2015 K-Beauty Awards Skincare and Makeup Winners

[carmine-pink.livejournal.com]

CéCi magazine, one of Asia’s foremost magazines for females in their twenties, has recently released the results for their third annual K-Beauty Awards. Since we know many Soompiers are interested in Korean beauty products, we will be sharing their results from surveying their Korean, Chinese, and Thai readers concerning their favorite Korean makeup and skincare products. The photos incorporate famous Korean landmarks and historical sites as the backgrounds. How many locations can you guess?

Moisturizing Skincare Products



Laneige’s Water skincare line is known for its moisturizing properties. Korean, Chinese, and Thai readers all selected the Laneige Water Bank Essence as their favorite moisturizing essence. Meanwhile, China and Thailand favorited the Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream. Also, Chinese readers loved the ever-popular Laneige Water Sleeping Mask.

Whitening Skincare Products



Korean whitening products are extremely popular globally. Despite its name, whitening products can more accurately be described as brightening products. Rather than whitening skin, they actually brighten your skin for an overall healthy glow. Chinese readers selected both Laneige White Plus Renew Skin Refiner and Laneige White Plus Renew Emulsion as their favorite basic skincare products. All three countries’ readers chose Laneige’s White Plus Renew Original Essence as their favorite whitening essence.

Anti-Aging Skincare Products



Moving on to the popular anti-aging products. Thailand readers favored Laneige’s Time Freeze Intensive Cream and Time Freeze Essence. Meanwhile, readers in China chose Laneige Time Freeze Eye Serum as their favorite anti-aging eye product.



Korean and Chinese readers agreed on Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Cream as the best anti-aging cream for them. Rich in nutrients and rare Korean Ginseng, this cream comes at a hefty price. However, there are many who believe the product is worth its cost according to the results.



Korean readers chose a different favorite anti-aging serum as well. Their winner was Sulwhasoo Capsulized Ginseng Fortifying Serum. Recently released, this innovative product promises to add elasticity and plump up deep set wrinkles and lines. The unique packaging allows individuals to see the capsulized spheres/beads of red ginseng extract while protecting the ingredients from potential UV ray harm.

Masks



Well-known amongst K-Beauty lovers, Skinfood’s Black Sugar Mask Wash Off proves to be loved by Thai readers. The effective sugar mask is great for weekly exfoliation and helps soften skin.



Chinese and Korean beauty aficionados chose Innisfree’s Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask as their favorite mask product. The popular mask is known for targeting blackheads and minimizing large pores. The super version is notably stronger than their original version.

Body Products



Korean readers chose Happy Bath’s Rose Essence Brightening Body Wash as their favorite body product. Boasting 95 percent of its ingredients being natural, the gentle body wash smells like roses while brightening your body’s skin.



The best-selling Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel was Chinese readers’ top pick amongst body products. The lightweight gel is great for moisturizing and soothing sunburned skin. It’s so gentle that some consumers even use it on their faces! Try refrigerating it for a maximum cooling effect!

Shampoo and Conditioner



Ryeo shampoo and conditioner has the highest number of purchases from Chinese consumers. The brand’s line of products focuses on preventing hair loss. Its herbal ingredients keeps hair healthy and reduces hair fall-out.

Cleanser



Korean females determined Mamonde’s Lotus Micro Mild Foam as their cleanser of choice. Heralded as a product perfect for removing traces of fine dust (a large concern in Korea especially during spring), this cleanser thoroughly eliminates unwanted impurities while being gentle. There is also a Sebum Control version of the cleanser for individuals with oily skin.

Lip Products



Espoir’s No Wear M Lipstick in Soho turned out to be the favorite lipstick for Korean women. The M lipsticks in the No Wear Collection are matte shades. This lipstick (in a different shade) previously received first place in the pink lipstick category on “Get It Beauty” in 2014.



Chinese ladies preferred a shinier finish and selected Etude House’s Dear My Blooming Lips Talk. The creamy lipsticks provide good pigmentation and moisture. Isn’t the princess packaging adorable?



Thai females selected a lip tint over lipsticks. Their selection was the international favorite Etude House Dear Darling Tint. The gel lip tint can be layered for a natural stain or a more intense shade.

