What Makeup Should You Buy When You Visit Korea? Korean Makeup Shopping Guide!

And by the way, I don't know that man on the left. Major photobomber.

There are some things that you as a visitor and a consumer (who compulsively buy makeup) need to know before you go ahead and purchase those products. This blog posts will tell you what NOT to buy and what TO buy along with few tips.

BRANDS and STORES

There are so many Korean beauty brands that it could get very overwhelming at first. Like in the United States, the price points can be divided into three: low-end, mid-end, and high-end.

Here are the list of brands and their price range:

High-End (SK-II/ Giorgio Armani level; ₩50000 ($50) to over ₩100000 ($100) per product)*

Sum;37

O Hui

Primera

Hera

Sulwhasoo

Amore Pacific

Mid-End (Tarte/MAC level; ₩15000 ($15) to ₩70000 ($70) per product)*

Iope

VDL

3 Concept Eyes

Espoir

Banila Co

Laneige

Han Yul

Isa Knox

Low-End (Revlon/L'Oreal level; ₩5000 ($5) to ₩40000 ($40)*

Etude House

Nature Republic

Tony Moly

Innisfree

Holika Holika

The Face Shop

Missha
the Saem

Skin Food

*These prices are only estimates.

I am missing some brands, but these are the most common ones that you would see on the streets.

WHERE

Each brand has its own store located basically everywhere (you can find these stores in almost all the neighborhoods. Yes they are that common). Because they are so easily available on the streets, Korean beauty bloggers call these "Road Shops." On the other hand, you can ONLY find high end brands in the department stores. 

Mid-end brands such as Espoir and VDL have their own individual stores as well, but some brands such as Iope, 3 Concept Eyes, Banilla Co, Laneige, Han Yul, and Isa Knox are little tricky to find since they don't have their own standing stores like others.

Banilla Co. is sold in some department stores. 3 Concept Eyes only have one flagship store in Hongdae and counters in both Myeong Dong and Jamsil Lotte Department Stores. Rest are sold in Sephora-like stores and in large chain super markets (such as e-mart) that are very similar to Walmart and Target.

OTHER BEAUTY STORES

Here are the names of the stores that are similar to Ulta and Sephora: 

1. ARITAUM: They sell IOPE, Laneige, Hanyul, etc.  They have their own Aritaum branded products as well.

2. OLIVE YOUNG: This store also sells product from overseas such as Maybelline, Majorica Majorica (Japanese Brand), etc. None of the products sold here go over the ₩50000 ($50) mark except for perfumes.

3. LOHB's: This store is not as widely available compared to Aritaum or Olive Young, but it is located in Gangnam and random places in Seoul. They have brands such as Stila, NYX, Bourjois, Bliss, and so on, but don't expect a large counter with variety of products from these brands. Their price points are also extremely high compared to the prices we are used to seeing in United States, so don't be too alarmed.

4. WATSONS: This store is more like our standard convenience store/drugstore compared to the three stores that I have mentioned above. They have beauty brands that are similar to Olive Young.

YOU SHOULD BUY

1. SKINCARE ITEMS

Korean skincare items are absolutely top notch in my book. They are high quality for its price, and they work wonderfully. One of the things that I truly appreciate about Korean skincare brands is that there is a price point for everyone. If you wish to try dirt cheap skincare sets, there are multiple brands that can fulfill your needs such as Mamonde, The Face Shop, and so on. There are also high-end brands if you prefer luxury items, such as Sulwhasoo and Hera. There are some brands I personally like more than others but Korean skincare items in general are coveted by women all over the world, so I highly recommend you to try some.

Among the skincare items I recommend purchasing hydrating face sheet masks. You can find these basically everywhere so it should be fairly easy to find them. They are so cooling but hydrating at the same time, AND they are dirt cheap.

LIPSTICKS, LIP BALMS, LIP TINTS, AND EVERYTHING LIPS

If I were to pick one category out of the three above, I would by no hesitation pick lip tints. Korean lip tints are everything to me currently. I want to try one from each and every brand! They are SO SO SO affordable and they are so pretty on the lips! >insert shy screaming but smiling face<

Lip Balms are another one that is very affordable and packaged in the most adorable containers. Tony Moly lip balms are ALWAYS cute which can make excellent gifts for friends and family back home.

Lipsticks are another one that is high quality as well as extremely affordable. Etude House makes great traditional lipsticks as well as liquid lipsticks (also with cute packaging).

