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Many of us look to Korean celebs for the latest makeup inspiration and skincare secrets – after all, their flawless dewy skin and natural makeup looks are difficult to pull off, which is why we’ll take any tip that they can offer us!

Luckily for us, many K-artistes are more than happy to share their favourite beauty products for us. Not all of them are K-beauty products – some of them are even holy grails from Western brands that have achieved cult status internationally.

Curious to know what your favourite celebs have been loving the past year? Read on to find out!

1. Shin Hye Sun – BOTANIC HEAL boH Probioderm Repair Ampoule Cushion

In many of her drama roles, Shin Hye Sun has often appeared to be sporting a bare face with no colour makeup or foundation at all. However, many fans have been captivated by her glowing, blemish-free skin that looks too good to be true.

The secret to her barely-there makeup? The BOTANIC HEAL boH Probioderm Repair Ampoule Cushion.

This is actually a skincare compact that blurs imperfections and helps to minimise visible signs of ageing, all while delivering many skincare benefits. The high coverage can cover all blemishes without looking cakey, and with continued usage, your skin will soak up the cushion compact’s age-defying and protective properties – no wonder this actress doesn’t look like she’s in her thirties at all!

BOTANIC HEAL boH Probioderm Repair Ampoule Cushion retails at SGD51.94 on Shopee.

2. Kim Hye-yoon – The Face Shop x Kakao Friends 2019 Collection

Been binge-watching hit dramas Sky Castle and Extra-ordinary You in the past year? Then you would surely have noticed Kim Hye-yoon’s bright, rosy, and youthful makeup looks.

She manages to pull off looking like a high school student even though she’s already 24 this year, thanks to the fact that she actively uses sunscreen and naturally pink lip colours that brighten up her complexion. Make sure you diligently do your sun protection and use brighter lip colours if you want to create the same cheery vibes as Hye-yoon!

The Face Shop x Kakao Friends Mineral Sun Stick SPF 50+ retails at SGD38 and Ryan Velvet Lip Tint at SGD21 in The Face Shop stores.

3. Lee Naeun (April) – peripera Ink Matte Blur

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How does a girl group member and actress ensure that her lip colour stays on through her busy schedule? Naeun from April will have you know that peripera’s Ink Matte Blur gets the job done!

This is another high-quality lip tint from K-beauty brand peripera that applies light and smooth on the lips, The vivid colour comes in a matte finish and actually smoothens out the fine lines on your puckers, which creates the unique ‘blurring’ effect!

peripera Ink Matte Blur retails at SGD18.90 in Watsons and Lazada.

4. Yoon Bomi (Apink) – Acropass Trouble Cure

We’ve always wondered how Korean celebs look like they never have a single zit on their face despite wearing getting less sleep than most of us, which is why we’re happy to get a hint from Apink’s Bomi, who shared that she relies on this particular acne patch to clear up pesky pimples overnight!

The Acropass Trouble Care is a two-step acne patch that uses innovative microneedle technology to deliver ingredients painlessly below the surface of the skin to target acne inflammation. Each microneedle is thinner than 1/3 the width of a hair and dissolves into the skin to release acne-fighting ingredients hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.

Acropass Trouble Care retails at SGD65 for 4 boxes on Lazada.

5. Kim Se-jeong (gugudan) – ma:nyo Pure & Deep Cleansing Foam

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Kim Se-jeong may be one of the most popular Korean artistes now – you’ll find her in all the hottest variety shows and dramas, all while releasing new music albums and solos – but her skin doesn’t reflect her busy schedule at all. In fact, she probably even has better skin than the majority of us!

To deal with putting on full makeup everyday and the dry cold water, she uses ma:nyo Pure & Deep Cleansing Foam to thoroughly wash all the grime from her face without stripping any moisture. The cleansing foam uses a non-irritating formula that creates soft and fine bubbles to clarify impurities and contains a 10-floral complex with ceramides to fortify the skin’s moisturising barrier – now we know what to use for clear skin!

ma:nyo Pure & Deep Cleansing Foam retails at SGD49 for 2 tubes on Shopee.

