K-Trend uses a source hierarchy and a claim-by-claim method. A trend signal can suggest what readers are asking, but it does not prove the facts in an article. Material claims are checked against the most direct and authoritative record available.
Source order
Our preferred order depends on the claim:
- Official or primary evidence. Government agencies, regulators, event organizers, corporate announcements, official campaign materials, manufacturer product pages, ingredient lists, shade charts, and other first-party records.
- Reputable independent context. Reporting or research with a named publisher, date, and transparent method, used to add chronology or context rather than replace an available primary source.
- Retail and social discovery. Retailer listings, search results, social posts, videos, and snippets may reveal a question or lead to an official source. They are not treated as final proof of a material claim without a valid reason and clear limitation.
An unattributed summary is never a final source.
Claim locking
Before a substantive page is finalized, material claims should record the subject, exact value or wording, date, geography or market, affected audience, source URL, source date, check date, and relevant limitation. For volatile claims, the article should expose a Last checked or equivalent date near the source note.
If two reliable sources disagree, K-Trend identifies the conflict and its scope. We do not average incompatible figures, choose the more dramatic wording, or fill a gap with an unsupported assumption.
Korean-language sources and translation
Korean-language material is checked in its original context. Material names, dates, quantities, qualifiers, and uncertainty are verified against the source itself. We favor a clear English explanation over a literal translation that changes the meaning.
Romanization and English product names can vary. When that variation could confuse a reader, the article should preserve the official name used by the source and explain the alternative form. Short translated excerpts are used only when the exact wording matters; most source material is paraphrased with a link.
Product, shade, and ingredient claims
A manufacturer’s page can establish what the manufacturer currently claims, the listed shade name, package size, ingredient list, market, or price. Universal performance or safety requires appropriate independent evidence rather than stronger wording from the same manufacturer page.
Prices, stock, formulas, and market availability can change. K-Trend records the market and check date and avoids treating a retailer listing as a permanent global fact. If a product page is missing or routes differently by country, that limitation belongs in the article rather than being silently repaired with a guess.
Celebrity and campaign claims
Campaign coverage distinguishes three levels:
- Verified campaign fact: an official brand, artist, agency, event, or credited source identifies the campaign or product.
- Observation: a visible element can be described without naming an unverified product.
- Editorial comparison: K-Trend proposes a look-alike, substitute, shade family, or K-beauty route using stated criteria.
Only the first level supports a verified-use statement. A visual match or similar color does not prove private use, ownership, endorsement, or preference.
Original analysis
K-Trend’s added value may be a product-role map, shade comparison, decision table, source reconciliation, or conditional outlook. The inputs and criteria should be visible enough for a reader to understand the conclusion. Editorial evaluation is identified as K-Trend’s assessment, not attributed to fans, experts, or a consensus that was not actually measured.
Images and rights records
An image source is not automatically an image license. Before publication, K-Trend records the owner or creator, source page, publication-right basis, permitted edits or attribution, local file details, and intended placement. We do not erase rights notices or use a picture as evidence for a claim it cannot establish.
K-Trend’s current policy prohibits generative editorial images.
Source notes, updates, and corrections
New and materially updated articles should provide direct source links or a clearly labeled source section appropriate to the page. A publication date shows when the page first appeared. An update date is reserved for a material editorial change. A checked date identifies when volatile information was last verified.
If a source changes, disappears, or reveals a material error, K-Trend may update the page and add a visible correction note under the Corrections Policy. A dead source link does not automatically make a historical statement false, but it does trigger a replacement-source or archival review.
To question a source, email hello@k-trend.me with the page URL, the exact claim, and the strongest source you believe should replace or qualify it.
Last reviewed: August 30, 2026.