The point here is that they are all very affordable. If you want you could splurge and get a $30 dollars worth of Hera lipstick...but why? You could easily get a lipstick that is equally beautiful for 9 bucks at one of the road shops. Make sure to try them on and swatch them before you buy them!

3. BLUSHES

Korean blushes are god dang pretty as heck. Korean women prefer to have sheer wash of matte pink blush on the apples of the cheeks. The blushes here are usually soft shades of pink and peach which are so flattering on the skin as well as giving a youthful look. I recommend the Etude House blushes and Innisfree blushes because they are talc free and they are very affordable ($4-$7 bucks). Tony Moly also has a beautiful line of blushes that are equally affordable as well.

4. CUSHION FOUNDATIONS

We all know how much I love cushion foundations. Even if you are iffy about the idea of applying base makeup through a sponge, I still think you should try them because they are so convenient and gives a very healthy glow and there's one made for every skin type from almost every single brand.

YOU SHOULDN'T BUY

1. WESTERN NAME BRANDS

NARS, MAC, Lancome, Estee Lauder, Clarins, Armani, Yve Saint Laurent, Chanel, Dior, and so on... Do not buy these in Korea. This is not because there are something wrong with these products in Korea, but THE PRICE is extremely inflated compared to buying them in the U.S. A Mac lipstick which cost $16 in U.S. cost 30 something dollars in Korea. That is a double my friend. So...you are seriously doing yourself wrong by buying a Chanel compact here in Korea. Do not do that. I promise you, you are going to hate yourself.

2. EYESHADOWS

I bought several eyeshadows from Korean brands throughout my stay...and I've been highly disappointed with them. Not that they are anything bad...no actually some were very terrible. I much prefer eyeshadows that I got from the states because they are that comparable in quality.

Some matte shadows that I swatched were great, but ones with shimmer were not so great because the shimmer particles were quite big and chunky (which is what Korean women are into).

Another thing that you should know is that women here prefer shadows that are less in pigment whereas women in the States love their pigmented eyeshadows that are opaque right away. Korean women love shadows that are buildable and can be layered so that they can control the level of pigmentation. So if you are into high pigment eyeshadows, I recommend you to step away from the eyeshadow counters.

3. POWDER FOUNDATIONS

I have tried powder foundations from Iope before and the product wasn't that great since it gave me a shiny forehead after two hours of wearing it. I thought it was just this Iope powder, but according to my mother who has far more experience when it comes to powder foundations, told me that she has tried every single Korean powders but they were never comparable to Western brand powders. I know that was then and now is now since companies reformulate their products, but...I personally am not curious about Korean powder foundations because they are not cheap and there are equally good products that I can buy from Sephora.

However, my personal opinion should not hold you from buying powder foundations!! I've seen and swatched Laneige powders and renewed Iope foundations from Aritaum before and they seem creamy and soft.

4. PERFUMES AND FRAGRANCE

This is like number 1 because perfumes and fragrances...are part of western name brands. I know that some korean companies such as Espoir and Innisfree sell their own fragrances, but majority of the women use western branded fragrances. So please do not buy perfumes here.

I saw Eau Duelle fragrance by Diptych in one of the Department stores that I went to. I asked for the price and a small bottle, which costs $90 dollars in the States, was approximately $135 dollars. Heck to the no. Are you kidding me? Same goes for Jo Malone, Estee Lauder, etc.

5. NAIL POLISHES or ANYTHING NAILS RELATED

Now, there are GOOD and CHEAP nail polishes available in Korea. HOWEVER, they are quite hit or miss when it comes to their quality. I really enjoy some of the nail polishes I got from Innisfree and Etude House, but even within these brands there were some polishes that were absolute crap. They chipped right away, some changed colors, and some made your nails feel rough and sand paper-like (the glittery ones). So I want to say be careful when you are purchasing them because it is quite easy to buy them since they are so cheap.

And don't even think about buying nail polishes from Skin Food. They are ultimate crap of the crap. They streak and make your hands look dull.

In conclusion

Please splurge on skincare items and lips.

Pictures above are taken from Myeong Dong, one of the hot spots for tourists. You can literally find every single low-end to mid-end brands there. And make sure to eat at Ariko(?) in Myeong Dong, spicy Japanese curry house that I love.

Go have fun.

Best,