How to Shop the Best K-Beauty at Olive Young—Without Flying to Seoul

Similar to my beloved Fromrier Sun Ampoule, this Mediheal Sun Serum looks delightfully lightweight, like it will make my skin look like it's always properly hydrated. The chemical sunscreen packs not one, not two, but three forms of cica: madecassoside, 4-TECA (a titrated extract of Centella asiatica), and classic cica itself, all working to calm irritation, support the skin barrier, and help boost collagen production. It sounds like a just-right hug for my combo skin, so sign me up.

If Water Bank sounds familiar, it's because Laneige has sold other products in the lineup for years. The Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer and Aqua Facial are two standout editor faves. Unfortunately for us, we're missing out on the UV Barrier Sunscreen, which is brimming with Laneige's signature blue hyaluronic acid, as well as a calming blend of bisabolol and allantoin.

No shade at all here as the Round Lab UVLock reformulation is Allure-approved, but when you know the original is always topping the Olive Young and Hwahae sun-care charts, you can't help but feel a little peeved. Luckily, OY keeps us stocked with a three-pack of the fan-favorite that is often on sale and boils down to $14 a tube. Love it!

Cica, cica, cica. I can't say enough good things about this super-soother, so this Numbuzin SPF earns its spot on my radar. (Honestly, it already had me at “essence.”) In the hot and sticky heat of NYC summers, I want nothing more than the lightest sunscreens known to humankind. Reviewers do point out a strong herbal scent, so it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I don't think I'd mind it.

I love a face mist, especially when it comes to surviving the bone-dry air in my office. And as a fan of Torriden's Dive In line—the serum is my fave, as well as the cream in the tube packaging—I need this permanently situated on my desk ASAP. I just know the copious amounts/levels of hyaluronic acid are going to make my skin look its juiciest. 3 p.m. slump, who?

Aestura has quickly gained traction stateside for its soothing, sensitive-skin-friendly formulas, even going as far as picking up two Allure Best of Beauty Awards for the Atobarrier 365 Ceramide Lotion (2024) and Atobarrier 365 Ceramide Cream Mist (2025).

Unsurprisingly, we don't have any Aestura sunscreens as of yet, including the well-reviewed Aestura Derma UV365 Red Calming Tone-Up Sunscreen. Allantoin is key in this hybrid sunscreen, as it helps visibly calm redness, while ceramide NP and hyaluronic acid do their thing, soothing your barrier and boosting moisture levels.

I've recently waxed poetic about mochi-like cleansers—Hanyul and Arencia have really nice ones that have made cleansing actually feel fun (gasp)—and this Round Lab Rice Cake mask-cleanser hybrid is next up—tariffs be darned! All you need is a few minutes and a gentle massage to buff away dead skin cells with a trio of almond, rice, and apricot powders. You'll smell as fresh as a bouquet, thanks to camellia flower leaves—which help boost hydration and leave skin feeling bouncy. I'm sold just writing this.

Innisfree is well-known for its Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask, so hopefully, it's only a matter of time before it brings over this Black Volcanic PHA Pore Cleansing Oil to the US market. It sounds tailor-made for someone like me with combo skin and pores prone to clogging. You can't go wrong with an AHA-BHA-PHA wash-off combo, in my opinion. (Innisfree, hear my plea!)

I had no idea who Mangomee was until now, but let me tell you, they're getting their coin with the number of brand collabs (Peripera! Skinfood! ISOI!) they have at Olive Young. Created by Korean artist Yurang, this viral character gives a beloved cleansing balm one of the cutest makeovers we've ever seen. If you need extra convincing to cleanse your face at the end of a long day—or nighttime bar crawl—this adorable, squishy mascot is it.

I'm not one to feature the same product twice in the same story…but when it comes to characters from Kakao Friends, the limit does not exist. Without fail, every time I've been in Seoul, I've stopped by the flagship Kakao Friends store in Hongdae to pick up various knick-knacks—mostly of Ryan (a lion, and one of the main characters) and, more recently, Choonsik (a stray cat Ryan adopted and pictured here—I mean, COME ON).

Context: I live and swear by Romn&d lip tints and single eye shadows (I bought my first on a whim and use it almost every day–and now, I need the whole lineup). And after seeing so much social media hype around the Better Than Cheek, I'm more than ready to hit “add to cart.”

While I prefer cream blushes, I've grown to really appreciate a handful of powder blushes—and when one claims to be super blurring and airbrush-like, my attention is very much piqued. I tend to use a heavy hand with any blush, but I'm trying to switch that up and experiment with different intensities (say, lighter blush and more emphasis on eye shadow). This is the perfect candidate for just that, and I especially want to try the Vine Nude shade I've seen people rave about time and time again.

Wakemake is one of the Korean makeup brands that has been on my radar for years, but, for some reason unbeknownst to me, I haven't dived in yet. That needs to change, and my entry point has to be this Hello Kitty collab—complete with a black chain purse that my middle-school and current 30-something selves would be equally obsessed with.

According to Hwahae, the Soft Blurring Eye Palette in this set is the brand's most popular product—but even if I didn't know that, I'd still be drawn to it. The Warm Tone iteration looks especially up my alley, stocked with super wearable pinks, browns, and shimmers I'd reach for on the daily.

I! Love! Fun! Packaging! There's something so playful yet chic about these silver tubes. Also, Heart Percent would be a great K-pop group name. Beyond the aesthetics, I'm intrigued by how intensely glossy and vinyl-like these are—I've historically shied away from glossy lip products, but apparently I'm entering my adventurous era—or maybe I’ve just made peace with the inevitability of high winds and hair getting stuck to my lips because of Manhattan’s personal wind tunnels.

Again, even though I've always been a cream blush gal, I've noticed how popular K-beauty powder blushes are—and I'm more than ready to give them a chance. (After all, K-beauty is the pinnacle of no-makeup makeup.) Naming grabbed my attention from the get-go, thanks to what appear to be very finely milled powders and softly blurring, watercolor-like finishes. I will undoubtedly layer up for more intensity, but if they're truly buildable, that shouldn't be an issue.

As someone who pays most of her skin-care attention to her face, I've been trying my best to “get into” body care in the last year or so. This is due in large part to the fact that I've become much more prone to sweating—both during sleep and in my waking hours—as I've aged. (Seriously, I never used to sweat prior to adulthood, and it's very steadily but noticeably crept up in the past decade.) My point is that a scented body wash does wonders in terms of motivation to, well, wash my body.

Forment seems to be right up my alley, specializing in soft, comforting cotton scents such as this Cotton Hug. With notes like white florals, musk, and cedarwood, I imagine it's like flopping onto a pile of fresh laundry (wearing indoor clothes, of course).

Korean hair care is finally starting to boom in the US, and it's about time. While brands like Dr. Groot and Unove are leading the charge, there's so much goodness on the horizon. One I'm not familiar with, but hope will make a stateside debut soon, is Hair+, especially for its Protein Bond line aimed at damaged, brittle, and color-treated hair.

I'm obsessed with how lightweight Korean hair-care products like this Protein Bond Moisture Water Essence are—but I'm not surprised, given how prevalent K-beauty toners and essences are for the face.