The Seoul-saving beauty shopping guide for first-timers in the city

A gentle fragrance-free foaming cleanser formulated with mung bean extract, this is kind to your skin barrier while still removing dirt and excess oil. I began using this on my trip itself and found it particularly effective in removing makeup after a long day of spent doing tourist things. It’s particularly suitable for combination or acne-prone skin.

Rejuran is a premium name in the K-beauty space, known for its clinical formulas powered by the brand’s patented c-PDRN technology. Its Turnover Ampoule serum is a hydration booster for tired and stressed skin. After consistent use, reviewers have also raved about the noticeable difference in skin texture and evenness. Personally, I love how the serum sits as a glowy base under makeup.

If there’s one Korean beauty obsession I wholeheartedly understand after this trip, it’s toner pads, and these ones by Mediheal are the best reason to join the club. Small but mighty, its blemish pads are juiced up with soothing centella asiatica, which helps calm redness, even out skin tone, and tackle post-breakout marks. Quickly swipe them after cleansing or leave a few on your cheeks like mini sheet masks!

Contrary to popular opinion, all the interesting beauty buys aren’t in Olive Young. Plot a pharmacy pitstop in your itinerary to get your hands on Acnon, which is a tiny, unassuming targeted treatment tube containing anti-inflammatory properties—a godsend for those prone to both visible angry pimples and pesky under-the-skin culprits.

Ordinary hydrogel eye patches are considered basic in South Korea. Locals have long upgraded to ones with 1,100 micro spicules (pyramid-shaped needles) that contain hyaluronic acid for hydraration, cica exosome for cell activation, and bakuchiol to rejuvenate droopy eye bags. Don’t worry—unlike what it sounds like, it’s not painful. These ones by Charde also target the appearance of fine lines and dehydration around the eyes.

Seoul is paradise for anyone who loves a good sheet mask, with entire walls dedicated to every conceivable skin concern. Dr. Reju-All’s PDRN mask even goes all the way down to your neck, giving it all the good stuff, like peptides and soothing actives. They’re also brilliant gifts to bring back for your girlfriends.

If a lip stain existed for the cheek, this range of blurring powder blushes would be it. The colours develop subtly on your skin to lend it that diffused, airbrushed effect. It’s great for everyday wear but not if you’re after something more pigmented and obvious.

Finding the perfect contour can be difficult for Indian skin tones. This contour palette has cooler, more neutral shades that create the illusion of natural shadows rather than obvious bronzer, making them particularly flattering on brown skin. The three complementary tones also allow you to customise your contour rather than committing to one flat shade.

Don’t sleep on makeup brushes while you’re filling your shopping baskets in Seoul. Olive Young’s own brand, Fillimilli, makes some fantastic ones, and the quality is remarkable for the price. They have everything from fluffy powder brushes to clever little precision tools, but I bought the V-shaped foundation brush.

Everyone seems to love cushion foundations there, and now I understand why. At the airport, I discovered this homegrown brand’s range of dewy formulations in the cushion format and bought it on a whim—a goodbye souvenir, if you must. Trialling it at 35,000 feet wasn’t part of the plan, but I proceeded to do it anyway: no cakey-ness or strange dry patches, just luminous natural coverage on the 14-hour journey home.

Packed with proteins, amino acids, and nourishing plant oils, Unove’s leave-in spray smooths flyaways, detangles stubborn knots, and gives your hair a glossy finish without weighing it down. You can spritz it on damp or dry hair whenever your lengths need a little pick-me-up.

This gently exfoliates the scalp, removing any product build-up, and the rosemary and salicylic acid combo leaves your roots feeling clean and refreshed. Consider it a little facial but for your scalp.