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Amazon’s Prime Day Sale Has Huge K-Beauty Discounts on Our Favorite Products
We've tested hundreds of Korean skincare and makeup products—these are worth ordering on sale.
For years, the only way to buy Korean skincare and makeup products stateside was ordering from janky websites with astronomical shipping prices. And honestly, it was kind of worth it. South Korea is known for its beauty innovations. The skincare trends we see in America directly reflect what they were doing months (sometimes years) ago on the other side of the world. But as demand has grown, there's a new way to get your K-beauty fix here: Amazon, baby.
Many of our favorite Korean skincare brands—including Beauty of Joseon, Medicube, Innisfree, CosRX, and more—are all easily available on Amazon Prime, making the huge discount shopping event that is Amazon Prime Day all the more exciting for beauty fanatics like the Cosmo team. For October Prime Day, happening today through October 8th, hundreds of K-beauty products are on sale, starting at less than $6. But don't go in blind. We've scoured practically every single deal on Korean skincare and makeup products to tell you which ones are actually worth it (from the products we seriously love to the discounts you likely won't find anywhere else).
Our top picks for the best Korean beauty on Amazon:
Keep reading for all the info on our favorites, including first-hand reviews from Cosmopolitan editors who love each and every product.
Although double cleansing was popularized in Korea, it can be a lil time-consuming. This duo cleanser has two internal chambers filled with both a jelly and a milky cleanser. Once you mix them together on your hand, it easily removes makeup and cleanses skin in one step.
One Cosmo editor's review: "As much as I love how clean my skin feels after going in with two cleansers, I legit never have the energy or time at the end of the day. This one seriously removes everything—including mascara and eyeliner—but doesn't leave that dreaded oily film on my skin that I hate with a lot of makeup removers."—BETH GILLETTE, BEAUTY EDITOR
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
Want to pick up a classic K-beauty staple while it's on sale? Try this cleansing oil, which uses a mix of 14 different oils (including argan and sunflower seed oils) to help break down waterproof makeup and hydrate skin.
One Cosmo editor's review: "I'm notoriously picky about cleansing oils as someone who wears eye makeup nearly every day. But this one takes off everything without leaving me with the dreaded cloudy eyes."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | Very dry, dry, sensitive |
Acne-prone and sensitive skin users alike will love this azelaic acid-based cleanser from Medicube. It helps calm down inflammation as it removes dirt and oil from your skin.
One Cosmo editor's review: "This cleanser has the most unique texture. It's stretchy and sort of gum-like straight from the tube, but once you massage it into skin with some water, it turns into the richest, plushest foam ever. It feels so good that I genuinely can't wait to go home at night and wash my face."—LAUREN BALSAMO, BEAUTY DIRECTOR
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
Not only do these pads gently exfoliate with AHAs and BHAs to smooth uneven skin texture and clear out pores (making them look a lil smaller), but they're filled with hyaluronic acid and panthenol to leave behind a dewy glow every time you use 'em. Alix Earle actually credits her soft skin to these.
One Cosmo editor's review: "I picked these up after suffering a gnarly travel breakout upon my arrival in Asia, and by the time I left, my skin was back to its usual state with all of my zits healing. I really love swiping these all over my face in the mornings (followed with sunscreen, ofc). I legit feel like my skin starts to look better as the day goes on—it’s kinda magic."—BG
This milky toner is such a mainstay in K-beauty because it uses rice extracts to hydrate your skin without feeling heavy. Just pat it on (or swipe on with a cotton pad) after cleansing and before any serums.
One Cosmo editor's review: "I have such dry skin, so I always had a tough time finding a toner that didn't leave my skin feeling tight, but this is more like a toner-hydrating serum combo. It sweeps my pores and balances my skin, while also hydrating it. I love it for days where my skin needs a bit of added moisture before my other serums and skincare steps." —JH
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All (especially dry) |
Using a pretty hefty combo of AHA, BHA, and PHA, this toner is a powerhouse for smoothing texture and reducing hyperpigmentation. For very sensitive skin, limit to once or twice a week.
One Cosmo editor's review: "I've only been testing this for a few weeks, but as I glance in the mirror right now, my skin seriously hasn't looked this even in years."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All, but might be too intense for very sensitive skin |
Two of the biggest trends in K-beauty rn? Toner pads and PDRN, which are DNA fragments from the sperm cells of salmon or trout that have major collagen production powers. With these pads, either swipe them all over your face to help firm skin, or spot treat by leaving them on for 10 to 15 minutes like a mini sheet mask.
One Cosmo editor's review: "I've tested so many PDRN products since they started hitting shelves in America recently, and these are easily my favorite. I love swiping it on at night to help promote collagen production and skin healing—a necessity for my acne-prone skin."—BG
Fun fact: Snail mucin (aka the secretions left behind by snails—weird, we know) is majorly hydrating for your skin. Patting this essence on your face once or twice a day can help make your skin look mega glowy and plump.
One Cosmo editor's review: "This essence has def been a worthwhile addition to my skincare routine. It’s relatively affordable and can be easily incorporated into any existing regimen if you're looking to add some ~vitality~ to your face and soothe damaged skin. The product is incredibly gentle and not a huge investment, so you can use it generously and daily too."—IMAN BALAGAM, CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY WRITER
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
Consider this serum the end of your hyperpigmentation. It's packed with PDRN and tranexamic acid (an MVP for fading dark spots). But most importantly, it uses spicules, aka little teeny sponge needles to create micro-channels that help deliver ingredients deeper into your skin. It's sort of like a microneedling treatment from your bathroom.
