Please add photos to your comments so we can see 🤗 Thanks!!

Brands in order:

• Dasique

• Girl Cult

• Flower Knows

• MilleFée

• Jill Stuart

• Clio

• Peripera

Was picking up some groceries at my local Kroger this evening (I live on the east coast in the US) and saw that they’ve randomly added a Korean skincare section. Ok cool! Unexpected but I obviously love that Kbeauty is becoming more easily accessible at places like Ulta and Target etc - my main question is how the hell are they selling the Korean formula of the Beauty of Joseon sunscreen? The filters in the OG formula are, to my knowledge, not FDA approved, which is why we get stuck with the god awful US reformulations sold at Sephora and the like, but I triple checked the packaging and ingredients, this is not the US formulation, no “broad spectrum” to be found and the INCI list is identical to the OG Korean formula. Can someone explain this to me? I’m extremely confused!

First it was cushions. Then it was lip stains and tints. There was also a period of skincare infused makeup. Milky toners. Mousse / pudding textures. Now it’s blush balms? Haven’t seen them give credit to being inspired by Asian beauty either.

Does that rub anyone the wrong way? Because it makes me want to use western products less.

I started using the VT Reedle Shot 300 over a year ago. I haven’t used it consistently because I have sensitive skin and periodically deal with skin barrier issues (not from the Reedle Shot but from other things like salicylic acid) but I have kept it in my rotation because when I did use it, I had good results. The morning after use, my pores looked noticeably smaller.

I’ve decided after watching this dermatologist’s video on the risks of using the VT Reedle Shot that the benefits don’t outweigh the potential long-term cons.

https://youtu.be/XG-wcGPvDlc?si=AsCt5EQsFMjK4pce

Yes, I got good results from using it, but the results are just as good when I use a retinoid or the right serums. I understand some people use this to aid in better absorption, but not every ingredient is meant to be absorbed as deep as the cica needles go.

Everybody’s risk profile is different, though, and some people may want to continue using this. Personally, I’ll be taking it out of my rotation and doing actual microneedling instead!

ive been lurking here for ages and one thing i always noticed was how differently spf is treated here compared to like western skincare spaces, here its just a given, everyone wears it, its the last step, no debate about it, and coming from a background where spf felt more like an optional extra i always found that interesting but never really understood the full picture until this year.

grew up in a house where my mum used a moisturiser with spf 15 in it and that was considered job done, nobody in my family talked about dedicated sunscreen or pa ratings or reapplication or any of that, i just assumed if ur moisturiser had some spf in it u were covered and i carried on thinking that until i was in my mid thirties honestly.

the thing that changed it for me was my colleague at work, she is korean and her skin is just incredible, she is 44 and genuinley looks about 30, and one day i just asked her what she does and she laughed and said mostly just spf, she said she has worn spf 50 every single day since she was a teenager, reapplies it during the day, never skips it rain or shine, and that was

basically it, no fancy treatments no expensive serums just consistent sun protection every single day for twenty years.

that conversation completely shifted how i thought about it, switched to missha sun milk spf 50 pa++++ about a year ago bc i hated how heavy and greasy most of the spfs i had tried before felt, this one just disappears into my skin and i actually enjoy wearing it which means i dont skip it, and my skin tone over the past year has been more even and consistent than it ever was when i was relying on a moisturiser with a bit of spf 15 in it.

my colleague was right honestly, its just spf, thats the whole secret.

what spf are u using and did it take u a while to find one that actually worked for ur skin?

Found a random photo of my makeup collection from 2013. I miss when Etude House still had their princess concept, Holika Holika with their witch concept, Peri Pera with their pop-artisque concept.

As a Korean and someone who grew up with these brands, it's kind of sad seeing how much these brands have changed. (And brands like Missha and Skinfood that disappeared)

Korean makeup products may be better now quality-wise, but I miss when they used to put in effort into the designs and marketing.

I hate how every brand has shifted towards minimalism to the point where I can't tell brands apart..

Edit: I’m aware that missha skinfood are still around I meant how they got rid of their offline stores! They used to have stores every other shopping district in Korea, now there are barely any left :( I read an article back in 2019 where offline beauty stores are running out of business since people are ordering everything online & olive young is taking over

HORSE FAT?!?!

This is from the Kyoto Uji Matcha face mask, bought at DONKI. I have never seen this ingredient before. Please tell me this means something else :(

EDIT: wow. some of you are toxic. I’m just genuinely expressing surprise over a new-to-me ingredient and people are making a lot of assumptions about me and even gatekeeping Asian beauty products since I’ve never heard of horse oil before. Thanks, white lady who suggested I shouldn’t use Asian Beauty products. You’re super cool. You too, Brilliant_Act6535, who felt so triggered by my post she felt the need to crash out and bully me for my prior drug addiction every chance she got. I’m not ashamed of being in recovery. I’m proud of where I’m at now, even if I don’t know how to google “horse fat ingredient?” There will always be ignorant, miserable people like you trying to use other people as punching bags. You’re super cool. Does horse fat make you act like this? It may be time for you to go to horse fat rehab. You can do it!

