Korean beauty is probably best known for its skincare practices - namely extensive multi-step processes that place emphasis on healthy, dewy skin. Think of the glass skin trend that puts highly polished skincare firmly at the forefront of the national beauty agenda.
Since K-Beauty was popularised on British soils, masks, essences and innovative ingredients have become part of our daily routine, but glossy skin goes beyond just skincare to the cosmetics space.
Direct from The Land of Morning Calm, the makeup products follow suit. The offering is all about enhancing our natural beauty with lightweight formulations and subtle tints that leave skin glowing.
That is not to say that there’s a lack of sparkle; the opposite in fact. Shimmery eyeshadow and liquid glitter liners play a huge part in Korean cosmetics as well as transfer-proof vibrant pigments for lids and lips.
You only need to look to K-pop stars to see these trends on a global scale. Pink-toned palettes, peachy glossy and juicy lips, and buildable colours and lacquers give the illusion of no-makeup makeup, while emphasising luminosity.
As we are becoming more and more versed in the forward-thinking K-beauty trends, Korean favourites have become more widely available and below, we’ve sought out the products worth your precious pennies.
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Erborian Super BB Concealer-Serum
Leave skin-stressing, dryness-causing concealers behind, there are new formulations on the market that treat our complexions while working their concealing magic. Korean label Erborian is beloved for its skin-makeup hybrids and the new Super BB Concealer-Serum may overtake its CC Crème as your new favourite product.
As the name suggests, it was designed to act as a serum, brimming with potent ingredients like niacinamide and white ginseng complex to brighten and smooth skin as it imparts the tint. Apply on blemishes or dark circles and it nourishes without settling into fine lines. There is also SPF 25 for built-in protection.
Buy now £28.00, lookfantastic
Dr Jart+ BB Premium Beauty Balm SPF50
Just one pump of the Dr Jart+ newly launched BB cream is all you need for good coverage across the complexion. The brand, known for its innovative colour-correcting products, has knocked it out of the park with this latest formulation that puts niacinamide at the heart to give you a makeup-skincare hybrid product with buildable coverage. The creamy texture glides across the skin, evening out the complexion and leaving a flawless filter-like finish.
Buy now £37.00, Cult Beauty
Erborian CC CRÈME 45ml
Korean beauty rarely lets us down and Erborian’s CC cream is no exception.
The award-winning product is comprised of highly concentrated CC pigments, botanical active from the Korean pharmacopoeia and lots of other good stuff (Tiger Grass, Adenosine and Vitamin B3 to name a few) – it’s no wonder it smells amazing and feels unbelievably soft on the skin.
There are multiple formulas available depending on your needs, though we think the CC Red Correct is by far the best! All versions only come in two shades (Clair and Doré) but they will eventually adapt to your skin's unique tone with enough blending and the versatility of coverage means it can be used as a primer or built up to offer more coverage.
Buy now £42.00, Space NK
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
Whether it’s the harsh winter, stuffy heating or blaring sun, our lips never seem to catch a break. Stop parched pouts in their tracks with Laneige and its hero lip mask, designed to work overnight but can really be applied any time that you notice your lips are dry, flaky or cracking.
It is hugely hydrating but also gently exfoliates to remove dead skin cells. The formula is made up of antioxidants including vitamin C and it comes in an array of fragrances including sweet candy, berry, lemon sorbet, chocolate, grapefruit and vanilla. LANEIGE is a Korean label credited as an authority on water-based hydration heroes - this product is a case in point.
Buy now £21.00, BeautyBay
Youthforia BYO Blush
You may recognise the vibrant packaging of the Youthforia blush from the routines of makeup artists on TikTok and Instagram. This is a product that earns its viral sensation status due to its unique composition. The blush is unlike any other on the market. Forget the cream and liquid textures that you once knew, this is a blush oil with an innovative composition that adapts to your skin’s pH level to make it customisable and universally flattering no matter your skin tone or type. A makeup-skincare hybrid, it is formulated with complexion-loving ingredients including vegan antioxidants for a dewy finish.
Buy now £26.00, Beauty Bay
BLACK ROUGE Air Fit Velvet Tint
BLACK ROUGE is a K-beauty label that is known and loved for its high pigment products. The shades are almost as eye-popping as the exteriors with an extensive range so you can really get creative with your cosmetics. Whether you’re following the latest no-makeup makeup trends or want to make a statement, see the lip tints, eye sticks or glitter that are offered as part of the collection.
The hero product is the Air Fit Velvet Tint, a red toned selection of lipsticks that are inspired by different flowers. The texture glides onto the lips, creating an undone powdered effect on the lips that will help you achieve the popular ‘blurred lips’ trend with bitten, velvety hues.
