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Skin, K-beauty, Korea trips and the beauty industry — ask and share
If you founded an indie K-beauty brand, what would your next step be?
K-beauty now offers a range of "next steps": private-equity money, acquisitions by global groups, IPOs, and even Korean brands buying Korean brands. Trade-offs people often mention Sell to a global giant: distribution an
Poll
If I founded an indie brand, my next step would be…
Pick one to see the results
0 0Cushion or liquid foundation: which one do you reach for?
A short question on theqoo's beauty board drew a steady stream of replies. The poster said liquid foundation clearly lasts longer, but lately they only use cushions because a cushion depends less on how the skin is behav
Poll
Which base do you use more often?
Pick one to see the results
0 0Solo skincare founder: where should time and money go first?
A one-person founder who just launched a niche skincare brand asked r/ecommerce for help. With an accounting background, e-commerce was new to them. Early traction came from Reddit communities, but video editing was eati
0 0Men's base makeup that breaks down by mid-afternoon: how do you fix it?
An office worker posted in DCInside's perfume and cosmetics gallery. For about two years their routine was toner, essence, a foundation stick and a little contour. With a job change coming, they wondered whether wearing
0 0Hongdae's photo booth street: how to work a strip of Life4cuts, Photoism and the rest
Hongdae stopped being just a shopping-and-clubbing neighbourhood a while ago. Around the alleys near Exit 9 of Hongik University Station, the last couple of years have packed in a dense run of self-photo studios — Life4c
0 0Why is niacinamide suddenly in everything, even foundation?
A short question on r/Sephora drew dozens of replies: why is niacinamide now in nearly everything, from moisturisers to foundation and blush? What the replies said Many called it a trend: skincare ingredients in makeup s
0 0Namdaemun Market
Namdaemun Market is a huge distribution center visited by 500,000 people a day and Korea’s largest traditional market. Having been established as a street market since the mid-Joseon period, Namdaemun Market is as large
0 0EU bans TPO in gel nail products: what nail brands need to check
If you export gel polish, you have probably heard this already. Since September 1, 2025 the EU lists TPO (trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide) as a prohibited cosmetic ingredient. What it is A photoinitiator that ma
0 0"Drinkable sunscreen": does it work? A Japanese forum is mostly skeptical
On Japan's Girls Channel forum, someone who works outdoors asked for recommendations and real results for "drinkable sunscreen" (飲む日焼け止め) supplements (August 2025). In Japan these are easy to find at drugstores and derma
0 0AMOREPACIFIC / K-Beauty Makeup Class
(SEOUL HALLYU ACTIVITIES PROGRAM) (What kind of Hallyu fan are you?) (K-POP DANCE / K-FOOD / K-KIMCHI / K-BEAUTY) (K-ENT / K-COCKTAIL / K-POP TV SHOW / K-CRAFTS) (SEOUL HALLYU ACTIVITIES PROGRAM X Amore Pacific) Today's
0 0Enjoy Myeongdong, where K-beauty and K-pop meet
Norazo, the male duo loved for their unique style, and GHOST9, the nine-member boy group, rewrote Norazo’s signature song “Superman” for Play with Seoul, a promotional video for the Seoul Tourism Special Zone. Here are t
0 0Why global giants’ K-beauty acquisitions struggled, and Dr. Jart+ may be sold back
An analysis piece says a string of once-celebrated K-beauty acquisitions by global groups has underdelivered. Deals mentioned Unilever → AHC (Carver Korea): €2.27B (about $2.7B) in 2017, a landmark deal at the time Estée
0 0Beauty marketing you fall for anyway: which brands do it best?
On r/Sephora, someone asked which brands consistently nail their marketing. The poster admitted they fall for the hair brand Gisou's marketing every time. Names that came up, and why Glossier: many said it targeted peopl
0 0Starting a beauty brand abroad with a Korean manufacturer: private label vs custom formula
Many founders outside Korea work with Korean ODMs. The first decision is how custom you go.
0 1Packaging MOQs: the hidden cost that surprises small beauty brands
Founders often plan around the formula MOQ and get surprised by packaging: bottles, pumps, caps, labels and boxes each have their own minimums.
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