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Trending Korean Makeup. Worth It or Not?
When it comes to viral trending Korean makeup it can be hard to know which ones are worth the hype and which are all hot air. Luckily for you, I’ve tried and tested the top trending products and today we're going to sort the good from the bad for you.
Tune in if you don't want to waste a single dollar on over-hyped products that don't live up to the marketing.
Now I get that the texture of these adorable pots is highly Instagrammable and the pots themselves are cute but honestly? I did not understand the hype for the product itself at all.
I found the formulas that I tried to be overly drying and hyper-pigmented - but not in a good way. It didn’t look natural and wasn't very easily blendable. It was the kind of product that you needed to be really quick to blend it or you were a bit stuck. Maybe they just don't work for dry skin like mine? Unsure.
Now I admit it took me some time to work out how to use them and how to get the best results from a Korean makeup spatula but now that I've got my head around how to use one I do think they're worth it, although it's not something I use every day.
Korea's best makeup artists love them because they give you an ultra-sheer makeup coverage that barely looks like you're wearing makeup. They're also perfect for mixing foundation.
Now, there are multiple different products on the market, from the viral Picasso makeup spatula, which is very expensive, to ones found at dollar stores.
Ahn In Sookfrom the Korea Institute of Dermatological Science recently did a video comparing three of the most popular products in Korea and tested them for weight, performance and feel and her conclusion was that there wasn’t a huge difference in the quality of performance of any of the most accessible spatulas in Korea. She recommended Picasso for a more professional application.
This is an absolute must if you're also using Korean BB Cushions and BB creams because the formula works so well as a concealer with Korean makeup. This palette has 9 different shades that you can customize to correct imperfections, conceal blemishes and discolorations.
Whether you're dealing with redness, dark circles, or uneven skin tone, the palette works well.
I've been using it for over a year and still haven't finished mine (although I admittedly don't wear makeup every day). Purple is the only colour I didn't really use. Apparently it's for covering stubborn dark circles but I felt l like the lighter beige colours worked fine for that for me personally.
I’ve seen some reviews saying its drying but I have extremely dry skin and I didn't find that to be the case at all. I think it may come down to your skin prep and the kind of base makeup you're using. In my experience using basically only Korean makeup in my routine, I think this formula works really work with typical BB Cushion formulas.
Now keep in mind this is not actually a top trending product in Korea itself but it has sold tens of millions of units worldwide and remains one of the most recognised and easily accessible BB Creams to buy globally, so I am keeping it on my list.
Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream improves the look and texture of your skin, while also providing makeup coverage. The formula can replace moisturiser, primer and foundation in your morning routine. It does contain sunscreen but I wouldn't recommend relying on this alone for sun protection simply because it's a makeup product and you're not likely to apply enough makeup to get the stated level of protection.
My personal favourite Korean BB Cream is Skin79’s Super Plus Beblesh Balm, which has a 4.37 star rating on Hwahae.
This cushion started trending a while back but it didn’t work for me personally. I found it to be overly drying and I just couldn’t get it to work for my skin no matter what climate or season I tried it in. I thought maybe it just wasn't a good fit for the dry air in Korea with my dry skin. But then I took with me to Australia and had the same issue and even took it all the way to the Middle East and still could not get it to sit nicely without drying out. I just found that it accentuated imperfections in my skin and that my skin looked nicer once I washed it off entirely...which is not exactly the point.
This product is extremely popular in Korea though, which leads me to believe it might be a better fit for normal, oily and combination skin types.
Honestly, this product was a complete mess for me. Not only did it make me break out, it was overly drying, didn’t give me a nice glow up to my skin (unlike other tone up creams and sunscreens I've tried) and it doesn't really cover dark spots particularly well either.
In fact I had such a bad experience with this product it's one of the few products I didn't even bother trying to pass onto anyone else simply because I didn't want to do them dirty.
I was wondering whether I was totally off base with my assessment so I checked out some of the ratings on the popular Korean ranking app Hwahae and it turns out I’m not alone. Breaking out, poor coverage and other negative feedback was common from Koreans on Hwahae as well. The product only had a 3.36 star rating.
With so many great tone up creams on the market I just don't see why you'd bother with this one.
Romand makes excellent makeup and this palette is no exception. It has an average 4.4-4.5 star rating on Hwahae depending on which version of the palette you pick What I love about it is that its:
Now keep in mind that these are Korean style makeup colours so you’re getting a natural look, nothing crazily pigmented or "out there" in terms of colours. If you like stage makeup, thick makeup or brazen shades then this is probably not for you. But if you do like to recreate the makeup looks of your favourite Korean stars or idols or you are looking for colours that are easy to blend and very forgivable for beginners, then this is a great option.
No discussion on Korean makeup would be complete without including the globally popular Romand Lip Tints. They are not only one of the most popular makeup items in Korea, they're best sellers overseas too. That's because the formula allows you to effortlessly plump your lips with your choice of tints.
They perform as lipstick, lip gloss, and lip tint all-in-one, allowing you to create multiple lip looks with a single product.
My personal favourite shade is Fig Fig but they have so many out there I'm sure you'll be able to find one you love.
Apart from the terrible name (that let's face it - also makes no sense) this is actually a popular trending product in both Korea and abroad.
It has an average 4.29 star rating on Hwahae and is a base makeup / primer that also contains SPF 50.
I’ve seen some people in western beauty forums calling it a sunscreen but it’s not; it’s designed to be makeup so I wouldn't recommend relying on it for your primary sunscreen protection.
The one downside is that it is a little fragranced but it does give your skin a beautiful glow and good base for your makeup so I guess it depends how much fragrance turns you off.
Another option you might like that’s in a similar vein to this is Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum.
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“Honestly, this product was a complete mess for me. ”
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