In the age of social media, the global boundaries of beauty and fashion trends have all but disappeared. With popular content-sharing platforms like Instagram and YouTube teeming with beauty and style influencers from different countries and backgrounds, staying updated on the latest international beauty trends is now easier than ever. Although beauty and fashion fads seem to be internationally ubiquitous, each distinct region of the world also has its own trends. Here are three international beauty trends that you might not have heard of.

Lip Stains – South Korea
Korean makeup is all about the natural, dewy glow. The keyword being natural, Koreans tend to keep their makeup light and minimal. One popular beauty trend in Korea is lip stains, which leave a faded, natural color as opposed to intensely pigmented liquid lipsticks that currently reign supreme in the United States. Popular colors include shades of red, pink and orange. While lip stains have mostly fallen out of trend in the U.S. in favor of more pigmented alternatives, K-beauty — or Korean beauty — trends have come into the mainstream in the United States in the past few years. If you’re interested in trying this trend out, try the lip stains from Nature Republic or Etude House.

Oudh – United Arab Emirates
Oudh fragrance is very popular in many countries in the Middle East, especially where there are large luxury markets like in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Oudh is the word used to describe the burned wood from the agarwood tree, which has a deep, musky aroma. Many people light the oudh chips in their homes, and then waft the scent over their clothing and hair. Try out an oudh fragrance like Bond No. 9 New York Oud for an incredible smoky mix of patchouli, musk and vetiver.

Rice Exfoliator – Indonesia
Last but not least, the Indonesian trend of using rice as an exfoliator has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Lulur, which means exfoliating paste in Indonesian, is a paste made from rice, nuts, turmeric root, ginger, cinnamon, sandalwood powder and a splash of water. Typically ground by hand with a mortar and pestle, this paste is often used before wedding ceremonies as a formal ritual. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle on hand but want to try out this trend, try Rituals Rice Scrub for the body as a quick and much more convenient alternative.

Email Thomas Chou at [email protected].