With Olive Young being the mega mall housing the most Korean cosmetic brands in one store, I’m not sure why I never knew they had their awards that happen yearly.  They’ve had their award system since 2015 and their awards are pulled from data on which products sold the most in each category.  Compared to Glowpick’s awards, I find Olive Young’s awards to be more generalized and less specific.  Maybe it would be fun to cross reference Olive Young’s to Glowpicks, so let me know if you guys want me to do a recap for Glowpick’s awards as well.  I recognized some products in the title picture already, so let’s discover what was the hot Korean cosmetic trend that was popular in Korea.

P.S. I’ve included affiliated links for all the products down below and have also found the stores with the best prices.  Feel free to use them to help support the blog :).  Also feel free to use “XTINAHELLO10” for extra discount on Olive Young Global.

BEST K-BEAUTY SKINCARE of 2023

1st place: Manyo factory pure cleansing oil
2nd place: Bioderma Sensibio H2O
3rd place: Banila Co clean it zero cleansing balm original
Runner up: Be-plain mung bean mildly acidic cleansing foam

Out of the four cleansing products in this picture, I’ve oddly only tried two out of the four.  I have tried Manyo Factory pure cleansing oil, but I don’t feel like it was anything revolutionary or different.  I’m not sure what all the hype is about.  Bioderma is a solid product, which can be found at Shoppers drug mart for those of you who live in Canada.  It removes makeup decently, however, you will need to use oil-based make up remover for eyeliner and mascara if you want to get every inch off of your face.  Oddly, I still haven’t tried the Banila Co cleansing balm, and that one is an absolute classic!

1st place: Round lab 1025 Dokdo toner
2nd place: Anua heartleaf 77% soothing toner
3rd place: Bring green tea tree cica soothing toner
Runner up: Abib heartleaf calming toner

Korean toners have become a huge trend, but which one is the best Korean toner you ask?  Round lab being number one doesn’t surprise me.  I have tried it, love it and it is still worth the hype.  It is lightweight, hydrating yet softening and somewhat plumping.  Although it isn’t hydrating enough for me living in Vancouver, it is still a product I occasionally grab to prep my skin.

Anua Heartleaf soothing toner is another Korean toner I’ve tried in the past.  I know it has been super hyped the last year.  I have tried it many times, however, I thought it was just okay and passed it on to a friend.  It is a very calming, soothing, lightweight, watery toner that does the job well.  I just don’t find it to live up to the crazy hype it has at the moment.

I have never tried to Bring green tea tree cica soothing toner.  From the sound of it, it would benefit those with oily to acne-prone skin that needs the tea tree to control sebum and breakouts, while the cica would calm and soothe the skin.

Lastly Abib Heartleaf calming toner I feel like should be in second place and not runner-up.  It was much more memorable than the Anua toner.  I feel like it was much more soothing and hydrating!!

1st place: Skinfood carrot carotene claming water pad
2nd place: Abib heartleaf spot pad calming touch 
3rd place: Mediheal madecasssoside blemish pad
Runner up: Numbuzin no. 5 vitamin niacinamide concentrated pads

No surprise, the Skinfood carrot carotene calming water pad is number one!!  I recently got the chance to try it and I TOTALLY GET THE HYPE.  Read my review here.  The pad itself has the softness cotton, while the essence was skin penetratingly soothing.  You can also peel the cotton pads into two, making them great for spot masks.  it also works for all skin types too!

Abib Heartleaf Spot Pad Calm Touch was also another product I thoroughly enjoyed.  I sadly didn’t get the chance to write the review here, however, you have to take my word for it.  The pad was super thin, soaked up all the essence well, and just like the Heartleaf toner, it was super calming, soothing, and hydrating.

Mediheal madecassoside blemish pad is currently trending on Tiktok.  I’ve been testing it out for the past month, but I don’t think this version was built for my skin type.  I have dry skin, not prone to acne, so this doesn’t give much results for my skin type.  I saw another girl on TikTok trying out the same version but she has very acne-prone skin.  Within just three days of using it, a lot of her pimples calmed down and were in the process of fading away.  For me, it is just a mildly hydrating pad that somewhat soothes my skin.

I’ve heard lots of great things from the brand Numbuzin, but I still haven’t gotten around to trying the brand.  They are definitely on my radar!!

1st place: Mediheal tea tree essential mask
2nd place: Torriden dive-in low molecular hyaluronic acid mask
3rd place: Ilso natural mild clear nose pack
Runner up: Hanyul soft chestnut sebum controlling pore clay pack

1st place: Isoi blemish serum
2nd place: Goodal green tangerine vita C blemish care serum
3rd place: Torriden dive-in low molecular hyaluronic acid serum
Runner up: Wellage real hyaluronic blue 100 ampoule

I really wish I wasn’t deathly allergic to rose ingredient in skincare.  I’ve heard so much of the Isoi blemish serum that it makes me tempted to try it.  I just don’t want to end up with severely dry, red, and itchy skin for the next two weeks.  

Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C blemish care serum is another product that is getting super hyped right now on Tiktok.  I have tried a small deluxe sample of it and thought it was alright.  I don’t believe the vitamin C content in this is strong enough to use during the day with my sunscreen to combat hyperpigmentation.

Torriden dive-in low molecular hyaluronic acid serum is also another super hyped product and I’m also not surprised it is on the list.  Do I think it is all that?  No, I don’t.  If you are looking for a hyaluronic acid serum that hydrates and plumps your skin, I would suggest you check out Isntree hyaluronic acid water essence.  It does the job amazingly and I loved every drop of it.

1st place: Dr. G red blemish clear soothing cream
2nd place: Aestura atobarrier 365 cream
3rd place: Physiogel DMT facial cream
Runner up: La Roche posay cicaplast balm B5+

I’m kind of surprised to see some Western brands in the mix here.  Out of everything on the list, I have only tried La Roche Posay cicaplast balm B5+, which is a solid and reliable product that helps with all sorts of things.  It is also a product I got my goddaughter on for her enzyme, and so far it has been working splendidly.

I still want to get my hands on the Aestura atobarrier 365 cream.  So many people have been hyping it up!  I’m curious to see how well it will work on my dry skin type.

1st place: Round lab birch moisture sun cream
2nd place: Dr. G green mild up sun plus
3rd place: Cellfusion C laser sunscreen 100
Runner up: D’alba waterful tone-up sun cream

To my surprise, I have tried every sunscreen here!  Round lab birch moisture sun cream is no surprise.  It is a gorgeously formulated, lightweight chemical sunscreen that leaves no white cast, hydrates the skin, and leaves your skin feeling plump and not dry even after reapplication.

Dr. G green mild up sun plus is more suited for those who have oily to combination skin types.  It fairs more on the matte side and has a little bit of a white cast.

Cellfushion C laser sunscreen 100 is another solid sunscreen.  Lightweight, absorbs into the skin well, and has no white cast.  What more can you ask for?

Lastly, D’Alba waterful tone-up sun cream is similar to Round Lab Birch moisture sun cream with its lightweight and almost watery texture.  There is a bit of a “brightening” effect from the tone though, so I don’t reach for this one much.

1st place: Ideal for men perfect all-in-one milk
2nd place: Ulos skin wash
3rd place: Dashu classic style grooming tonic
Runner up: Be Ready true tone lotion

I have never seen any of these brands, nor am I a man.  So…. no comment here.  Let me know if you guys enjoy these products or not.

BEST K-BEAUTY MAKE UP OF 2023

1st place: Banila Co prime primer finish powder
2nd place: Too cool for school by Rodin shading no. 1 classic
3rd place: Cosnori whitening dress tone up cream
Runner up: The Saem cover perfection triple pot concealer

Out of all four products, I have only tried the Too Cool for school by Rodin shading powder.  It is still a solid product that isn’t too warm or grey and can still compete in 2024.  Heck, I tried this product back in 2017 and it does not feel dated at all.  To my shock, they’ve expanded not only the contour shade range but the blush and highlighters too!  There are 3-4 shades to choose from for each category, not just one shade!!

1st place: Clio kill cover the new founwear cushion
2nd place: Laneige neo cushion matte
3rd place: Fwee cushion glass
Runner up: Espoir pro tailor be velvet cover cushion

All of these cushions seem to cater to those who like matte finishes.  I can’t speak on the Fwee cushion glass or Espoir pro tailor be velvet cover cushion though.  I know for a fact Clio kill cover the new founwear cushion and Laneige Neo Cushion matte are both matte finishes.

I’ve tried the glowy version of the Clio cushion and wasn’t impressed.  I didn’t feel like the formula adhered to my skin well and it clung to every dry patch I had.  As for the Laneige neo cushion glow, I also had the same issue where it didn’t adhere to my skin well and it was kind of drying for me.

1st place: Wakemake soft blurring eye pallet 02 vitality blurring
2nd place: Dasique shadow pallet 07 milk latte
3rd place: Rom&nd better than Pallete 06 peony nude garden
Runner up: Lilybyred Mood Keyboard 04 cool

Dasique is a relatively new brand that has come into the scene with a splash.  I had the opportunity to buy two of their matte palettes and love them both to pieces.  I’m curious to try the rest of their palettes and products.  I recently received their concealer palettes and the new hydrating primer, so I’ll report back on that in a separate review.

1st place: Rom&nd juicy lasting tint in 25 bare grape
2nd place: Peripera ink mood glow tint in 03 rose in mind
3rd place: Muzigae mansion object liquid in 03 stranger
Runner up: 3CE blur matte lipstick in Rosiness

OKAY, I have to say the Romand juicy lasting tint in 25 bare grapes is my new obsession!!!!  I recently added it to my collection because I love that series from Romand.  I can’t believe I didn’t have that shade before.  It is the perfect MLBB with a hint of a grape-purple undertone.  It’s STUNNING.  Check out my review and swatches on those puppies.

