Experience mini Myeongdong in SM’s K-beauty Zone
The Korean beauty craze is continuing to go and grow, thanks to more brands finally making their way to our side of the world. In fact, SM Beauty is taking us several steps closer to our glass skin goals (and our favorite oppa) by bringing together the best K-beauty brands under one roof!
Visiting the K-beauty flagship zone right in the center of SM Makati made me feel like I was in Myeongdong, the famous shopping street in South Korea for everything K-beauty! I had a lot of fun shopping PV favorite brands like CosRX , Dear Klairs, Neogen, Mediheal, and Leaders while the speakers blasted K-pop songs by my favorite idol group SEVENTEEN. There are so many Korean makeup and skincare finds here so if you don’t know what to choose or are on the lookout for your next beauty buy, read on for our top SM K-beauty picks!
While Dear Klairs only officially arrived in the Philippines earlier this year, I’ve loved their Rich Moist Soothing Cream (P1,280) for a while now because it feels amazing on my dry skin. This moisturizer is so incredibly creamy that a pea-sized amount is enough to keep my skin feeling bouncy and hydrated even when I’ve been inside an airconditioned room all day! The Freshly Dropped Vitamin Drop (P1,200) is a popular treatment for dark spots because of its 5% vitamin C that can help lighten hyperpigmentation or dark spots. It’s a crowd favorite because it’s supposed to be gentle enough for use even for sensitive skin.
CosRX is our go-to brand for affordable yet effective chemical exfoliants. The BHA Blackhead Power Liquid (P990) is an HG for many because of how well it keeps skin clear of pimples and comedones, my personal favorite is the AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner (P680)! I use it to control my chicken skin (aka keratosis pilaris) because it flattens the bumps and reduces hyperpigmentation. I also use this on my face daily to help prevent breakouts.
Leaders is one of my favorite sheet mask brands, and I particularly love the Mediu Amino Pore Tight Mask (P94) and Mediu Amino Moisture Mask (P94) variants. Pore Tight really did make my pores less visible, temporarily of course. The masks contain a generous amount of essence so I usually store the excess in the fridge or apply all over my body for a true pampering session!.
Other skincare K-beauty brands to keep an eye out for are AHC, Esfolio, iWhite, Dewytree, Face Republic, Seoul White, Fresh, Jayjun, Bling Pop, Luxe Organix, and SNP.
Of course, SM K-beauty also has color cosmetics! Since these products are primarily made for fair Korean skin tones, the colors are sometimes tricky to matched sun-kissed Filipino skin. Having K-beauty makeup right at SM Beauty makes it easier to swatch products and find our shade matches, especially for foundations and concealers!
You can find staples like Banila Co., Yadah, Clio, The Saem, and Peripera but I initially got confused when I spotted homegrown brands like blk Cosmetics and Vice Cosmetics on display as well. A closer look shows that these two were included because of their K-beauty inspired collections! The Intense Color Liquid Eyeshadow (P299) from blk makes eye makeup application so much easier, and who can resist the cute packaging of the Vice x BT21 collection?
While the K-beauty Zone isn’t yet available in all SM Beauty stores, many of the brands are already available in Watsons stores nationwide. This means that we don’t need to get a plane ticket to leave the country, or comb through the Internet looking for legit sellers. No more worrying about buying fake products!
So, what will be your next K-beauty find?
