Think you’ve tried all that Korean cosmetics and skincare has to offer? Not so. Here’s a round-up of new things to try.
We’ve all heard of major Korean beauty and skincare brands like Missha (everyone’s first BB cream was probably from Missha), Laniege, and Cosrx. The following brands are on the rise and will be at the forefront of the future of the K-beauty wave.
Tamburins
Owned by IICOMBINED and therefore a sister company to Gentle Monster, Tamburins is known for its clean, neutral packaging aesthetics, and the scents of its product lineup, from sanitizers, soaps, solid perfumes, and other body-care favorites.
Hand sanitizers usually give off a bland, medicinal scent, so if you want something that matches your Le Labo Santal 33, Tamburins 000 Hand Sanitizer should be your go-to.
This particular product recently went viral after SNSD’s Tiffany Young mentioned it in her Vogue Korea What’s In My Bag video; she mentioned that she gifts it to everyone she knows (in another video, fellow member Taeyeon concurred).
In response, Tamburins ended up selling 8,000 units of the product. Sonyeoshidae forever, indeed. (I, too, bought one because I have always wanted to be an SNSD member, but that’s neither here nor there.)
Nonfiction
Another body-care-centered brand to watch out for is Nonfiction. Perfumes, scented hand, and body wash and creams come in five main scents: Gentle Night (suede, cedarwood, and moss), Gaiac Flower (floral aroma with a hint of vanilla), Forget Me Not (basil, pepper, gardenia, and amber and The Shower (bitter orange, Campari and patchouli).
I am most excited to try out Santal Cream: with sandalwood, vetiver, fig, and ginger, these happen to be some of my favorite scent notes.
Recently, the branch has announced its international expansion in a partnership with Hong Kong Sephora. It will be interesting to see where they will go next.
Hince
When owner Kim Hyun-Joo was in the research stage of putting up her own cosmetics brand, she noticed that K-beauty, while constantly expanding, had retained the same look for years now.
In other words, it had remained stagnant. When we think of Korean make-up, we think of glass skin, gradient lips, and shimmery eyeshadow. Kim wanted something different, especially something that could cater to a variety of skin tones.
Hince is that something different. While the focus remains on clean, glowing skin, soft blues and faded purples are suddenly neutrals.
My favorite products, the New Depth Eyeshadow and the Mood Enhancer Matte Buildable Velvet Lipstick are sheer, but with buildable textures, so anyone can use it. If you want something neutral and barely there, one swipe will do, but those in the hunt for something more vibrant can just apply more. The effect is striking but effortless.
SIORIS
Did you know that JYP Entertainment is now behind a skincare line? Park Jinyong invested in the brand, and when I heard about this, I wondered how the packaging would look. I love JYPE’s idols (2PM <3) but I wouldn’t trust JYP the person with any beauty decisions.
Thankfully, the packaging looks clean and chic, and the seven-piece products (two mists, an ampoule, a serum, an essence, a day cream, and a night cream) all rely on organic ingredients. I haven’t tried this yet, so I can’t say if an added side effect is suddenly randomly whispering “JYP” as the day goes on, but perhaps not.
