
HwaHae Beauty Awards 2020 (Mid-Year)
If you are a K-Beauty addict, then HwaHae is the app you didn’t know you needed. This app gives you full transparency on what you apply on your skin. It analyzes and ranks all cosmetic and beauty products to help you choose the best product for your skin type judging by the ingredients used in a particular product and the consumer reviews.
What is HwaHae?
The name HwaHae (‘화해’), comes from an abbreviated form of the Korean phrase ‘화장품을 해석하다’ (‘To analyse cosmetics’). Following a boom in the cosmetics industry, CEO Lee Woong and two of his high school friends, developed an app that is designed to provide detailed information on a range of cosmetic products and provides a platform for users to leave reviews on the cosmetic products they have used.

At the heart of everything HwaHae stands for is fairness and credibility. HwaHae doesn’t provide information based on face value or how the cosmetics are marketed, instead, they focus on providing objective information based on what the products are made from.
The HwaHae Beauty Awards
Twice a year, HwaHae hosts its own beauty awards. The nominations for these awards come from a four-stage process that puts emphasis on the reviews that the app’s users have left. Considering the platform’s powerful position in the market, beauty industry professionals place great importance on the results of these awards and they’re widely considered to be the most reliable representation of consumer trends in Korea.
Below the full winner list for the first half of 2020. (update: the final winner list of 2020 is now online)
Best Skin / Toner: 🇰🇷 Manyo Factory – Bifida Complex Ampoule Toner (SHOP)
Best Lotion / Emulsion: 🇰🇷 Be Plain – Chamomile pH-Balanced Lotion (SHOP)
Best Essence / Ampoule / Serum: 🇰🇷 Be Plain – Cicaful Ampoule (SHOP)
Best Cream: 🇩🇪 Physiogel – Red Soothing AI Cream (SHOP)
Best Eye Care Product: 🇰🇷 Be Plain – Artemisia Eye Butter (SHOP)
Best Mist: 🇰🇷 Round Lab – 1025 Dokdo Mist (SHOP)
Best Cleansing Foam: 🇰🇷 Dr. G – RED Blemish Clear Soothing Foam (SHOP)
Best Cleansing Water: 🇰🇷 Round Lab – 1025 Dokdo Cleansing Water (SHOP)
Best Cleansing Gel: 🇰🇷 Hyggee – pH Hyaluron Gel Cleanser (SHOP)
Best Cleansing Oil: 🇰🇷 Make p:rem – Safe me. Relief Moisture Cleansing Oil (SHOP)
Best Sheet Mask: 🇰🇷 Torriden – Dive In Low Molecule Hyaluronic Acid with D-Panthenol Mask (SHOP)
Best Targeted Face Mask: 🇰🇷 THE LAB by blanc doux – Oligo Hyaluronic Acid 7 Multi-Formula Pad (SHOP)
Best Sun Cream / Lotion: 🇰🇷 Round Lab – Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++ (SHOP)
Best Make-Up Base: 🇰🇷 Innisfree – Simple Label Tinted Moisturizer (SHOP)
Best BB Cream / CC Cream: 🇰🇷 Missha – M Perfect Blanc BB (SHOP)
Best Foundation: 🇰🇷 Hera – Glow Lasting Foundation (SHOP)
Best Cushion Compact: 🇰🇷 Too Cool For School – Artclass Studio De Teint Eclat Satin Cushion (SHOP)
Best Powder Compact: 🇰🇷 d’Alba – Noble Grinding Essence Cover Pact SPF50+ PA+++ (SHOP)
Best Blush 🇰🇷 Too Cool For School – Artclass By Rodin Artistic Book (SHOP)
Best Highlighter: 🇰🇷 Too Cool For School – Artclass By Rodin Artistic Book (SHOP)
Best Contouring Product: 🇰🇷 Peripera – Ink V Shading (SHOP)
Best Tone-Up Cream: 🇰🇷 Blanc Pool – Filter Cream (SHOP)
Best Eyeshadow: 🇰🇷 Etude House – Play Color Eyes Mini HERSHEY’S (#Original) (SHOP)
Best Lip Tint: 🇰🇷 Romand – Glasting Water Tint (#01 Coral Mist) (SHOP)
Best Lip Gloss: 🇰🇷 Romand – Glasting Water Gloss (#01 Sanho Crush) (SHOP)
Best Lip Care Product / Lip Balm: 🇰🇷 Innisfree – Canola Honey Lip Balm (SHOP)
Best Body Lotion: 🇺🇸 Neutrogena – Norwegian Formula Body Emulsion (SHOP)
Best Body Cream / Gel: 🇺🇸 Neutrogena – Intense Repair Soft Balm (SHOP)
Best Shampoo: 🇰🇷 Labo-H – Probiotics Hair Loss Relief Shampoo (SHOP)
Best Lotion for Pregnancy and Infants: 🇰🇷 Pyunkang Yul – ATO Moisturizing Soothing Gel Lotion (SHOP)
Best All-In-One Product for Men: 🇰🇷 Dr. G – RED Blemish For Men All In One Fluid (SHOP)
Best Make-Up Base for Men: 🇰🇷 Be Ready – Level Up Foundation For Heroes SPF50+ PA++++ (SHOP)
Source: Hwahae Awards
Translation: © 2020 Odile Monod
Disclaimer: The list above contains a combination of affiliate and non-affiliate links. For more information on my affiliate policy please refer to my About page.