Community
Skin, K-beauty, Korea trips and the beauty industry — ask and share
Princess packaging, witch concepts, fruit tubes: miss "old K-beauty"?
A nostalgic post in r/AsianBeauty from a Korean user who grew up with these brands. They miss the K-beauty of around 2012–2013: Skinfood's fruit-shaped hand creams and food theme, cupcake lip balms, Etude's princess look
0 1More Beautiful Through Hands-On Experiences! Beauty Flagship Stores from K-Beauty Brands
In Korea, there is an old saying that seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred times. Experiencing things firsthand is important in everything. In particular, beauty products require a testing stag
0 0Shopping in Myeong-dong
Myeong-dong is regaining its former fame as major brands aggressively open key stores in the commercial district. The area becomes even busier when Japan’s Golden Week begins in late April and early May. Lotte Department
0 0Sugar and skin ageing: what a new lab study actually found
Headlines saying sugar ages your skin are everywhere. A peer-reviewed study highlighted by The Estée Lauder Companies in April 2026 adds a more specific piece. What the research looked at: Glycation, where sugar binds to
0 0K-Beauty at Its Finest: Flagship Stores
K-beauty refers to Korean cosmetics and Korean makeup methods. Driven by the K-beauty wave, Korea’s cosmetics industry recorded the world’s third-largest exports after France and the United States. The endless appeal of
0 0On the shelf for nearly 20 years: which K-beauty steady-sellers survived?
A nostalgic question in r/KoreanBeauty. Prompted by a post about brands constantly launching, reformulating or discontinuing products, a long-time skincare fan (30-plus years in, about 20 of them with K-beauty) asked the
0 0What makes Korean sunscreens different? Six reviewed, one debate
On Taiwan's PTT forum (BeautySalon board), someone summed up six Korean sunscreens they had used. Their overview: Western sunscreens tend to be rich and heavy, Japanese ones light and water-resistant but drying, while Ko
0 0Ewha Womans University Shopping Street: what's left, and how to walk it
The shopping street outside Ewha Womans University grew up around one of Seoul's best-known women's universities, and for decades it's been where students — and, increasingly, visitors — go for cheap, trend-driven clothe
0 0Does drinking collagen actually reach your skin? The debate that won't end
From convenience stores to home shopping channels, collagen drinks and powders are everywhere. So is the "it works vs waste of money" debate. The "it works" side Some studies are cited as showing better skin hydration an
0 0Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong: where do you usually buy K-beauty?
Even within the Chinese-speaking world, K-beauty shopping habits differ a lot. We'd like to collect how it works where you live. Things to share Your main channel: e-commerce platforms, cross-border sites, drugstores, de
0 0Breakouts on your back? Body care habits people often point to
Bumps on the back and chest are common in hot, humid weather, and body washes marketed for "body trouble" are a big category in Korea. Before buying anything, many people find the everyday habits matter as much as the pr
0 0Poll: which viral skincare trend do you think is most overrated?
TikTok and skincare forums have turned a lot of Korean-inspired habits into global trends. Some stuck, some faded, and some still spark arguments every week. A quick refresher on the contenders: Glass skin: the ultra-dew
Poll
Which viral trend do you think is most overrated?
Pick one to see the results
0 0LED face masks: do they work, and is a £200 mask better than a £50 one?
A Mumsnet user asked two simple questions: do LED face masks actually do anything, and is it worth paying £200 or more when there are masks on Amazon for a fraction of that? The 12 replies were mostly positive, with a lo
0 0Deep under-the-skin spots and hard little plugs: one person's 'finally' story
On theqoo's beauty board, someone who had battled breakouts for months said things were finally calming down. Two types had been the worst: deep bumps that form under the surface, and spots that release a hard plug rathe
0 1Seochon and Tongui-dong: wandering Seoul’s quietest historic alleys
Seochon, tucked against the western wall of Gyeongbokgung, is one of Seoul's oldest neighborhoods, and unlike Bukchon it hasn't turned into a tourist set piece. People still shop and walk their dogs among low hanok house
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 0'Tanmaxxing' is trending on TikTok. Dermatologists are not fans
While K-beauty feeds are full of SPF reapplication hacks, another corner of TikTok is doing the opposite. Tanmaxxing means deliberately maximising sun exposure to get as dark as possible. What the trend involves, per a J
0 0Euljiro's 'Hipjiro' alleys: printing shops by day, hidden bars by night
Euljiro doesn't look like a nightlife district at first glance. By day it's still full of small printing shops and metal workshops that have operated there since the late 1960s — paper stacked on the pavement, delivery c
0 0Formulator’s view: why Korean sunscreens can feel lighter than many Western ones
The difference people notice is partly about which UV filters a market allows. Korea permits several modern filters that are not currently approved as OTC sunscreen ingredients in the US, which gives formulators more roo
0 1More breakouts since you started a pore primer: is the primer really to blame?
Silicone pore primers that blur texture are a makeup staple for many people. At the same time, "I started a primer and got more tiny bumps" is a common post. Points people often raise Many argue the issue is less the sil
0 0