Have a friend who is in love with Western skin care and beauty but want to give them that nudge into trying out K-beauty? This list of K-beauty dupes for Western products just might convince them.
In the blink of an eye, the holidays are here! This means endless shopping and deciding what to get your loved ones, which can actually be pretty tough sometimes. And if you’re a diehard K-beauty fan, you probably really want to try to convert your friends into giving K-beauty a try. But it isn’t always easy. People tend to stick with what they’re comfortable with.
One of the best ways I’ve been able to change people’s minds is by gifting them K-beauty versions of their favorite products. So, if your friend is super into the Glossier Cloud Paints or more higher-end items, like the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum, we’ve created a list of K-beauty dupes that just might convince your friends who likes Western beauty to give K-beauty a try.
If they like Glossier Cloud Paint, give them the Peripera Ah Much Real My Cushion Blusher
Glossier seems to be in every girl’s makeup bag these days, especially the Cloud Paints, which are creamy, gel-like blushes that create a natural flush to any makeup routine. These are especially popular because they’re easy to use and get the job done in seconds.
If your friend is obsessed with the Cloud Paints, you might want to introduce them to the Peripera Ah Much Real My Cushion Blusher. These blushes come in a unique tube and cushion format. Just squeeze out a bit of product and pat away for a fun, flirty flush. And because this blush comes in a cushion form, you avoid having to use your hands, unlike the Glossier Cloud Paint.
Plus, you get double the product for less money. The Glossier Cloud Paints is $18 for 10ml and the Peripera Ah Much Real My Cushion Blusher is usually $16, but currently on sale for $14.40 for 20ml. Double the product and more hygienic to use? Sounds like a win-win to me.
If they like the Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner, give them the Clio Waterproof Pen Liner
Winged liner is without a doubt a girl’s best friend, and when it comes to making precise, long-lasting wings, you want a product that works. The Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner is well known for staying put through whatever life throws your way, thanks to its waterproof formula that helps to maintain your look all day long.
This sounds very similar to the the Clio Waterproof Pen Liner, which maintains its cult status because the formula applies smoothly and super pigmented and stays put through sweat, tears and whatever you can throw at it. So, if your friend is a diehard Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner fan, it’s time you introduce them to the holy grail that is the Clio Waterproof Pen Liner.
If they like the Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner, give them the Neogen Real Flower Cleansing Water in Rose
This might be a case of mistaken identity, because the Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner looks exactly like the Neogen Real Flower Cleansing Water in Rose. Both formulas are infused with real rose petals and contain Rosa Damascena Flower and hyaluronic acid, making them great deep cleansers that also hydrate the skin.
But the Neogen Real Flower Cleansing Water in Rose works even better than the Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner at deep cleaning the skin. The Neogen formula gets rid of everything, including stubborn foundation and waterproof mascara. Plus, the formula contains aloe barbadensis leaf extract, centella asiatica, and cucumber, which work to soothe and nourish the skin. The Neogen toner leaves skin calm and refreshed, and it does this all for half the price of the Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner.
If they like the Anastasia Brow Definer, try the Etude House Drawing Eyebrow
When you hear the word brows, you probably think of Anastasia Beverly Hills. The company is known for coming out with cult brow product after cult brow product and the Anastasia Brow Definer is one of them. If your friend is obsessed with Anastasia brow products then you need to gift them the Etude House Drawing Eyebrow Pencil this holiday season because it will change their life.
The Anastasia Brow Definer is $23 for 0.2g of product, but the Etude House Drawing Eyebrow Pencil works just as well (if not better) and is $3.50 for 0.25g. The price and quantity difference is insane! Not only do you get more product, but you get the same quality. A lot of the times these cheaper “dupes” don’t work as well as their counterparts, but the Etude House Drawing Eyebrow Pencil is an exception. This brow pencil fills in sparse hairs and adds color for full, defined brows that won’t budge.
If they like the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, give them the Banila Co. Clean It Zero
Long before the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm graced the shelves of your local Sephora, Banila Co Clean It Zero had been around for years. This holy grail cleansing oil is not only more cost effective (it’s $21—and currently $16 on sale—compared to the $29.50 price tag of the Clinique balm), but it will get rid of every trace of makeup, quickly and effectively.
The Banila Co cleanser has a sorbet-like texture, which melts into a silky oily that effortlessly dissolves stubborn makeup, even waterproof mascara, without stripping your skin of its natural oils. Plus, it features papaya extract to naturally exfoliate the skin and vitamin C-rich acerola extract to brighten, so you’re left with fresh, glowing skin.
If they like the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Toner, give them the Cosrx Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol
If your friend is suffering from acne and tends to reach for alcohol-heavy toners, like the Neutrogena Oil-free Acne Stress Control Toner, then you’ll be doing them a huge favor by introducing them to the Cosrx Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol this holiday season.
Alcohol-heavy toners tend to strip the skin of its natural oils, and while they may keep acne at bay for a while, the lack of oil from the alcohol can actually cause your skin to produce even more oil to compensate, which can lead to even more breakouts.
The Cosrx Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol is perfect for acne-prone skin since it contains 60% black bee propolis which helps to inhibit bacterial growth that causes acne, while using natural AHA’s and BHA’s to control excess sebum and dissolve dead skin cells, leaving you with clearer, blemish-free skin. Unlike some of the other products on this list, the Cosrx toner doesn’t actually cost less than the Neutrogena one, but it is more effective, which will hopefully help to convert your friend into keeping K-beauty as a permanent part of their skin care routine.
If they like the Dior Hydra Life Jelly Sleeping Mask, give them the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask
If your friend is into higher-end skin care products, like the Dior Hydra Life Jelly Sleeping Mask, then it is time to introduce them to the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask. Sleeping masks have been a huge thing in South Korea for quite a while now but they’re just now starting to creep their way into more and more Western brands.
The Dior Hydra Life Jelly Sleeping Mask claims to have a lightweight, gel-like texture that will work to deeply infuse the skin with hydration overnight so you wake up to smoother, more radiant skin. The Laneige Water Sleeping Mask does exactly the same for less than half the price. (The Dior sleeping mask is $69 while the Lanige one is only $25.) The Laneige mask contains hydro-ionized mineral water to infuse long-lasting moisture and antioxidant-rich hunza apricot as well as evening primrose to detoxify and purify fatigued skin.
If they like the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, give them the Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule
Another high-end skin care product that people swear by is the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum, which can easily be replaced with the Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Ampoule. Both contain Bifida Ferment Lysate, a fermented yeast that visibly reduces signs of aging and improves skin elasticity while protecting the skin from external stressors.
The Estee Lauder serum is $95; the Missha serum is only $49. Plus, I’d even go as far as to say the Missha serum contains even more anti-aging ingredients then its more expensive counterpart. It’s formulated with line-reducing retinol and brightening niacinamide and a whole slew of peptides, as well as at least two other fermented yeasts that work to reduce the signs of aging. Without a doubt, this is one dupe worth giving a try.
Bottom line:
Charlotte recently gave her skin care gifting tips and one of them stood out, which was “ Be honest about what their [your friend’s] current view of skin care is and make sure your picks fit their lifestyle, and not yours.” The same applies when trying to convert your friend into trying K-beauty: Choose products that mirror some of their favorite ones. This will bring them into a familiar territory which could ultimately convince them to branch out and give Korean beauty products a try.
