korean beauty guides
Your Comprehensive Beauty Shopping Guide to South Korea
Welcome to the ultimate beauty shopping guide to South Korea.
As an industry professional, I’ll share with you industry secrets and insider tips to help you navigate the Korean beauty world like a pro. This guide is not just about pointing you to the best stores, but it’s a deep dive into the Korean beauty retail landscape. Throughout the article, you’ll also learn valuable insights on how to distinguish authentic products from counterfeits, get exclusive deals, navigate language barriers, and make informed purchasing decisions when you’re in South Korea.
By the end of this article, you’ll have the knowledge and know-how to navigate the bustling streets of Seoul or any other city in South Korea like a seasoned beauty insider.
The article is also available as a video:
Part 1: Shopping Guide To South Korea
If you’ve ever wondered how to make the most of your beauty shopping experience in South Korea, this guide is for you. As a beauty marketer with extensive experience in the industry, I’m excited to present the ultimate shopping guide to Korean Beauty.
Join me on a virtual tour of the Korean beauty retail scene, from lively beauty shops to high-end department stores. Together, we’ll uncover hidden treasures and must-see destinations.
This guide is designed to assist both international travelers and foreigners residing in South Korea.
1.1 Tax-Free Shopping in South Korea
In Korea, the prices of all items already include a 10% sales tax (VAT). But as a foreign visitor, you have a special benefit: you can get a refund on the sales tax you paid for eligible goods during your stay.
To be eligible for this refund, simply keep an eye out for stores that have any of the signs listed below..
When you’re making a purchase between 30,000 KRW and 500,000 KRW at these designated stores, it’s important to remember to ask the staff for a tax refund receipt before you complete your payment. This receipt is crucial for claiming your tax refund later on.
The staff at the stores will assist you in filling out the receipt with all the necessary purchase details. However, they will also require your passport for verification purposes so it’s essential to always carry your passport with you when you embark on your shopping adventures.
While some stores may provide an immediate refund, there might be cases where you have to claim the refund at the airport. In such situations, it’s absolutely vital to keep your receipts securely until your departure day. It’s worth noting that the tax refund process at the airport may undergo changes over time. To ensure you have the most up-to-date information, I highly recommend referring to the official website of Incheon Airport for any updates or clarifications.
1.2 Duty-Free Shopping in South Korea
Furthermore, in South Korea you will also find “Duty-Free Shops”, particular shops that are allowed to sell goods to international travelers without applying local taxes on the condition that the goods will be taken out of the country within 3 months from the date of purchase.
Consequently, the prices of goods in these shops already exclude local taxes, so there’s no need to worry about requesting a tax refund at the airport when you leave the country.
Duty-Free Shops are conveniently located at airports and prominent city centers. The most prominent duty-free chains in South Korea are:
- Lotte Duty-Free (롯데면세점)
- The Shilla Duty-Free (신라면세점)
- Shinsegae Duty-Free (신세계면세점)
- Hyundai Duty-Free (현대 면세점)
In order to shop at any of these stores, make sure you have your passport and all the necessary flight information with you.
Shopping at Duty-Free shops has its advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, you’ll find an extensive range of brands, spanning from luxury to drugstore, all within a single store. However, when it comes to beauty counters, duty-free shops often don’t have the complete brand catalogue or the latest releases. So, if you have a specific product in mind, it’s a good idea to check the websites of the duty-free stores I mentioned earlier to see if they have it in stock at a branch near you. If not, then you know you should head to a regular store.
1.3 Myeong-dong: Seoul’s Vibrant Shopping Hub
When it comes to shopping in Seoul, there is one district that stands out amongst the rest: Myeong-dong (명동). This bustling area has gained quite a reputation among tourists, thanks to its wide array of cosmetic stores, ranging from high-end luxury brands to more affordable drugstore options.
While Myeong-dong offers the advantage of having all these beauty shops conveniently located in one area, it’s important to note that similar beauty shops can be found throughout Korea. So, if crowded places aren’t your thing or if it’s not convenient for you to visit Myeong-dong, there’s no need to worry. You can still explore other areas and find great cosmetic shops elsewhere.
