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March 1, 2016 beauty•K-Cosmetic Guide•kbeauty

5 Korean Cosmetic brands you need to know

5 korean cosmetic brands you need to know nature republic

So I did a post yonks ago about Korean brands I class as ‘bubblegum’ – cutesy, with a target audience of teens/fans of all things adorbs, generally really quite affordable – and I had all the intentions in the world to follow it up… but life got in the way. Oops. So instead I thought I’d do a little roundup of my top 5 Korean Cosmetic / Beauty brands – the ones I buy from regularly, since they’re becoming increasingly known in the West (yay!).

There are loads of Korean Cosmetic brands around, so this is by no means a list that is going to get chipped into slabs of stone and propped up as an ‘unchanging order of things’ or written in blood, signed and sealed as trufax 4 lyf.

Sorry for that last one.

Have some brands.

5 korean cosmetic brands you need to know

The Face Shop:

I absolutely adore (and swear by, like, legitimately swear by) The Face Shop’s rice water cleanser. It has sorted my skin out so freaking much since I’ve started using it. So. Much. I’m also probably a little more partial to their sheetmasks – especially honey and rice – over other brands at the minute. They’ve brought out a new ‘point makeup’ line recently that I’m sort of itching to try… I got through quite a few of their lip tint balms in Korea.

SkinFood:

The home of the natural ingredients. SkinFood has a massive range of products that feature extracts ranging from egg whites to gold caviar, black raspberry, peach sake… the idea is to pack as much goodness into products that cover the skin – because makeup isn’t exactly the best thing for your pores. I especially love their honey range of skincare.- Royal Honey Essential – and their sugar pot scrubs have got me through more than a couple of rough-skin days. In my opinion, they’re the brand that does the most comprehensive list of product sets, so you can get your 5-step-routine in multiple different ‘food’ types. Out of all the brands I think I prefer their packaging designs most, because they look like things you’ll find in kitchen cabinets.

Etude House:

The home of Princess Products. Etude House is probably one of the more widely known Korean brands (despite TonyMoly’s efforts right now), and is easily identifiable by its plethora of pink-toned products. Although I think the brand has made a concerted effort to make the packaging a little sleeker and mildly less ~princess tacky~. They make a fab set of nail polishes, and I do quite like their lip and eye products. The gel or liquid eyeliner doesn’t budge at all. The pencil liners smudge a tad after a couple of hours but the range of colours is really nice.

Oh it’s also pronounced ‘eh-tude’ or ‘eh-ddui-du’ … yeah.

Holika Holika:

My go-to for base products at the minute: since both my much loved face2change cushion and my old favourite, aqua petit bb cream, are Holika Holika creations. Their ‘magic pole’ mascara is fab, by far my favourite out of all the Korean brands/Korean formulas I tried before Maybelline’s Rocket Lash hit the shelves, and their collection of eyeliners is something I am starting to hoard. The shops concept is ‘magic girl’ so… what do you expect. The packaging for some of the ‘cake’ products (eyeshadows and single blushers) can look a little flimsy, but it’s not an indication of the actual product quality at all – as in, the product is far better than the slightly plastic-y packaging makes out to be. And it really is just the ‘cake’ products that got the short end of the stick, most of the other products look really cool.

Nature Republic:

Another brand that particularly focuses on using natural ingredients in their products, ‘journey to nature’ is their tagline, preferring to ‘find the clean energy in nature’ rather than synthesising chemicals. Very similar to other brands like The Face Shop and Innisfree – the drive to be more natural is something that I really appreciate. In Nature Republics arsenal of products, they do a brilliant argan oil hair pack – that I need to repurchase stat tbh –  and some very pretty eyeshadows. The packaging is pretty unassuming, lots of pale, natural colours and clean designs that stay true to the idea of the brand.

Other places I buy frequently from are: innisfree, tonymoly, missha, club clio, aridaum, banilla.co, Laneige or Sulwhasoo if I’m feeling particularly spendy, which isn’t often. These aren’t all, but there are so many, whether it be well established, brand new, high end or super-budget-only-stocked-in-olive-young-kinda-2kwon-price-points. I’m trying to tackle it all.

If I don’t buy directly through the websites, I’ll use places like roseroseshop (also the ebay seller rubyruby76), kococolor.com, q-depot.com, wishtrend.  I absolutely will not buy and will never recommend buying through cult beauty or Sephora, because the price hike is absolutely fucking ridiculous. These aren’t cult brands, they’re meant to be affordable.

Also! If you fancy reading a bit about why South Korean cosmetics are kinda… everywhere right now, then I wrote a piece on ‘the rise of Korean beauty‘ for Bloggeration mag! Super happy to be involved in that, it lets me write a little more academically than I do here, so I can sort of separate the wordy mind-dump that this space is and information that I want to get across about the blogging scene in South Korea. Exciting things!

