K-beauty has delivered its fair share of icons—COSRX’s Snail Mucin, Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask, Dr.Jart+’s Tiger Grass Cream. You’ve seen them all over your feed, and chances are they’ve earned a spot on your shelf too. But once you’ve ticked off the viral staples, it’s worth exploring further.
Beyond the buzzy bestsellers lies a lineup of lesser-known formulas that are just as impressive—quiet achievers that often get overlooked. From clever skincare to makeup that does more than you’d expect, these under-the-radar picks prove there’s so much more to K-beauty than what’s trending.
Everyone knows Laneige for its Lip Sleeping Mask, but this moisturiser deserves a little spotlight too. It’s lightweight but hydrating enough to keep your skin soft all day, thanks to a blend of squalane, blue hyaluronic acid, and a Pepta-Panthenol Complex. If your skin’s feeling a little dull or tight, this one gives it that bounce-back feel—without being greasy or heavy.
Once you’ve tried Snail Mucin, this is a great follow-up. It’s a watery serum packed with peptides (six of them), plus niacinamide and adenosine to help brighten, smooth, and support elasticity. It sinks in fast and layers easily under other products—think of it as a skin prep step that quietly makes everything else work a little better.
Love the Tiger Grass Cream? This sheet mask uses a similar calming formula but in a quick-fix format. It’s soaked in a Centella-rich serum with allantoin and peptides to help calm irritation, reduce redness, and refresh skin. Great for post-sun days or when your skin’s feeling off and needs a breather.
Easy to use and carry, this roll-on clay mask by popular K-beauty brand Skin1004 is the quickest pick-me-up. Formulated with five types of clay, it absorbs excess oil and leaves your skin thoroughly cleansed. It’s also enriched with red bean, which helps exfoliate dead skin cells and get rid of blackheads. The result is smooth and soft skin, sans any blackheads or whiteheads.
How to use: After cleansing, apply the stick directly to dry skin, avoiding eyes and mouth. Leave on for 3–5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Use 1–2 times per week.
“My job involves trying a lot of products, but few have made it into my weekly routine like this clay stick mask. It’s quick, mess-free and actually works. With kaolin clay to clear pores and red bean powder to exfoliate, it manages oil without over-drying my skin. The added centella and aloe help reduce redness and keep everything balanced. It’s the kind of low-effort, high-impact product I rely on to reset my skin when it’s feeling congested,” shares Shrishti from the content team.
You’ve probably heard of their Centella ampoule, but this clay stick is another one worth trying—especially if you deal with clogged pores. It has five kinds of clay to gently absorb oil and clear gunk, and red bean powder for light exfoliation. The best part? It rinses off easily and doesn’t leave that dry, tight feeling clay masks sometimes do.
Toners can be hit or miss, but this one’s a gentle, creamy in-between that works well for most skin types. It’s calming (thanks to chamomile), slightly brightening (with niacinamide), and hydrating enough to be used alone on oily days or layered under serums. If you like that soft, cushiony skin feel after cleansing, this helps you get there.
If you’re dealing with midday shine or makeup that starts sliding around, this little powder’s worth keeping in your bag. It’s translucent, ultra-fine, and mattifies without making your face look flat or cakey. Works well to set makeup or for quick touch-ups when you’re out and about.
This is somewhere between a tinted lip balm and a gloss, but without the stickiness. Mauve Whip is a soft, rosy everyday shade, and the formula has nourishing oils like rosehip and evening primrose to keep your lips feeling moisturised. It’s great for that juicy lip look—especially if you don’t want to commit to a lipstick.
If you like your eyeshadow easy and unfussy, this twist-up palette might be your vibe. It’s compact, travel-friendly, and the textures are super blendable—think soft mattes, shimmers, and sparkles that you can apply with fingers or a brush. Fairy Pink has a subtle romantic tone that works for both day and evening looks.
Soft, glowy and totally wearable—this four-shade palette is all about bringing a hazy wash of colour to your lids. The cream-to-powder texture glides on like a dream, blends with your fingers and settles into a diffused finish that feels equal parts delicate and dimensional. From barely-there pinks to pearly highlights, each shade layers seamlessly for a flushed, fairy-lit look. The vibe? A little romantic, a little fresh-off-a-walk and very much your new favourite for five-minute face days.
If you like your eyeshadow easy and unfussy, this twist-up palette might be your vibe. It’s compact, travel-friendly, and the textures are super blendable—think soft mattes, shimmers, and sparkles that you can apply with fingers or a brush. Fairy Pink has a subtle romantic tone that works for both day and evening looks.
This two-tone blush gives you a natural flush with a bit of glow—nothing glittery or over the top. The texture is smooth and buildable, so you can keep it sheer or layer it up. It’s got dahlia flower extract in the formula, and the compact is recyclable and very cute (just saying).