By Roufida Ahmed from Egypt and Stephanie Pradnyaparamita from Indonesia

Korean cosmetics, skin care products and makeup are popular worldwide. According to industry studies, the market for Korean cosmetics is expected to grow even more over the next few years, showing an increasing number of people enjoying Korean makeup and skin care. As honorary reporters from different parts of the world, here we share our thoughts about why we enjoy so-called "K-beauty," the wide variety of cosmetics and makeup from Korean companies.

Ahmed: Well, I was introduced to Korean cosmetics back in 2016 when my sister travelled to Korea and bought me many products, as she knew I’m interested in skin care in general. Back then, even until now, actually many Korean soap operas kept marketing cosmetics as products that would help you have healthier, flawless, perfect skin, and that intrigued the chemist inside of me. I wanted to check it myself and see if it actually worked. When I think about it, the reason why I use makeup and skincare products from Korean companies is because they are pretty much affordable and effective and come in a lot of varieties and options. When you visit the Seoul shopping neighborhood of Myeongdong, you can see many shops one after the other fully packed, giving us consumers the chance to find products that will meet our standards. That’s what I love about Korean makeup. What about you, Stephanie?

Pradnyaparamita: As for me, I was aware of Korean cosmetic products from my university friends who are skin care junkies, around four years ago. I didn’t even use any skin care products back then. One of my motivations to finally use them was the glowing and healthy skin that Korean actors and actresses have in many soap operas. I totally agree with you that Korean cosmetics and skincare products provide various options for various types of skin to cater to our needs. In my case, such makeup and cosmetic products can handle my hydration needs really well. The things that I like are, even with the affordable brands, the results are really satisfying, even beyond my expectations. That's why every time I visit Korea, I always spare time and put skincare shopping on my list. The same with you, the Seoul neighborhood of Myeongdong is always at the top of my mind when it comes to skincare and makeup shopping, and nowadays I visit the Seoul neighborhood of Apgujeong, too, to buy makeup.

Ahmed: Agreed. I think in Indonesia you have better access to makeup from Korean companies, more than we have here in Egypt. How well is the acceptance of Korean cosmetics there?

Pradnyaparamita: Yes, we have some official stores for several brands here in Indonesia. Every time some brand opens a new store, the crowd is no joke. You need to queue for a long time just to get inside the store and to see what they sell, as usually they limit the number of visitors inside the store to make them comfortable to choose the products. The last time I attended a new store opening ceremony of a Korean cosmetics brand in Jakarta, I was in a queue for one hour, and then had 30 minutes to choose products I wanted to buy, and another one hour to queue to pay. It happens to almost all Korean cosmetic brands when they open new stores here, as usually they have special promotions, such as giving away travel-sized packs, samples, merchandise or discounts. Some brands sell out with little to no differences in prices compared to if you bought them in Korea, which is still acceptable. There are also brands that apply a really high price point, almost 50 percent higher, than in Korea. That is why, for certain brands, I choose to wait to buy it when I visit Korea, or ask my friends who have plans to visit Korea, to buy it. How do you get your Korean beauty products?

Ahmed: Since I don't have that much access, I usually shop online, but I get excited for special editions and limited products. So I keep myself updated as to recent trends and will usually try it myself and have my friends try it, too. They always admire the packaging because some product packaging can be very cute and tempting. Stephanie, what tempts you to try new makeup products?

Pradnyaparamita: The main thing that makes me want to try a new product is the hydration benefits. It's quite hard to find a skin care product that has hydration as its main benefit. That's why everything related to hydration always catches my eye. If there are several brands that have hydration products, I choose the one that has the most attractive packaging.

Ahmed: Yes, you're right. Also, the ingredients list is something to consider well in the Korean beauty industry. You can find many brands that use natural ingredients found only on Jeju Island, for example, and often the quality will be really great. Aside from that, routines and application methods will change often. It's something always innovative and smart.

Pradnyaparamita: Natural ingredients also seem tempting for me. Here we have one brand where you can return your empty bottle to be recycled. Besides that, they give you extra points on your membership program so you can use them for price reductions on the next purchase. Isn’t that great?

Please and share with us your experience with Korean cosmetics, makeup and skincare.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.