Part 2: Understanding Market Segments
To discover the top destinations for beauty product shopping in South Korea, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the specific products that pique your interest and their positioning within the domestic market.
In the retail industry, cosmetics are typically categorized into three major market segments: mass market, premium, and luxury. While there are various sub-categories within each segment, such as “accessible luxury,” for the purpose of this article, we will focus on the three primary segments.
Part 3: Luxury Cosmetics
Some of the most notable luxury Korean beauty brands are: Sulwhasoo, Amorepacific, Hera, The History of Whoo, O Hui, Su:m37°, Yunjac, Oera, and Donginbi.
3.1 Korean Department Stores
In Korea, department stores serve as the primary distribution channels for luxury beauty brands. Consequently, these products are often referred to as “department store cosmetics” (백화점 화장품) in Korean.
While some brands, such as Sulwhasoo, also have flagship stores in Seoul, they are predominantly sold in department stores.
The largest department store chains in Korea are:
- Shinsegae (신세계백화점)
- Lotte (롯데백화점)
- Hyundai (현대백화점)
- Galleria (갤러리아백화점)
These chains boast numerous branches throughout the country, both in Seoul and in other metropolitan cities in South Korea.
Luxury cosmetics are typically located on the first floor of department stores. It’s worth noting that in Korea, floors are counted similarly to how they are in America, so what we consider the ground floor in Europe is actually referred to as the first floor in Korea.
Once you step into the beauty hall, you’ll discover dedicated counters for all the brands I mentioned earlier. Each brand has its own separate counter, with the exception of O Hui and The History of Whoo, which usually share the same counter.
When it comes to purchasing luxury cosmetics in Korea, it’s essential to have realistic expectations regarding discounts. While there may be occasional promotional periods where you can enjoy a modest 10% or sometimes 15% off, substantial discounts are not the norm.
This is because luxury cosmetics are priced higher to reflect the exceptional quality and extensive research that goes into their creation. Offering large discounts and promotions can compromise the perceived value and quality of these products, ultimately devaluing the brand in the eyes of consumers.
Instead, luxury beauty brands in Korea prefer to entice customers by providing complimentary gifts with every purchase, known as GWPs (Gifts With Purchase). These gifts often include free samples, travel-sized minis, and even lifestyle and fashion accessories on occasion.
When you consider the value of these gifts, it becomes evident that you are still receiving more than what you are paying for. While discounts may make you question the worth of paying full price for something that could have been purchased at a lower cost, GWPs are intended to make you feel rewarded.
In essence, these gifts offer additional value to the customer without compromising the perceived quality of the brand. Additionally, the samples you receive provide an excellent opportunity to try other products from the brand before committing to a full-size purchase.
3.2 Maximising Savings with Luxury Beauty Loyalty Programs in Korea
If you’re planning on visiting Korea as a tourist, the choice of department store may not be a significant factor for you. You can simply choose one that is convenient for your location. However, if you’ve recently moved to Korea and are planning to stay for an extended period, I highly recommend selecting one or two department stores to frequent. By joining their loyalty programs and consistently shopping at these chains, you’ll gain access to exclusive benefits such as private sales and members-only cashback promotions.
What’s more, with each purchase you make, you’ll earn loyalty points that can be converted into vouchers. If you don’t speak Korean, I personally suggest signing up for these loyalty programs online and using a translator to assist you with filling out the forms. The process is usually straightforward, so even with minimal knowledge of the language, you should be able to complete it on your own.
Shinsegae Gift Vouchers
Once you’ve successfully signed up, it’s important to inform the sales assistant that you’re a member of the loyalty program before making a purchase at the department store. Simply say the name of the store followed by “멤버십 있어요” [“Membeoship Isseoyo“], meaning: “I have a membership” in Korean.
It’s very important that you pronounce “membership” the Korean way, otherwise some sale assistants may not be able to understand you. So instead of “membership”, make sure to say “membeoship”.
