K Beauty Skin Care and Beauty Glossary that you need to know

K Beauty has already dominated in a lot of countries including ours, but still, there are people who are baffled with certain terms relating to K-Beauty products.

As always, The Beauty Junkee at your service! Here are a couple of K-Beauty makeup and beauty buzzwords that you must know so you can confidently buy that Korean essence that you've been eyeing!

1. PANG

Pang is a noun that translates to "a sudden strong feeling" according to the Oxford Dictionary. You might encounter this in some Korean makeup brands like A'Pieu's Juicy Pang Blusher. or Peri Pera's Butter Pang lip balm. In A'Pieu and Peri Pera's case, it's like saying the products deliver a strong, intense juicy look/feel/texture to the skin and lips, which is most likely referring to hydration/moisture.

2. CHOK CHOK

Chok Chok refers to a staple K-Beauty look and that is dewy, fresh, bouncy- looking skin. This can be achieved with a religious skin care regimen that's focused on hydration.

3. ESSENCE

Originally, an Essence is considered a Serum because it contains a concentrated amount of active ingredients. Eventually, the term has evolved into a standalone product and has become a must- have in any K-Beauty skin care regimen. 

An Essence is used after toning and before moisturizer because it moistens and softens the skin, making it more receptive to skin care. An Essence is NOT a toner, fyi. The general difference is toner is for removing extra dirt and helping the skin revert to its natural pH after cleansing, thus making it more of a cleanser and an Essence is a preparation that helps maximize the benefits of succeeding skin care products.

4. AMPOULE

An Ampoule is sometimes confused with a serum, but according to K-Beauty sources, it's a more concentrated form of serum, thus it usually comes in vials and doses, and collectively called as Ampoule/s. Since it's very concentrated, it's usually used as an aid when you have a grave skin problem or anytime you think your skin care needs a boost. You can use Ampoules on a daily basis though, but ideally, on certain occasions only.

5. PORE TROUBLE, PORE CONTROL

Pore Trouble, Pore Control, Pore Care- these are all referring to products that are meant to minimize the appearance of pores, control oil, and address acne. 

6. HYDROGEL

Hydrogel is a type of sheet mask with a 3D feel; it's a transparent mask with a jelly- like texture that supposedly allows you to keep the sheet mask on longer without drying because of its intrinsic moist, porous surface. One example is Leaders Insolution Coconut Bio masks.

7. MODELING MASK

- A rubber mask that starts off as powder and then turns into a rubbery, pliable mask that you mold on your face when you add water.

8. TONE UP

It's often confused with toner/toning, but Tone Up actually means to brighten/lighten the skin. Most Korean SPF creams have an instant "tone up" features because luminous, fair skin remains one covetable feature for Koreans.

9. SLEEPING PACK

A sleeping pack is a time- release mask (usually in cream/gel form) that is meant to be left on the skin overnight to provide intense reparative and rejuvenating properties.

A pack is a general term that refers to semi-solid/liquid masks.

10. PACT

Shortcut for compact. Refers to powder, liquid, cream, cushion products.

11. CUSHION COMPACT

A type of foundation/bb cream/cc cream packaging where a cushion is soaked with the liquid and stored inside a compact.

12. -FIXER

Makeup Fixer, Eyeliner Fixer, and definitely no to passport fixers lol!

A - fixer is a makeup abbreviation used to describe sealing liquids that help makeup last longer.

13. -FIT

I spoke about this with Etude House Philippines before and they explained to me very well what- Fit means in Korean makeup.

-Fit simply describes the finish of makeup on the skin. There are various -fits in Korean bases and here they are:

Perfect/Cover Fit- full coverage

Blooming Fit- dewy, semi- matte finish; great for normal skin

Cotton Fit- matte finish; perfect for oily skin

Bright Fit- hydrating, radiant finish; great for dry skin

Hope you liked this blog post! Share other K-Beauty skin care and beauty terms that you think we should know about! :)