Xia’s Top K-Beauty Picks

Hello again! It’s hard to believe another month passed, and even more hard to believe that I only have one more month here in Korea. Of course I’m excited to be reunited with my mom and show her around Seoul, but I’m getting sad about having to say goodbye to my new home. For now I am going to focus on the good and all the fun and exciting things happening this month, like my 21st birthday (which I also can’t believe is happening)! I also have a birthday trip to Jeju Island coming up with my friends later this month, so I have lots to look forward to! All in all my semester is still keeping me super busy and I’m looking forward to finishing out my last month and ½ here in Korea! 

Okay now that we’re done with the update let’s talk all things K-beauty, skincare and makeup. In Korea they have this Sephora/Ulta-like chain called Olive Young and when I say it’s everywhere it truly is. You know how in America how there’s fast food on every corner? Well that’s the same level of prevalence that Olive Young has. I find myself at Olive young quite often as they not only sell makeup and skincare but also body care, makeup tools, candles, feminine care, etc. It’s so easy to get sucked into Olive Young and if you ever find yourself in Soul, I guarantee you’ll quickly understand how I’ve managed to spend so much time in one of these K-beauty stores.

I personally have really sensitive skin where most products will cause me to break out into hives/rashes or have acne flare ups. I have been extremely selective in the products I have been willing to try here. However, I’ve found a few products that have passed my sensitive skin test and today I am going to share my top 6 skincare and makeup products with you all!

My Top K-Beauty Picks

1. 1. Senka Perfect Whip Acne Care [click here to shop]: I find that cleanser is a very integral part to my skincare routine and managing my acne. Unfortunately, it’s also the hardest product to buy as I usually have allergic reactions to them. I was really nervous to buy a cleanser and I actually didn’t buy one until about a month ago. I finally caved because my skin was NOT happy with me. I usually would triple cleanse at night, meaning I use an oil cleanser, followed by 2 water based cleansers. I know this may not be the best for skin, but it genuinely works for me, and I like doing things in 3. Hence the three cleansers. I determined that this was the soap I was going to try as my friend recommended this brand to me and she has flawless skin, so I was like whatever she uses I’m going to try. Shoutout to my friend Mai, because this soap is legit and you cannot beat the price (at least in Korea). I want to note that this product is actually made by a Japanese skincare brand, but it’s still popular here. The soap is around $7-8 usd and it literally feels like shaving cream on your face. Not to mention, my skin feels sooo clean after using it. I love the consistency of this product and it has a very light scent which I appreciate as fragrances tend to really irritate my skin. In the last month I have been using this I have truly seen an improvement in my skin. I’ve had less flare ups on my cheeks and I attribute it to this cleanser. 
   2. Etude Curl Fix Mascara [click here to shop]: Besides blush the only other makeup product I cannot live without is mascara and I am extremely picky when it comes to my wand. I personally love plastic wands rather than nylon ones, cause I think I can do a better job of creating defined clumps. I also prefer a skinny head over a fat one as I prefer definition to clumping. I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of Korea’s best selling mascara literally had my ideal type of wand. I have to say I can see why it’s a bestseller. It perfectly defines top AND bottom lashes with ZERO fallout. Trust me I have school from 10-9 everyday and I have had no smudging or fallout wearing this product. I’ve also worn it to clubs and do not come out looking like a raccoon after a long night. This product truly is made for longwearing and I cannot recommend it enough. It also comes in other colors such as brown and purple! I would definitely say if you were going to try any makeup product from my list this would be the one to try!
   3. Goodall Green Tangerine Vitamin-C serum [click here to shop]: Okay so you may have seen this product trending on social media, but if you haven’t, this serum is Korea’s #1 serum. It is quite literally always sold out. I had been looking for this product for 2 months before I finally found it one day in a bundle set. Seeing that I may not find it again I went ahead and bought the bundle. The serum is actually very affordable, but like I said, I bought a bundle set that came with a face mask and spot treatment, so it was about 30 something USD for the whole set. I personally have never used a Vitamin C serum before but I have been struggling with dark spots on my face and my thighs ( thigh-acne is the WORST). My friend somehow managed to get one when we first moved here so she’s been using it for 2 months now and loves it. That made me feel more comfortable in my purchase. I have only been using it for about 2-3 weeks so I haven’t seen a ton of improvement in my dark spots yet, but I can say that I haven’t had any breakouts from it so I consider that a win. I will give another update in next month’s blog to update with more results. For now I can say I like it and I am looking forward to seeing why it’s always sold out.
   4. Rom&nd Glasting Melting Balm [click here to shop]: I  bought this product impulsively as I saw a girl’s TikTok of her unboxing/ trying this lip balm, and I was influenced instantly. I loveee lip balms, especially when they’re tinted, so I immediately went to Olive Young to buy this. It was fate because that day it was on sale and I think I only spent $11 USD on it. I bought the same shade as her, 07 mauve berry, and I can safely say I love it. I was a little disappointed that it doesn’t have the purplish-berry color effect on my lips as it does on her, but it’s beautiful nonetheless. Like skincare products, I also have had some pretty severe reactions to lip products. I had a bad experience with another popular Korean lip product, so I was a little nervous about trying this product. With the melting bomb, I have had zero reactions and have found that it not only hydrates but leaves a beautiful tint on your lips as it starts to fade. I am really happy that my impulsive purchase led to a high reward and will definitely be purchasing at least one more color of this product before I leave Korea!
   5. Toner Real Barrier Extreme Essence Toner [click here to shop]: This was the first beauty/makeup product I bought when I came to Korea, and I have to say it has completely changed my outlook on toners. In general I don’t use toners all that often as they tend to be drying and harsh on my skin. I have pretty dry skin, so finding hydrating toners that don’t break me out has been a rather tedious journey. However this toner has only done me good. The dry patches I used to have on my chin and around my nose have been reduced, and I am getting that toning quality combined with hydration. Prior to purchasing this toner I tried probably a solid 15 toners from Olive Young on my hands and arm, and this one just had the best overall application. It also dried down the best and didn’t leave some weird residue on my skin. I use this both day and night (which I’m not sure if I’m supposed to do) and I find that the products I use following the toner feel as if they’re better absorbed into my skin. I love this product and actually need to buy a new one already because I use it so much!
   6. Clio Pro Eye : Lazy Soft Paw [click here to shop]: I don’t love eyeshadows in general, but I do love pink and glitter even more! In Korea glitter eye looks are very popular, and there are what seems like 100s to choose from. I bought this clio palette due to the fact that it was on sale at Olive Young and because it had several shades of pink glitters. I am obsessed with this palette, and have loved creating glitter eye looks with it. Also it came with cute cat stickers which was an added bonus! I don’t have much to say, as I have never really used eyeshadows, but I can say that this palette doesn’t have insane fallout which is very much appreciated, and the glitters are stunning and last all day! Like the mascara the glitters in this palette are all-day and clubbing approved!

While there are other products I have bought, these were just a few of my K-Beauty favorites that I turn to use everyday. I wish I had a bigger bank account so I could try more skincare/makeup goods, but then again, they probably wouldn’t all fit in my suitcase LOL. I hope you’ve enjoyed this months blog, and I cannot recommend enough that you all go out and try Asian skincare products. See y’all for next month’s blog!