When it comes to K-beauty resource hangouts we flock here to The KLOG naturally, but that doesn’t mean there’s much that can’t be learned from branching out and exploring. Plug into these internet beauty destinations to engage with the internet’s most informed and passionate beauty communities. We love to check them out to get the pulse on things that are happening before they hit mainstream, to learn about products we’re thinking of buying, and to just chat about our loves and get some advice from kindred beauty aficionados.
Makeup Alley
Not sure whether you should spring for shade N21 or N23? Looking for cheap dupes of their expensive counterparts? How about learn how to grind up aspirin tablets and use them on your face as a mask? Want to swap out or sell one product for another? Makeup Alley has all these covered and then some with discussion boards and Yelp-style product reviews that make it convenient to connect with other community members. You can also keep notes on your own beauty escapades with a diary-keeping function to track your shopping. After all these years, our Makeup Alley account is the only online community we’ve been continuously active in since junior high. It was just that impactful on our formative years, not to mention now. It’s an oldie but a goodie.
EWG’s Skin Deep
If you haven’t noticed, we’re skincare junkies. We’re constantly on the prowl for the latest discussions on the ingredients that go into our products. There’s so much information out there, but it’s not always easy to access. That’s where this cosmetics database hosted by the Environmental Working Group steps in. A non-profit that is dedicated to helping people stay safe from everyday chemicals, it has a rating system that lets you know how safe the items in your cosmetics bag and in your medicine cabinet are at a glance. Come here for general safety tips, or learn more about specific products. It’s super simple to search by company or ingredient, as well as find safe alternatives to products that have been deemed hazardous.
AsianBeauty (AB) Sub-Reddit
Enter if you dare. Not for the faint of heart, this is the place for unfiltered honesty and passionate discussions on all things Asian Beauty (AB). It’s a forum style free-for-all where community members (and their moderator) can post different discussion topics that relate to beauty brands and products from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and more. There are handy threads dedicated to explaining what AB is all about (such as this post on AB Skincare 101) as well as those that describe what it isn’t (“not a space to gawk at Asian people.”) With so many great conversations flying around (yes, we really are curious about how to care for wrinkly knees, and we really do need all the beauty product organization tips we can possibly get!), it’s easy to get lost in a downward spiral of clicks. When you’re ready to surface for some air, or want to join a casual conversation about specific subjects, navigation is easy, thanks to popular topics organized by skin care, makeup, shopping, ingredients, and more. The community is fiercely tight knit and helpful—they won’t leave a girl hanging when she needs suggestions for how to deal with ingredient allergies, obliterate blackheads, or get the most out of her favorite beauty products.
—Sara Hayden
Sara Hayden is a lifelong storyteller. She’s worked with a variety of outlets including the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, and New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle. Dim-sum is her comfort food. Follow her on Instagram@thewholehapa.