Eye Products



All three countries chose Etude House’s Look At My Eyes Eyeshadows as their eyeshadow choice. The individually potted eyeshadows come in a variety of shades and finishes suitable for anyone’s eyeshadow needs. Thai and Chinese readers both love Etude House’s Drawing Show Brush Eyeliner. Thai ladies apparently love Etude House Oh! My Eye Lash Mascara.



China’s mascara pick was Innisfree’s Skinny Waterproof Microcara. The thin mascara wand allows for clean and natural eyelash definition.

Blusher



You know a blush is worth checking out when ladies from three different countries unanimously love it! Etude House’s Lovely Cookie Blusher has adorable packaging and comes in a variety of gorgeous shades. It even comes with a cute ribbon-adorned puff that makes application easy. As further testament to the popularity of this product, the Peach Choux Wafers shade actually won the 2015 blind test on “Get It Beauty.”

Cushion Compacts



Etude House’s various Precious Mineral Any Cushions stole the hearts of Thai ladies. The Mint Cushion is used as a base to neutralize redness while the Peach Cushion is a brightening base. Then you use the Precious Mineral Any Cushion Foundation on top of the base of your choice for glowy coverage.



Korea’s favorite cushion proved to be the original cushion compact that started the cushion craze, IOPE’s Air Cushion XP. This cushion is popular for its great coverage and dewy finish.



China’s cushion compact of choice turned out to be HERA’s UV Mist Cushion. This high-end cushion has buildable long-lasting coverage. Individuals with dry skin can try the Ultra Moisture version of the cushion.

Sunscreen



The number one sunscreen for Korea ended up being HERA’s new Sun Mate Essence Gel. With a SPF of 40 PA++, the product will easily protect you from harmful rays. Be sure to reapply when exposed to sun for an extended period of time.



China’s sunscreen choice was Laneige Sun Block Supreme. This sunscreen boasts an SPF of 50 PA+++. If you’re serious about protecting yourself from sun damage, this is a great sunblock for you. It also won an award in Singapore.

BB & CC Cream



Laneige Water Base CC Cream is said to have received positive reviews from Chinese consumers. This CC Cream is great on its own or as a makeup base. Due to being water-based, it provides moisture for prolonged freshness. There is also a peach pink version available.



Korea’s CC Cream pick apparently sold out nationwide within five days of releasing the product. It’s none other than Banila Co It Radiant CC Cream. This CC cream gives great daily sun protection with SPF 30 PA++.

Did you agree with the results of the K-Beauty Awards? Which of the winners have you tried? Which products are you interested in?

Soompi, cecidigital.com 1, 2

Go to the Soompi article for product links!
Omona, what are your favorite K-beauty products that make you look fantastic & elastic?

Comments

[a-cheshire-grin.livejournal.com]

Laneige is SOOOOO good. I love their stuff! *.*<3

I would like to try Sulwhasoo products, but I'm not going to pay 250USD for a 30ml product! ~.~
I've only heard good things about IOPE’s Air Cushion XP so far. Maybe I'll buy it after I've finished my current one from ElishaCoy!

[http://users.livejournal.com/psychedelico_/]

god i hope that one day i can make enough money to buy sulwhasoo products without blinking an eye! and su:m37 products as well.

[kyokomurasaki.livejournal.com]

I've actually used the Sulwhasoo ginseng cream and it was nice but I don't think it made a noticeable difference to my skin; I definitely wouldn't pay as much as they charge for it unless it was some kind of miracle product.

I'd like to try the Nature Republic aloe vera gel (though why is it in a tub T_T) They've started selling Laneige where I am and I was pretty excited to try their stuff before I saw that most of their products were pretty poorly rated on Paula's Choice, especially since their stuff is on the pricier side.

My favorite beauty product atm is actually from a Japanese brand; it's the Isehan Heroine Make waterproof mascara. Holy grail status: makes my lashes look super long, not clumpy, doesn't flake and DOES NOT COME OFF. (Which is kind of a pain when you actually want it to come off lol but the staying power is ridiculous)

[http://users.livejournal.com/psychedelico_/]

is your heroine make the long and curl one or the volume and curl one? i heard lots of good things about the mascaras so i bought the volume and curl one but it gave me panda eyes when i got caught in the rain T_T i saw that there's now super waterproof versions of the mascaras and i'd like to give it a try but i'm scared history will repeat itself.

