Best Korean Beauty Gifts for Moms
Looking for K-beauty gifts for moms? Here I’m sharing with you some of my mom’s favorite Korean beauty brands that would make perfect gifts for birthdays, Christmas, or Mother’s Day, at various price ranges! Updated in 2024.
*This post contains affiliate links
Something my mom and I both have in common is a love for skincare. This makes her super easy to shop for when Mother’s Day comes around. Every year, I always know I can buy her an Asian beauty gift set. Her and my grandma both have used Asian skincare brands for ages and take great care with their skin. She’s become a fan of Korean skincare products in recent years, as Korean beauty has become more popular worldwide. Here are some of her favorite K-beauty brands and products in both skincare and makeup.
Please note that my recommendations here are mostly for items that are received well as gifts. That means I focus on things like aesthetic packaging, price point, and how the product feels, but not necessarily at formula, active ingredients, or potency for major skin changes. If you have major skin concerns, it’s always best to go see a dermatologist for their recommendations.
Where to Buy K-beauty Products in the US
First things first, I am based in the US, so I will be sharing products that can be easily obtained here. Obviously, the range of products available would be much better in South Korea or from any other country in Asia. You can buy some Korean skincare at department stores like Sephora, Ulta, and Nordstrom, but for the best range of products, you may need to try online stores that ship from overseas. One reputable site is YesStyle, however their shipping takes quite a long time. Amazon has a decent selection of Kbeauty, but you always need to double check that you are purchasing from the official brand and not an unapproved third party seller, as there have been reports of fake products sold on Amazon. I’ll try to leave links for multiple places where you can purchase these products from what I can find.
Best Korean Skincare Gifts for Moms
1. Sulwhasoo – Korean Herbal Skincare
Sulwhasoo is a Korean skincare brand that is all about holistic skincare. Their products rely heavily on herbal remedies, with their signature ingredient being ginseng. The ginseng technology in their skincare supposedly combats wrinkles and improves “overall radiance.” Don’t ask me what that means, but it sure sounds nice. Sulwhasoo tends to be popular among those with mature skin and anti-aging concerns. They’ve got a full line of toners, serums, and creams. I currently use their overnight sleeping mask, and I love it. Am I more radiant? I’m not sure, but it feels really nice, and my skin is soft and not dry when I wake up in the morning.
2. Luxury Korean Skincare – Amorepacific
Amorepacific is a high end Korean skincare line. The Amorepacific company actually owns many popular Korean beauty brands at different price points, including Laneige and Innisfree. In terms of price and quality, they’re comparative to the Japanese luxury skin care brand SK-II. Like Sulwhasoo, they target mainly anti-aging concerns, including wrinkles and fine lines. They are also botanical focused, with one of their star ingredients being green tea, which has antioxidants. One of their bestselling serums has white peony extract, which allegedly combines well with vitamin C for a brighter appearance. Like with Sulwhasoo, I can’t say whether any of these claims are true, but I have liked Amorepacific’s beauty products in the past for their luxurious feel.
Purchase Amorepacific on Amazon
Purchase Amorepacific at Neiman Marcus
Purchase from Amorepacific website
3. Laneige – Affordable and High Quality Korean Skincare
Laneige is a more affordable brand in Korean beauty under the umbrella company of Amorepacific. While still more expensive than drugstore products, I find that Laneige FEELS like high-end luxury brands but with a more reasonable price tag. My mom and I both have enjoyed using their Water Bank line, which contains hyaluronic acid and is all about hydration. I also love their lip sleeping masks and their cream skin toner. Pretty much every product I’ve tried from Laneige has been nice.
Purchase Laneige on Amazon (This travel set includes their bestsellers. I’ve tried every product and love them all!)
Best Korean Beauty Products for Moms
In addition to skincare, my mom and I both also love Korean makeup products. East Asian makeup tends to emphasize more subdued, neutral colors and focus on enhancing natural beauty, which is exactly our style. Unlike some of the luxury skincare lines mentioned above, Korean beauty products tend to predominantly stay at lower price points. Take a look at some Kbeauty items my mom and I have enjoyed.
1. Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes
Korean eyeshadows tend to be more powdery and not as opaque as Western eyeshadow formulas. However, Korean beauty brands offer a much bigger range of neutral colors in their palettes and are often even conveniently labeled as warm toned or cool toned. I personally like the ones from Rom&nd, which can be bought on their website. My mom likes the ones by Clio.
2. Korean Lip Tints
Much like with the eyeshadows, Korean lip tints also come in a much wider range of neutral colors than Western lip products. Lip tints or stains that are long lasting seem to be more popular products than the opaque lipsticks you find in American beauty stores. They look very natural and some are even advertised as being mask-proof, a.k.a. non transferring. My mom and I both like the ones from Etude and Rom&nd.
More Asian Beauty and Shopping Guides
Did you like this Kbeauty shopping guide? Check my other Asian beauty and skincare posts!
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