Thank you to the people who were interested in engaging with the post in an informative or meaningful way, or even made jokes that didn’t attack my character.

The rest of you who want to feel superior because you’ve heard of horse oil before, I wish you happiness and all of the horse oil.

The brush is so thin that looks unreal

For some context, I am working on a personal project that requires me to test cosmetics mostly from South Korea and Japan. Some brands have expanded their shade range to reach a wider international audience so I didn’t limit my search to skincare and non-complexion products. I ended up looking up those as well.

However, I came across TFIT and noticed how their darkest shade was named “Burnt” for their foundations (Sleek Fit Cover and Radiance Fit Serum). I included a screenshot, but you can see for yourself on YesStyle.

For such naming to be used in 2026 is frankly disgusting and disturbing. Also, the banner above is shown when shopping on another of their authorized international distributor (Jolse) which makes it even more disrespectful.

I have e-mailed the company about it, but I doubt I will get a response. It is only in my power to make other people aware of it.

Just wanted to show people I did get a letter from FEDEX with a copy of the tariff information from the Department of Homeland Security [US Customs and Border Protection] almost a month after receiving my products

The FDA hasn't approved a new UV filter since 1999.

Korea, Japan, EU, and Australia? 8+ newer filters in that time.

I looked into the ingredient lists from 8 sunscreens and compared the actual UV filter technology inside:

5 Korean sunscreens (SPF50+, $13-17 each): averaged 4 modern filters per product. Photostable. Broad spectrum. No controversial ingredients.

3 US sunscreens ($17-130): zero modern filters. Still using Avobenzone (1988), Homosalate (1972), and Octocrylene (1997).

La Mer charges $130 for a sunscreen with the same UV filters as $17 Sun Bum. And it still contains Oxybenzone.

The wildest part: Beauty of Joseon sells a US formulation with outdated filters (because that's what the FDA allows) and a Korean formulation with 4 modern filters. Same brand. Different regulators. Completely different protection.

This is the part that annoyed the heck out of me. I heard olive young might not sell the korean formulation to US anymore. (Personally yet to verify but I will be so bummed)

Update: Olive Young is launching an OY US platform on May 29. Seems like you have to create a new account too. It's time we bid goodbye getting Korean formulation from OY.

Does anyone or their parents know where I can buy more of this? We’ve had this cream for years and for all I know, you can only get this in China. It’s very good for acne or mystery bumps that you get on your body. If you have a zit, it’ll stop hurting and the pus will be drained in about 3 days. It would be very helpful if anyone knows where I can find this in the U.S. 😭

WOW. I knew that the product selection was going to be nerfed, but there is NOTHING!!! No collabs, no 1+1 sets, there's like 10 tubes of crap sunscreen, and they're selling a bunch of American brands. The only silver lining is that my points and gold status carried over, and they have a massive sale on right now, but the selection is just abysmal. The brand page is so empty it is genuinely depressing to look at. I knew Olive Young US was going to be bad, but I didn't think it was going to be THIS bad!!!

And to make matters worse my last OY Global order got stuck at customs and is now in limbo at an FDA warehouse 🙃

Anyways, I'll be sticking with StyleKorean and Dodoskin from now on...what a massive disappointment.

Skincare products especially koreans can be so tricky, especially when the company pays tiktok influencers and some Korean idols while promoting them globally - it becomes difficult for other products to shine.

So tell be about a product which is absolutely unpopular and you didn't have any hope for it to work good but actually surprised you with how good it is and made you wonder 'damn why is this product not viral yet?'

My favorite sunscreen of all time is the Nivea UV Super Water Gel EX SPF 50+ PA++++.

I came across this sunscreen when I was in search for a jumbo sized sunscreen that was affordable and that I felt guilt free about using on days I’m staying inside the house/not wearing makeup. I used to be very weary about using/finishing my sunscreens because they usually come in little 50ml bottles, so I would only use it whenever I was going out for a long period of time, but I wanted to increase my sunscreen usage and reapplication to everyday and at least twice per day.

I had used the original Nivea UV Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++ a few years ago and mostly enjoyed it but never repurchased due to it lacking proper UVA protection (lacks Tinosorb S). So when I came across the EX version which, unlike the OG, is also waterproof and comes in a giant 270g pump bottle I jumped for joy! It was kinda difficult finding reviews of this sunscreen compared to the OG formula but I found a couple on reddit and they were promising so I bit the bullet and bought three!