[http://users.livejournal.com/psychedelico_/]

i'm loving the new etude house mascara right now, but the wand is fat so i keep poking myself in the eye. the innisfree skinny waterproof microcara is a godsend. it's great for tiny lashes.

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

Does the Innisfree mascara smudge? I have the oiliest eyelids

[kiku-cha8-8.livejournal.com]

that natures republic aloe vera gel is a godsend. i highly recommend it

[wishesgranted.livejournal.com]

IOPE air cushion is amaze.

MISSHA First Treatment Essence and su:m37 Timeless Moisturizing Cream are two products I never want to give up, although the moisturizing cream is a bitch to find lately. It's sold out everywhere.

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

I really want to try more sum37 stuff if not just for the packaging lol. I have the Rose Stick and its nothing special. I want the whole secret programming line

[somacomatose.livejournal.com]

korean makeup and skincare staple!


(OF COURSE)



new favourite!



i've gone through like 8 of these



not really a favourite but i use it with my body shop bb cream which is a tad too dark for me



i think they stopped selling these (╥﹏╥)



and...not korean (japanese) it is my favourite blusher everrr

very flattering on tanned skin!

[http://users.livejournal.com/psychedelico_/]

majolica majorca products are so pretty T_T

the vdl festival pen liner is still being sold btw!

[mad-nux.livejournal.com]

innisfree super volcanic pore clay mask is rly good and I love their jeju volcanic line. about to try their blur pact and primer

[yakuniku-8.livejournal.com]

I wanted to buy this mask but I'm afraid it's aggressive for sensitive skin. Does it make your skin dry?

[kyokomurasaki.livejournal.com]

Oh I also recommend anybody who uses a lot of K-cosmetics to download the Hwahae app. It might be difficult to use if you don't read hangul but it lists all of the ingredients for basically every product in Korean and English.

[yakuniku-8.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! Thank you!

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

I used the Banila Co. CC Cream today actually..it really evens out my skin tone but it's so light. Also kinda oily.

I work in Korean skincare now tho (!!) so it's nice always having products to try. You can probably tell from my routine where I work lol oops

Right now this is my routine:

Day
Cleanser- Sum37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick (don't love it but I need to finish using it) or Dr. Oracle Enzyme Powder Wash
Toner- Missha First Treatment Essence
Essence- LJH Tea Tree Essence
Serum- It's Skin Power 10 VB Effector with B6
Ampoule- LJH Vita Proplis Ampoule (literally the best thing I have ever used)
Eye Cream- Eve Lom Eye Cream
Cream- Boscia Black Hydration Gel (just started using this, just finished my Whamisa Organic Flowers Water Cream)
Primer: Dr. Dennis Gross Colloidal Sulfer Mask
Makeup: Missha Magic Cushion (love it and got it for $5)

Night
Makeup Remover- The Face Shop Mango Seed (not great)
Cleansing Oil- Innisfree Green Apple Cleansing Oil
Mask- Goodal Glacial Pore Pack. I also just bought the Glossier Green Galaxy and Moon Masks tho, I'm so excited to try
In between steps are the same up to eye cream
Sheet Mask- whichever, really. I like Innisfree (cotton) and When (bio-cellulose)
Facial Oil- Josie Maran Argan Oil or Pai Rosehip Oil
Cream- Joseon Beauty Cream (fave and its sooooo pretty)

[leopolitan.livejournal.com]

how did you find missha magic cushion for $5???

and that sucks about the su:m37 rose cleansing stick. ive heard its amazing and its appealing because of how natural it is but its waaaay too expensive for me to risk not loving it lol

[smilla-sini.livejournal.com]

I really like The Saem's stuff like Eco Soul cushion, Micro Peel gel and Kiss Button lipsticks.

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

I didn't buy much at The Saem yet, but I love every purchase so far. Their under-eye concealer can compete with some high-end brands, and the Black Pearl CC cream is awesome, too in my light skin months.
I'm definitely going to go for more The Saem when I run out all the tons of samples and new stuff I have now.