Buy now £7.55, YesStyle
rom&nd Better Than Palette Pampas Garden
Korean beauty influencer Saeron Min founded rom&nd to help her legions of followers recreate her transformational makeup looks, no filter necessary. The label boasts so many good products it’s hard to choose just one and is a go-to for its Zero Gram Matte Lipstick, and Better Than Cheek Blusher but it’s this 10-shade palette that has caught our attention for its highly wearable collection of matte and glitter shades.
Each pan is made up of a fine pigment that allows the colour to glide onto the lids and stay firmly in place without flaking off throughout the day. They can be mixed and matched and layered, including the Vaseline Glitter shade and Glittle Bomb which are essential components for creating a glossy glass skin-ready eyeshadow.
Buy now £17.25, Amazon
Clio Kill Lash Superproof Mascara
The Kill Lash mascara is made up of a gel-wax formula that elongates the lashes without clumping or smudging. This eye product is all about definition not density for natural-looking lashes that are curled with every swipe of the wand. The half-moon-shaped brush ensures each lash receives the lengthening effect that lasts thanks to the durable components. It’s waterproof too as well as free from any nasties like sulfates and alcohol.
The brand’s Waterproof Pen Liner in Kill Black (£19.90) also deserves your attention as one of the most long-lasting on the market.
Buy now £12.95, Amazon
peripera Ink The Velvet
peripera excels in the art of lip tints, so much so that we’ll forgive the intentionally lowercase start of the brand’s name.
While the brand takes a minimal approach to its exterior packaging (something that breaks away from the tradition of Korean beauty brands), it makes up for it when it comes to the intense pigment of the products themselves. The Ink The Velvet is perhaps the hero in the collection and certainly one of the bestsellers.
It combines the high-voltage colour with nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil and marine collagen so you’ll look forward to every reapplication.
Buy now £12.99, Amazon
SKINFOOD Peach Cotton Multi Finish Powder
As the name suggests, this brand harnesses the nutritious value of food into its collection of skincare and makeup so the ingredient list is actually something you’ll be able to recognise and understand. This also ensures that the products can be worn by all skin types, even those with sensitivities.
The Peach Cotton Multi Finish Powder is a hugely popular product for the filter-level airbrushed finish that it provides. The last step in your makeup routine, it forms a veil on the skin that absorbs the likes of oil and sweat to keep your cosmetics set in place with a mattifying effect. There are extracts of peach as well as sake in the formulation.
Buy now £7.33, YesStyle
rom&nd Glasting Water Gloss
Relieved parched pouts with rom&nd’s ultra-hydrating Glasting Water Gloss that glides onto the lips leaving a wash of moisture in their wake. It’s a plumping product with sweet almond extract included within the formula that leaves a high shine glossy look. There are three colourways available - we’re adding the trio to basket.
Buy now £6.77, YesStyle
peripera Sugar Twinkle Liquid Glitter
Light up your lids with this glitter eyeshadow from peripera that breaks away from the product type that defined our childhood. Instead of the clumping, thick textures that gave very little precision, the Sugar Twinkle Liquid Glitter allows for better control so you can apply it as a liner, all over the lids or just as a touch of sparkle at the inner corner for a wide, doe-eyed look or to balance out a sharp cat eye. There are three colours with a water-gel texture that is very long-wearing.
Buy now £4.47, YesStyle
PURITO Cica Clearing BB Cream
The Cica Clearing BB Cream is a hybrid base product that combines the soothing properties of Centella Asiatica extract with a tint to enrich the complexion, while evening out tone. The beauty of this formula is its buildability.
For those days in which you’re hoping to look like you just rolled out of bed looking so flawless, you can apply a light touch, while the addition of panthenol protects the skin barrier. But for more coverage, you can double up and blend with other heroes in your makeup bag, while still retaining its lightweight feel.
There are seven shades that glide onto the skin—whether you prefer your brush, sponge, or fingers. It’s ideal for on-the-go and suitable for sensitive skin as the product is fragrance-free.
Buy now £8.89, Amazon
TirTir Mask Fit Red Cushion SPF40 PA++
Cushion foundations are wildly popular in Korea for their buildability, lightweight feel and natural application. The TirTir Mask Fit Red Cushion is one of the best on the market - not just because it boasts high-level UV protection with the SPF40 PA++ rating.
The product is very long-lasting, has a blurring filter-like effect on the skin and while it is semi-matte, it is lightly glowy. The coverage is good, more so than some of the other formulas in this edit but it doesn’t feel heavy or cake. There is also one of the most extensive shade offerings with 40 hues.
Buy now £18.80, Stylevana
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