At this point, the sales assistant will likely ask you for the phone number associated with your membership. If you don’t understand Korean, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the phrase “휴대폰 번호”[“Hyudaepon Beonho“], which means “telephone number.” When you hear these words, you’ll know they’re asking for your phone number. If you’re unsure how to say numbers in Korean, you can simply type your number on your phone and show it to the sales assistant.
One loyalty program that I highly recommend joining is Shinsegae Point, the loyalty program of the Shinsegae Group.
As one of the largest retail groups in Korea, the Shinsegae Group operates an extensive network of department stores, shopping outlets, supermarkets, coffee shops, and hotels. Notably, they own E-mart, a prominent supermarket chain, E-mart24, a chain of convenience stores, and Starbucks Korea.
By joining their loyalty program, you’ll have the opportunity to earn points every time you shop for groceries at E-mart or indulge in your favorite Starbucks drinks.
Join Shinsegae Point Loyalty Program.
Additionally, I encourage you to consider joining the loyalty programs of the beauty brands that interest you. Amorepacific offers a loyalty program called Amorepacific Beauty Point, which allows you to earn points with every purchase from any brand under the Amorepacific umbrella, whether luxury, premium, or drugstore. These points can then be exchanged for discounts on your future purchases.
Amorepacific brands as of 2023
On the other hand, LG Household & Health Care operates exclusive loyalty programs for each of their luxury brands. If you spend a certain amount of money on a specific brand within a particular time frame, you can receive free full-size products and additional gifts with purchase. While you can sign up for the Amorepacific loyalty program on their website, Amoremall, please note that at present, you can only join LG luxury memberships in-store.
LG Luxury Loyalty Programs Rewards
These loyalty programs offer the best way to save money on luxury beauty in Korea with minimal effort. However, please be aware that as a tourist, you won’t be able to join these loyalty programs, as they typically require a Korean phone number and Resident’s Registration Number for registration. Nevertheless, as a tourist, there are still ways to save money on luxury beauty. Take full advantage of the VAT refund and keep an eye out for promotional value sets. Both of these options can help you maximise your savings while enjoying the luxury beauty experience in Korea.
3.3 Counterfeit Cosmetics in Korea
When visiting Korea, you may stumble upon private shops offering luxury and premium beauty products at incredibly discounted prices. At first glance, these deals may seem too good to pass up. However, it is important to be aware of a couple of things before making a purchase.
One key issue to consider is that many of these shops often sell counterfeit products. While it may be tempting to assume that every beauty product in Korea is authentic, this is unfortunately not the case. Unless you are buying from an authorized distributor like a department store or a brand’s official flagship store, there is always a risk of purchasing a counterfeit item.
Remarkably, some counterfeits are so well-crafted that even a professional with 10 years of experience, like myself, can find it difficult to differentiate them from the genuine article.
It is worth noting that certain Korean beauty companies provide verification systems to help consumers authenticate their products. For example, brands owned by the LG Group have a dynamic QR code on their packaging. By scanning this code, you can access information about the product’s manufacturing date, factory of origin, and quality control tests.
Counterfeit products often lack this QR code, or if they do have one, it leads to a generic page on the LG Group’s website. This unfortunate situation actually happened to one of my subscribers who purchased some The History of Whoo from an unauthorised store in Korea, only to discover that the QR codes on the packaging were fake.
LG Verification System
Now, I understand that some of you may be thinking, “Who cares if the product is counterfeit? A good deal is a good deal.” However, it is crucial to remember that we are not discussing designer handbags here. These are products that will be applied to your face, and when purchasing a counterfeit, there is no guarantee that it meets Korea’s safety standards.
If you are traveling on a budget, there are plenty of affordable, high-quality products available in Korea that do not require you to buy from questionable sellers and potentially risk adverse reactions.
Another important aspect to be aware of when dealing with these private shops is that they sometimes sell authentic products that are simply old stock.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with purchasing old stock, it is essential to check the expiration dates on the product packaging. For instance, I once encountered a shop selling Hanyul creams, but upon inspection, I discovered that they had all expired over six months prior.
