By Renée Tse

For beauty enthusiasts, one of the joys of traveling to a new city is wandering into a local pharmacy and perusing the beauty aisles. But trying to navigate an abundance of new, unfamiliar brands (often labelled in a foreign language might we add) can be overwhelming, especially for a beauty metropolis like Seoul. Known as a cosmetic heaven with innovative products available left, right and centre, it’s hard to figure out the so-so stuff ones the real gems. So who better to ask for the best in K-beauty than the women who actually live there for the products they swear by? We asked three of Seoul’s coolest girls on their favourite Korean pharmacy beauty buys. Take note because you’re going to want to bookmark this page next time you’re in Seoul. Trust us.

PARK EUNKYUNG
Nail Artist (@nail_unistella)

Park Eunkyung needs no introduction. The Seoul nail art queen has been making waves since her #glassnails days, and from then she’s come up with out-of-the-world nail art designs we never thought we needed in our lifetime. (See: #handmadenailcake, #dryflowernails, #lipstickshapednails and #braceletnails). Running her boutique in Cheongdam-dong, Park has also become quite the celebrity nail artist who has bedazzled the nails of K-pop superstars like BlackPink, G-Dragon and Lee Hyori–to only name a few. What can we expect from the nail artist next? It looks like she’ll be expanding her growing nail art design with an upcoming launch. Could it be more nail jewellery? Nail art stickers? Or maybe her very own nail polish? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we’ll be saving her latest skincare products to tackle maskne (and her nail art designs) for our next visit to Seoul.

Gesgep Bare Cream 
“My face breaks out a few times each year, but I love how I can use this cream even when my skin is breaking out really bad. It’s the best product to help moisturize your skin, while preparing it for makeup.”

Dermatory Hypoallergenic Cica Rescue Gauze Pad
“Since I’m not a big fan of facial masks, I love using these pads instead whenever my skin needs some extra care.”

Mixsoon Centella Asiatica Extract 100% Water Essence
“Ever since my face started breaking out from wearing the mask too long, I’ve started using this. I like it because I can mix it into my other skincare products, and since it is made out of Centella extract, it’s great to use even when my skin feels really sensitive.​

LAURA JUNG
Influencer (@laurajung)

Dividing her time between New York and Seoul, Laura Jung creates inspirational content for her 65K followers (and counting). Known for her aspirational lifestyle shots, #ootd pics and favourite beauty products, Jung is much-loved by her followers for her candidness on IG Stories and speaking out on things she believes in, from mental health to politics to her love for BTS and Taylor Swift. The dual-city influencer recently made the move to Seoul and recently signed with influential Korean model/talent agency, ESteem (Irene Kim, SooJoo and Ji Hye Park are on the roster), the influencer hopes to branch out into the worlds of fashion, art and culture. When we caught up with the creator on her fave products to treat her super dry skin, she teased she’s currently working on something that she can’t quite divulge on yet, but we know it’s going to be exciting so we’re keeping our eyes peeled on her IG feed. 

Aromatica Cleansing Oil 
“I love starting my skincare routine with cleansing oils. It’s the best way to cleanse off any makeup and prep skin for a subsequent double cleanse and the rest of your products. This cleansing oil not only does the job, it smells delightful. I also love that it’s in pump form because oil-based products in a jar make it feel unsanitary.”

Kim Jeong Moon Aloe Cure+ Intensive Cream
“My cousin introduced this to me. I don’t think its popularity and cult-status have made it state-side (yet!), but it’s an incredibly rich, soothing and moisturizing balm made from organic aloe. My skin gets super dry in the winter and I also suffer from dermatitis and psoriasis, so I put this on wherever my skin—and lips!—need some extra love.”

Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Correcting Cream
“I know you can get this stateside, but I still get it every time I’m in Korea. It’s a green-coloured cream, but once applied onto the skin, it turns beige and adapts to the skin tone, moisturizing it and protecting it from the sun and other environmental aggressors. I use it as a moisturizer, BB cream, SPF and/or primer.”

MONICA KIM 
Stylist (@monmooon)

Also dividing her time between New York and Seoul, the former Vogue Senior Fashion News Editor recently made the move to South Korea for the time being to work with Korean musical artist Yaeji as her stylist. Apart from styling, the ultra-cool fashion girl has done some creative and production work with Japanese and Korean brands such as Kozaburo, Rokh and We11done. While she’s still getting settled (it is her first time living outside the U.S.), she’s excited to share a slew of Korea-based projects she has coming down the pipeline soon, as well as beauty products on her top shelf she’s glad she can easily grab now that she’s residing in Seoul.   

Innisfree Aqua Water Drop Sunscreen
“There’s now a great Innisfree store in New York, but I always make a point to drop by a shop in Seoul to pick up a few products they haven’t stocked stateside yet. Namely, the Aqua Water Drop sunscreen, which is a super lightweight SPF 50+ with a smooth water-like texture—not sticky and no white residue.”

Eco Your Skin Volufiline15 Eye Essence
“Every time I visit Skin Lab L, I leave with the sort of high-level glow that, alas, I can only achieve—and maintain—in Korea. But the facial spa’s in-house product line certainly works wonders back home, particularly the Vitamin C + E serum (flecked with gold), the Moisture Wall Surge gel-cream (a pretty pink jelly), and the Volufiline15 Eye Essence, which I like as a lighter eye cream option for daytime.”

Fillimilli Silky Cotton Puff
“I always buy cotton pads in bulk at the drugstore. They’re super high quality and cheap compared to what you can normally find in the U.S. I prefer the silky cotton ones that are shaped like little pillows and have a small pocket, so you can slip them on.”