High-end skincare brands and drugstore favorites, step aside. It’s K-Beauty’s time to shine. These ultra-hydrating, lightweight skincare products are made from natural, gentle ingredients at affordable prices that will actually change your skin for the better. Sound too good to be true? We thought so, too. But after doing our research and trying out some bestselling K-Beauty products, we have come around and had to share the secret.
Here is your guide to moisturizers, serums, masks, peels, eye and lip care, complexion perfectors and skin-saving sets to begin your K-Beauty journey. These are the products everyone in the beauty community is gushing over!
K-BEAUTY MOISTURIZERS & SERUMS
Although all types of K-Beauty skincare products are available, the moisturizers and serums are what originally garnered major attention. They offer skin an intense amount of moisture and hydration while feeling light and comfortable, leaving behind a plump, glowing finish. Here are a few of our favorites.
- Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream ($35): This moisturizer, an Allure “Best of Beauty” winner, has officially won us over for an everyday moisturizer. It provides an intense amount of hydration while remaining lightweight and comfortable on the skin. The best part about this moisturizer is that, although it is instantly absorbed, it continues to deliver moisture throughout the day.
- InBetween Instant Glowing Cream ($45): With this product, it’s all in the name. This moisturizer-primer hybrid provides hydration while preparing skin for the day, resulting in a glowing, youthful and luminous finish.
- Laneige Fresh Calming Mousse ($29): We love the feel of this moisturizer! Its light and airy mousse texture is made from nutrient-rich deep sea water and lychee peel extract, making it refreshing and soothing. And it provides visible hydration.
- Saturday Skin Freeze Frame Beauty Essence ($47): This concentrated essence is made up of nutrient-rich fruit extracts that target all the signs of aging while improving skin’s hydration, texture and tone. It also reduces the look of dullness, dryness, wrinkles and fine lines.
- Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Re.Pair Serum ($46): If you’re struggling with unwanted acne, blemishes and redness, this serum will change your life. It is designed to calm irritation using the benefits of an Asian herbal plant commonly referred to as “Tiger Grass.” It is fast-acting and soothing.
- Blithe Gold Apricot Pressed Serum ($49): One of our favorite aspects of K-Beauty skincare products is how innovative they are, and this pressed serum is the perfect example. It provides all the expected results of a serum through a unique balm that melts into the skin. Plus, the 31% apricot extract gives skin an extra dose of flawless glow.
The Laneige Water Bank Cream (top left) is $35, the InBetween Instant Glowing Cream (top middle) is $45, the Laneige Fresh Calming Mousse (top right) is $29, the Saturday Skin Freeze Frame Beauty Essence (bottom left) is $47, the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Re.Pair Serum (bottom middle) is $46, and the Gold Apricot Pressed Serum (bottom right) is $49. Images: Sephora
K-BEAUTY MASKS & PEELS
Aside from moisturizers and serums, K-Beauty’s most popular products are their face masks and peels, especially because there are so many options to choose from. Here, we’re showing you our favorite sleeping masks, sheet masks and gentle, yet effective peels.
- belif Aqua Bomb Sleeping Mask ($34): This sleeping mask has over 10,000 “loves” on Sephora. Needless to say, it does what it promises. Apply this innovative jelly formula before bed to wake up with replenished and revitalized skin that feels refreshed and ultra-hydrated.
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask ($45): Similarly, this sleeping mask will provide skin with some much-needed hydration and protection. This mask, though, features a fresh watermelon scent (not too overpowering!) that further brightens and awakens skin.
- Saturday Skin Brightening Sheet Mask ($6 each): We’re obsessed with this affordable skin brightening mask. Not only is it calming and refreshing, it actually results in glowing, luminous skin.
- Dr. Jart+ Water Replenishment Sheet Mask ($7.50 each): Dr. Jart+ has a sheet mask to solve any problem. Whether your skin needs hydration, brightening, firming or pore-perfecting, you’ll find a soothing sheet mask to help calm your skin worries. And they’re only $7.50 each!
- AmorePacific Treatment Enzyme Peel ($60): Although this peel is a bit pricey, its results are worth every penny. It is a gentle everyday exfoliator that removes dead skin cells and evens skin tone for a bright, radiant finish. The powder, activated by water, is one of K-Beauty’s most innovative and effective formulas.
- Neogen Dermatology Green Tea Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling ($27): If your skin is in need of a more intense exfoliation, these green tea gauze peels are worth a try. They provide skin with antioxidant-rich green tea that yields visibly brighter and clearer results.
