Top Korean Skincare Brands and Makeup Brands In 2023 | High End, Affordable, And Cult Classics!
Looking for Korean skin and makeup? Here are our 6 favorite and best Korean skincare brands and makeup brands that we absolutely love! Check it out!
The Korean beauty secrets are no longer a stranger to the world. We here bring you the best Korean products recommendations from various categories and introduce you to the best skincare and makeup products too.
Best Korean Cosmetic Brands: Quick Summary
| Best Korean Cosmetic Brands | Best selling product | Best for |
| CosRx | Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence – Best selling Korean skincare product in Korea | All skin types |
| Innisfree | Innisfree Green Tea Seed Intensive Hydrating Serum Face Treatment | All skin types |
| Dear Klairs, | Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop | Sensitive skin |
| Missha | MISSHA Time Revolution The FIrst Treatment Essence | Dry |
| Laneige | Laneige Water Sleeping mask | Dry |
| The FaceShop | Facial Mask Sheets | All skin types |
| Etude House | Soonjung pH5.5 relief toner | Sensitive skin |
Since, the cosmetics industry has blown up quite a bit, we decided to bring you some of our favourite Best Korean Cosmetic Brands.
We curated this list of brands on the basis of their global availability and performance by most of their products and also the price point. Most of the brands in the list are mentioned by keeping an average buyer in mind, so most of these brands while being amazing won’t burn a hole in your pocket.
Go through the entire list of Best Korean Cosmetic Brands and you might find your ride or die product in the list too.
Top Korean Skincare Brands and Makeup Brands 2023
CosRx – Best Korean Cosmetic Brands
It may not be the OG Korean brand but at the lightning speed at which it managed to get into the western market and global cosmetic industry share is mindblowing.
This brand yet again proved that by research and development you can make the best of the products with minimal and clean ingredients that work well for the skin. Even if you are always on a shoestring budget you will be able to grab products from CosRx that work like magic.
Their Snail mucin range is just amazing to heal and hydrate your skin. Brand first came out with the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence which became an instant hit in the global skincare community.
Cosrx is a cruelty free brand, with some unique products which are reasonably priced and the brand has gained so much popularity in such a short time and hence the availability of the popular products in international markets is also easy.
Some products that you must try from the brand – these are suitable for all skin types:
COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser – one of the best cleansers we have come across. Gentle gel based cleanser that doesn’t leave your skin feeling dry soon after the wash.
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch – like a bandaid for your pimples, helping the pimples to subside quicker as it restricts the growth and spread of the germs. This is the least painful and quick way to get rid of the zits.
COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask – one of the best night treatments I have come across, nourishes skin overnight, leaving behind a subtle glow. Comes in a honey variant too which is suitable if you have excessively dry skin.
Innisfree
Innisfree probably is the first brand that made me fall in love with Korean Skincare. I got introduced to the famous sheet masks due to Innisfree. Most Popular ranges from this Brand are Green Tea Seed range, Volcanic mask and the orchid range.
Innisfree Orchid range is amazing during the colder months, one of the best moisturizers that worked out well for me in winters.
Innisfree is also popular for their make up – Their lip tints, no sebum powder and brow pencils are few of the hon’ble mentions from the makeup section.
Must try products for all skin types
Innisfree Green Tea Seed Intensive Hydrating Serum Face Treatment – This serum is superb and their reason to fame when innisfree just started. Star product for hydration, skin nourishment and strengthening skin barrier
Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask – known for deep cleansing skin, gentle exfoliation and visibly minimizes pores
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Dear Klairs
Another brand that shows up in almost any skincare recommendations list that we come up with. Klairs, again, believe in keeping the ingredients simple. Packaging too looks simplistic.
The first product I ever used from Klairs was Supple Preparation Toner and it changed my skincare game completely. Klairs believe in bringing out functional skincare for sensitive skin at reasonable prices.
Their brand philosophy is sustainable and believes in no harsh ingredients. So even though ingredients used in the products are mild to nourish and soothe the skin, they are effective and powerful and regular use of their products helps in improving skin elasticity.
Even though I haven’t come across a single product from this brand that hasn’t worked well for me, yet to begin with I would say – try their products from Supple Preparation and Midnight Blue line.
Midnight Blue calming cream is a game changer if you have sensitive or irritated skin. It also works well on sun damage.
If you are a beginner to Vitamin C, I highly recommend you to give a shot to Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop. It contains only 5% vitamin C, making it beginner-friendly along with centella asiatica, which helps in calming the irritated skin.
Missha
Missha probably is one of the oldest brands from K-beauty that has come out with superb products over the years. Their products vary in all price ranges from Luxury to High street to drugstore, making it one of the most versatile and dynamic brands.