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

Also I'm upset that this beauty post is happening while I'm at work and not when I can check back every like 10 minutes

[carmine-pink.livejournal.com]

lol, I posted this before going to sleep for four hours and when I woke up there were 100+ comments

[merylsteep.livejournal.com]

am hopeless with makeup and just rely on good skin care. I can't do away with Missha First Time essence and Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sunscreen tho. For moisturizer, I tend to collect and then forget about them but currently using Nature Republic Argan steam emulsion.

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

I will never stop using the Missha First Treatment Essence

[words-by-ash.livejournal.com]

I love the Skinfood black sugar scrub. Cleans my pores and my face feels super clean afterwards without the tightness.

I wish I had the money for Sulwhasoo!!!

I'm going to try the aloe gel since I keep hearing tons about it.

Laneige is next on my list as well, I buy my face masks from Amore and they always give me samples of Laneige products but then I forget to use them.

I'm alternating between the CosRX AHA and BHA power liquids and my hyper-pigmentation is clearing up so that's currently my staple product. Well that and sunscreen.

[leopolitan.livejournal.com]

i should be getting my black sugar mask in the mail in a few days, sooo excited to try it!! i love yummy wash off masks even more than sheet masks

innisfrees clay mask did nothing for me. i really prefer my seaweed ionic clay mask from the body shop, it sucks absolutely everything out of my face, idk how it does it. some kind of demon magic

i remain unimpressed with etude houses eyeshadows...theyre barely pigmented and always have a shit ton of fallout. i want to try their lipsticks someday, and maybe their blushers since i like really faint blushes

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

Ok that seaweed clay mask sounds real cool

[torontok.livejournal.com]

I'm still a K-skincare virgin for the most part since getting hold of stuff is hard here.I just ordered Innisfree's Jeju Bija line and I'm looking forward to how that goes.

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

Are you in Canada?

[honeebs.livejournal.com]

New products to try. I'm on it.

[redblacklace.livejournal.com]

Yes the black sugar mask is amazinggg but i prefer the strawberry version bc oh god it smells so good and a bit gentler on my skin than the original one.

And anyone can recommend holy grail essence or serum to make these ugly acne scars go away? Errr i've always go natural with lemons,turmerics,etc for treating this problem but none of them giving me desirable result /sighs

[torontok.livejournal.com]

I have a similar problem with discoloration from acne and this article was helpful.Paula's Choice also has some great products
http://www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/acne/_/red-marks-and-acne-scars

[leopolitan.livejournal.com]

i really want to try some products from skinfood so i might give that avocado line a shot!

its not a cream (its more like a toner) and it retails for about $30, but missha first time revolution essence has been the best product ive found for brightening my face

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

I was on an oil diet for my face for a few months (years), but a few recent trips to East Asia obviously added a lot of random Korean and Japanese cosmetics to my shelves.

The things I regularly use from the post are the Laneige Water Bank line products, they're quite good. I have to mention that when I used the Etude House collagen line, it also gave very similar results (and is much cheaper). The Etude House cushion I also use when my skin is lighter, the shade I have doesn't work on my summer skin tone though.

I'm planning on preparing my own cushions with a mix of UV protective daily cream and concealer, cause I found a nice combination recently.

The Face Shop has a nice eye and lip make up remover with apple (?) that I've also been using, quite good.

Before Shiseido's AntiWrinke miracle eye transformator magic thing stole the show, I've used The Face Shop ginseng eye cream, amazing stuff, too. Skin Food 10 solution with their separate upper and lower eye creams was also quite good. I also have a The Face Shop chia seed eye cream (and a Shu Uemura Tsuya one) open, so someone should stop me from buying more eye creams. The chia thing didn't do anything, the rest are all pretty good.

Korean skincare I'm surely going to buy: more mask sheets. Some of them are awesome, I took notes from the above comments for trying out new ones.
Make-up repurchase is going to be The Saem under-eye concealer. I've bought some Laura Mercier, Estee Lauder, Shiseido stuff recently for my eyes, all of them are quite good. The Saem is nearly there with Laura Mercier, really. Maybe it's just my type of skin, but it's very good. (EL and Shiseido look flaky after a short while.)
...but that's going to be in quite a while, it's been a big make-up haul for me recently. I only listed a quarter of the products I bought recently.

