In early March, I attended a launch event hosted by Seeds Market to promote the grand opening of Yep’s bySEEDSMARKET, the first ever K-beauty store in Shinjuku Isetan! I had the opportunity to test products from the Korean brands Dinto, Ges Gep, Lavin, Matier, and Mude. It’s been nearly 2 months since I tried the products given to me at the event. So, I’m sharing a review of each brand and my top picks. Without further ado, here are 5 k-beauty brands you need to know in 2022!
Disclosure: This blog post is not sponsored by Seeds Market, Shinjuku Isetan, or any of the brands mentioned (Dinto, Ges Gep, Lavin, Matier, and Mude)
5 K-Beauty Brands You Need To Know in 2022
My K-Beauty Journey
Before I dive into the 5 k-beauty brands you need to know in 2022, I want to start with a quick overview of what I do as a full-time content creator. I’ve been fortunate to work on campaigns with some of Japan’s top beauty brands and I even landed a 6 month ambassadorship with Raxy Beauty Box!
However, my beauty journey started way back in 2013 when I purchased my first K-beauty products. (It was the Etude House Moistfull Collagen Set, if you’re wondering!) And, in an interesting turn of events, I also work with Korean beauty brands establishing a presence in Japan (see my Lagom post), so it seems like I switched from K-beauty to J-beauty back to K-beauty!
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Seeds Market specializes in Korean beauty brands and operates MoreMe, a Japanese online magazine sharing the latest beauty, travel, and entertainment information from Korea.
It’s one of the first companies that reached out to me when I started as a content creator. So, I’ve always been happy to return the favor and collaborate with them whenever possible!
Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to get back to my K-beauty roots.
5 K-Beauty Brands You Need To Know in 2022
Dinto
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Dinto means “deeply into” and its motto is “Beauty with depth.” It’s a vegan and cruelty free makeup brand that prides itself on its clean approach to beauty and romantic packaging.
The names of it lip tints, lip plumpers, blushes and eyeshadows bear the names of women writers from the US, UK, Japan, and Korea.
For example, its Blur-Finish Shadow palettes are named after Jane Austen and Zelda Fitzgerald, respectively.
Its pencil eyeliners are inspired by Italian writer Dante Alighieri while its makeup books are named after Toson Shimazaki and Buyong Kim.
Each book comes with Blur-Finish Wonshoo Cushion Foundation which was unfortunately far too light for my complexion. (But, the finish is divine!)
Ges Gep
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Pronounced “jes jep,” Ges Gep is a makeup and skincare brand founded by renowned makeup artists Son Daesik and Park Taeyoon.
Ges Gep products are lightweight, yet long-lasting stage-friendly cosmetics. Its lineup includes skin care that you apply before makeup, to give it staying power.
Bare Cream acts as a “one minute rescue” formula in a jar. It works double duty as a skincare product plus primer. Bare Mask is a sheet masks that plumps the skin to prevent product from sinking into creases. It’s ideal for when you want a full face of makeup on a big day.
I honestly love all of the Ges Gep products that I tried. Unfortunately, it’s a shame because the Mutli Concealer and Liquid Filter foundations are not even close to my complexion!
With that said, if you’re on the fairer side or love the “whitening”/bihaku effect, you would absolutely love Liquid Filter foundation for its coverage, staying power, and luminosity.
Lavien
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Take one look at the skincare products offered by Lavien, and you just know some serious won went into its product development.
Branded as “skincare for adults,” Lavien is backed by science, and is K-Beauty’s answer to Japanese “anti-aging” brands like SK-II, Elixir, and Astalift.
My top picks include Perfect Balance Daily Cleansing Foam which has a light herbal scent and powerful makeup removal properties.
I also liked Volumizing Radiance Essence sylenol A. Its key ingredient is bakichol, a milder form of retinol that eases the signs of aging. The essence was a fun product to play with because it comes out as a pink cream that turns into a gel then a foamy lather!
Matier
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If you love how Japanese fashion and beauty magazines often have freebies, then you’ll love the concept of Matier.
Matier is a makeup brand known for its Make Up Books which consist of 2 full-sized cream lipsticks, 6 eye shadows, and 2 blushes.
All of the products tie into a particular concept and color scheme: “First Step,” “Frutto Foresta,” and “Solar on the Rise.”
I left the PR event with a literal bag of K-beauty swag. However, I just had to treat myself to the Make Up Book, “Solar on the Rise” as an early birthday present! Imagine my surprise when they were doing an in-store campaign for a FREE cream lipstick by simply joining their mailing list!
Mude
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Mude is a makeup brand brought to life by popular beauty blogger Raemi. The brand focuses on flirty, pouty lips and gorgeous knockout eyelashes.
Its flagship product is The Inspire Curling Mascara, a waterproof formula that uses natural ingredients like soybean, corn and wheat extracts to nourish and strengthen lashes. The Inspire Curling Mascara at one point was the best selling mascara product on Rakuten Ichiba!
I received the Inspire Curling Mascara in brown and paired with a dark brown eyeliner, it’s seriously the perfect way to fake a natural, no makeup look. This mascara is very buildable, so you can apply it in layers to add drama.
Another Mude product that I absolutely loved was its Mude Inspire Matte, 4 dreamy buildable matte lipsticks with a feathery soft sheer finish. My favorite shade? Cool Gleaming, a sultry red perfect for any season.
5 K-Beauty Brands You Need To Know In 2022: Where To Shop in Japan
If you’re in Tokyo, then you’re practically at the frontlines of having an authentic K-beauty shopping experience!
Back in my day, your only option was Shin-Okubo, “Tokyo’s Little Korea.” But, these days, you can find major Korean brands at shopping malls in major cities like Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama, and Fukuoka.
In fact, when I went to Shibuya to check out the D&G x Jujutsu Kaisen capsule collection, I stopped by my old hangout, Shibuya 109, and was absolutely floored to find brands like Innisfree and Etude House!
Even high-end department stores are finally riding the 4th Korean Wave. On the first floor of Isetan Shinjuku is Yep’s bySEEDSMARKET, where you’ll find the brands I introduced in this post.
Happy Shopping!
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