Community
Skin, K-beauty, Korea trips and the beauty industry — ask and share
Olive Young opens its first US store in Pasadena: what it means for brands
CJ Olive Young opened its first brick-and-mortar US store in Pasadena, California, on May 29. Key facts 58 W Colorado Blvd, about 8,647 sq ft Roughly 400 brands and 5,000 SKUs across skincare, makeup, hair and wellness A
0 0Japanese visitors to Korea hit a record in 2025: the "go to Korea today" era
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, 3.65 million Japanese travellers visited Korea in 2025, a new record. The 2026 target is 4.5 million (up 23%). Here is what Japanese travel trade site Travel Voice reported ab
0 0Perimenopause dryness plus fragrance allergies: which face creams are left?
On Mumsnet's menopause board, a woman in perimenopause asked for help with a face that had become severely dry. She also has eczema and several contact allergies, fragrance and linalool among them, and said the usual ecz
0 0Keratosis pilaris: tried almost everything, still bumpy — what actually helps?
On Mumsnet's Style & Beauty board, a poster who has had keratosis pilaris (the rough, red 'chicken skin' bumps) on her arms and legs all her life said she was fed up. She listed what she had already been through: urea cr
0 1Korea extends visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups to end of 2026
Korea's temporary visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups was due to end on 30 June 2026. It has now been extended to 31 December 2026. The Ministry of Justice says the period is matched to China's own visa-free window f
0 0Red and itchy when it gets hot: which lotion for sensitive skin?
On Taiwan's PTT forum (BeautySalon board), someone with sensitive combination skin said it easily gets itchy and red in hot, humid weather. They had two affordable candidates in mind, Curél's Intensive Moisture lotion an
0 1Ceramides, explained without the jargon
If a Korean cream says "barrier" on the box, there's a good chance ceramides are inside. Here's what they are and how to read the label. What they are Ceramides are fats that naturally sit between the cells of the outer
0 0Google Maps in Korea: approved in February, still no walking directions
In late February Korea gave conditional approval for Google to export 1:5,000-scale map data, ending a dispute that went back to 2007, the Korea Herald reported. Many travellers read that as “Google Maps finally works in
0 0Naver, Kakao or Google: which map app actually got you around Korea?
Map apps come up in almost every first-timer thread about Korea, and opinions are strong. What people usually say Naver Map: detailed transit routes, exits and walking paths; has an English interface; place names can sti
Poll
Which map app did you rely on most in Korea?
Pick one to see the results
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 0Early flight home from Incheon: move hotels the last night, or not?
A question that pops up again and again: your flight leaves early in the morning, and your hotel is in the middle of Seoul. Do you switch hotels for the final night? The options people usually weigh Stay put and leave ve
0 0Eating alone in Seoul: where it's easy and where you may get turned away
Solo travellers often ask whether they can eat alone in Korea without awkwardness. The short answer from travel forums: mostly yes, and it has become more common, but a few dish types are built for groups. Where solo din
0 0First solo trip to Seoul as a woman who speaks no Korean: what did others say?
A woman planning her first solo trip asked on the Tripadvisor Seoul forum: will Seoul be hard to get around without Korean? She planned a taxi from the airport and organised day tours, and wanted to know which area to st
0 0How do you prepare your skincare for the wind and sun when traveling to Jeju?
There are lots of stories about skin getting rough after just a few days of travel in Jeju because the winds are strong and the sun is intense. Especially when driving along coastal roads or hiking up oreums.
0 1K-beauty lighter brows: softer look or a mismatch on high-contrast faces?
A question in r/AsianBeauty from someone with pale skin, dark hair and light eyes. Korean celebrities have been lightening their brows for a softer look, so would that suit a high-contrast face, or wash it out? What the
0 0Seoul after midnight: what's actually open once the subway stops?
Seoul has a reputation as a city that never sleeps, but travellers often get caught out when the subway stops running around midnight. So what is really open late, and how do people get home? What people usually find ope
0 0Current skincare keywords: what’s making the biggest impact in the industry?
I’ve rounded up the keywords I often see in stores and online. I’m curious which trends you’re actually noticing in your work. PDRN·salmon — expanding to pads, serums, and sunscreens Gentle·barrier — ceramides, panthenol
0 1Traveling to Korea: How far can you get without cash?
You can use cards at most shops in Seoul, but you may need to plan ahead for transit, street stalls, and some small shops.
0 1Where does most of your Korea trip budget actually go?
Budget threads for Korea tend to follow a pattern: people plan carefully for flights and hotels, then get surprised by where the rest of the money went. The usual suspects, from what travellers share Accommodation: the b
Poll
What took the biggest share of your Korea trip budget?
Pick one to see the results
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 1