In the end, it is wise to use your common sense when navigating these private shops. If a deal appears too good to be true, it usually is. Taking the time to ensure the authenticity and quality of the products you purchase will help you avoid any potential disappointments or health concerns down the road.
3.4 Luxury Beauty in Olive Young: Is It Worth It?
In recent years, Olive Young has expanded its offerings to include a selection of luxury beauty brands such as Hera, Bobbi Brown, and Estée Lauder. However, I would like to provide some insights as to why I don’t personally recommend purchasing luxury brands from Olive Young.
Firstly, it is important to note that Olive Young only carries a limited range of products, especially when it comes to makeup. This means that they typically offer only the most popular shades of a product, which may not be ideal if you are specifically looking for a wider variety, especially when it comes to foundations.
Secondly, it is worth mentioning that you won’t find significant discounts on luxury products, even during peak sales seasons. As I mentioned earlier, luxury brands often shy away from offering discounts as it may diminish the perceived value of their products among their core customer base. However, there are instances where these brands allow their products to be included in promotional events by third-party retailers like Olive Young.
To protect their brand image, luxury beauty brands typically impose strict rules on third-party retailers. These rules often limit the amount of discount that can be applied to their products, usually ranging from 10% to 15%. This practice is not exclusive to Korea but is rather common in luxury marketing. In fact, my firsthand experience working with three luxury beauty brands confirms that similar agreements are prevalent across the industry.
Furthermore, it is important to consider the additional benefits that you may miss out on when shopping from a third-party retailer like Olive Young. When purchasing directly from the brand, you may have access to exclusive gifts with purchase, mini sizes, and tailored services such as foundation matching. These benefits often carry a higher value than the modest discounts offered by third-party retailers. Therefore, if you truly desire the complete luxury experience, I personally recommend shopping directly from the brands themselves.
It is essential to make informed decisions when it comes to luxury beauty purchases. While Olive Young does offer some luxury brands, it is important to weigh the limited selection, modest discounts, and absence of additional brand benefits against the convenience of shopping at a third-party retailer. Ultimately, the choice is yours, and I hope this information helps you make an informed decision.
3.5 Centellian24 Counter: A Unique Department Store Experience
When you find yourself in a department store in Korea, I highly recommend taking a moment to visit the Centellian24 counter.
Centellian24 is a premium skincare brand that was created by the renowned Korean pharmaceutical company, Dongkook Pharmaceutical. Since Centellian24 isn’t technically classified as a luxury brand, you might wonder why their products are sold in department stores. The answer is quite simple: in Korea, it is customary to gift health-related products to loved ones, ranging from premium fruit baskets to red ginseng and health supplements.
Therefore, it is common to find a dedicated section in Korean department stores that sells these health-related gift sets, often located on the same floor as the food court as some of these sets include food items. Given that the pharmaceutical company behind Centellian24 produces highly-popular health supplements, it is no surprise that they have a dedicated counter in most department stores in Korea.
This counter, known as “May Always” (메이올웨이즈), after the name of their line of premium health supplements, offers a range of products made by Dongkook Pharmaceutical, including both health supplements and beauty products.
If you are interested in Centellian24, I personally recommend purchasing their products directly from these counters. While you can also find Centellian24 in Olive Young, it’s worth noting that they only carry a limited selection of their products. In department stores, you will have access to their full brand catalogue and can take advantage of more competitive promotions.
If you would like to know which department stores in Korea have a Dongkook Pharmaceutical counter, simply copy and paste the Korean name of the counter into Naver Maps, the Korean equivalent of Google Maps, to see all their locations.
Check which department stores in Korea house a Dongkook Pharmaceutical counter.
Part 4: Premium Cosmetics
Sometimes this category is also referred to as “prestige” or “mid-range” in retail.
Some of the most notable premium Korean beauty brands are: Iope, Primera, Laneige, Mamonde, Hanyul, Sooryehan, Isa Knox, Yehwadam, Chogonjin, Enprani, and Coreana.
