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1. A silky Touch In Sol No Poreblem Primer to make their pores nonexistent — this'll glide over their skin and make those pesky things vanish. Plus, soothing green tea extract will leave an all-day matte finish. Whoop-whoop!
2. A sensitive-skin-friendly Skinfood Black Sugar Mask to exfoliate away their dead skin cells and fight dullness and dark spots with mineral-rich Brazillian black sugar — with weekly use, they'll see smoother, brighter skin.
3. A pack of nearly invisible CosRx Clear Fit Master Patches that are meant to be worn more during the daytime, as they're thinner and more gradient than the original Master Patches. Both fight those nasty whiteheads and protect blemishes from external pollutants and infection. Armed with these, they've got nothing to fear!
4. An Elizavecca Hell Pore Control Serum made of 97% hyaluronic acid — it'll hydrate and restore their moisture barrier while working on long-term improvements like fading dark spots, wrinkles, and preventing acne. Everyone else will think it's the magic of the ~holidays.~
5. An airy Missha Safe Block Sun Milk perfect for if they, like everyone, hate the oiliness and white cast that sunscreens usually leave behind. This one has SPF 50, no white cast, enhances skin tone and texture, and leaves a light, matte finish (perf for makeup). It's a star sunscreen, this one.
6. An intense-repair Cosrx Advanced Snail Mucin Power Essence with 96% snail secretion filtrate for extreme repair and hydration that'll still be gentle on their skin. It's packed with replenishing nutrients that help prevent and repair damage, dryness, acne, and hyperpigmentation until their skin's elasticity and healthy glow is at its best!
7. A hydrating Saturday Skin Brightening Eye Cream that uses date seed extract and apple fruit water to illuminate, peptides to firm, and avocado protein extract and hyaluronic acid to nourish and protect the skin around their peepers so they can prettily flutter their eyes through holiday season.
8. An egg bun-shaped Holika Holika x Gudetama makeup sponge that'll blow all their plain old makeup sponges out of the water. Those can't beat this sponge's character, cuteness, and effectiveness!
9. A Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Chemical Exfoliator that's a physical and chemical exfoliator in one: with double-sided pads and powerful ingredients like glycolic acid and Vitamin C, this will clear clogged pores, help fade acne scars, and reveal a bright, clean layer of skin.
10. A KLAIRS Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Sleeping Mask — it's a lightweight mask but packs a heavy punch of antioxidants that'll help slow down cell aging, brighten, balance, and aid in skin regeneration. The cream is known as "shape memory cream," so it'll cling to their skin and absorb easily. And it's light enough to be used as a daytime moisturizer for dry skin. Multi-tasking for the win!
11. A TonyMoly Haeyo Mayo Hair Nutrition Pack – it nourishes with egg yolk and macadamia seed. It'll target unseemly split ends, and hit your strands with an intense dose of vitamins and nutrient-enriched oils. If that's not enough to convince you, it also smells like vanilla and macadamia nuts — and would you just look at that packaging?!
12. A combo pack of 16 Dermal sheet masks that contain vitamin E and collagen for plump, hydrated skin. Each targets different concerns so they can choose whichever one meets their skin's needs that day, kick back, and let the mask do its work while they chill.
13. A glowy and lightweight Son & Park Beauty Filter Cream to illuminate skin with pearl and flower extracts like rose and jasmine until it looks like they put a real-life filter on it! It'll soften, moisturize, even and brighten skin tone, and help control sebum. A dream cream if you will, that'll ensure they look as radiant as the moon 🌙.
14. A Peripera Ink Airy Velvet lip tint because who has time for precise lip liner and perfectly applied lipstick everyday? This one gives lips a long-lasting petal-like bloom of color that's velvety, weightless, and bold. Even when it fades, it'll leave a pretty stain.
15. A refreshing and super-versatile Son & Park Beauty Water for all their cleansing and toning needs. This cleansing water tones, mildly exfoliates with willow bark and papaya extract, and hydrates with lavender and rose water — they'll see brighter skin, smoother texture, and easier absorption of other skincare. They can even use this as a midday mist. They'll probably send you multiple thank-you cards for this one.
16. A gorgeous Peripera liquid eyeshadow because everyone needs some sparkle in their life — life's too short not to sparkle!
17. A Skinfood Peach Cotton Multi-Finish Powder will set their makeup, absorb oil and sweat, and give them a matte look that's silky, not dry. What makes it different? It's the peach and sake extracts that soothe troubled skin, prevent dryness, and promote skin elasticity, making it perfect for oily and acne-prone types. The sweet peach scent doesn't hurt either!
18. A MISSHA M Magic Cushion Foundation that'll offer everything from light, breathable coverage to moisture through bamboo water, baobab fruit, and witch hazel. It'll also brighten skin, conceal blemishes, absorb sebum, has SPF 50 (50!!), and is super easy to apply. They'll be left with supple, fresh skin that the world will envy.