Has anyone tried Belif? I want to buy their Hungarian water essence thingy for my friends for fun, read good things about it, but still curious.

[liederkreis.livejournal.com]

I got a few Belif products for my sister, but she's too inconsistent with her skincare routine to give me any actual feedback on it, orz.

[huanyia.livejournal.com]

i actually have the bare minimum when it comes to makeup lol. i only use maybelline great lash waterproof mascara and that stuff does not come off even when i have swim practice + sweat for over 2 hours. it comes off easier than expected as well. i'm acne prone though so i don't put anything on my face beside medication :/

the only thing i really want to try from this list is the nature republic aloe gel.

[tree-star123.livejournal.com]

so much laneige on the list lol. I never bothered trying them bc my roommate just thought it was meh okay.
I'm probably the only one who doesn't like the nature republic gel; it stings my skin.
I'm on look out for new cushions tho I'm kinda scared to buy randomly bc I bought etude house anycushion based on yt review & it didn't work out too well for me lol.

[bomsnose.livejournal.com]

You might want to buy just the empty cushion, and mix your own.
Any Cushion, or Laneige's (can't be bothered to look at the name) cushion both weren't too special for me, except that I loved the application method. I just found a nice cream + concealer balance recently that I mix on my hands these days, and I'm going to try to fill an empty cushion with those, to keep it as a backup in my purse.

I read so much good stuff about Hera and Iope, but they're probably too dewy for Euro standards...

[liederkreis.livejournal.com]

I'm really surprised at all the Laneige on that list. I tried pretty much everything now offered at Target in the US, and while none of it seems to have damaged my skin, it also hasn't really done anything positive? Other than Innisfree's skinny mascara and the eye version of Sulwhasoo's ginger cream, I don't use anything on this best of list, haha. Then again, my skin is a lot more oily, dehydrated, and damaged than most people's, so I'm not surprised I need different things from the products I use.

That said, CosRX makes some of the best products I've used in a long while. Their BHA, AHA, and Galactomyces products have done so much to help my extremely problematic skin in the past six or eight weeks. I don't think I ever thought I'd find myself consistently using chemical exfoliants, but they're not at all harsh or abrasive. Shara Shara's Honey Bomb Ampoule is also pretty spectacular; it's moisturizing without being sticky, greasy, or thick, and it lasts forever.

[revertigo.livejournal.com]

are you a wishtrend addict, too? haha i am definitely shopping CosRX next.

[revertigo.livejournal.com]

so many products i want to try but can't because of my commitment to supporting cruelty-free brands.

my sister gifted me innisfree & etude house lipsticks and a mascara from her trip and they are good quality.

some k-products i love are the OST C21.5 serum, chica y chico's betaine salicylate products and moisturizers that have trehalose in them. the latter two are ingredients (combos) i've never seen before in western brands.

[leopolitan.livejournal.com]

i use OST C20 serum and love it. its probably my only holy grail product. i was considering upgrading to 21.5 but 20 already works so well for me and im a scrooge over that extra $10 lol

[classicfire.livejournal.com]

Anyone use the face shop here? I want to know other people's experiences using the moisturizers and foundations. I love the face masks.

[kicking-tenshi.livejournal.com]

No experience w/ foundations but I've used the face shop smart capsule cc cream and the aqua cc cushion. The latter leaves my face feeling really sticky and uncomfortable - I'm stingy so I insist on using it 1/2 and 1/2 with a gel moisturizer. The former I really love and the finish is satin-y - I'm between their light and dark shades though so I still do 1/2 and 1/2. Coverage is light/med but buildable.

As for moisturizers, never used but their mango seed cream is was voted most moisturizing on a blind test on Get It Beauty back when Eugene was hosting.

[yakuniku-8.livejournal.com]

I'm looking for a good sunscreen without alcohol and which doesn't make the skin oily. Any advice?
It doesn't need to be Korean

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

The Dr. Oracle Sunscreen is really good. Apparently ajummas in Korea love it lol and it's apparently a great primer. I've only ever used a sample.

The other day I bought a face sunscreen and a body mist sunscreen from The Yeon. It uses lotus extract so it's great for anti aging. Don't recall if it doesn't have alcohol but so far I love it