It’s not that the rest of the world is getting obsessed with everything and anything Korean beauty right now. Seoul has replaced Paris as the city where in-the-know girls look to see what’s new, what’s now, and what’s next in beauty. But the problem is, it’s hard to keep your finger on the pulse when you’re not, you know, in the front line of South Korea’s trends. All that knowledge comes secondhand, based on what someone else decided was worthy enough to pass. Hell, it took 30 years for BB creams to finally make it Stateside. South Korea got the beauty game on lock and is a decade ahead of science. What else has the rest of the world been missing all this time?
I’m not from South Korea but it’s only an hour away from the Philippines (via air of course). We have Korean channels and TV personalities (even news reporters) on local TV. There are even Koreans in our neighborhood, and I had Korean classmates. What I’m trying to say is, they invaded our country. Just kidding! What I mean is, what’s trending in South Korea is definitely trending in the Philippines. We get the first dibs on their latest trends before the US or other countries in the west. So from today, I’ll be blogging about Korean Beauty trends starting with shops where you could buy Korean beauty products in the US and UK.
1. StyleKorean: Founded in 2012, this shop has been selling Korean beauty products internationally. They carry over 3,000 different kinds of products such as CosRX (my favorite pictured above), Innisfree, Etude House, Laneige, and even the latest (and hottest in Korea right now) brands such as AprilSkin and Huxley in their warehouse in Korea. But they also have warehouses in Hong Kong, China, and the United States so they could ship their products to different countries faster. They ship internationally and you can get free samples for every purchase. Lastly, they offer free shipping on orders above Php1500 in the Philippines, $60 in the United States, and $80 in Australia. (NOTE: If you’re from the Philippines, you don’t need to worry about customs duty because StyleKorean has a local courier partner so your orders will be shipped directly to your house without paying any customs tax.)
2. Olive Young – This is a famous beauty store in South Korea. Almost every street there has Olive Young like it’s a convenience store. It’s a must-visit if you travel there. But if you can’t for now, you can order popular K-beauty products from their online global store. Don’t forget to use my coupon code “ALYPICKS12” to get a discount.
3. Soko Glam: Charlotte Cho created Soko Glam in 2012 with the help of her co-founder and husband Dave in order to help Western customers discover Korean cosmetics, beauty trends, and skincare regimens. She scours the South Korean market, looking for only the best and most popular products to bring to the US, personally testing and reviewing every single item that crosses her path. Soko Glam ships to Australia, Canada, France, India, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.
4. Wishtrend: I love this company’s motto “We are believing that as long as you ‘WISH’ to be beautiful, you will be beautiful.” Unlike other stores listed here, WishTrend also sells makeup tools from Korea. And they ship worldwide and offer free shipping on orders above $69 straight from South Korea. Use this code 254778502 to get $5 in your Wishtrend account.
5.YES STYLE –This is one of the most popular online Asian Fashion & Beauty shops. I think a majority of fashion and beauty influencers have collaborated with this shop. They have almost everything from clothes, and shoes and a vast array of Asian beauty brands from 3CE, Hada Labo, Innisfree, Secret Key, CosRx, Biore, Canmake, and more! And don’t forget to use the code ALYSSA12 to get 5% off your first order and 2% off your future orders.
6. Urban Outfitters: The ultra-hip retailer has curated an awesome online selection of 248 ready-to-shop Korean beauty products from seven cult brands that include products that sound as familiar as an avocado cleansing cream to quirky finds like bright jelly lipsticks. Ships to US and UK.
BONUS:
**Shops Where To Buy Korean Beauty Products in the US and UK were originally posted on September 12, 2014. But since its popularity, I update this whenever I discover new shops.
Last Update: November 8, 2022
Cult Beauty – This is a UK-based online shop that offers free shipping worldwide. They have brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Pixi, Lime Crime, Huda, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and more, but they also sell Korean beauty brands such as Innisfree, CosRx, and more! And don’t be intimidated by the prices, if you live outside of the UK or EU, the prices (which is the tax) will be deducted.
Style Nanda – Just like Yes Style above, this shop is also a popular online clothing shop but they also have good K-beauty products that are excluded from 3CE, which is a brand that does not only have cute packaging but also great quality products with a wide range of shades. And last May 2018, L’Oreal bought StyleNanda.
Tofu Secret – An mega online skincare retailer, offering customers a wide variety of renowned Asian brands from mainly South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. We sell the same quality goods at an affordable price, in the hope that Asian skincare can be accessible and affordable to everyone outside Asia. They ship internationally and offer free shipping.
Miin – They carefully select the best products in Asia so Europeans can enjoy their excellent quality and irresistible design. Having said that, yes they only ship to Europe. All their shipments are processed at their headquarters in Barcelona, which is why they have fixed delivery rates to all of Europe which is €4.95 (including VAT), but they offer free shipping on orders over €40.
Amazon – This is probably the biggest e-commerce site in the world so it’s not a surprise that they will also have Korean beauty products on their list of many products. But I heard some horror stories from some buyers, so to make sure that the product you will buy is authentic, read the seller’s review and rating.
Q-Depot – I also highly recommend this shop because of its vast selection of Korean beauty products and reasonable price. I swear, when I cannot find a particular product, I find it in their store as well. Plus, they also offer free shipping on orders above $69 and are generous with free samples.