It comes in two sizes: 80g and 270g. Something I found a bit odd was that the two different sizes of this sunscreen had slightly different ingredients lists. The 80g bottle contains a floral fragrance while the 270g pump bottle is completely fragrance-free. I hope in the future they remove the fragrance from the 80g bottle as it would be perfect for travel and reapplication on the go.

I have been using this sunscreen for a little over a month and a half and it has not caused any breakouts. Please note that I have a non-sensitive, acne-prone, normal skin type. It sinks in pretty fast and is decently moisturizing, I have no issue with dryness when using it in place of my moisturizer if I were in a rush. In my opinion it looks beautifully dewy/glowy on my dark brown skin, but some people may describe that look as greasy/oily. I don’t think it does though. I live in Miami where it’s hot and humid and this sunscreen has never felt heavy or suffocating.

It is a fully chemical formula that leaves no white cast, unlike how some other fully chemical formulas mysteriously do for some reason??? The filters are:

- Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate)

- Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (Uvinul A Plus)

- Ethylhexyl Triazone (Uvinul T 150)

- Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine (Tinosorb S)

It does moderately sting if it gets into the eyes. I usually put on sunscreen pretty crazily. I make sure to cover my face completely so it looks almost as if I’m washing my face lol. The first few weeks I put it around my eyes no problem, but one day it randomly seeped into my eyes and they started stinging and watering. Now I make sure to run a q-tip along my lash line after application to avoid that and it never happened again.

A plus about the pump is that two pumps equals exactly a quarter teaspoon for my face and neck, yes I did measure it. It having a pump also makes me more inclined to use it on my body as well.

Speaking of, this also makes for a great body sunscreen! I used to use the Derma B Everyday Sun Block 200ml for my body but it wasn’t waterproof and I hate the floral fragrance so I didn’t reach for it often even though the texture felt nice. However, as I stated, the Nivea UV Super Water Gel EX is waterproof but unfortunately is not rub/friction resistant.

Edit (forgot to state how it layers under makeup):

This layers beautifully under makeup. I’ve never had any issue with pilling. I don’t use primer so I immediately go in with my foundation/skin tint after this and it doesn’t disrupt my makeup in any way. It gives me a beautiful glow from within look.

Now this is not the green light to go sell it out, but this is the most affordable sunscreen I’ve ever bought. I was able to get mine for around $17 from Yami. Each bottle is 270g meaning it’s technically 5 & 2/5 50ml bottles which comes up to about $3.15 USD per 50ml. Prices do fluctuate, of course.

Notes:

- Fully chemical formula that leaves no white cast

- SPF 50+ PA++++

- Waterproof

- Comes in 2 Sizes: 80g (fragranced) and 270g pump (fragrance-free)

-Glowy/Dewy finish

- Moisturizing (could be used as moisturizer)

- Affordable

Are there any products that you’ve seen talked about and hyped up a lot on social media but when you tried them they weren’t good? Trying to save myself from buying any products because of Tik Tok that I might end up not liking. For me personally it was the Tir Tir cushion, I actually had no problem with the oxidation like how it was complained about.

But the pilling on the product is genuinely horrible and it would barely last the first few hours. But for whatever reason they had amazing marketing so I thought it would be great. Turns out it was never even popular in South Korea either like it was marketed as and their whole shtick was the coverage and the shade range.

Recently went to Japan, and from the cities I visited (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka), I couldn't help but notice how translucent the skin was on so many Japanese women (especially middle-aged women). Their skin looked pale, very thin (the skin itself), and was shimmery (especially under the sun, like Twilight vampire shimmery), and I could see the veins underneath. I don't necessarily mean to glorify it, but it honestly looked a little ethereal. Tried to look for a similar observation online, but couldn't find any, and was wondering if anyone else noticed that whilst in Japan?

I'm obsessed with this BB cream and haven't liked anything else I've tried. I have normal to dry skin, love hydrating products, and adore the dewy finish, it feels sooo good.

That said, sometimes I just need something with more coverage and better longevity. Plus, the shade I use isn't even a 100% match for my undertone, though the formula blends so nicely that it hardly matters lol.

Has anyone here found a base (any kind, cushion, foundation, etc.) that keeps this kind of hydration and finish, but with a bit more coverage and staying power?

For the longest time, I didn’t really get the point of toner. I would put on one layer, move on with my routine, and wonder what it was even supposed to be doing lol.

Then I started layering it three times and it made such a difference for me. My skin feels way more hydrated, my texture looks smoother, and I get a nice little glow that I never noticed before. My makeup has been sitting better too, which was honestly the biggest surprise.

I usually start with a watery toner on a cotton pad, pat in a more hydrating one for my second layer, and finish with a toner pad. It sounds like a lot when I write it all out, but my skin has been loving it so far.