19. A hydrating Acwell Licorice Cleansing Toner that'll help them acheive the much-coveted "honey skin," which is skin that's luminous, supple, and dewy in a healthy way! This'll deep-clean, balance, and brighten skin with peony extract, licorice water, and green tea extract. It'll also help drastically reduce hyperpigmentation so this one's holy-grail status, people.
20. A gentle Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream that comes in a pretty midnight-blue color. It'll hydrate and calm irritated skin, sunburnt skin, shaving irritation, acne, and redness. The main ingredient, guaiazulene, comes from chamomile oil and gives the cream its lovely blue color.
21. A super cute Kaja Cheeky Stamp Blush — a perfect way to show how much you ❤️heart❤️ them! The cushion formula is sheer and blendable so they'll never have to worry about going too heavy-handed and ending up with really colorful cheeks.
22. A decadent Peach & Lily Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream to drench their skin in antioxidants that form a barrier to fight free radical damage, pollution, toxins, and sun exposure. Ingredients like matcha, cape lilac extract, and niacinamide calm, brighten, and even tone. And that pudding-like texture is to die for.
23. A Tony Moly lip balm to give some nourishing TLC to their dry lips this winter — thanks to a blend of camellia, rosehip and peppermint oils, shea butter, and manuka honey. They'll make sure never to lose this one in their pockets.
24. A Citrus-Honey Aqua Glow Moisturizer — a moisturizer-serum hybrid, making it light as water while hydrating with honey, glycerin, and ceramides that'll leave them with plump, supple skin. Fruit oils brighten, and honey, being anti-inflammatory, soothes. All at an almost unbelievable price point. Sometimes I have nightmares they'll stop selling this 😳.
25. A bottle of Klair's Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Drop to help fade their dark spots, prevent future pigmentation, firm and brighten, and reduce fine lines. A 5% concentration of vitamin C means it's gentle enough for sensitive skin so there'll be no risk-taking here, folks!
26. A fruity Etude House Dear Darling Water Gel Tint shaped like a mini ice cream bar. It'll hydrate their lips with soap berry extract, and tints completely, leaving them with juicy, flattering color.
27. A tub of Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm, which'll start off as a sherbet-like balm and transform into a silky oil on their skin. It'll gently melt even the most stubborn makeup, while brightening with vitamin C-rich acerola extract, and mildly exfoliating. The ingredients are so gentle, you can use this on kids!
28. A pore-refining Skinfood Egg White Pore Foam Cleanser that uses egg white extracts to regulate excessive sebum, deep-clean pore-clogging impurities, tighten pores, and rid their skin of bacteria so they're always coming out with the freshest complexion. Plus, egg whites are naturally anti-inflammatory — it's an egg-cellent cleanser to get!
29. An Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask to dig in deep, exfoliate, remove sebum, and pamper their skin the way it needs.
30. A bottle of Peach and Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum to help them achieve ~glass skin~ status, which means taking care of their skin until it looks smooth, clear, and bright like glass. Ingredients like peach extract, peptides, and Asian mountain yam are up to the job!
31. A unique CosRx Light Fit Real Water Toner To Cream that'll actually change texture, becoming water droplets that allow the ingredients — including sea water, Vitamins C and E, and niacinamide — to seep into skin for long-lasting moisture. It's pretty addicting to say the least.
32. A Neogen Green Tea Foam Cleanser to complete their double-cleansing routine: this cleanser uses fermented green tea extract to brighten, calm, and hydrate, while balancing their skin's natural oils. Got a friend with oily, combo, or acne-prone skin? This'll be just their thing — plus, the tea leaves brewing at the bottom will just feel so luxurious.
33. A quick and simple Etude House brow pencil so they can get the most full, natural-looking brows of their lives.
34. A Facetory sheet mask subscription box so they can experiment and have fun with new skincare that'll ensure their skin will always be supercharged with the most hydrating ingredients.
35. A lovely Nooni appleberry lip oil for dry, cracked lips: it'll hydrate, soothe, and gently exfoliate until they're left with beautifully moisturized lips! Plus, this adds the perfect flush of color — just enough to look natural.
36. A 5-Step Combination Skin Starter Skincare Set for newbies wanting to sink their toes — or just take the whole leap — into Korean skincare. This set will help balance their combo skin, whisk away impurities and excess oil, and provide layers of hydration until they're just glowing!
37. A gentle yet effective The Saem AHA & BHA Peeling Gel for literally sloughing off dirt and dead skin cells — they'll be so satisfied to see the smooth, clean skin revealed underneath!
38. A BomiBox subscription box to keep their interest in K-beauty up high with fun brands and products they might've never discovered otherwise!
39. A Then I Met You Cleansing Duo to introduce them to the magic of double-cleansing — this set has an oil-based balm and water-based cleanser that'll work together to melt every speck of dirt, bacteria, and the grime of the city off of their skin.
Their skin after starting a Korean skincare routine courtesy of you:
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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