Get Ready, Because K-Beauty Products Will Take Over Target

What do essences, sheet masks, and BB creams all have in common? Quick answer: They each have a comfy little spot in the always-expanding and ever-so-popular Korean beauty category that skin care lovers can’t get enough of.

While these products have been receiving a lot of love lately, they are not always easy to track down. Luckily, Target is about to seriously change the game, joining forces with none other than K-beauty expert Alicia Yoon, the founder and CEO of Peach & Lily.

Officially hitting shelves on Jan. 22, the spring 2017 collection includes 16 products and will be available in select stores and on Target.com to purchase for as little as $7. No more scrambling to find your favorite K-beauty picks!

We had a chance to catch up with Yoon to discuss the latest Target collection and what’s buzzing right now in the K-beauty world.

Yahoo Beauty: How was the process of curating best picks for the Target K-beauty collection?

Alicia Yoon: The process was really exciting, as I was contemplating what products would work best together that offered something different and innovative. At the same time, I didn’t want products to be just gimmicky, but the innovation itself would have to offer a relevant benefit, whether it’s improved skin or a more convenient format for people to use. And of course, all the products need to be delightful — everything from packaging to texture to scent. I also wanted to make sure that all products would work for a wide range of skin types and be exciting for those [who are new] to K-beauty and those who are very familiar with K-beauty. It was a lot to consider, but it was a fun process, and I’m so happy about the excitement around the collection.

Describe three of the best new K-beauty products and how they work.

April Skin’s Magic Stone is a 100 percent natural soap that lathers without the use of harsh sulfates. Fermented liquor, French green clay, shea butter, and herbal extracts work together to create a lather. The magic of this soap is that the lather works as a face mask/treatment that’s left on for 30 seconds, nourishing the skin. More amazingly, after the 30 seconds, the lather is washed off and there’s not a trace of makeup on. This soap went viral in the theater community in Korea because it removed heavy makeup so easily and thoroughly.

Also, 24/7’s Touch-up Skin Perfecting Cream has been approved by the Korean FDA as a skin care product with anti-aging benefits. At the same time, this is a beautiful shimmery highlighter that leaves the skin with a beautiful, subtle radiance. Makeup artists have been using this under the eyes to illuminate the eye area, strobing to highlight the face, and mixing it in with foundation for a healthy glow. It’s makeup that’s healthy for skin — or skin care that provides a beautiful finish. It’s hard to categorize as this product blurs the lines between makeup and skin care.

Then there’s Lagom’s Mist Toner, which is a convenient toner and mist in one. Spray on this toner after cleansing to balance your skin’s pH, and also to hydrate skin. This brand was created by legendary celebrity makeup artist Kowon, who teamed up with scientists to bring us this gorgeous line. The line includes a special ingredient, Dermaflux, which uses a Nobel Prize-winning technology for bringing moisture to the moisture channels of your skin’s cells to truly make hydration something your skin can keep rather than evaporating out if you’re in a dry or cold environment.

What are some current beauty trends happening right now in the K-beauty space?

The spa-at-home trend is huge. There are so many more exciting devices and modeling/rubber mask formats that allow you to have a truly indulgent and intensive skin care session at home.

Why do you believe this is an important category of products for Target to include?

Given that K-beauty has a pace of innovation that is often unparalleled and has so many unique and high-performing (and fun) product categories and products, it’s so exciting to see Target really go deeper in this category to offer the Target guest something that’s become a popular category in beauty! This seems to be much in line with Target’s continued evolution to bring on-trend items to their guests.

Why do you think K-beauty products have become more and more popular in the U.S.?

The products offer something unique — whether it’s texture, scent, ingredients, performance, even packaging. At the same time, these products deliver amazing results. Once someone tries a K-beauty product that’s right for their skin type, we often get feedback that they’re incredibly happy with the results. This type of experience helps the category go viral and become even more popular. It’s always great when the packaging and concept is fun and beautiful, but the results are even better.

What’s one of the coolest out-of-box K-beauty products or routines you’ve seen lately?

The April Skin Magic Stone! A soap that doubles as a mask treatment — and combines the oil and water cleansing steps. Also, importantly, it removes stubborn makeup super-easily. This all-natural soap is such a great innovation.

I also love the layering toner or essence step to really layer the hydration into your skin. Dubbed the #7skin or #3skin method, people have been layering three to seven thin layers of toner or essence onto the face to let each layer really soak in and get your skin fully hydrated. Try it out — it works!

How do you think this collection differs from other collections that have been launched with Target?

I love that this collection is multibranded and really zeroes in on specific bestsellers and trends from a larger category, K-beauty. I also appreciate that they let me personally curate this section because I was able to really contemplate all the trends I was seeing and handpick my favorite products that are tried and true. All these aspects combined seem unique to this collection. [I’m] so truly excited!

Related:
Why K-Beauty Is the Holy Grail of Skin Care
10 Mega-Popular Korean Beauty Staples
11 Beauty Tips I Learned in South Korea

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