K beauty

4 articles on K beauty, written honestly and updated as things change.

Beauty

Is Beauty of Joseon Actually Worth The Hype?

The viral SPF that everyone on TikTok is wearing. The £11 propolis and niacinamide serum. The hanbang heritage story. Beauty of Joseon went from $83,000 in revenue in 2020 to an estimated $250 million in 2024. An honest verdict.

By Dripscan·10 May 2026·11 min read

Beauty

Is COSRX Actually Worth The Hype?

The viral snail essence. The £5.99 pimple patches. The pads, the toners, the propolis. COSRX became the K-beauty gateway for British shoppers. Then Amorepacific bought 93.2% of it. An honest verdict.

By Dripscan·8 May 2026·9 min read

Beauty

Is Glow Recipe Actually Worth The Hype?

£18 for the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops. £15.95 for the Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Toner. £40 for the Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum. Founded 2014 by Sarah Lee and Christine Chang (both ex-L'Oréal Korea), $50,000 in savings, still independently held a decade later. Genuinely one of the few founder-led beauty brands in this magazine without a corporate parent.

By Dripscan·6 May 2026·10 min read

A dropper bottle of serum against a night sky background

Beauty

Glow Recipe Has 48 Products. Here Are The UK Indie And K-Beauty Alternatives Worth Knowing

Glow Recipe's hero Watermelon Glow products at £15-£22 are credibly priced. The newer Cloudberry Bright and Plum Plump lines at £30-£40 face strong competition. UK indie and Korean alternatives compete across most of the range, often at meaningfully lower prices. Here is the honest list.

By Dripscan·5 May 2026·8 min read