The belif Aqua Bomb Sleeping Mask (top left) is $34, the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (top right) is $45, the Saturday Skin Brightening Mask (middle left) is $6, the Dr. Jart+ sheet masks (middle right) are $7.50, the AmorePacific Treatment Enzyme Peel (bottom left) is $60 and the Neogen Dermatology Green Tea Gauze Peeling is $27. Images: Sephora
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K-BEAUTY EYE & LIP CARE
Although it’s easy to simply cleanse and moisturize, going the extra mile by giving tired eyes and chapped lips an extra surge of moisture will make all the difference. Both of these K-Beauty products are game-changers.
- Laneige Dressed Up Lip Sleeping Mask ($20): If you’re frustrated with cracked, chapped and dull lips, apply this overnight mask and wake up to smooth, supple and refreshed lips every morning. It will even tone and texture while adding firmness and elasticity back into the lips.
- Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel ($36): Two things wreak havoc on our eyes — lack of sleep and excess of stress. Unfortunately, for most of us, both are unavoidable. Apply this cooling gel for an instant surge of weightless moisture. It will rid tired-looking eyes of puffiness and dullness while reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
This Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (left) is $20 and the Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel (right) is $36. Images: Sephora
K-BEAUTY SKINCARE SETS
An easy way to give K-Beauty products a test run is by purchasing a skincare set. This way, you’ll get multiple items that target different problem areas in conveniently smaller sizes ideal for discovering what works best with your skin. Here are our top picks of this season’s Sephora K-Beauty sets.
- Dr. Jart+ Mask Heroes Face Savers ($36): If you’re intrigued by K-Beauty’s beloved sheet masks, this set is a great way to try out all of Dr. Jart+’s options without breaking the bank. This set includes six different masks that target multiple problems for whenever you need a little refresher.
- belif Winter Waterdrop Kit ($22): The arrival of winter’s harsh temperatures signals the need for extra hydration. This travel-friendly kit includes belif’s bestsellers — the foam cleanser, water essence, moisturizing eye bomb, true cream aqua bomb and aqua bomb sleeping mask.
- belif Merry Merry Moisturizers ($38): As we’ve discussed, K-Beauty is best known for their intensely hydrating moisturizers. This affordable set includes all three of belif’s bestselling moisturizers including the true cream moisturizing bomb and moisturizing eye bomb.
- AmorePacific 12 Days of Essential Beauty ($65): Although this set is up there in price, you definitely get major bang for your buck. The 12 Days of Essential Beauty features 12 bestselling products including a treatment enzyme peel, a cleansing foam, plenty of moisturizers, a radiance oil and more. This is a fantastic gift for the skincare lover you’ve got on your list!
This Dr. Jart+ Mask Heroes Face Savers set (top left) is $36, the belif Winter Waterdrop kit (top right) is $22, the Merry Merry Moisturizers set (bottom left) is $38, and the 12 Days of Essential Beauty set (bottom right) is $65. Images: Sephora
K-BEAUTY COMPLEXION PERFECTOR
Finish off the face with these K-Beauty complexion perfectors. Here, we’re featuring one everyday cleanser, an ultra-effective color corrector and four cosmetic products that will make the most of your newly hydrated, glowing skin.
- Neogen Dermatology Green Tea Real Fresh Foam Cleanser ($19): Did you know that green tea is known to deliver fresh benefits to skin? This cleanser makes the most of it by providing skin with a fermented green tea extract that hydrates, moisturizes and brightens tone and texture.
- Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Camo Drops ($46): This is a one-of-a-kind product. It is an ultra-concentrated serum that revitalizes and color corrects to reduce redness and gives life back to dull, dry skin. Perfect for applying right after cleansing!
- Touch In Sol No Poreblem Primer ($18): Before applying foundation, gently tap a dime-sized amount of this primer onto the face to fill in larger pores, even skin’s texture and prepare skin for a flawless foundation application. Not only will this blur the look of pores and wrinkles, it will also enhance the wear time of your make up.
- Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm ($39): This cult-favorite is referenced as an all-in-one complexion perfector. It is a moisturizer, serum, sunscreen and BB cream that primes, hydrates, protects and camouflages skin in one step for a glowing, natural-looking finish.
- Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radiance SPF 50 ($38): If you’re dealing with an uneven skin tone, dullness, redness or any dryness, this BB cushion foundation is for you. It will add hydration, luminosity and medium coverage for a flawlessly radiant finish.
- Erborian CC Crème High Definition Radiance Face Cream Skin Perfector ($44): This easy-to-apply cream evens skin tone and texture while softening skin and adding luminosity. It is available in two shade-matching tones.
The Neogen Green Tea Cleanser (top left) is $19, the Dr. Jart+ Camo Drops (top middle) are $46, the Touch In Sol No Poreblem Primer (top right) is $18, the Dr. Jart+ Beauty Balm (bottom left) is $39, the Laneige BB Cushion Foundation (bottom middle) is $38, and the Erborian CC Cream (bottom right) is $44. Images: Sephora
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