[Updated 22 October 2018]
Here’s a list of my favorite online Korean beauty shops. The list isn’t comprehensive: it’s intended to be an edited list of sellers that I feel comfortable recommending to kbeauty fans. The sellers are arranged in the order I’d recommend them right now. Every year or so I revise the list from top to bottom.
U.S Korean Beauty Shop Recommendation
Amazon Prime
Over time, kbeauty sellers looking to reach customers in the US have established Amazon storefronts where they sell authentic products direct to us. Prime seller status takes a lot of work to establish even if you’re not buying direct from a brand; I’ve heard of legit sellers needing to show major documentation such as months of invoices from the selling company before they can earn Prime status. At one point, I spent $100 on kbeauty goods shipped via Amazon Prime trying to find counterfeit sheet masks and came up empty. Brands like Cosrx and Leegeehaam (LGH) are selling directly while shops like CrediThink are curating interesting kbeauty finds.
Pros: free 2-day shipping with Prime membership on some items
Cons: prices can be somewhat higher than buying from Korea
Best for: instant gratification
Disclosure: I am not sponsored by Amazon. Fan-b earns a small commission on any Amazon purchases if you use the Amazon shop link(s) in my posts before shopping.
International Korean Beauty Shop Recommendations
SweetCorea
Also an eBay shop, but the main shop is usually cheaper and very very quick with handling
Pros: super fast handling, big selection, sometimes astoundingly low prices
Cons: shipping isn’t included in the prices, the website is a bit clunky if you want to browse
Best for: everything tbh, I’m in love
Disclosure: I am not sponsored by SweetCorea. Fan-b earns a small commission on any eBay purchases if you use the eBay shop link(s) in my posts before shopping, but I don’t earn commission if you shop at SweetCorea.com.
YesStyle
Pros: sometimes very very low prices if you stack coupons with member benefits, a well-functioning app that’s fun to browse, combination of Korea, Japanese, and Taiwanese beauty products (and clothes, home goods, stationery, and accessories) in one spot, free shipping over $35
Cons: some of the non-sale retail prices are hilariously high, handling times can be very long (but that’s usually noted on the product page before you check out)
Best for: relaxation browsing, Asian Beauty hauls from more than just Korea, heist hauls where you stack discounts to get products way below the usual cost, not stressing about shipping costs
Referral code: get 5% off your first order and 2% off each subsequent order with code MY8MUY
Disclosure: I am not sponsored by YesStyle. Fan-b earns a small commission on any YesStyle purchases if you use the link(s) in my posts before shopping and earns a small credit if you use the blog’s referral code before signing up with YesStyle.
eBay seller iamlove-shop
Also a standalone store at Jolse.com (but I prefer the eBay shop due to the faster handling times).
Pros: many prices include registered mail shipping, great selection of lots of brands, periodic sales, super consistent handling and shipping, fast CS resolution when there’s an issue (very soon after ordering an item it was discovered to be sold out and I instantly received a refund and explanation)
Cons: prices can be somewhat higher than those of other eBayers (likely on account of the tracking number)
Best for: small hauls
Disclosure: I am not sponsored by Jolse or iamlove-shop. Fan-b earns a small commission on any eBay purchases if you use the eBay shop link(s) in my posts before shopping.
eBay seller RubyRubyShop
Also a standalone store at Roseroseshop.com (but I prefer the eBay shops due to the faster handling times and predictable shipping prices).
Pros: huge selection of brands, good prices
Cons: the eBay store prices can be higher than those for the same items in the standalone shop
Best for: small hauls of one or two items
Disclosure: I am not sponsored by RoseRoseShop or their associated eBay shops. Fan-b earns a small commission on any eBay purchases if you use the eBay shop link(s) in my posts before shopping.
TesterKorea
Pros: massive selection, they allow you to earn loyalty points that can be redeemed to get the samples of your choice, they sell samples
Cons: this shop, once among the best in kbeauty, seems to be experiencing some handling delays; my own orders have been delayed something like three weeks before they even hit the mail–and with no communication about the delay until I emailed to inquire about it. Shop with caution.
Best for: sample hauls, small hauls, big hauls — TK is great when the handling isn’t an issue
Disclosure: not affiliated, not sponsored
KoreaDepart
Pros: insanely enormous selection of brands and products, potentially astounding[ly good] prices on certain brands and products, interesting and unique samples are included even for modest hauls
Cons: sometimes items are sold out and they only inform you after shipping the package and issuing a refund, the shipping prices and policies are strange to navigate at first: shipping is based on actual weight with registered mail being charged in giant weight chunks and huge EMS shipping deposits being required before the difference between the deposit and actual weight of the package is determined, prices for some brands can be strangely higher than in other shops, the shipping prices have gone up pretty drastically
Best for: crazily enormous selection, sale prices
Disclosure: not affiliated, not sponsored
Special Item Shopping Service Recommendation
Avecko
buying service (to assist with shopping on Korea-only sites)
Pros: they can get you literally anything from a Korean online shop for a 10% handling fee (minimum fee: 5,000 won), for more information see my how to Avecko post
Cons: you should have a good sense of what Korean online (as in, sites that are all in Korean and only sell within Korea) shops are offering–it’s more work than filling a cart and pressing order
Best for: all of kbeauty at Korean sale or retail prices
Disclosure: not affiliated, not sponsored
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Clicking those links before you shop means that fan-b receives a small commission, which helps to support the blog. Please see my full disclosure for more information.