1st place: Clio kill lash superproof mascara
2nd place: Kiss me heroine make smooth liquid eyeliner
3rd place: Clio kill brow auto hard brow pencil
Runner up: Too cool for school art class frottage pencil

I need to get my hands on the Clio kill lash superproof mascara.  So many people have raved about it online and I still have yet to try it!!

1st place: Piccasso make up spatula
2nd place: Filimili eye make up brush set
3rd place: Filimili heating eyelash curler
Runner up: Coringco toktokhara filter eyelash black

Piccaso make up spatula is well worth your money.  I’ve seen people try and replicate it with butter knives, but it just isn’t the same.  The sides of the spatula is rounded, making it easy to apply and spread foundation effortlessly.  Check out my full review on it.

BEST K-BEAUTY PERSONAL CARE OF 2023

1st place: Bioderma atoderm lip balm
2nd place: Uriage stick lévres original
3rd place: YNM Rainbow Honey lip balm
Runner up: Etude ginger sugar overnight lip mask

I’m shocked my holy grail Etude ginger sugar overnight lip mask is only a runner-up!  The INSULT.  I have been using that lip mask since 2016 every single day without fail and I truly can’t live without it.  I find my lips get flakey and dry without it during the day.  At night, I slather it on and wake up to it still on my lips.  It is on the thicker side, so some people might find that a problem.  For me, I love it because it protects my lips for so long.

I’m very curious to try the YNM rainbow honey lip balm.  The packaging looks interesting and I’m curious to see what the public has to say about that product.

1st place: Kamill hand & nail cream classic
2nd place: W.Dressroom perfume hand cream no.97 April cotton
3rd place: Beyond classic hand cream deep moisture
Runner up: Sky Bottle white rain perfume hand cream

1st place: Illiyoon ceramide ato lotion
2nd place: Bioderma atoderma ultra cream
3rd place: Derma B daily moisture body lotion
Runner up: Tree hut shea sugar scrub

1st place: Forment signature perfume cotton huge 
2nd place: Clean warm cotton
3rd place: John Varvatos Artisan
Runner up: Narciso pure musk for her

Here’s a funny story.  Recently I was organizing my perfume sample collection and found a vial of Clean warm cotton.  I was trying to open it gently to take a whiff of the scent, but I ended up spilling 2 mL of it all over my body and clothes.  At first, I thought to myself “Oh, this smells nice and clean.  Just like laundry!”  After a while, it started to smell like washroom cleaner or hospital gown laundry detergent.  With all that being said, make sure to smell fragrances and not blindly buy it because you think you’ll like the scent profile.  I did that recently with a DKNY Be Delicious perfume and regretted it.

1st place: Unove deep damange treatment EX
2nd place: Mise-en-scene perfect original serum
3rd place: Healing bird ultra protein no-wash ampoule treatment
Runner up: Growus damage therapy no wash treatment

1st place: Labo-H hair loss symptom relief shampoo (scalp strengthening)
2nd place: Dr.Forhair polygen shampoo
3rd place: Rausch coltsfoot anti-dandruff shampoo
Runner up: Batiste dry shampoo original

1st place: Mise-en-scene Hello cream 1CB cool black
2nd place: L’oreal excellence cream in 3 soft black
3rd place: Etude Pangpang hair shadow 01 dark brown
Runner up: Moremo hair color with less keratin damage cool black

K-BEAUTY TREND OF 2023

Rejuran healer turnover ampoule dual effect
Primera youth radiance vitaminol serum
Numbuzin in no. 5 glutathione C trace ampoule shot
Bioheal boh probioderm lifting cream
V&A beauty antioxidant radiance ampoule
Sungboon editor green tomato pore lifting ampoule+

Cosnori long active eyelash serum
Bbia last auto gel eyeliner
Wakemake water velvet cover foundation
Heart percent dot on mood lip pencil in 02 creamy pink
Amuse dew jelly vegan cushion

S-Nature aqua squalane moisturizing cream
Make prem safe me relief moisture cleansing milk
Round A’round green tea mildly acidic cleansing foam
Dr. Bronner’s pure castile soap tea tree
Goodal green tangerine vita C moisture eye patch

Athé vegan relif sun essence
Colorgram all-in-one aegyosal maker
Delight project peach strips
Just Asiam intensive scalp care shampoo
Vital beautie super collagen

Vivliv kkobak kkobab
Teazen Kombucha
BB lab low molecular collagen S
Labnosh protein cookies
Needin Bium enzyme

Did you guys spot any of your favorite products?  Or did your want list just get longer?  I know I got my eye on a couple of products, especially that Clio mascara.  Let me know if you want to see the awards from other Korean websites to compare what is popular in Korea.  Cheers~