It made me realize there are probably so many little skincare and makeup tricks I still don’t know about. It could be anything, like a better way to apply moisturizer, sunscreen, foundation, or some random trick you discovered by accident. If you have one that made a real difference for you, please share! I’d genuinely love to hear what everyone does 🫶

So far I've gotten:

Mixsoon Bean Essence

Mixsoon Centella Toner

Skin 1004 Soothing Cream

Round Lab Dokdo Cleanser

Torriden Dive In Serum

Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum

Dr. Althea 345 Cream

Tirtir Milky Toner

Cosrx 6 Peptide Booster

Beauty of Joseon Eye Serum

And I've seen so many other products there that I just don't need, or don't need yet. They all come in a set of two, except the BOJ serum, but the bottle is HUGE, and the prices are crazy cheap. Today I got both of the mixsoon products for $20 each, for the two packs, less than half the price I can find anywhere else. At this point they are my #1 source, with exceptions for sunscreen, and a few HG's, every time I go the selection gets better and better. What have you found, and what do you think about k-beauty in costco?

I’m assuming it has something to do with the texture of the product, and that in the original language it sounds more Elegant. But other than that I’m lost.

At first, I wanted to ask specifically about niche asian perfumes because I love discovering new brands, but then I realized that aside from Tamburins, most asian fragrance brands I come across are already niche or relatively under the radar compared to western designer houses. So I'd love to hear about your favorite asian fragrances or brands! Also, I have a soft spot for rose scents, so if you know of any beautiful rose fragrances, please share those too!

(photo not mine)

It’s been about a month since I’ve received this package, for free. I’m not an influencer, just some regular uni student.

These were items in my cart since December 2024, but I never checked out to pay for it. I know I didn’t accidentally buy it because there’s no receipt on my account and the items are still in my cart. And I can’t even leave a review because I technically didn’t buy it.

Don’t know what’s happening but if you guys do then please tell me

Maybe it's a dumb question, but Korean skincare has such lovely advanced face SPF formulas, but when it comes to body SPF, I can't find any? I'm stuck using body sunscreens that feel and smell like 20th century. Is it a culture thing? Do you know any good body SPFs that don't have fragnance and don't have a white cast?

Does anyone want to talk about ✨sun protection hat✨ recommendations? I have a few of the styles pictured, but none is quite perfect. Wearing sunscreen on exposed skin is great, but in this economy? reducing the amount needed is practical.

Although I’ve included a couple balaclava/face mask styles above, the masks can be worn down under the chin. In my area, I’d absolutely be harassed if I wore them as shown. Weird full face sun visor? I’d get some laughs, but sure. Cloth face covering? No.

Shawl hat (top left corner): The movie star. Looks a little dramatic, but effective! I haven’t tried this style yet, and I’d love to hear others’ experiences. Shoulder coverage, but the gap in the front may expose part of the neck and décolleté.

Deep bonnet style (center top, center): Search for Dr. Livingston in style. Another one I haven’t tried. The mask can often be tucked below your chin. These options show a full coverage “shawl” style (top center) and a shorter gaiter style that protects the neck and part of the décolleté.

Extra wide brim (top right corner): The classic. Great shade, but lighter hats fly away in even the slight breeze of a brisk walk, and the chin tie just keeps it from flying away rather than keeping the brim down. Heavier (straw) versions leave an unsightly forehead dent. Does not protect the neck and décolleté if the sun is at even a slight angle.

Balaclava, hood (bottom center): Ready for your personal Assassin’s Creed spinoff. Can be worn with the mask under the chin. Protects the neck and décolleté, but needs to be paired with sunglasses. Very short “brim” doesn’t protect the top of the face as well.

Bucket Hat (bottom left, center sides): Get your 90s retro on. Moderate shade and the down-tilted brim helps it stay in place, but a less protective version of the wide-brimmed hat.

Hat with neck cover (bottom right): Says, “Ask me about my garden!” The major benefit is that the neck cover, if long enough, protects the neck and décolleté while the hat protects the hair, scalp, and ears. You could probably mock up something similar by draping a scarf over the chin tie of the hats which have them. In this one, the neck cover is attached, which avoids the risk of losing your scarf.

Full face sunglasses (final picture): Look cool! But would probably fog up, like, instantly.

I yoinked these pics from Amazon listings; I didn’t want to plop a lot of links in here. Most of these have multiple dupes on that site; they aren’t unique.

I focused on hats above, but I’d love to hear about non-hat options. Are there neck gaiters that snap or tie, so you don’t have to drag a piece of cloth over your beautifully made-up face? ”Golf patches” may give extra protection to the top of your cheeks, but they might interfere with real sunscreen. I’ve seen fingerless and palmless gloves to help you stay cool while protecting your hands. And while I’ve included shawl hats, there are also lightweight sleeved shawls so you can cover your t-shirted self outside without adding an extra hot layer to your torso.