The majority of premium Korean beauty brands are anti-aging skincare brands targeted to older consumers with purchase power who value higher quality products.
It’s common for people to mistakenly equate luxury brands with premium brands, assuming they are one and the same. However, these are two distinct marketing concepts. To put it simply, premium brands focus on selling products, while luxury brands offer experiences. Both types of brands promise high-quality products, but luxury brands go beyond the mere value of their products by providing a unique and exclusive experience.
Unlike luxury brands, premium brands do not aim to be exclusive. Despite their often high price tags, premium cosmetics are designed to be accessible to a wider range of consumers. As a result, premium brands may occasionally lower their prices to generate demand. This means that if you navigate wisely, you can find great deals on premium cosmetics when you’re in Korea.
As a beauty marketer in Korea, I can share that the best times to shop for premium cosmetics are typically before major holidays, specifically:
- Before Lunar New Year (usually in January or February)
- Before Parents Day (May 8th)
- Before Korean Thanksgiving Day (September or October, depending on the Lunar Calendar)
- On Black Friday
- Before Christmas in December
During major holidays in Korea, it is a cherished tradition for young adults to express their gratitude towards their older family members through the act of gift-giving. These heartfelt gestures often take the form of fruit baskets, health supplements, premium cuts of meat, and even skincare products.
To cater to this cultural tradition, both premium and luxury beauty brands in Korea go the extra mile by releasing special gift sets in anticipation of the holidays. While luxury brands tend to focus on exclusive gifts with purchase and elegant packaging, premium beauty brands typically offer generous discounts on their gift sets.
If you visit Korea in the weeks leading up to these major holidays, you can expect discounts of 20-40% on premium skincare gift sets. And let’s not forget, as a tourist, you’ll also be eligible for a tax refund at the airport. So, when we do the math, you could potentially enjoy savings of over 50 percent if luck is on your side. Not too shabby, right?
4.1 Premium Beauty Distribution Channels
The main distribution channels of premium cosmetics in Korea are:
- the brand’s franchise stores
- supermarkets
- home shopping channels
Please note that I won’t be discussing home shopping channels in this guide. Although home shopping can offer great deals on cosmetics in Korea, it requires a good grasp of the local language and banking system. Hence, it may not be the most suitable option for tourists or foreigners who have recently moved to Korea.
4.1.1 Brand’s Franchise Stores and Loyalty Programs
The concept of franchise stores is self-explanatory. This category encompasses both single-brand stores and multi-brand retail stores.
If you had the opportunity to visit Korea 5 or 6 years ago, you may vividly remember strolling down the bustling streets and encountering numerous stores exclusively dedicated to a single beauty brand. These stores were commonly known as “road shops” among longtime followers of Korean beauty.
However, the retail landscape in Korea has experienced remarkable transformations in recent years. While single-brand beauty stores still maintain a presence, they no longer dominate the scene as they once did. The reason behind this shift can be attributed to the changing preferences of Korean consumers. In recent years, there has been a significant decline in the demand for brick and mortar stores dedicated to a single brand. Instead, more and more consumers have embraced the convenience and variety offered by shopping in multi-brand retail stores.
Drugstore brands have found a home in Olive Young, while most premium beauty brands are now sold in multi-brand stores managed by their parent companies. For example:
- Both premium and drugstore brands owned by Amorepacific can be found in stores called “Aritaum” (아리따움)
- LG Household & Health Care’s premium and drugstore brands are sold in stores called “Nature Collection” (네이처컬렉션)
- Brands owned by Able C&C are available in stores called “Missha Plus” (미샤플러스)
- Enprani products are sold in shops named after their sister drugstore brand “Holika Holika” (홀리카홀리카)
- All premium brands owned by Coreana Cosmetics can be found in stores called “Senite” (세니떼)
These stores not only offer seasonal promotions but also provide regular discounts and promotions each month. For instance, Missha holds “Missha Day” on the third weekend of the month, where you can enjoy up to 50% off their products.
