#SHOWBIZ: Aaron, Sharnaaz 'bury the hatchet' after two years
KUALA LUMPUR: After two years of not seeing eye-to-eye, actors Datuk Aaron Aziz and Sharnaaz Ahmad have finally resolved their differences and "buried the hatchet".
Aaron, 49, said in a TikTok live broadcast yesterday that they had both chosen to "forgive and forget".
"Each of us has apologised and admitted that we were wrong, we are moving on," he said.
"This is also for the sake of our children. We do not want our children to follow our footsteps of not getting on with each other."
Sharnaaz, 39, said: "We don't want to prolong our differences as it is not healthy for us. Both of us have careers and families."
He thanked Aaron for his willingness to "make peace" and wished him success in his life and career.
"Thank you, brother, for being mature in handling this situation. If we sit down to chat, and it's my fault, I'm sorry," he said.
A misunderstanding between them occurred when Sharnaaz commented on an issue involving Aaron and director Syamsul Yusof, purpotedly taking Syamsul's side.
Syamsul said that Aaron was dropped from the movie The Original Gangster due to health issues, and Aaron criticised Syamsul, saying that the director's reasons for dropping him were baseless.
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#NSTviral: Elderly man's Raya tradition of friendship melts hearts online [WATCH]
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Part toy, part fashion: How did Labubu get so popular?
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Why everyone's obsessed with K-beauty, and this is just the beginning
It's now clear that Korean beauty has far outgrown its modest local beginnings. Last year was truly a banner year for the industry, with cosmetics exports surging 20.3% to US$10.2bil (RM43.42bil), ranking third globally behind the US (US$11.19bil/RM47.63bil) and France (US$23.26bil/RM99bil), according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Zooming in on US-bound exports last year, Korea's stature continues to rise: The country is not only in the top three in global exports, it ranks first in the world's largest consumer market, eclipsing former leader France. The breakthrough K-beauty's success formula, rooted in the global K-content wave and lab-based innovation, has worked its magic worldwide, but it's the affordability and e-commerce factors that have propelled K-beauty onto mainstream American shelves. The online retail platform Amazon, unsurprisingly, is the prime stage for K-beauty brands, a gateway essential to nationwide popularity in the US. 'Many leading K-beauty brands have found success entering the US market through Amazon,' noted a Seoul-based cosmetics researcher, adding that their strong sales, fuelled by K-beauty's competitive pricing, have only further driven demand. Amazon reported that K-beauty sellers' net sales on its US platform jumped roughly 170% on-year last year, with the number of brands climbing to 230, a 1.4-fold increase over the past three years. Read more: 'Hyper-competitive, materialistic culture': Luxury fashion fuels K-pop hierarchy Success in online sales creates synergies with social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where K-beauty builds familiarity and trust with consumers through viral videos. So much so that TikTok's e-commerce channel, TikTok Shop, has become a new space where brands like Medipeel and Anua now hold top spots. Outside the digital realm, Korean beauty has moved into a new phase of visibility, now stocked in major beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta Beauty, and supermarket chains such as Walmart and Target. Widespread retail contact, however, is not enough to sustain the K-beauty hype if the products fail to deliver on their promised efficacy. 'K-beauty's ascent owes much to its deep understanding of American consumers and its agility in meeting their needs,' explained Kim Ju-duck, professor in the beauty industry department at Sungshin Women's University. 'It has been quick to deliver localised, high-quality products tailored to American preferences and skin types, while putting emphasis on clean formulations that resonate with sustainability-conscious consumers.' Famous examples include TirTir, whose 30-shade cushion compact appealed to a diverse range of skin tones, topping Amazon's US beauty sales last year. 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South Korea's top two beauty giants, Amorepacific and LG Household & Health Care, are also stepping up their US operations. LG H&H announced in April a US$130mil (RM551mil) paid-in capital increase for its North American subsidiary in order to expand its product lineup and boost marketing initiatives. Amorepacific hinted at building its own US manufacturing facilities. In April, CEO Kim Seung-hwan told Bloomberg TV the company plans to invest in US logistics and modular production infrastructure within the next three to five years. Though the tariff situation may seem dire, some industry insiders are more concerned about the strong won against the dollar, which could drive up the prices of Korean imports in the US market. 'Tariffs strike far and wide, not just Korea, and for companies heavily dependent on exports, the won-dollar exchange rate could prove even more critical,' said one insider on condition of anonymity. They went on to describe a new chapter in which technological prowess will shape success in an increasingly personalised and segmented market for years to come: 'In fact, consumers' love for K-beauty is no longer about price alone." K-beauty brands are hardly running behind as they pursue rapid innovation in their products. At this year's CES in January, for instance, beauty powerhouses like Amorepacific, Kolmar Korea and APR showcased next-generation beauty tech, including AI-powered devices, as they charge forward into the tech-infused future. – The Korea Herald/ANN
