natjtan As I do most of my beauty products shopping online I thought I’d share with you my go to online Korean cosmetics sites!
Depending on price and what’s available I use several sites. Select products I can only get at one store, others I can get at quite a few depending on price. Prices vary between the sites so I always check each time. As much as I’m loyal to my favourite products, new brands and products are always popping up so I always check to see what’s new! Few stores say if products are cruelty free (if like me, have crossed off ‘cruelty free’ brands who sell in China you need to do more research) or list the full ingredient list so that requires additional research my end. Usually one site lists ingredients, but will be more expensive! Does listing the ingredients put the price up? It’s also another way I come across more online shops 🙂 Sign up for newsletters as they regularly offer discounts or free shipping days!
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Style Korean’s my main go to shop. They feature a good variety of brands and products with quite a few natural brands or leaning towards more natural ingredients/hybrids amongst the mainstream brands, Etude House, Laneige, Dr Jart+ etc. They’ve recently started stocking Aromatica perhaps my favourite vegan Korean brand. They don’t stock the entire range, however it’s cheaper and more convenient than buying it from aromatica.com. Touch wood I haven’t had a parcel flagged at customs, unlike when I’ve ordered from Aromatica direct. They also have a good range of makeup brands like 3CE, Moonshot and Bbia.
Shipping’s cheap if you use regular snail mail with options for faster delivery and tracking. Prices are in US dollars and vary each month. If you use PayPal or pay via a PayPal account the total’s converted into Euros etc. Some full ingredient lists are listed in the product editorial which is usually below StyleKorean’s brief product description info. However usually it’s down to you to find out more. Shipping takes about 3 weeks to Europe. Depending on you view freebies, you get freebies! I’d prefer an opt out freebie option as if I’m not going to use it, it’s more waste for me. StyleKorean freebies are usually samples sized skincare or makeup with occasionally a sheet mask.
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Wishtrend’s a little more expensive however order over $69 you get free shipping! They kindly put custom’s value below $15 to reduce the chance of parcels being flagged. Again all prices are charged in US dollars. Standard shipping’s quick with post shipping emails asking if you’ve received your order about 2-3 weeks later. Tracking’s available for FedEx/UPS/DHL deliveries.
Brands featured are Cosrx, I’m From, Chica y Chico, Dear Klair’s and other natural or hybrid type brands. Full ingredients are listed with great reviews which I recommend reading before buying. Times I’ve gone against reviews with similar skin type I’ve regretted it. They feature bundles each week which sell out fast so if you want to try a range of products suited best to you skin type at a reduced price, sign up for their newsletter!
They also have 2 YouTube channels; Wishtrend Beauty Lab and Wishtrend TV featuring more in-depth info about products stocked and what works or what they recommend for different skin types and concerns. They know skincare!
I think nearly all the brands stocked are cruelty free which I’m basing on their skincare trends that need to die in 2018 video. They said no more animal testing and more cruelty free products for 2018. They wouldn’t stock brands that aren’t cruelty free if they followed this ethic. Freebies are usually Dear Klair’s samples which I give to friends. Again no opt out freebie option.
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A Hong Kong site featuring loads of Korean and Japanese beauty products as well as clothes, shoes, accessories, home items. I found YesStyle by accident looking for better prices. Prices are cheap with free shipping over €30! Prices are in chosen shipping country, currency and language with shipping taking longer about 3-4 weeks. If you have a product on pre order, you can choose between shipping your order together when the item’s back in stock or separate. Standard shipping’s free, expedited shipping depends on total. To get past customs or Spanish customs, The Netherlands is the EU point of entry country and sent via Dutch regular post/mail with tracking for standard shipping.
Depending on how much you order each month you can achieve bronze, silver, gold level which gives you a certain % discount each month. Once you achieve that level it stays until you work up to the next regardless of how much you spend each month. Again no opt out freebie option.
So far I haven’t had any issues with them and enjoy the wider variety of brands they have to offer. Reviews are great too, so take your time reading them before buying, especially suncream, BB cream or cushion compacts. Full ingredients are usually listed in the editorial ads though most are in Korean so you have to research them else where. Also some products have different ingredients depending on intended market: EU or China.
The only issue I have with them is the amount of plastic. Most companies ship with cardboard boxes, they have an additional plastic shipping pouch. My last order came in a plastic box with the plastic shipping pouch which is enough to make me reconsider ordering from them. There’s enough plastic floating around!
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An USA site where I can get a few brands cheaper than Korean sites. New brands are being added every few months with products same price or cheaper. I use iherb.com regularly so I always check to see if they have a product I’m looking making shipping cheaper somewhere. Point of entry to Europe’s I think Sweden avoiding custom charges in other EU countries. Standard shipping’s quick, about 2-3 weeks.
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Then there’s Miin in Barcelona, my first beloved Korean cosmetic store. They offer worldwide shipping and stock less well known brands. If you’re ever in Barcelona I recommend popping in to stock up or just to inhale all things beauty!
Do you online shop for cosmetics or prefer going in person to stores? I prefer buying in person to test, sniff, reduce packaging but I love the ease of online shopping. I can take my time researching and reduce impulse buys. I often leave the items in the basket overnight to see if I really want them or if I get don’t forget your basket discount email!
See here How I shop cruelty free online
I ordered from iherb a couple of weeks ago for the first time! I bought American products though and they were also cruelty free. The shipping to China was extremely fast, just one week, and I found the products very cheap compared to Chinese prices…
Yay! I love iherb and yes prices are cheaper than buying in Spain including shipping. Plus there’s lots more choice. 1 week shipping! That’s faster than here 🙂
I suspect they get a lot of business from China because people don’t trust local brands and shops. They send through the fastest and best Chinese shipping company so I don’t know how they manage to keep shipping so cheap!
Maybe as so many order from them they can keep costs down. It’s cheaper to order from iherb than shopping here for the same reason including shipping costs. Crazy!