In just two weeks, Beauty of Joseon dropped not one, not two, but three separate sponsored campaigns for brand-new products β and the timing is definitely not a coincidence. There’s a sun serum bundled with an exclusive puff, a tone-up sunscreen that’s basically pretending to be a moisturizer, and a PDRN pore serum launched exclusively on Olive Young. All three posts carry the same disclosure: “written with product and payment support from the brand.” This is the same brand that blew up on TikTok overseas before getting reimported as a Korean must-have β and now it’s making a very obvious play to erase the line between skincare and makeup entirely. So why now, and why this three-pronged attack? Let’s get into it. π
π Here’s What We Actually Know
- Beauty of Joseon blew up on international TikTok first, then boomeranged back to become an Olive Young sale essential in Korea.
- The recent content splits into three lanes: β Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics tinted serum bundled with an exclusive puff in an Olive Young set (SPF50+ PA++++, 3 neutral shades) β‘ Stay Fresh Tone-Up Sunscreen (two versions β green filter and purple filter β pushing that “80%+ hydrating essence” angle) β’ PDRN Pore & Bounce Serum (red bean extract, vegan peptides, an Olive Young-exclusive launch promo)
- All three posts include the mandatory Korean Fair Trade Commission disclosure: “written with product and compensation support from the brand.”
- Every single one leans hard on the same selling point: “lightweight and dewy, but somehow still gives you coverage and grip.”
- The exclusive puff for the sun serum has a double-sponge build β unlike typical faux-leather puffs, this one has sponge layered onto the latex side too.
- The PDRN serum cites its own testing via the Korea Institute of Dermatological Sciences, claiming a 24.38% drop in skin temperature and visible de-puffing after 4 weeks of use.
π Not Everyone’s Seeing It the Same Way
| Perspective | Take |
|---|---|
| Brand strategy view | Instead of riding one hit sunscreen forever, they’re expanding into tone-up sunscreen and pore serums β basically trying to own the entire “skip foundation” concept from skincare all the way to base makeup. |
| Real-user view | Across all three products, people keep bringing up the same thing: “doesn’t feel sticky even applied by hand,” “doesn’t pill even in winter.” There’s clearly real demand for lightweight formulas that can replace a heavy foundation routine. |
| Skeptical view | Since all three are paid partnerships, it’s fair to ask how much of the glowing feedback reflects genuine performance versus, well, being paid to say nice things. |
| Industry/trend view | Stacking tone-up and coverage into a sunscreen, then adding de-puffing and pore care into a serum, is basically a textbook example of the “skincare-meets-makeup hybrid” trend eating the K-beauty market right now. |
β Questions Fans Are Probably Asking
Q1. What’s the actual difference between the tinted sun serum and the tone-up sunscreen?
A1. The tinted sun serum is basically a full “skip your base makeup” product β SPF50+ PA++++ protection plus tone correction and real coverage. The tone-up sunscreen, on the other hand, is more essence-heavy and focused on color-correcting specific concerns like redness (green filter) or dullness (purple filter). Think less “coverage,” more “instantly brighter skin tone.”
Q2. What even is PDRN, and why is it supposedly good for pores?
A2. According to the brand’s own materials, PDRN is positioned as an ingredient that smooths out skin texture and helps refine overall skin condition. It’s paired with red bean extract (said to cool down heat/redness) and vegan peptides (for hydration and elasticity). Worth noting β this is all based on the brand’s self-reported testing, and results will obviously vary person to person. π€·
Q3. All three are sponsored reviews β can we actually trust any of it?
A3. Credit where it’s due: all three posts are transparent about being paid partnerships, which is more than some brands bother with. But let’s be real β these are still favorable reviews of products the brand handed out for free. Take the texture descriptions as useful info, but for things like coverage or longevity (which vary a ton by skin type), a patch test before you commit is still your safest bet.
π‘ My Honest Take
What Beauty of Joseon is doing right now isn’t just “hey, new product drop” β it’s a full-on category expansion play. They built global credibility off a single sunscreen, and now they’re using that trust to build out a lineup that covers tone correction, coverage (foundation replacement), and now even pore/de-puffing treatment β all under one brand umbrella. This lines up perfectly with the bigger K-beauty shift where skincare is becoming makeup and makeup is becoming skincare. For shoppers, that’s genuinely appealing β fewer steps, same glowy result. But there’s also something a little uncomfortable about one brand trying to corner nearly every skin need through sponsored content all at once. The real test going forward is whether each product in this expanded lineup actually feels distinct to real users. If all three just keep repeating the same overlapping benefits (tone-up + coverage + hydration on loop), Beauty of Joseon risks staying known as “that brand with the one good sunscreen.” But if each product clearly owns its own lane β sun protection, color correction, pore care β this could be the moment they level up from one-hit-wonder to full-blown skincare powerhouse. π
π¬ What’s the Buzz on the Ground in Korea?
Honestly, there’s not much to report here yet β the source material doesn’t include actual consumer comments or community reactions. All three posts are just the writers’ own first-hand impressions, so the real public verdict is still TBD. Stay tuned. π
Source: https://blog.naver.com/PostView.naver?blogId=pppmh0827&logNo=224161731821
