From Viral to Vulnerable: The Rom&nd Lip Tint Controversy Explained

Did one of Korea’s most loved lip tints secretly torch thousands of lips? On episode 273 of the Korean Beauty Show podcast, K Beauty expert and industry consultant Lauren Lee breaks down the Rom&nd scandal and what the brand is doing about it.

Plus, we look at how refill packs are changing the way we travel with skincare and the new stat proving Australia’s surprising K beauty obsession. Lauren covers her "makeup fixing" must haves and how to find the best skincare clinic in Seoul.

One of Korea’s Most Popular Lip Tint Brands Embroiled in Scandal

Rom&nd, the brand behind the viral Juicy Lasting Tint, entered damage control after reporting a 300× spike in customer complaints about lip irritation starting May 2025. According to the brand:

• Complaints about cheilitis and dryness surged suddenly.
• Community blame centered on the use of dyes in the formula like Red 202 and Red 201.
• Third party testing found no evidence of irritancy from these pigments, which are MFDS, FDA and EU approved and widely used in global lipsticks.
• Focus groups pointed to a fast evaporating setting solvent, similar to alcohol flash off, as the more likely culprit for lip dryness.
• Rom&nd launched “Project ZERO” to rebuild its tint formula without that solvent.
• In three rounds of consumer testing, 358 participants, irritation reports fell by over 90 percent, while shine, color payoff and wear held at roughly 70 to 90 percent of the original.

Why it matters: This is a case study in brand trust under fire. Rom&nd did not wait for regulators. They ran testing, acknowledged concerns and pivoted R&D.

What’s next: The brand says new ZERO shades will roll out from early 2026. Given the number of shades, this will be a rolling release through next year.

Rom&nd is offering refunds with proof of purchase and symptom history, although the brand maintains that no official defect has been confirmed.

Source: Romand Instagram and official website

Is There a Place for Refill Packs in K Beauty?

K Beauty has an over packaging problem, from excessive PR send outs to single use sachets and bulky grinding cleansing balms that contain barely enough product for a single month of nightly use. Some brands make refills, but very few treat them as core strategy.

That's why our brand, Jelly Ko, was spotlighted by Cosmetics Design Asia, in particular because of the results we've seen for our Bubble Tea Steam Cream refills. Since 2020, our hero SKU has sold out six times. Off the back of those results, in 2025 we launched a refillable format that uses about 90 percent less packaging than jars and is a dream to travel with. Not only are they resealable, are TSA ready they also pack flat and are ultra lightweight. Last month, refills accounted for almost 40 percent of Bubble Tea Steam Cream sales, showing strong adoption. For context, refills for many beauty brands are in the single digits. 

Refills also exist for Dewy Glaze Toner, Be Jelly Overnight Dream Serum and White Truffle Soufflé Serum, with Cherry Blossom Sleeping Mask refills coming.

Source: Cosmetics Design Asia

Australia is Now the Second Highest Consumer of K Beauty Products Globally

While I was back in Australia, I appeared on ABC to discuss the rise of K Beauty in Australia. Australians are now the second highest per capita spenders on Korean beauty, just behind South Korea. It shows how mainstream K Beauty has become outside its home market.

In the early 2010s shoppers were skeptical of non Western skincare and we faced a lot of racism and backlash. Now, retailers expand K Beauty ranges as part of the everyday conversation.

Source: ABC News article Watch the ABC segment

Question of the Month: Do you have any recommendations for dry hands, fading stretch marks, or any hair care?

For dry hands, Dr. Jart Ceramidin Hand Cream is very thick yet fast absorbing.

For stretch marks, in addition to topicals like tretinoin, professional options such as laser, microneedling and selected chemical peels can help. Atopalm also makes a maternity stretch mark cream that keeps skin hydrated.

For hair care, I like Japanese lines for performance on a budget, Shiseido Tsubaki and Fino. I also have a full episode on Korean haircare.

K Beauty Product Recommendations: Best Korean Makeup Fixers

Best Korean Makeup Fixer: So Natural All Day Tight Make Up Setting Fixer General Mist Mini

Why I Like This: This has a fine, even mist with a soft hold polymer system that locks down base without feeling tight or sticky. Useful on humid days and for refreshing makeup without disturbing it. The only downside is that it is in an aerosol can so you can't travel with it by plane. 

Best Korean Makeup Fixer: Jung Saem Mool Essential Mool Micro Fitting Mist

Why I like This: Micro spray that gives a natural, dewy set. It re-melds makeup into skin so it looks like skin, not product. Lovely for dry or mature skin types. This one is extremely popular among Korean makeup artists (including JSM herself, obviously)

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Recommendation: Get Matched with the Perfect Korean Skin Clinic 

Finding the right clinic in Korea can be overwhelming, especially if you're dealing with real skin issues like rosacea or acne and not just cosmetic ones. The amount of (illegal) ads on TikTok promoting clinics to foreigners makes it even harder to know who to trust. In this 15 minute mini consult, you will get vetted clinic options matched to your history, goals and budget.

Note, this is not a full concierge service (we don't offer a booking or translation service). Instead, we give you all the information you need to confidently book the right provider.

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