Everyone knows by now that my skincare brand of choice is the Korean brand Sulwhasoo. Now there is no official distributor for Sulwhasoo here in the Philippines. I usually buy from Sasa or Nana Mall on Lazada. The thing is, Sulwhasoo is always coming out with new stuff and reformulating their existing lines. Given that, I need Korean sources which can get their hands on the new stuff much faster and sell samples so I can try first before committing.
Why do I prefer trusty Lazada Korean sellers? There are a lot of reasons but the main one is the shipping cost. It’s usually either free or pegged at ₱38 which is super worth it. Sites like Yesstyle and Althea require you to buy a few thousands worth in order to avail of free shipping. Meanwhile, Sephora.ph sells Korean brands at super high prices. GMarket doesn’t seem to have a viable direct Philippine shipping option so you’re forced to use third party shipping aggregators like Buy and Ship.
Other reasons why I like buying from Lazada Korean sellers:
- They ship from Korea, which is THE source. My items that arrive usually have a shelf life of 3 years when they are shipped from Korea, so I know the stocks are fresh.
- As I mentioned above, they get their hands on the new stuff faster.
- Lazada has a proper return and refund system in place so I know I won’t lose money over a failed transaction.
- Korean sellers ALWAYS include freebies when you buy from them, just like when you buy physically in Myeongdong (that was where I used to buy my Korean beauty products).
- I think Korean sellers on Lazada can avail of export pricing since they are selling outside of Korea, which is why it’s usually cheaper to buy K-beauty products online than in Korea. I experienced this with Sulwhasoo, Missha, and Laneige. It was much more expensive when I bought those 3 brands in Korea or from Duty Free stores abroad.
- I can use vouchers during sale periods to save more.
The question is, how do I know if the seller is legit? It’s still really trial and error but the first thing I check is WHERE the item is shipping from. If it’s Korea, we are good to go. Take note that there are a lot of Korean beauty products listed in Lazada that are being shipped from CHINA upon checking. China is the land of counterfeits so anything that claims to be a Korean brand that’s shipping from China is always a big NO for me.
Anyhow, I’ve compiled a list of legit Lazada Korean sellers I’ve actually ordered from here. They are all based in Korea, will come up with a separate list of legit sellers based in Metro Manila next time.
- Younfamily – This is one of my favorites for non-Sulwhasoo Korean beauty products. I bought my The Face Shop Quick Hair Puff here which I use to cover white/grey roots when I don’t want to dye my hair yet. Their prices are among the lowest of the Lazada Korean sellers. They do not carry Sulwhasoo, though they have brands like Isntree, Beauty of Joseon, Elizavecca, Apieu as well as more common ones like Etude House, Missha, and Innisfree.
- Yaocos.kr – They have a few Sulwhasoo sample-sized products but I don’t really shop here for Sulwhasoo. They have an assortment of products from The Saem, Masil, Etude House, etc. I bought the Missha 4D Mascara here at some point, still the cheapest good mascara you can get.
- Bwonkorea – This is one of the Lazada Korean sellers I frequent for Sulwhasoo samples. They have a lot. They even have a Timetreasure sample kit if you want to try the whole line. They also have the best price for the Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Masks.
- Stylefollow – The search for Sulwhasoo led me here because I wanted to try the newly reformulated Concentrated Ginseng Serum EX. I ordered it and they gave me a couple of sample sachets of the same product lol. I really like this new formula, it has more of a floral scent now and my forehead feels so firm when I wake up in the morning. They have Etude House, Missha, Laneige, and others but their prices for those seem high so I only bought Sulwhasoo.
- TlosKorea Global – This is by far the most updated Korea-based Lazada seller when it comes to Sulwhasoo products. They usually have the latest versions onhand and I have bought a lot from them already from face wash to eye cream.
- Trendy Korean Products – Okay so I bought from this seller when the shop name was still Korean Oppa’s Choice. They’ve rebranded and this is now their store name although on their store graphic Oppa’s Choice is still indicated. I actually bought my Sulwhasoo Timetreasure full-sized set from this seller (no longer available). He is quick in procuring high-end products. In fact, they already have full sizes of the new Sulwhasoo First Care series! They also have Laneige, Hera, Kahi, Espoir, etc. Their Kahi Multibalm price is actually one of the lower ones around.
- Sooni Shop – This is where I buy Good Manner 2D KF94 masks. I usually wait for a sale to get a better deal. For the record, I have never caught COVID.
I hope this helps your K-Beauty shopping. Those brand official stores shipping from Korea like COSRX, Some By Mi, Merythod, Nacific, etc. are all legit as well. I usually check them when there’s an ongoing sale.
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