By Nikki Moylan
Korean beauty products, or K-beauty for short, have been dominating the shelves of drugstores, salons and cosmetics stores for the past few years.
A key component to the beauty products is the emphasis on skin care, and companies like P:rem and Mizon have been making face masks and creams for beauty aficionados. Highly influenced by K-pop, getting a look of "glass skin" is the goal for users of these products.
Online retailers like Amazon also boast an impressive collection of Korean beauty products for sale at affordable prices, which for many, is a key reason for purchasing them.
Logan Schauer, a journalism student at the Reynolds School, has a friend who frequently travels to Korea and brings her back products. The brands she uses are Laneige and Saturday Skin, in addition to American skincare products.
"I like how they make my skin glow and they focus more on natural products and ingredients," she said.
Like Schauer, a lot of college-aged customers are most concerned about what the product does. They shop at stores such as ULTA Beauty and Sephora.
How do the products work?
A frequent ingredient used in these skin care products is snail mucin. It helps repair skin, add hydration and brightness and tones skin, while adding elasticity and moisture.
Sheet masks are also popular products purchased by consumers. One place in Reno that specializes in masks is Prude and Boujee, located on Plumb Lane.
"Look at us as your personal assistants in the mask world, helping you hand select the perfect mask for you," the store's website states.
Owner Vania Carter is a Reno, Nevada, native and works as a nurse practitioner. A sheet mask and skin care aficionado, she became interested in the trend after her sister traveled to South Korea and Singapore. She opened the shop after discussions with friends after noticing a lack of one-stop shops for masks.
"Ordering online [in bulk] can be tough because it's hard to see if they're authentic or not," Carter said. The demographics of the store are women in the Reno area, ages 25-55. She admits that she expected more Korean shoppers to come in, but based on the neighborhood, a lot of locals tend to stop by.
For shoppers who have never tried sheet masks, she offers small samples that she places on the backs of their hands. They're often described as "liquidy and hydrating" and contain licorice root, which helps with anti-aging and combats hyper-pigmentation like sun spots or acne scars.
Carter found that the best way to discover and learn about sheet masks was to "try them yourself and share what you liked about them with your friends."
She advisers first-timers to "save the packaging after they use it as a way to help you see what your skin liked out of all the ingredients, whether it's things like tea tree oil, green tea, or honey."
The only place within 150 miles of Northern Nevada to buy the brand, 23 Years Old, is at Prude and Boujee. Other popular sellers include the Bro Mask, because it's bought for men by their girlfriends, and Pathology, which recently did a sheet mask series with drag queen Kim Chi. For $20, the pack comes with 4 masks with her most popular looks printed on them.
Prude and Boujee also offers an option to get #getsheetfaced, a private room offered at their store where groups of women can drink complimentary mimosas, sparkling wine, and try sheet masks for $25 per person. Carter said that it's a popular option for bachlorette and wedding parties.
"I personally think that it's more fun to try a sheet mask in a group," said Carter. "Sheet masks should be done together as a fun bonding experience."
Comments