6. Heize – AMUSE Cream Balm Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++

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If you’ve been following Heize for a while, you may know that the songwriter, singer, and rapper (not to be confused with beauty guru Heizle) is a big fan of new K-beauty brand Amuse, and one of her top favourites from the brand is undeniably the Cream Balm Cushion.

This cushion foundation comes in an innovative silky balm texture, fortified with Manuka Honey for a flawless finish in an extended shade range. It is lightweight, hydrating, and delivers buildable coverage for a luminous, natural finish that lasts all day.

We think this Cream Balm Cushion must be the key to her looking so good all the time, even when she’s at the airport to catch a flight or taking a vacation in Mongolian deserts!

AMUSE Cream Balm Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++ retails at SGD47.61 on Shopee.

7. HyunA – Yves Saint Laurent Beauty Volupté Plump-in-Color

The former member of girl group 4minute is best-known for her bright red lips – in fact, some would even say that she is the one who really owns this shade in the Korean entertainment industry!

While she used to be a big fan of M.A.C’s Ruby Woo, she has since turned to another beauty brand that does red lipstick just as well – YSL Beauty!

One of her favourite lip products from the chic brand is actually the Volupté Plump-in-Color, a multi-tasking lip balm that gently plumps and deeply nourishes while dressing lips in high-shine, luscious colour. It really does make her lips look full, shiny, and healthy all the time – need we say more?

Yves Saint Laurent Beauty Volupté Plump-in-Color retails at SGD52 in YSL Beauty boutiques.

8. Park Min Young – Sooryehan Ginseng Essence

We find it hard to believe that Secretary Kim turns 34 this year, until we found out that she’s been using (and loving!) the Sooryehan Ginseng Essence.

Containing Ginsenocide 33, which is carefully extracted from ginseng cultivated in uncontaminated natural farms, this anti-ageing essence keeps skin looking smooth and radiant. It may sound like a tall claim, but just Min-young’s radiant, wrinkle-free skin is all the convincing we need.

Sooryehan Ginseng Essence retails at SGD142 in selected THEFACESHOP – Nature Collection stores.

9. Chungha – Clinique iD Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly + Active Cartridge Concentrate

Soloist Chungha has been on a roll since 2019, and we’ve nailed down her fresh skin to the Clinique iD’s Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly + Active Cartridge Concentrate!

This is the first-of-its-kind customised blend moisturiser that hydrates and treats your main skin concern, and if you’re often pulling late-nighters, opt for the Fatigue cartridge, which contains concentrated actives to energise and revive glow for a visible reduction in signs of fatigue.

Clinique iD Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly + Active Cartridge Concentrate retails at SGD75 in Sephora.

10. Lee Sung Kyung – LANEIGE Layering Lip Bar

LANEIGE took gradient lips very seriously in 2019 with its 6-layers lip bar, and it seems that loved the Laneige Layering Lip Bar, because actress Lee Sung Kyung was just as enamoured by the flawless graduated finish!

LANEIGE Layering Lip Bar retails at SGD39 in LANEIGE boutiques and Sephora.

11. Choi Woo Shik – Dior Sauvage Eau de Parfum

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According to a reviewer, any man wearing this will definitely get a woman’s second look, and we sure would steal more glances of the Parasite actor if we could.

Choi Woo Shik is a fan of the powerful freshness that comes with notes of Calabrian bergamot, smokey accents of Papua New Guinean vanilla, as well as woody notes that creates complex layers in this highly sought-after fragrance for men. We highly recommend buying a bottle for the man in your life to try this out!

Dior Sauvage Eau de Parfum retails at SGD132 for 60ml, SGD180 for 100ml, and SGD278 for 200ml in Dior boutiques and Sephora.

12. Joy (Red Velvet) – eSpoir 19 S/S Lookbook Palette – Mute Rose

Joy is widely acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful girl group members in Korea, partly due to the fact that she’s always sporting gorgeous makeup that suits her skin tone and features very well.