One Cosmo editor's review: "Although my acne isn't 100 percent gone, most of it is, and now I'm super focused on getting rid of my dark spots. This serum is officially entering my weekly lineup. It's not just cute and pink—it's loaded with all the best stuff to even out my skin tone."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | Very oily, oily, dry, acne-prone |
This serum is two-prong. Sure, it can act as a vegan snail mucin of sorts to make your skin look majorly glowy. But if you massage it in, it has a slight exfoliating quality that helps get rid of all the dead skin on the surface of your face.
One Cosmo editor's review: "Patting this on to my face makes me look like I've just guzzled gallons of water and took a swim in the Blue Lagoon. My skin looks actually unreal levels of dewy—without clogging my pores."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
Niacinamide, cica, and tea tree extract make this cream fantastic for calming down inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and dermatitis. Apply all over as a moisturizer or spot treat wherever you tend to break out or flare up.
One Cosmo editor's review: "I'm so blown away by this soothing cream. It's probably one of my favorite additions to my routine of the last six months. For my oily skin, it's enough as a moisturizer. But I've also patted on a more intense cream afterward when I need it, and there's zero pilling."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | Acne-prone, sensitive, oily, dry, very dry |
Ginseng is a powerful antioxidant that can help with anti-aging and hydration and makes up a lot of Korean skincare formulas, including this moisturizer from Beauty of Joseon. (But it's also got squalane, rice bran water, and niacinamide.)
One Cosmo editor's review: "I've tested a lot of expensive, luxury Korean face creams, and this holds a candle to all of them. It feels rich and fancy and offers a similar level of moisture without the heaviness."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
Wondering what sunscreens they actually buy in Korea? It's Round Lab, specifically this moisturizing version. It sinks in immediately, leaves zero residue, and feels like a lightweight moisturizer.
One Cosmo editor's review: "I purchased so many tubes of this when I was just in Seoul. It's so hydrating but feels like I'm wearing nothing on my face. Exactly how SPF should be."
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
Prefer a mineral sunscreen? Try Innisfree's. It protects your skin while soothing irritation (and ofc, because it's mineral, it's much less likely to irritate sensitive skin).
One Cosmo editor's review: "I love the green tint on this formula—not only does it help mask any white cast, but it also neutralizes some of the redness in my skin."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
Vitamin C is a gold-star ingredient for preventing and decreasing dark circles. And it just so happens to be the hero of this cream, which we love for brightening morning and night.
One Cosmo editor's review: "Whenever I use anything from Goodal, I wake up with skin that feels refreshed, hydrated, and glowy. This eye cream is thin, but hydrating, so it doesn't feel heavy and still gets the job done!"—OLIVIA TRUFFAUT-WONG, EDITOR
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
Two things make this one of our favorite depuffing eye creams: Caffeine and a cooling plastic applicator tip, both of which help constrict your blood vessels to actually reduce bags.
One Cosmo editor's review: "After a recent trip to the beauty mecca of the world, Seoul, I'm struggling bad with my sleep. I've been relying heavily on this eye gel to make me look more like a human. The cooling tip works wonders, as does the caffeine-packed gel."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All (but very-dry under eyes might need something more moisturizing on top) |
Remember your favorite peel-off masks from your youth? This is nothing like that, btw. This jelly is jam-packed with collagen, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid to seriously nourish skin overnight.
One Cosmo editor's review: "As much as I loooooveeee the idea of wearing my collagen sheet masks overnight, I am a side sleeper and hate how they feel touching my pillow. This peel-off mask, though, does basically the same thing without the frustration. My face looks so freaking smooth and buttery by morning. I do it before every big event."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
Winner of a Cosmo Holy Grail Beauty Award for the best sheet mask, this collagen mask is wildly hydrating and plumping. The longer you keep it on, the bouncier your skin will look.
One Cosmo editor's review: “It’s true—K-Beauty brands just do sheet masks better. Case in point: Anua’s collagen mask, which isn’t just the neatest/least drippy sheet mask I’ve ever used, it’s the most plumping too. I leave it for an hour while I catch up on emails, and when I take it off? My face feels baby freaking soft.” —LB
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | Dry, very dry, sensitive, oily |
Put this viral mask on before you go to sleep, and overnight, it'll go transparent—a sign that your face has soaked up all the collagen and juicy goodness within.
One Cosmo editor's review: "I could go on forever about how much I love this viral mask that you leave on overnight for glowy skin. It's already cut in two pieces to help it fit perfectly over your face (which I loved sm). Then, just go to sleep. That's it. In the morning, you'll notice the mask has absorbed and is completely clear, leaving you with the smoothest skin ever."—BG
Features at a Glance
| Skin type | All |
With six different modes, this all-in-one device sculpts, smoothes, and helps hydrate skin to make your skincare products work even better. Even Hailey Bieber is a fan, btw.
One Cosmo editor's review: "As someone who loves glowy skin, this device has been a gamechanger in my routine. I have the pro version with six different modes, but I really only use the boosting one. After five minutes, my skin looks glowier, and I find that my face stays hydrated for much longer. It also gives my face an added sculpted look."—JASMINE HYMAN, ASSISTANT BEAUTY EDITOR
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
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