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Skin, K-beauty, Korea trips and the beauty industry — ask and share
If you founded an indie K-beauty brand, what would your next step be?
K-beauty now offers a range of "next steps": private-equity money, acquisitions by global groups, IPOs, and even Korean brands buying Korean brands. Trade-offs people often mention Sell to a global giant: distribution an
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If I founded an indie brand, my next step would be…
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0 0Namdaemun Market
Namdaemun Market is a huge distribution center visited by 500,000 people a day and Korea’s largest traditional market. Having been established as a street market since the mid-Joseon period, Namdaemun Market is as large
0 0EU bans TPO in gel nail products: what nail brands need to check
If you export gel polish, you have probably heard this already. Since September 1, 2025 the EU lists TPO (trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide) as a prohibited cosmetic ingredient. What it is A photoinitiator that ma
0 0Enjoy Myeongdong, where K-beauty and K-pop meet
Norazo, the male duo loved for their unique style, and GHOST9, the nine-member boy group, rewrote Norazo’s signature song “Superman” for Play with Seoul, a promotional video for the Seoul Tourism Special Zone. Here are t
0 0Why global giants’ K-beauty acquisitions struggled, and Dr. Jart+ may be sold back
An analysis piece says a string of once-celebrated K-beauty acquisitions by global groups has underdelivered. Deals mentioned Unilever → AHC (Carver Korea): €2.27B (about $2.7B) in 2017, a landmark deal at the time Estée
0 0Starting a beauty brand abroad with a Korean manufacturer: private label vs custom formula
Many founders outside Korea work with Korean ODMs. The first decision is how custom you go.
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Which route are you considering?
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0 1Packaging MOQs: the hidden cost that surprises small beauty brands
Founders often plan around the formula MOQ and get surprised by packaging: bottles, pumps, caps, labels and boxes each have their own minimums.
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What blew your budget first?
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