Beauty of Joseon review
Relief Sun is the single best argument for buying Korean sunscreen, and it costs about eighteen dollars. The rest of the range is quietly excellent too.
$12–$26Read review
Shelf
K-Beauty & J-Beauty
Korean and Japanese brands, where filter-first marketing and genuinely excellent texture work often sit in the same catalogue.
7Brands reviewed
8.2Shelf average
8.6Highest score
COSRX review
COSRX sells unglamorous products in plain packaging at low prices, and several of them are the best thing in their category at any price. The snail essence deserves its reputation.
$9–$30Read review
Shiseido review
Shiseido has been doing cosmetic science since 1872 and it shows in the places that matter: sunscreen, emulsions, and a foundation range built by people who understand skin.
$30–$130Read review
Hada Labo review
Hada Labo's hydrating lotion has an ingredient list you can read out loud in ten seconds and it has outsold almost everything in Japan for two decades. There is a lesson in that.
$10–$24Read review
Laneige review
The Lip Sleeping Mask sells in volumes most brands manage across an entire catalogue. The rest of Laneige is a competent hydration specialist that nobody talks about.
$18–$52Read review
Dr.Jart+ review
Dr.Jart+ introduced the West to BB cream and then quietly became a serious barrier-repair brand. Cicapair is a strange product that works better than it has any right to.
$18–$52Read review
Innisfree review
Innisfree built a following on cheap, effective, pleasant skincare with a green-island story attached. A global rebrand and a rush of new launches have blurred what it is for.
$10–$40Read review