If you want to know what she has been using to create the peachy pink shades on her eyelids and cheeks in 2019, the answer is eSpoir 19 S/S Lookbook Palette – Mute Rose. This is filled with flattering shades that are easy to pull off, making this the perfect palette to use for pretty spring looks.

eSpoir 19 S/S Lookbook Palette – Mute Rose retails at SGD52 on Qoo10.

13. Krystal Jung – CLIO Rouge Heel Velvet Lipstick

You heard Krystal – all you need is only one good lipstick in your life, and her choice of weapon has always been the CLIO Rouge Heel Velvet Lipstick.

The velvety-soft and lightweight formula glides effortlessly onto lips, so you only need one swipe to get the colour you need. Available colours range from bright pinks and oranges to the most popular brick reds, but if you want to get Krystal’s top pick, it’s #03 Muse City, an eye-catching and chic coral red.

CLIO Rouge Heel Velvet Lipstick retails at SGD26.90 in Watsons.

14. JR (NU’EST) – Origins GinZing Oil-Free Energy-Boosting Moisturizer and GinZing Ultra Hydrating, Energy-Boosting Cream

In Korea, it seems that even boy group members have the most radiant skin you can only dream of, and that’s because the guys also invest in skincare that works for them.

JR, whose group catapulted into fame in recent years, recommended Origins’ GinZing product range for 72 hours of oil-free hydration that recharges the skin, thanks to energy-boosting ingredients such as coffee and ginseng.

The gel moisturiser is currently available in Singapore and works great in our hotter, humid climates, but if you are heading to colder and drier countries (such as Korea in winter), you can follow JR’s recommendation and get the cream version instead for more intense hydration.

Origins GinZing Oil-Free Energy-Boosting Moisturizer retails at SGD34 for 30ml and SGD52 for 50ml on Sephora, while GinZing Ultra Hydrating, Energy-Boosting Cream retails at SGD60.90 for 50ml on Lazada. The products are also available at all Origins outlets.

14. Shin Yeeun – Innisfree Vivid Cotton Ink

This actress usually keeps her makeup looking natural and more pared-down for her drama roles, so instead of bright red lipstick usually found on K-pop idols, she is more often seen wearing MLBB (my lips but better) colours that don’t look too out of place on, say, a student.

Her top lipstick pick of 2019 is the Innisfree Vivid Cotton Ink, specifically in shade #18. This is a reverse-textured tint that is moist on the inside, and as soft and light as cotton on the outside. It also contains ingredients such as camellia oil, mango seed, avocado, and cottonseed oils to keep your puckers healthy and moisturised – we would love such an amazing and affordable lip tint too!

Innisfree Vivid Cotton Ink retails at SGD15 in Innisfree stores and Lazada.

15. Sunmi – Dior Rouge Dior Ultra Care Flower Oil Liquid Lipstick

The singer is a huge fan of Dior’s lippies, and one that she has been using frequently to create an elegant red lip look is the Ultra Care Flower Oil Liquid Lipstick from Dior.

Whether you choose ultra-luminous or natural colours in matte or satin finishes, the gorgeous long-wearing colour will last on your lips for up to 12 hours. Camelina and sweet almond oils combined with shea butter at the heart of this formula will deeply nourish and moisturise your lips, leaving them ultra-soft and kissable.

Dior Rouge Dior Ultra Care Flower Oil Liquid Lipstick retails at SGD52 in Dior boutiques and Sephora.

16. Hani (EXID) – Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Ruby Cream Lipstick

For the barely-there makeup looks that Hani is often seen with, opt for the EXID member’s favourite lipstick in 2019: the Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Ruby Cream Lipstick!

This is a creamy bullet lippie that combines long wear and comfort, with 15 shades ranging from the softest nude pinks to the most intense reds. Although Hani has not shared which shades she usually applies, a good guess would be MLBB shades #03 Kiss Me Ruby & #314 Ruby Star, as well as brick reds 133 Sunrise Ruby & #356 Black Prince Ruby.

Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Ruby Cream Lipstick retails at SGD49 in Lancôme boutiques and Sephora.