‘Tis the season for holiday shopping! Looking for the best K-beauty gifts to give? There’s no one better to take inspiration from than beauty editors.
Beauty editors receive an insane amount of products every year. I’m talking hundreds upon hundreds of products. Crazy, I know. But there’s a good thing everyone else can gain from beauty editors’ bounty: Since they get to test so many products, it allows them to be really picky when it comes to deciding on the ones they love, which means beauty editors give solid advice on what to get your loved ones for the holidays.
Here, we asked a selection of beauty editors at top publications—including Bustle, Allure, and Fashionista—to share their top K-beauty picks that they think would make the best gifts. See below for your inspiration, especially right now since Soko Glam is offering 30% off all products on the site, as well as 40% off all Missha products!*
Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence + Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence + Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence Intensive Moist
“I like giving people the gift of a new experience, so I expect the same in return. As a skin care junkie, I’m still stumped about the whole ‘essence’ step and I’ve often ignored essences that’ve come across my desk for the past few years. This year, however, I’m ready for the challenge and want to try as many essences until I find the one that truly wins my heart (read: gives my skin a better glow!). I think different brands of the same product are great as stocking stuffers because it gives the person a chance to experiment with their skincare and when they run out of one bottle, they have a couple of backups! Here’s a tip: when spreading the cheer of good skin care, add a little cute guide to using the products along with the gift—it’s personal and useful!”—Chanel Parks, beauty editor at Sweet
Cosrx Triple C Lightning Liquid
“I can never get enough of vitamin C products—it’s my go to whenever my skin is looking sallow and dull. I’d gift the Triple C Lightning Liquid to someone in a heartbeat so they’d discover how amazing it is, too.”—Shyema Azam, former editorial director at Beautycon
Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence + Manefit Beauty Planner Lily Brightening Eye Mask
“Face wash can be a little tricky for gifts, especially if you don’t know the person and their skin type that well. That’s why I would pick the Snail Mucin Power Essence and the Manefit Beauty Planner Lily Brightening Eye Mask. Snail mucin is basically gold, and this product is a nice intro to snail-based products. Everyone likes a mask, and these two are affordable enough to include in a larger gift for someone. Really, though if someone got me any of these products I would be straight up giddy.”—Jamie Feldman, fashion & lifestyle editor at The Huffington Post
Erborian BB Creme Au Ginseng
“Buying someone BB cream may sound like a weird, somewhat twisted holiday gift, but hear me out: Erborian’s BB Creme Au Ginseng deserves to be shared with the world. I’ve waxed poetic about my love for this lightweight tinted moisturizer—made with soothing ginseng—over at Allure.com many (read: many) times because, well, it actually does what it claims. Just a dollop of the tinted cream evens out my skin tone, covers underlying redness, and masks dark under-eye circles. The best part, though? It stays in place—even hours after application. Seriously, this stuff is worth hoarding, which is why I’m gifting it to my friends (and re-stocking my own stash) this holiday season.”—Sarah Kinonen, digital editor at Allure
“I would, without a doubt, gift someone the Erborian BB Creme. It’s my all-time favorite and has totally lightened up my makeup routine. I wear it every single day. I’d give it to my mom, sister, or best friend as a gift and I know they’d fall in love with it too. It’s seriously magical stuff.”—Beth Wischnia, beauty editor at Brit & Co.
Skin Food Black Sugar Black Sugar Mask Wash Off + Missha Time Revolution Night Repair New Science Activator Ampoule + Manefit Beauty Planner Lily Brightening Eye Mask + Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
“If you’re going the skin care route for the holidays, I love the idea of giving someone a full system—or at least more than one product to play with and try. The Skin Food Black Sugar Black Sugar Mask Wash Off and Missha Time Revolution Night Repair New Science Activator Ampoule make a great exfoliation-moisuturization duo. You can pretty much never have too many sheet masks, so I’d probably add in Manefit Beauty Planner Lily Brightening Eye Mask. And I’d definitely include the Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, too, because you should never pass up the opportunity to give someone snail mucin—it’s a great product!—Lexi Novak, senior branded beauty editor at Bustle
RE:P Bio Fresh Mask With Real Nutrition Herb
“This mask would make the perfect gift. Not only does it brighten and tighten skin, but you’re also treating someone to a little relaxation for the ten minutes it takes for this mask to work its magic.”—Madeline Aberman, associate beauty editor at Cosmopolitan
Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch + Cosrx Triple C Lightning Liquid
“OK, so perhaps an acne treatment isn’t the flashiest gift idea. But for the right recipient (AKA anyone who ever gets an occasional pimple—so all humans who don’t have the last name Hadid), trust me, they’ll be pleased. These things are miraculous. They dramatically shrink and calm pimples overnight without causing even the slightest hint of irritation. Anyone I’ve recommended them to is instantly obsessed. As for the Triple C Lightning Liquid, I’ve had so many people ask me about this product, so I know it’s one of those buzzy ones a true beauty junkie would be psyched to get gifted. Its impressive concentration of vitamin C works wonders on dullness and dark spots, and I love that it’s made in small batches, so it comes with a guarantee that the ingredients are fresh and potent. I also find the black-and-gold packaging to be super chic.”—Stephanie Saltzman, beauty editor at Fashionista
*Missha products 40% off, prices as marked. Black Friday sale excludes Soko Glam sets, The Little Book of Skin Care, Missha products, and gift cards. One discount code per order. No adjustments on previous orders. While supplies last. Sale ends November 27, at 11:59PM EST.
+ What do you think are the best K-beauty gifts? Share your tips in the comments!
