Where to buy Korean beauty in London
Looking to buy K-beauty skincare or J-beauty make-up in London? Scroll down for the latest in Far East products and spa services in the capital
Fast-forward to 2023 and now with the emergence of the other Eastern-inspired movements like the J-Beauty (Japanese Beauty) on our radar too, and an emphasis on sophisticated skincare and ritualistic regimes for a flawless and a softer dermis, it looks like all eyes (and faces) are on the East.
After all, a bright, glowing and spot-free complexion is seen as the ultimate status symbol in Asia, (and admired here too) and they’re also apparently 10 years ahead in R&D for treating specific skin concerns.
However, there’s no need to take a flight as we’ve found the best in K-beauty right here in the capital.
There are the major players like Erborian, Dr.Jart+ and Suqqu at Selfridges; and along with Shiro stores in Covent Garden and St Christopher’s Place.
Try Koibird in Marylebone for fashion and accessories, or visit the cute and kitsch shops in Soho and Chinatown, or now also (and excitingly) in a Boots near you. Also, Glam Touch and Kōsame are clickable destinations for Korean skincare and K-beauty products in the UK, they offer a huge selection of lotions and potions and also tips on refining your K-Beauty skincare regimens.
THE TOP KOREAN BEAUTY BUYS IN LONDON
Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Body Oil, £24.50
The meringue-like mousse transforms into a super-nurturing oil that treats dry and scaly skin.
Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Body Oil, £24.50 - buy here
Ginseng Royal Silk Eye Cream at Nature Republic, £79.50
This ultra-rich eye cream has an eye-roller that helps de-puff, eliminates water retention, and revitalises the eye area. Incorporate into your night-care regimen to relax the eyes after a long day.
Ginseng Royal Silk Eye Cream at Nature Republic, £79.50 - buy here
Dr. Jart+’s Ceramidin™ Ectoin®-Infused Cream, £50
The latest launch for 2023 is Dr Jart's Ceramidin super cream. It strengthens the skin barrier and soothes and relieves dry skin immediately.
Dr. Jart+’s Ceramidin™ Ectoin®-Infused Cream, £50 – buy here
Innisfree Hydrating Serum with Green Tea Seed serum, £16.88
Harnessing the power of potent ingredients found on Korea's Jeju Island, the serum floods skin with antioxidants and amino acids – the building blocks of great skin.
Innisfree Hydrating Serum with Green Tea Seed serum, £16.88 – buy here
Erborian Dore CC Cream, £41
A cult classic for a reason. It offers that no-make-up make-up look and leaves you with perfected skin. It is next-level skincare-meets make-up hybrid that we have on repeat.
Erborian Dore CC Cream, £41 – buy here
Skin1004 Centella Ampoule, £19.50
This used to take weeks to ship over from Korea; however, now it's found at Sephora, you can replenish your Asian-influencer-favourite in super quick time.
Skin1004 Centella Ampoule, £19.50 – buy here
COSRX One-Step Green Hero Calming Pads, £24.99
Cosrx merges science, nature and also customer experience as its USP. So expect to find user-friendly and stripped-back formulas and focus on key ingredients that make a difference to the skin.
COSRX One-Step Green Hero Calming Pads, £24.99 - buy here
Too Cool For School
Before its launch on Ulta in the US, Too Cool For School had a waiting list of 25,000, with over 9,000 consumers asking for it to be brought to the UK. It's now over here and can be found at Boots and Lookfantastic.com.
Inspired by home remedy ingredients like skin-refining egg white (all without the mess) and packaged in a delightful way, the products are fun, cute and deliver too.
The line-up includes masks, moisturisers, hair and body products – we love the Egg Mousse Body Oil, £24.50, that dissolves from a lovely whipped formula into a glow-giving serum for limbs.
Nature Republic UK
64-66 Charing Cross Road, WC2H & Westfield White City, Shepherd's Bush, London W12
Korea’s best-selling beauty brand, Nature Republic, now has two locations in London. Hero products include: Snail Solution Skin Booster, Ginseng Royal Eye Cream, Super Aqua Max Watery Cream and their Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera Gel, which is so popular, it sold one million tubes in a single day on launch in China. Plus, make-up stations, a sheet mask wall and plants galore make for a beautiful and blissful shopping space.
Click here
Oseyo Soho
73-75 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0NE
From kimchi to K-pop, there's everything you need to satisfy your Far East fancy. Tucked away is a little beauty section that offers brands like Chobs Sheet Masks, and Bellca, the No.1 cosmetics company in Korea, plus lots of other serums, lotions and potions. The plus? Most have English translation (crucial if Korean isn’t your first language and want to use the products properly).
Click here
KOIBIRD
62 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2PB
Along with the cool houndstooth anti-viral face masks and trend-driven fashion, there are also all your K-Beauty needs in Koibird. There's an entire wall of beauty stuff with all the big hitters like Jin Soon nails, Venn, Beautyqlo and Shangpree (this is where the K-Pop stars go to spa in Seoul). Along with shelves dedicated to sheet masks (cue: frenzy), there are some lovely flowering teas that come in test tubes that make a great gift.
Click here
P2BUS [Proud To Be Us]
21 Newport Court, London WC2H 7JS
Among the restaurants and bubble tea cafés in Chinatown, there’s also the cute and kitsch P2BUS. It’s floor-to-ceiling racks of fun K-cosmetics, 10-step skincare regimes and playfully packaged sheets masks, along with Korea’s number-one selling eyeliner and lip balms, and sweet treats of matcha-infused cookies and cartooned candy packets, all in one happy place. Plus the sales staff are super-helpful too.
Click here
BOOK J & K-BEAUTY TREATMENTS
Dr David Jack Clinic
96 Harley Street, W1 and 59 Ebury Street. SW1
NanoFirm: the Korean Laser, exclusive to the clinic.
Price: £490 per session or £1250 for a course of 3 treatments
The NanoFirm is a next-generation nano-ablative laser designed to treat sun-damaged and ageing skin of all skin types. It includes three-in-one laser, ultrasound and galvanic functions that target the skin's epidermal and upper dermal layers to reset, regenerate and repair for a bouncier, more radiant and youthful complexion – all with minimal downtime.
Kichi Studio: The Babyface Facial Korean Laser Facial
Natasha Clancy at Kichi Studio, 14 Hanover House, Hanover Square, W1S
Price: £350 per session
If you want to achieve that glass-skin glow, head to the talented hands of Natasha Clancy, who will transform a tired dermis into something much more youthful and regenerated with her high-tech Korean laser treatment that lasts up to 8-weeks.
Chi Yu Wellness Centre
36 George Street, London W1U 7DR
Not strictly Korean – but employs all the best of the East – including the legendary Chidoriya, a Japanese natural & organic skincare range from Kyoto, using traditional Eastern ingredients such as camellia oil, green tea and rice bran to give softer, younger-looking skin along with facial treatments that incorporate jade rollers, acupuncture, lymphatic drainage and acupressure to lift, tighten and tone naturally.
Click here
Oh and if you’re feeling peckish? Then check out Culture Whisper’s guide to the great Korean foodie places in London – click here.
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