Missha’s Time revolution range is known for its anti aging benefits world and is compared to giants like SK-II first essence and Estee Lauder ANR.
Missha has several award winning products under their brands, making it one of the most customer friendly brands. Even the upgrades in their most popular line is done after listening to feedback from customers and years of RnD.
Must try products from the Brand are any product from Their Time Revolution Line.
Super Aqua Ultra Hyaluron balm cream – This is an intense hydration cream which is not heavy on skin at all. One of their bestsellers too
Missha All around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk SPF 50+ / PA+++ – A sunscreen that moisturizes skin well and is extremely light and doesn’t leave any white cast.
Laneige
A brand that is super popular at Sephora US making it one of the most recognized K-beauty brands at global level. Laneige translates to “The Snow”.
Laneige uses their patented Water Zipper Technology which helps in replenishing and locking in the moisture.
The most popular product from the brand is OG Water Sleeping mask. Apply a thin layer of this one at night at wake up with rejuvenated healthy and plump skin. One of the best and most popular night treatments out there.
Followed up by Laneige Lip Mask – it helps in mild exfoliation and nourishing the lips at the same time. Recommended to use at night, this product can be a game changer for your lips and a very little goes a long way.
Another product that became my personal favorite and is a fairly new product in the market is Laneige Cream Skin Refiner. It’s like moisturizer in an essence form. Works great in the colder months.
The FaceShop
This brand requires no introduction. It has got world-wide recognition due to their amazing product variety both in skincare and makeup. Price point is fabulous without any compromise on quality. The Faceshop has over 3000 stores around the globe.
The Rice Water Bright range is my absolute favourite. Rice water as a beauty ingredient is one fairly popular K-beauty secret and The Face shop did a great job in bridging that out to the public.
Double Cleansing Duo from this range is a must have for squeaky clean and supple skin.
If you have sensitive or acne prone skin, we also recommend you to give a try to Dr Belmeur Range by the Face Shop. Extremely gentle on the skin and helps in combating skin issues.
Etude House
From the aesthetics to packaging to superb quality makeup and fragrances, Etude house is one brand that speaks everything adorable. Visiting their store is like visiting a candy shop. Everything feels and looks so pretty and cute.
Personally I love Etude house Brow pencils. They colour payoff ain’t too drastic and the waxiness of the pencil is perfectly blanched. To fill and shape the brows it’s one of the best products.
From Sheet masks to lip and eye masks, Etude house has everything under one roof. As for the Skincare range, my favourite is the Soon Jung range which is especially formulated for people with sensitive skin. Soonjung pH5.5 relief toner and 2x Barrier Cream are the must try from this range.
For anti aging, the Moistfull Collagen range has been around for the longest and the moisturizer from this range is one of the best choices in the anti aging category without having to spend a bomb on it. A little goes a long way and improves skin elasticity with few uses.
Not only is their packaging absolutely adorable, the efficiency of their products is no less.
Definitely pick up your favourites, next time you see something fun from their store.
The above list of the Best Korean cosmetic brands is nowhere exhaustive but these are our highly recommended brands that you must try for fabulous and glamorous skin and look. We hope that you liked our recommendation. We will bring you more brand and product recommendations soon.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Korean skincare and makeup brands have taken the beauty world by storm with their innovative products, effective formulations, and dedication to quality. The combination of traditional wisdom and cutting-edge technology has resulted in a skincare and makeup industry that caters to a wide range of skin concerns and beauty preferences.
From renowned skincare brands like Innisfree, Laneige, and COSRX, to makeup favorites like Etude House, Missha, and 3CE, these top Korean brands have earned global recognition for their commitment to excellence.
The Korean beauty philosophy of embracing self-care, promoting natural beauty, and maintaining a healthy complexion has resonated with beauty enthusiasts worldwide, making K-beauty a significant influencer in the global beauty landscape.
Whether you’re a skincare enthusiast seeking effective serums and essences or a makeup lover looking for trendy lip tints and cushion foundations, the top Korean skincare and makeup brands have something to offer for everyone.
As the world of beauty continues to evolve, Korean brands will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of innovation, providing beauty lovers with exceptional products and transformative experiences for years to come. Embrace the K-beauty journey and uncover the secrets to radiant skin and effortlessly chic makeup looks with these top Korean skincare and makeup brands.
Why You Should Trust BestKoreanProducts?
All our editors including the author of this article, Jih Yun do extensive research on the products reviewed and recommended in the article. We also use these products ourself to give you accurate, first hand information without any prejudice or bias. BestKoreanproducts has also got a team of medical reviewers and skincare experts to help give accurate advice and provide research-based facts concerning a product, its formulation or ingredients.
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