2019 was a massive year for our team – we moved into our very first office, welcomed several new team members, hosted a K-Beauty Down Under Event, three K-Beauty Meetups and had another massive year discovering, curating and reporting on all the latest K-Beauty crazes from Korea and Australia.
This year, we curated APLB, Atopalm, Briskin, Blithe, Dr Ceuracle, Glow Hill, KLAVUU, Nacific, Purito, Rovectin, Subi, SRB, The Vegan Glow and Tiam.
To say goodbye to the year that was and welcome 2020, we’ve put together STYLE STORY’s Best of 2019. This was our year in review:
January– The STYLE STORY Seoul Office
2019 was the year we moved into our very first office! Our small Seoul team renovated and then moved into our first ever space, complete with a studio for us to film content for the STYLE STORY YouTubechannel.
The SS Seoul Office is located in downtown Seoul on the intersection of 4 subway lines – the perfect place for us to meet with visitors to Korea, as well as the K-Beauty companies we work with.
February – Our First Warehouse
From humble beginnings in SS Founder Lauren Lee’s garage to a few spare rooms, to two houses to a third house the time finally came for SS to move into a warehouse.
We threw a massive sale with up to 90% off some of our best-selling Korean Beauty and makeup products so that we didn’t move with excess stock and then packed up all our K-Beauty products and moved them from Brisbane to Sydney!
March – K-Beauty Down Under In Sydney
In March, we hosted a K-Beauty Down Under Party in Sydney to celebrate the launch of our collaboration with Bling Dear.
We invited bloggers, journalists and even some Home & Away Actors and got together to try out the latest K-Beauty releases. March was also the first ever Sydney K-Beauty Meetup!
After receiving more than 250 RSVPs for the event, a massive group of K-Beauty addicts, skincare newbies, bloggers and YouTubers, along with three special guests straight from Seoul, South Korea, got together at the beautiful Vibe Hotel in Rushcutter’s Bay to discuss all things Korean skincare and makeup.
We tried the hottest trending Korean beauty products from brands like Commleaf, d’Alba Piedmont, JJ Young by Caolion Lab, iUNIK, SOME BY MI, Benton, Beauty of Joseon, Mizon and Skin79.
We ran through some of this year’s hottest trending ingredients, including centella asiatica, charcoal, rice bran oil while enjoying afternoon and delicious K-Beauty themed cookies!
In June, our Seoul team had an absolute ball discovering some of Korea’s emerging K-Beauty brands, as well as a range of new technologies at the Cosmo Beauty Expo, which was held at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul.
We caught up with companies specialising in cosmetic packaging, accessories as well as mask-making factories, spa equipment and more!
At this year’s Expo, we noticed the rising popularity of vegan cosmetics, as well as natural-focused brands using plant and flower extracts.
August And September – K-Beauty Meetups
In August, we met with our local Brisbane K-Beauty addicts in West End and in September, we were excited to host the second Sydney K-Beauty Meetup at beautiful “Here Coworking” in Pyrmont, NSW These meetups were a chance to have an intimate skincare session with Founder Lauren Lee, who flew in in from Seoul, South Korea to lead a master-class in Korean skincare.
Groups of K-Beauty addicts, skincare newbies, bloggers and plenty more turned up to try the latest new release Korean beauty products fresh from Seoul.
We got to try releases from brands like Mizon, Benton, Commleaf, Cosmetea, Missha and more which were curated by our team. Read more about the Sydney event here.
October – K-Beauty Expo
Every year the STYLE STORY team is invited by the Korean Government to attend the K-Beauty Expo in Ilsan, Korea to see the latest Korean beauty products and meet with the companies behind them.
This year, 5 of our team members headed off to the Expo to meet with our suppliers and see all the latest and greatest K-Beauty innovations.
This year STYLE STORY Founder Lauren was invited by the Korean Government to attend as one of the guest speakers at the Expo’s Global Beauty Trends Forum. She took the stage in front of 500 companies to discuss how Korean brands can cultivate market entry strategies and successfully comply with cosmetic regulation in Australia.
The Global Beauty Trend’s Forum is attended by companies looking to sharpen their export skills and explore international markets, giving them practical tips and guidance for successfully navigating international distribution channels, consumers and cosmetic regulations. After the Expo, STYLE STORY curated Nacific.
Get our full report from the Expo here.
November – the Best of K-Beauty Awards
To celebrate 5 years online, STYLE STORY kicked off our inaugural Best of K-Beauty Awards!
We put together the 10 most innovative Korean beauty products that have captured the hearts and reviews of our STYLE STORY beauty community.
This award is presented to 3 people’s choice winners and products that have been unanimously voted by our team.
Meet the brands that make South Korea one of the top global innovators in beauty here!
December – 12 Days Of Christmas
To finish the year, STYLE STORY is bringing a K-Beauty Bargain for each of the 12 Days of Christmas. Follow along on our Instagram and Facebookaccounts for the unique coupon codes for each Day of Christmas
Thank you so much to everyone who supported us in 2019!
We had an absolute ball getting to meet you (whether in real life or online) and talk through your skincare routines, favourite products and best finds.
We have plenty of exciting things planned in 2020. If you’re not already, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to stay up to date with all our latest news. Plus, don’t forget to sign up to the STYLE STORY newsletterfor special discount codes and offers for our subscribers only.