I hope this was sort of informative at least – and gives you a few options other than TonyMoly if you’re looking to start building a Korean beauty/cosmetic collection. Let me know your favourite stores if you have any already, and if you want me to give you any recommendations please ask!

♥

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  1. Evelina T says

    March 1, 2016 at 10:43 am

    all these brands sounds really good! now I'm really interested in trying out some of their products!!xohttp://itsevelina.com

    Reply
    • Fii Cridland says

      March 2, 2016 at 1:06 am

      I don't think I've actually ever come across a 'bad' Korean brand? And you should! Any of the places I've recommended to buy from are brilliantly affordable both with product prices and shipping 🙂 xo

      Reply
  2. Meg Siobhan says

    March 1, 2016 at 4:03 pm

    That rice water cleanser sounds really interesting! Possibly something I'd have to invest in, as my skin is so dull and just…bleurghhhh.Meg | A Little Twist Of…

    Reply
    • Fii Cridland says

      March 2, 2016 at 12:47 am

      It's a fab cleanser, and really, really affordable it's about… £6 ish for 150ml it's brilliant. Just as effective as some ~~really expensive~~ high end brands I've tried. :)xo

      Reply
  3. Unicorn Directioner says

    March 1, 2016 at 7:37 pm

    I love SkinFood!This post is so well-written.xmypastel-world.blogspot.com

    Reply
    • Fii Cridland says

      March 2, 2016 at 1:04 am

      I spent sooooooooooooo much money in skinfood in Korea it was actually quite bad. but my skin was so happy and their products are so beautifully packaged 😀 and awwh ty ty mah darlin'xo

      Reply
  4. Martha Edwards says

    March 1, 2016 at 9:18 pm

    Skin Food is the only one I've heard of before, but I'd love to try more Korean beauty! xMartha Jane | http://www.marthajanemusic.com

    Reply
    • Fii Cridland says

      March 2, 2016 at 1:05 am

      Skinfood is a great place to start! Both The Face Shop and Nature Republic have stores in the US and Canada now afaik, and Etude is sorting out somehting in London… they're fab brands to get the ball (read: addiction) rolling :')xo

      Reply
  5. Cara E says

    March 2, 2016 at 8:05 am

    All of these sounds amazing! I'm so safe when it comes to makeup brands so u really need to get myself into trying some Korean brands xx http://www.britishmermaid.blogspot.co.uk

    Reply
  6. Kimberley Louise Smith says

    March 2, 2016 at 11:33 am

    The only one I've heard of is Etude House but all these sound great! I need to get hold of some sheet masks to try out! xxKimberley // thecolourchronicles.com

    Reply
  7. Natalie Tamara says

    March 7, 2016 at 5:14 pm

    Skin Food is my absolute favourite, I miss shopping there so much! I rationed those little sachets they always give out for so long after leaving Korea but I'm pretty sure I still have a bottle of peach sake toner lurking in my cupboard somewhere – it's my absolute favourite of their ranges!

    Reply
  8. Vicki Skitt says

    March 12, 2016 at 1:36 pm

    That water cleanser looks a right treat! Love Vicki | victoriajanex

    Reply
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fiixii

Seoul based - fashion & skincare
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it’s not quite coachella but it did the job 💓 it’s not quite coachella but it did the job 💓

#교복 #교복대여 #롯데월드 #롯데월드🎡 #lotteworld
a grid post after what feels like 10 years sorry i a grid post after what feels like 10 years sorry i’ve been uh … busy? 
(my house broke but is now fixed and the seasonal depresso has maybe lifted :) ) 

벚꽃 계절이다!!!!!!!
wearing @nacific_kr x ateez shade ‘untouched’ wearing @nacific_kr x ateez shade ‘untouched’ 
a nice deep shade for cool toned people! 😌 the tint is pretty long lasting and isn’t sticky to wear~ i just like gloss overtop 😊 

내돈내산 ~~ 특전 위해서 ㅋ 

🏷️ 
#nacific #nacificateez #오늘의룩 #ㅇㅇㅌㄷ #뷰티그램
새해복 많이 받으세용 will i post more b 새해복 많이 받으세용 

will i post more because it’s a dragon year? who knows (i will try) 

🏷️ ☁️ 
#ootd #altfashion #jiraikei #오오티디 #옷스타그램
ateez 서울콘 후기~~~~~~~ idiot twins be in t ateez 서울콘 후기~~~~~~~ 
idiot twins be in the pit for both days, sound check for one, battered and a little bit bruised. but it was worth it 💖☺️ 

#ateez #willtopowertour #towardsthelight #에이티즈
come with me to get laser treatment done at 클럽 come with me to get laser treatment done at 클럽미즈라미체의원 (lamiche clinic) in seongpa-gu, seoul ☺️

it was my first time getting this kind of treatment done, so i was nervous, but the staff walked me through everything and the process was simple. They have a full interpretation service if you don’t speak korean, too. 

