Korean beauty has transformed British beauty shelves – and as a result, our bathroom cabinets. They are now brimming with bright pink packaging, skin barrier-supporting formulas and innovative ingredient lists.
Featured in this article
But beyond just the products themselves, K-beauty has changed the way we think about skincare. Rather than bombarding our complexion with harsh actives in an attempt to buff away skin concerns, there is a greater emphasis on supporting and caring for the skin, layering complementary ingredients that work with the skin rather than against it.
That is not to say that we are sacrificing on performance. Brands such as Medicube, SKIN1004 and Anua have proven that kind-to-skin formulas can still be hard-working and tackle concerns from dullness and dehydration to fine lines, while still feel nourishing.
My own obsession with K-beauty knows no bounds. I even travelled to Seoul to get up close and personal with the latest launches, many of which I’m hoping will eventually make their way to UK shores. So, when I heard about the Lookfantastic advent calendar, I was over the moon.
The retailer has responded to the category’s growing popularity with its first-ever dedicated K-skincare calendar. Worth £140 but priced at just £50, it comes in a series of silver boxes filled with hero and bestselling products, as well as newer labels to discover, including Isntree (not to be confused with Innisfree, which also features in the calendar) and Aromatica.
- Best for: K-Beauty favourites
- Release date: Available now
- Number of products: 12
- Number of days: 12
- What’s inside? Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0, Laneige Water Sleeping Mask, Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum Ginseng + Retinal
- Why it’s K-beauty fans rejoice. Lookfantastic has responded to the category’s ever-growing popularity with its first-ever dedicated K-skincare calendar. Worth £140 but priced at just £50, it comes in a series of silver boxes filled with hero and bestselling products, as well as newer labels to discover, including ISNTREE (not to be confused with INNISFREE, which also features in the calendar) and Aromatica.
There are 12 products inside the calendar from some of the biggest brands in the British K-beauty space, from Haruharu Wonder to Laneige to Biodance to Medicube. Below are the top products recommended by the beauty team. But beyond our top formulas below, you will also find, in a deluxe size, Haruharu Wonder’s Black Rice Ceramide Barrier Moisturizing Cream, the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask, Round Lab’s Dokdo Cleanser, Aromatica’s Rosemary Salt Scrub, the INNISFREE Green Tea Ceramide Milk, as well as Tocobo Glass Tinted Lip Balm 013 Tangerine Red and ISNTREE GIM PDRN Firming Cream in full size.
Why it’s -approved: This SPF was recommended to me by make-up artist and Vieve founder Jamie Genevieve, who praised the formula for being “super lightweight and leaves no white cast,” which she describes as “the perfect makeup base.” It melts into the skin with, as mentioned, no white cast, leaving an airbrushed finish in its wake.
- Why it’s -approved: Medicube’s Zero Pore Pads have a lot going for them. Namely, Dr Chang likes that the exfoliating pads are both easy to use and gentle on the skin, thanks to the combination of “low-dose AHA and BHA to refine pores and smooth texture,” she says. The alpha hydroxy acids are courtesy of both lactic acid (arguably the gentlest AHA out there) and fruit extracts, while white willow bark serves as a natural source of BHA. They’re also dual-sided so that you can use the textured side for additional physical exfoliation or a soft, smooth side for hydration.
- Key ingredients: Lactic acid, white willow bark extract, cypress tree leaf extract
Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask
- Why it’s -approved: You might recognise this mask from its many viral moments on TikTok, but it’s especially loved by those who take their beauty sleep seriously. Take ’s Kiana Murden, for example, who loves to address skin concerns before bed. “My jaw dropped when I saw my complexion,” she said of her initial test of the mask. “The congestion and enlarged pores I had on my forehead the night before had vanished. My skin felt baby-soft to touch and incredibly bouncy, like I just emerged from my aesthetician’s chair.” If wearing it overnight feels like too much, you can leave it on for three to four hours during the day instead. It goes transparent once absorbed, so you’ll still get all the benefits without the overnight commitment. There are a few options to choose from, but we’re partial to the collagen mask, which board-certified dermatologist Dr Heidi Prather says is loaded with collagen and botanical extracts to plump the skin and leave it deeply moisturised.
- Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, collagen
- Best for: Dry skin
Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Serum
- Best hyaluronic acid for skin bounce
- Why it’s approved: South Korean skincare brand Innisfree knows how to make skin feel fresh-out-the-spa, even if you’re at home. This serum pairs multiweight hyaluronic acid with niacinamide and camellia, a tea leaf extract known to stimulate collagen production. Expect to enjoy skin that feels and looks smooth, soothed and bouncy. It has a refreshing scent that comes courtesy of limonene essential oil, which is worth noting if you’re fragrance averse.
- a little goes a long way
Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal
- Why it’s -approved: Dark circles can become more pronounced as we age thanks to thinner, more fragile skin. This hydrating, soothing formula works on improving skin density with the help of retinal, while simultaneously energising and brightening skin with ginseng. There’s no shortage of excellent formulations among Korean skincare products, but few have matched the efficacy and results of this eye serum. It’s a favourite of Y. Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, for its combination of ginseng and retinal, which she calls “powerful anti-ageing ingredients.” (Retinal is a more potent cousin to retinol; yet it’s thought to be gentler too.) She also gives it bonus points for its “lightweight, lotion-like formulation,” she says. However, because it contains a retinoid, it’s better used only at night.
- Product type: Eye cream
- 2 per cent retinal liposome, 10 per cent ginseng root extract, niacinamide, glycerin and peptides
- Why it's -approved: A formula that has become a mainstay for good reason. Built around Madagascan centella asiatica, this is about calming rather than correcting, making it particularly useful when skin is irritated, dehydrated or simply overworked. The texture is almost water-like, so it layers easily without pilling or weight, and can be used generously. There’s very little to distract from the core ingredient, which is what gives it its appeal. Consider it a reset step when everything else feels like too much.
- Key ingredients: Centella asiatica extract (cica)