How Nurilounge Is Helping K-Beauty Brands Scale Through Content Creators

Forbes

8 hours ago

K-Beauty Boost, Seoul 2024
The global K-beauty market is experiencing extraordinary growth, valued at $10.5 billion in 2022 and projected to reach $21.8 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2%, according to Grand View Research. In the United States alone, K-beauty has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar industry, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors globally. This surge is driven by Gen Z and Millennial consumers, who are discovering Korean skincare and cosmetics through platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.Social media has become a major driving force for brand visibility and conversion rates. TikTok and similar platforms now serve as both discovery hubs and direct purchasing channels, shifting consumer behavior and purchasing patterns. At the center of this evolution is Gen Z, a generation that doesn't just follow trends—they set them. Business Insider reports that 64% of Gen Z say social media has increased their spending on beauty products.This digital-native behavior is precisely what Aram Baek, founder of Nurilounge, is betting on. After co-founding Wishcompany, home to the cult-favorite brand Dear Klairs and the content platform Wishtrend, Baek is now building Nurilounge.
Aram Baek, Founder & CEO
Nurilounge is a creator community that supports K-beauty brands by helping them expand their reach, connect through engaging storytelling, and thrive in the social age. The platform empowers brands to share their unique narratives, driving sales and fostering lasting community relationships."We don't see creators as marketing assets," Baek says. "We see them as collaborators—and the future customers every brand needs to learn from."With innovation, quality, and global cultural relevance driving the K-beauty wave, fueled in part by the influence of K-pop acts like BLACKPINK and K-dramas like Squid Game, the opportunity is enormous. But rapid growth leads to saturation. That's where a new generation of creators is reshaping the rules.
Before influencer marketing became a business model, Baek was already there. At Wishcompany, he helped bring K-beauty into over 70 countries and built a YouTube presence with more than 1.8 million subscribers. But for his second act, Baek isn't launching another brand. He's building Nurilounge, the platform that supports them all.New York City Launch Event
And the numbers speak volumes. Since launching just over a year ago, Nurilounge has attracted over 100,000 creators, with 80,000 in North America alone, and continues to add 700 new users per day. Baek believes the future of K-beauty—and commerce more broadly—won't be shaped by ads or product launches but by trust, authenticity, and people."They're not just tools for growth," he says. "They're people—who want to be seen, supported, and given a chance to grow."
Before launching the platform, Baek traveled the world, meeting more than 700 creators to understand their pain points. He discovered that many felt isolated, under-supported, and undervalued—especially in the early stages of their growth. That human insight now drives Nurilounge's mission.
New York City Launch Event
More than just an influencer marketplace, Nurilounge is a digital community engine, a place where creators access paid campaigns, product seeding opportunities, and a gamified rewards system called Jelly. Functioning like airline miles, Jelly can be redeemed for perks such as discounted services, early access to campaigns, and, soon, even complimentary cocktails in New York.
As K-beauty brands increasingly turn to micro and nano influencers for higher ROI and deeper trust, Nurilounge offers the infrastructure to scale those partnerships seamlessly. With a vetted creator network, campaign performance data, and built-in tools, the platform has facilitated 2,000+ brand campaigns and generated nearly 100,000 pieces of original content in just one year.
"When hundreds of creators post about a product, the ripple effect isn't just digital," Baek notes. "Brands start getting B2B inquiries, wholesale orders, even shelf space."
It's a new model for cultural commerce. With the upcoming launch of Nuriglow, a social-first e-commerce layer where product pages are powered by creator generated content, Nurilounge is turning user content into a new kind of product storytelling.
And while its roots are in Seoul and New York, the vision is global. Expansion plans are already underway in Singapore, London, and beyond. Baek's ambition? To become the "Shopify meets Discord" for the creator economy, equal parts commerce engine and community incubator.
"In the future," Baek says, "every consumer will be a creator, and every creator will influence what the world buys next."