I had a skin evaluation, and then consultation with Dr. Joo. It was really eye opening (and fully humbling) to see my skin like that, and I was open to letting Dr. Joo make recommendations based on his expertise. I do thoroughly research skincare on my own, but there are some things that creams and actives just cannot do. 

Unfortunately due to work commitments I couldn’t do the full 3-4 hours of treatment that were recommended, but I’m pleased with the results of my treatment anyway! 

treatment: 
- rough extraction (not filmed)
removes sebum and other impurities from pores. This was probably the most painful part for me? but i still felt I was in very good and capable hands. 🥲

lasers: 
- affirm mpx
🎯 appearance of pores, wrinkles, ptosis, deep nasolabial folds, cervical stripes 
- fraxel dual 
🎯 appearance of scarring, wrinkles, ptosis, deep nasolabial folds, cervical stripes 
- new accolade 
🎯 pigmented lesions 
- excel v
🎯 pigmented lesions, vascular lesions, elastic lesion
-revlite c7
🎯 skin surface, wrinkles, scarring, pigmented lesion, pimple pigmentation

other: HA filler, front cheek (volume) 

thoughts: 
the pain was less than i’d thought it would be… though I do have quite a high pain tolerance. I experienced some of the expected scabbing during the next two days as the skin healed, and took the recommended medication to help with the healing process. 

after 2 weeks: 
my skin does have less redness, especially around my nose, and the surface texture looks better! I’ve had a lot of compliments on how my skin is looking recently (despite the cold) so overall I am very pleased. :) 

If you have any questions, let me know and i’ll answer as best i can :) 

#seoulclinic #seouldermatology #koreaskincare #koreadermatology #kskincare #skindermatology #korea #kbeauty #kskincare #southkorea #lamiche #lamicheclinic #lamichedermatology
this barbie got something she wanted, finally. 💋
good morning from the chilly riverside~ even tho good morning from the chilly riverside~ 

even though the weather these days is getting less than toasty (haha), I have been making use of the Seoul bike rental program! 
Ttareungi (따릉기) is super easy to use, you do need an app and internet connection, but the user interface is really intuitive, and you can use it in korean or english. The map tells you how many bikes are at any given location, and renting one is a simple as scanning the qr code on the back, paying 2000 won for 2 hours (1000won for 1 hour, 5000won whole day) and peddling off 💖

(as someone who is terrified of doing something wrong, I was really happy with how easy both rental and return is.) You don’t need an account to use them either. 

(toast isn’t the biggest fan, but he doesn’t like bikes so i’ll give him a pass)

@visitseoul_official 

#따릉기 #seoulbikes #gsm2023  #visitseoul #seoul🇰🇷 #seoullovers #ttareungi #publicbikes #corgisofinstagram
a night(tour) at the museum! The Gyeongbok palac a night(tour) at the museum! 

The Gyeongbok palace night tour is a popular attraction over the summer months, but did you know the National Museum offers guided tours too? 

I went on a guided tour of the museum garden recently, and saw a lot of really interesting structures and treasures of note. Plus it’s nice to spend time outside with the autumn leaves (peak time will probably be around next week!) 

entry to the museum is free, and there are a few different tours you can do both inside and outside of it :) 

#2023gsm #visitseoul #seoul #nationalmuseumofkorea #NMK #seoultravel #seoulexhibition
when the ai gives you an actual jumpscare (the a when the ai gives you an actual jumpscare 

(the app is called epik :) ) 

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즐거운 추석 보내세용~ Happy chuseok 🥰 즐거운 추석 보내세용~ 
Happy chuseok 🥰

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#whatfiiwore #공가는여우 #한복대여 #hanbokrental #hanbok #visitseoul #seoulkorea
found a whale in the han river 🐳 🐋 (don’ found a whale in the han river 🐳 🐋 

(don’t worry it’s not real! - but it is part of the kcontent festival happening at the 세빛섬 / floating islands at banpo han river park. 

The whale is from Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and you can also see Younghee from Squid Game, and one of the cells from Yumi’s Cells (admittedly I haven’t seen that one…) 

There are other games you can play too, and if you go on a weekend you can craft your own whale) 

:) The festival runs until september 30th! )) 

 @visitseoul_official 
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#2023GSM #VisitSeoul #Seoul
#KContentFestival #HanRiver #Sebitseom #HanRiverPark #Wooyoungwoo #Whale #SquidGame #YumisCells
it’s been a while 😌 .. ☁️ ⛅️ ☁️ it’s been a while 😌

..
☁️ ⛅️ ☁️ 

#modelsinkorea #서울패션위크 #외국인모델 #conceptshoot #whatfiiwore #photoshootday #서울모델
summer~~~ has definitely been *hot* this year. Sad summer~~~ has definitely been *hot* this year. Sad to say I definitely haven’t utilised the seasons as much as I wanted to because of work :( I did manage to escape the heat by eating the staple summer dessert (bingsu // 빙수 ) 💖 and chilling in my downtime in cafes! 

