12 Must-Have Products From Korean Beauty Brands

Korean beauty is definitely a trend that has been hitting the global market. When I think of Korean beauty products, so many brands and so many different products come to mind. To make your shopping easier, we decided to pick the top three products of the most popular Korean makeup brands. Check out some of the best products from the different Korean beauty brands below.

1.Clean it Zero Cleanser

The Banila Co Clean it Zero Cleanser is definitely one of the cult favorites. It comes in solid form, but once you apply it onto your face and rub it into your skin, the heat from your hands melts it into an oil cleanser. In my opinion, this cleanser is even better than an oil cleanser because it doesn’t leave an oily residue on your face after you rinse it off and it’s not as messy as an oil cleanser. Even the most waterproof mascaras and eyeliners come off with this single product.

2. Prime Primer Blur

The Prime Primer Blur is definitely a product you want to check out if you have to endure long days of work and don’t want to worry about your makeup melting away throughout the day. One pump of the Prime Primer will not only help your makeup last throughout the day, but it will also smooth out any imperfections and instantly brighten up the skin!

3. It Radiant CC Cushion

Banila Co. was one of the first Korean beauty brands that came up with the CC cream. The Banila Co It Radiant CC Cushion is one of my favorite cushions to use on a lazy day. It gives you the perfect amount of coverage without making your skin look cakey. It is also extremely moist and hydrating, which I find perfect right now as the seasons are changing and my skin has definitely been more sensitive.

1. Real Art Cleansing Oil

I don’t know about you, but I have oily skin, so I always look for the most sweat-proof and waterproof products I can find. And they say that taking makeup off at the end of the day is more important for your beauty than applying makeup. After searching for a good cleansing oil that won’t take all my savings like the Shu Uemura cleansing oils, I stumbled across Real Art Cleansing Oil. It comes in a variety of different functions for different skin types. My personal favorite is the hydrating skin oil, since it doesn’t strip my skin of natural oils as it gently removes all of my toughest waterproof eyeliner and mascara.

2. Dr. Mascara Fix for Perfect Lash

Unlike many others, I was not blessed with gorgeously curled and long eyelashes. Therefore, even though I curl my eyelashes, throughout the day, they inevitably return to their natural state: stick straight. The Etude House Dr. Mascara Fix for Perfect Lash is definitely a step that I cannot skip in my daily makeup routine. Right before I apply mascara, I apply the Dr. Mascara Fix for Perfect Lash right after curling my lashes. This lash serum has my eyelashes curled to perfection all day. I definitely recommend this product if you have a hard time keeping your lashes curled like me!

3. Wonder Pore Freshner

The Etude House Wonder Pore Freshner is also another cult favorite loved by many different Korean Youtubers. It’s a perfect toner because it cleanses pores of the excess oil and debris while minimizing enlarged pores and revitalizing the skin with its light and refreshing formula. This moisturizing toner also effectively balances the pH levels on your skin, resulting in noticeably smoother and softer skin.

1. Pore Cushion Bottle

Out of all the cushion products in Korea, this one definitely wins the award for most creative and innovative. The Skinfood Pore Cushion Bottle is a cushion foundation that comes in a bottle. The packaging allows for you to spray the foundation onto the sponge with every use. The formula of the foundation itself is a refreshing and long-lasting foundation that has a cooling sensation. This product is definitely the product to focus on these days as the weather slowly gets warmer. The cooling sensation from the cushion foundation cools down and shrinks heat-stressed and enlarged pores!

2. Sugar Stick Cheek

Although I am not a big fan of blushes, the Skinfood Sugar Stick Cheek — filled with vitamins from fruit extracts — is one product that is definitely worth buying. It has a long-lasting formula due to the solid stick consistency. This product gives the perfect amount of color to your cheeks while also moisturizing. I definitely would like my makeup to also be skincare as I wear makeup for long periods of time throughout the day!

3. Vita Water Conceal-lightning Cushion

The cushion fad in Korea has really been continuing as they now create concealers! The Vita Water Conceal-lighting Cushion is by far one of my favorite concealers. It covers your dark circles perfectly with a moisturizing texture. Moisture in my concealers is always important for me because both my acne and my under-eye area are dry. Because I don’t want the makeup to accentuate my dry patches, I always look for concealers with a water-based formula just like this one! Also, the cushion stick applicator makes it easy to apply this concealer without any other brushes or sponges.

1. Gelpresso Waterproof Stick Eyeshadow

This stick eyeshadow is definitely one of my favorite products from Clio. When Clio says that these eyeshadows are waterproof, they really mean it! Once applied, this eyeshadow does not budge at all. Each of the eyeshadows has a unique combination of colors and the most gorgeous glitters. My favorite color is Hold Me Tight, a red-orange eyeshadow with gold glitters. Check it out!

2. Tinted Tattoo Kill Brow

I’m not a big fan of doing much to my eyebrows, just because I don’t really need to add any more to my already bushy brows. However, because I recently dyed my hair, I have come to appreciate eyebrow mascaras. The Clio Tinted Tattoo Kill Brow is definitely one of the the eyebrow products that I and many of my friends are absolutely obsessed with. It comes with both a pen for filling your eyebrows in as well as an eyebrow mascara to lock in all the color and the shape of your eyebrows. If you’re looking for a natural eyebrow tint, I would definitely recommend this one.

3. Stay Shine Lip Syrup

If I was a billionaire, I would go to Sephora and raid them every other week. However, because I am a poor college student, I’m all about dupe products.

CLIO’s newest release of the Stay Shine Lip Syrup was extremely popular in Korea because it was rumored to be a dupe for the YSL lip tints. I don’t know about you guys but I love dupe products because you can get the color you want from high-end products for so much less. The Clio Stay Shine Lip Syrup is a super glossy and moist lip tint that acts as a lip gloss. It covers your lips in a thin layer of shine without being sticky and attracting all your hair to your lips. I always say, if it doesn’t stick to your hair, it works!

lahkim is a Soompi writer who is passionate about Korean beauty products as well as the beauty trends of Korea. Other than her love for Korean beauty, she is also a fan of K-dramas, K-indie, and K-hip-hop. Her favorite K-pop artists include Bobby, Hyukoh, Zion.T, and WINNER. Some of her favorite K-dramas are “A Gentleman’s Dignity” and “Kill Me, Heal Me.” When she is not going crazy over the latest update about Bobby or obsessing over the newest episode of the latest drama, she can be seen either studying for her Biology midterms or helping out at her campus ministry.