Identifying “Missha Day” is easy as their shop windows will be adorned with signs that say “Missha Day, up to 50% off”.
If you’re a foreigner living in Korea, I highly recommend joining the loyalty programs offered by these stores. By accumulating points with each purchase, you can reap even more benefits.
Missha, in particular, has one of the best loyalty programs in Korea. As an example, even as an orange member (not the highest tier), I received five coupons this month, including two 50% off coupons that I can use to purchase any two products of my choice.
4.1.2 Korean Supermarkets
Franchise stores are not the only option for shopping premium beauty products in Korea. Supermarkets have become an ideal place for brands to connect with their target demographic – older consumers with purchasing power. These consumers, often white-collar workers or homemakers, may not have the time to visit specialised beauty stores or department stores. By having counters in supermarkets, beauty companies make their products easily accessible and reach a wider customer base.
To make their products even more appealing to value-conscious shoppers, many beauty companies choose to offer exclusive promotions exclusively in supermarkets. These promotions can range from free samples to special discounts. For example, when Missha launched their anti-aging brand Chogongjin, they offered a 30% discount in their stores but a 40% discount in supermarkets.
So, if you’re interested in premium anti-aging cosmetics, I recommend visiting a supermarket during your stay in Korea. The main supermarket chains in the country are:
- E-Mart (이마트)
- Homeplus (홈플러스)
- Lotte Super (롯데슈퍼)
In some countries, larger supermarkets are typically located outside city centers, but that’s not always the case in Korea. For example, if you search for E-Mart on Naver Map, you will find numerous branches in Seoul, making it easily accessible even for tourists.
Most of these supermarkets will have counters for Aritaum, Nature Collection, Missha, and Enprani. Larger supermarkets may also include a couple of drugstore brands and a small Olive Young shop.
Additionally, supermarkets are also ideal places in Korea to shop for kids’ skincare, hair products, and health supplements.
While you can find these products in Olive Young, a drugstore chain, it’s important to note that Olive Young caters to a younger demographic. Upon entering any Olive Young store in Korea, you’ll likely notice that there are usually no customers over the age of 40.
The products available in Olive Young cater to the tastes and demands of their core demographic. Consequently, you’ll find that they don’t have a wide selection of anti-aging skincare, hair loss products, or kids’ skincare. On the other hand, compared to supermarkets, Olive Young offers a broader selection of makeup, hair styling products, weight loss supplements, and skincare for oily and acne-prone skin, among others. So, ultimately, it depends on what you’re looking for.
Part 5: Drugstore Cosmetics
Lastly, let’s discuss drugstore beauty brands in Korea. Some well-known names in this category include Etude, Innisfree, The Face Shop, Romand, Clio, Dr.G, Round Lab, Mediheal, Skinfood, and more.
These are the Korean brands most people are familiar with because they’re ones mentioned the most by Western beauty influencers.
As I mentioned in the previous part, in the past, the most common way to shop for drugstore beauty brands in Korea was by visiting each brand’s individual store. However, there has been a shift in Korean consumers’ preferences towards multi-brand retail shops in recent years. As a result, beauty brands have adjusted their strategies by closing down many standalone stores and partnering with the largest drugstore chain in the country: Olive Young (올리브영, often simply abbreviated as 올영 ).
While you can still find single-brand stores in Korea, the easiest way to shop for drugstore beauty products is by visiting Olive Young. Up until recently, there used to be two more drugstore chains in Korea called Lohbs and Lalavla, but Olive Young put both out of business last year.
As mentioned earlier, the core demographic of Olive Young tends to be young, ranging from late teens to early 30s. Consequently, they don’t offer a wide selection of anti-aging skincare and products targeted at older adults. However, you can find a diverse range of products at Olive Young, including drugstore skincare, pharmacy brands, makeup, haircare, beauty tools, health supplements, and more.
In Olive Young, you can also find some premium makeup brands like 3CE and Hince, as well as diffusion lines of premium skincare brands such as Isa Knox’s Vitamin C line or Hanyul’s lines designed for younger skin types.