I think i’m going to wait a bit a bit for the heat to go down before breaking out the picnic stuff this year 💖 

how do you cool off in the heat ~ 

🏷️ 🏷️ 🏷️ 
@visitseoul_official #gsm2023 #seoulsummer #bingsu #빙수맛집 #빙수 #여름휴가 #seoul #korea #seoulkoreq #2023gsm
tiny girl on a film set 🎥 🍿 This location tiny girl on a film set 🎥 🍿 

This location is @provokeseoul , a repurposed flour mill that was built during the japanese colonial period of korea. These days it doesn’t grind grain, but you might have seen it in music videos and #kdrama scenes! 

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(Last two slides are taken from @xikers_official KOONG performance video, which was filmed here!) 

Do you know any other media Provoke has appeared in? let me know in the comments :) 

@visitseoul_official 

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#gsm2023 #provokeseoul #visitseoul #yeongdeungpo #영등포  #싸이커스 #xikers #서울여행 #kpopmvlocations #kdramalocations #kpoplocation #koreabyme #whatfiiwore
if you’re struggling to reapply your sunscreen t if you’re struggling to reapply your sunscreen throughout the day, then I really suggest you switch so a sun stick. They’re incredibly portable, and, most importantly, no mess!!! The amount of times I’ve had sunscreen explode in my bag… 

This sun stick from @marynmay_official is great for on the go application. It contains peptides and bakuchiol, which are great for helping your skin fight off free radicals that can damage your skin. It’s not greasy, and wears well under makeup. 

It’s been such a great addition to my bag that I actually almost forgot to take it out to make this reel 🥲😅

product courtesy of @nurilounge.official and @marynmay_official 

🌟 ⭐️ 
#vegansunscreen #maryandmay #koreansunscreen #nurilounge #suncare #sunscreen
i made kimbap~ 🫶 Thanks to the Seoul Hallyu A i made kimbap~ 
🫶 
Thanks to the Seoul Hallyu Activites Program I got to go to CJ The Kitchen and experience making Kimbap for the first time ❤️

It wasn’t all smooth sailing but our teacher said my kimbap rolling skills were good 🥹 which … well you can judge for yourself 😂

It was a lot of fun, and there are a lot of different activities to try out on the Hallyu program that unfortunately I didn’t get to do because of my work schedule. You can take dance classes with YGX, craft making classes, go to SBS The Show, or make Korean liquor or kimchi. 

What do you think of the kimbap i made 😅 

@visitseoul_official 
@seoul_hallyu 

⭐️ ⭐️ 🌟 

#2023GSM #VisitSeoul #seoul #korea #kfoodcookingclass #cjthekitchen #ch더키친 #kfood #김밥 #감밥만들기 #imagineyourkorea #seoul_hallyu
🌺 flower festival season is upon us 🌸 Cher 🌺 flower festival season is upon us 🌸 

Cherry blossoms are probably the most famous flower festival that happens across the country (there are some amazing spots in seoul for seeing them) - but there are a lot of other festivals for different flowers too! 
(I have them saved on my naver maps under orange hearts so that I can see them easily) 

At the moment, canola flowers (유채꽃) are in full bloom (they’re a spring flower in Korea) and there are a couple of great places to see them in all their glory in Seoul. 

One of them is Seorae Island (서래섬), between shinbanpo station (신반포역) and gubanpo station (구반포역). It’s a small island covered in Canola flowers, with a pretty Han river view. 

Seorae village (서래마을), the french quarter, isn’t far away either, so you can treat yourself to some french pastries after visiting, or get yourself a full picnic spread.

(Even though the festival is technically over now, you’ll still be able to see the flowers for a bit longer ^^) 

Other flower festivals happening soon are: 

🥀 rose festival in jungnang-gu (중랑구) 
🥀 seoul grand park rose garden festival 

📌 서래섬 - about a 15 minute walk from 구반포역 exit 2, or 신반포역 exit 1 
(40 Sinbanpo-to 11-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul)
🌼 The festival runs from may 12-21st and entry is free! 

@visitseoul_official 
💐🌸🌺💐🌸🥰💐🌺💐🌺

#2023GSM #visitseoul #seoul #korea #유채꽃 #유채꽃축제 #유채꽃밭🌼 #서래섬 #canolafields #flowerfestival #lifeinkorea #springinseoul #한강공원 #whatfiiwore #cottagecoreaesthetic 

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