries, which were thought to be the source of innovation. But in recent years, American women (and beauty companies), their interest piqued by the BB cream, began to look more closely at Korean multistep skin-care regimens, and they liked what they saw.
长期以来，化妆品市场由欧洲国家主导，欧洲被认为是创新之源。但是近些年，美国女人（以及美国化妆品公司）对韩国的兴趣被BB霜勾了起来，开始更密切地关注韩式多步护肤法，她们对其护肤效果也感到满意。

"It shifted our consciousness on what it means to take care of your skin," said Megan McIntyre, the beauty director at the lifestyle site Refinery29. Seeing the care Korean women devote to their skin made consumers curious about new techniques, Ms. McIntyre said, adding that the often adorably twee packaging, high-tech innovations (peel-off lip stains, overnight masks) and affordable prices have not hurt, either. But let no one think that Korean women just slap on a BB cream and call it a day.
“它改变了我们对护肤的看法，”生活方式网站Refinery29的美容总监梅根·麦金太尔(Megan McIntyre)说。麦金太尔说，顾客们看过韩国女人对护肤的投入后，对新技术很好奇。她补充说，况且韩国化妆品的包装大多很可爱，又有高科技创新（撕拉式唇彩、睡眠面膜），价格也能承受。但是可别以为韩国女人涂上BB霜就完事了。

"The American approach is: the simpler the better, the faster I can get out the door," said Cindy Kim, a founder of Peach and Lily, one of a number of online retailers, including Soko Glam and Memebox, that sells Korean beauty products. "The Korean mentality is comprehensive and detailed."
桃子与百合(Peach and Lily)是一家销售韩国化妆品的在线零售商（类似的还有Soko Glam和Memebox）。它的创始人辛迪·金(Cindy Kim)说，“美国女人的方式是：越简单越好，这样我就能更快出门；韩国女人的心态则是全面而细致。”

And it is exhaustive. First, there's cleansing, often with two different cleansers (one oil-based to remove makeup, then a foaming cleanser), followed by a toner to balance pH levels on the face.
而且韩式化妆非常彻底。先是洁面，通常要用两种洁面产品（先是卸妆油，然后是泡沫洁面乳），然后用柔肤水平衡脸上的pH值。

Then there are "essences" and serums, which is "where the number of steps can blow up," Ms. Kim said. The serums often target single issues: aging, radiance, hydration, redness. An eye cream, plus moisturizer, and BB cream (for day) or an overnight sleep mask are applied next and all sealed with a mist. There is even a term for the desired plump and sticky feeling after application of these products: "chok chok."
之后使用精华液。“这里的步骤可以无限多，”金说。精华液通常是针对单个问题的：延缓老化，提亮肤色，补水，使脸色红润。然后用眼霜、滋润霜和BB霜（白天用）或睡眠面膜，最后用喷雾定妆。韩语中甚至有个词来形容用完这些产品后所期待的饱满水润的感觉：chok chok（大意是水灵灵的）。

Taking a half-hour for your skin-care routine "isn't weird,"said Esther Dong, the senior vice president for marketing at the Korean line Amorepacific, whose Time Response anti-aging moisturizers are selling well in the United States. "When people describe a beautiful girl in the U.S., it's all about the body, and the third or fourth sentence is about the face. When you describe a beautiful girl in Asia, it's about her face and how pure and fine her skin is."
韩国化妆品公司爱茉莉(Amorepacific)的市场营销高级副总裁埃斯特·董(Esther Dong)说，花半小时护肤“不奇怪”。该公司的时光幻彩(Time Response)抗老化保湿霜在美国很畅销。“美国人描述美女全是在说身材，第三或第四句话才提到脸。亚洲人说美女是说她脸庞俊秀、皮肤纯净。”

Such standards are reflective of Korean culture at large. "The culture of South Korea is very much tied with technological advancement and the rapid pace of life,” said Richard You, the deputy general manager for Dr. Jart in the United States. “Everyone has a smartphone, is concerned about their looks, and companies are working around the clock to provide new products. Word gets around quickly regarding what's working and what's not." In Korea, more than one television show is devoted to reviewing new beauty products.
这样的标准反映了韩国文化的整体面貌。“韩国文化与科技进步和生活快节奏紧密相关，”蒂佳婷美国区副总经理理查德·刘(Richard You)说，“每个人都有智能手机，很在意自己的相貌，化妆品公司夜以继日地开发新产品。关于产品效果的评价很快就会传开。”在韩国，不止一个电视节目致力于评价美容新产品。

Even if American women aren't likely to massage five different creams into their faces for 30 minutes, they are willing to try new products. Alicia Yoon, the other founder of Peach and Lily, reported that most of its customers are non-Asian and that, month to month, its sales nearly double.
虽然美国女人不大可能花30分钟时间往脸上抹五种面霜，但她们愿意尝试新产品。桃子与百合网店的另一位创始人艾莉西娅·尹(Alicia Yoon)说，该网店的大部分顾客不是亚洲人，而且销量几乎在逐月翻倍。

"The appetite is huge," said Priya Venkatesh, who oversees the merchandising of products with Korean roots at Sephora. And not just for Korean brands. Korean-inspired masks and essences from Dior, Shiseido and SK-II are emerging as popular, she said.
普里亚·凡卡泰斯(Priya Venkatesh)在丝芙兰公司负责与韩国有关的美容产品的促销活动。她说，“顾客们很感兴趣”，而且不只是对韩国品牌，迪奥、资生堂和SK-II等品牌受韩国美容产品启发开发的面膜和精华液也开始流行。