5.1 Olive Young Store Locator
Before traveling to Korea, I recommend downloading the official Korean app of Olive Young. In case you can’t find a particular product in-store, you can use the app’s store locator function to find the nearest Olive Young that stocks that product.
Although the app is entirely in Korean, don’t worry. You can easily use the store locator function without speaking a single word of Korean.
- Simply type the name of the brand in Roman letters.
- Scroll until you find the product you’re looking for
- Open the product page
- Scroll until you see the store icon
- Clicking on the button will automatically show you the nearest Olive Young store that carries the product.
- You can then click on the store you’re interested in and copy the address directly from the app.
5.2 Olive Young Seasonal Sales
Olive Young offers different promotions every month, but if you want to take advantage of the best discounts, it’s recommended to wait for their seasonal sales, which occur in the first week of March, June, September, and December. Additionally, like many international retailers, Olive Young now offers discounts on Black Friday as well.
These promotions are available in all Olive Young stores in Korea and are also mirrored on the Olive Young Global website. So, if you’re wondering when the best time to place an order on the Olive Young Global website is, you can simply follow the calendar I just mentioned.
Don’t forget to use my affiliate code ODILEMONOD1 to get an additional 5% off.
5.3 Save Money with Olive Young Loyalty Program in Korea
While Olive Young’s promotions are accessible to everyone, I strongly recommend that foreigners living in Korea join Olive Young’s loyalty program. By becoming a member, you’ll gain access to exclusive benefits.
For starters, you’ll enjoy early access to their seasonal sales and members-only offers. Additionally, on the 25th of every month, Olive Young holds “Olive Young Day“, a two-day promotion exclusive to their loyalty program members, offering them exclusive discounts.
Here’s a practical example:
In green you’ll see the original retail price of an item, below you can see the promotional price applied to the item in May 2023, and lastly the exclusive price available to loyalty program members on Olive Young Day.
But that’s not all. On Olive Young Day, members of their loyalty program can also receive special samples and additional discounts when they spend more than a set amount. The rewards and benefits increase as you move up in membership tiers.
The loyalty program is named “CJ One” and allows you to earn points with every purchase made at any store owned by the CJ Group.
If you don’t speak Korean, you can sign up online and use a translator to fill in the form.
Once you join the loyalty program, every time you make a purchase in Olive Young, simply say “멤버십 있어요” [“Membeoship Isseoyo“], meaning “I have a membership” before paying. They will then ask for your phone number, which you can easily enter using the touch pen provided at the cash register.
Part 6: Professional Beauty Supplies
In the final segment of this guide, I would like to take a moment to discuss where you can find professional beauty supplies in Korea. Whether you are a seasoned beauty professional or someone who simply enjoys treating yourself to professional-grade products at home, there are two Korean words that you should familiarize yourself with.
- 네일재료 [“Nail Jae-ryo”], which translates to “nail supplies”. These specialised shops offer an array of items ranging from gel polish and nail art decorations to files and nail lamps.
- 미용재료 [“Mi-yeon Jae-ryo”], refers to “beauty salon supplies”. In these establishments, you will discover a wide selection of professional hair products, hair dyes, styling tools, and skincare products designed for aesthetic clinics.
To locate the nearest shop offering the beauty supplies you need, you can simply input the Korean terms 네일재료 or 미용재료 into Naver Maps, and the application will guide you to the closest shops in your area.
If you’re in Seoul, one of the most popular nail supplies stores is called “Nail Mall” (네일몰) while for beauty salon supplies most shops are located around Dongdaemun Market (동대문 쇼핑타운), which is the largest shopping district in Korea.
While shopping for professional beauty supplies in Korea, it’s crucial to bear in mind that the product descriptions and usage instructions will be in Korean. Before visiting a shop, it’s a good idea to download some translation apps if you don’t speak the language. Personally, I recommend using a combination of Papago and Google Translate.
Words, Visuals: © 2023 Odile Monod unless otherwise stated.
The reproduction of any content, either in whole or in part, for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited without obtaining the explicit written consent of the author.