Renowned Korean beauty review site GLOWPICK has announced its consumer beauty awards for 2021. This year’s awards honored 423 products across 141 categories, including 40 products in the rookie category. Results were based on 337,304 reviews on 110,877 products, written by 27,293 registered GLOWPICK users from November 16, 2020 to May 15, 2021.

During the selection, GLOWPICK underwent a four-step screening process which involved removing spam, advertisements, and inappropriate and sponsored reviews. The site also conducted evaluations internally to ensure the results are fair and unbiased. For the full list of winners for 2021, please visit GLOWPICK’s website (Korean only).

Cleansing & Exfoliating

BANILA CO continues to achieve accolades for cleansers as its bestselling Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original secured top place this year in the balm category, while its Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Pore Clarifying released last year came in second place.

1. Cleansing Oil:Sulwhasoo – Gentle Cleansing Oil
2. Cleansing Balm: BANILA CO – Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Original
3. Cleansing Gel:HYGGEE – pH Hyaluron Gel Cleanser
4. Cleansing Milk:SIDMOOL – Dr. Troub Skin Returning Cleansing Milk
5. Cleansing Tissue: Mandom – Bifesta Cleansing Sheet (Bright Up)
6. Peeling Gel:Dr.G – Brightening Peeling Gel

Skin Care

In the skin care category, it’s noteworthy that many products launched just last year were recognized for this year’s mid-year GLOWPICK Awards. Made famous by the hit K-Drama Crash Landing On You, Manyo’s Bifida Biome Ampoule Toner, which was launched in the first half of 2020, came first place in the watery toner category. SKINFOOD’s Carrot Carotene Calming Water Pad won in the toner pad category, and its popularity reflects the current skin care trends of soothing and vegan products.

Sleeping masks and acne patches are garnering more fans. HANYUL’s Yuja Sleeping Pack, which has been winning awards every year since its launch, tops this year’s sleeping pack category.

1. Toner:Manyo – Bifida Biome Ampoule Toner
2. Toner Pad:SKINFOOD – Carrot Carotene Calming Water Pad
3. Essence / Serum:SKINFOOD – Royal Honey Propolis Enrich Essence
4. Cream:A’PIEU – Madecassoside Moisture Gel Cream
5. Face Oil:TIRTIR – Organic Jojoba Oil
6. Sheet Mask: Abib – Mild Acidic pH Sheet Mask (Heartleaf Fit)
7. Sleeping Mask: HANYUL – Yuja Sleeping Mask
8. Cotton Pad:Unicharm – Silcot Sponge Touch Moisturizing Cotton Pad

Face Makeup

Mask-proof makeup like sebum-control powder and smudge-free powder blush has been in high demand since the pandemic. Contouring products were in less demand, probably due to the practice of wearing masks, while mini-sized bronzers became much preferred. Products that create a natural no-makeup look, such as tone-up creams, are also gaining popularity.

APIEU’s Juicy-Pang Jelly Blusher maintains its No. 1 spot in the cream blush category. Meanwhile the foundation category is dominated by a number of new joiners, including romand’s Clear Cover Cushion Hanbok Project which won in the cushion foundation category.

Cost-effective beauty tools from trustworthy brands, such as eSpoir’s Skinny Fix Blender and MISSHA’s Tension Pact Puff, remain well loved by customers. According to GLOWPICK, the popularity of beauty tools to complete makeup without dirtying your hands is likely to continue for a while due to increasing consumer awareness in hygiene practices.

1. Tone Up Cream: Goodal – Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Spot Tone Up Cream
2. CushionFoundation: romand – Clear Cover Cushion Hanbok Project
3. BB Cream: Phymongshe – Aqua Blemish Cover Balm
4. Concealer:The Saem – Cover Perfection Fixealer
5. Finishing Powder:innisfree – No Sebum Mineral Powder
6. Highlighter: CLIO – Prism Air Highlighter
7. Cream Blush:A’PIEU – Juicy-Pang Jelly Blusher
8. Puff: eSpoir – Skinny Fix Blender

Brow & Eye Makeup

Eye makeup is all the more important in the mask-wearing era, and this popular beauty trend is unlikely to fade anytime soon. eSpoir tops the eye palette category with its sophisticated Real Eye Palette. CLIO solidifies its leading positions in the mascara field, including the lash lengthening category for the third year in a row. In the lash curling category,  peripera’s Ink Black Cara − its formula was upgraded last summer − came in first. Shiseido’s Eyelash Curler continues to win the hearts of many.

1. Brow Pencil:peripera – Speedy Skinny Brow
2. Brow Powder:SKINFOOD – Choco Eyebrow Powder Cake
3. Browcara:ISEHAN – Kiss Me Heavy Rotation Coloring Eyebrow
4. Eye Palette:eSpoir – Real Eye Palette
5. Gel Eyeliner:lilybyred – Starry Eyes Am9 To Pm9 Gel Eye Liner
6. Pencil Eyeliner:CLIO – Sharp, So Simple Waterproof Pencil Liner
7. Liquid Eyeliner: ISEHAN – Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner
8. Mascara: CLIO – Kill Lash Superproof Mascara #02 Volume Curling
9. Lash Curler:Shiseido – Eyelash Curler

Lip Makeup

Consumers gravitated towards lip makeup products with a natural color payoff, lightweight application, moisturizing formula and non-sticky finish. As more brands shift towards sustainable, cruelty-free and clean beauty products, it is expected that vegan products and eco-friendly packaging will continue to be popular trends.

1. Satin Lipstick: MISSHA – Dare Rouge Velvet
2. Matte Lip Tint:BLACK ROUGE – Air Fit Velvet Tint
3. Glossy Lip Tint:HERA – Sensual Spicy Nude Gloss
4. Lip Crayon:Mamonde – Creamy Tint Color Balm Intense
5. Lip Gloss: romand – Glasting Water Gloss

Sun Care

A number of sunscreens that fell short at the GLOWPICK awards in recent years made it to the top positions this time. Nevertheless, innisfree’s Tone Up No Sebum Sunscreen maintains its first place in the sebum-control sunscreen category since 2019, possibly due to increased demand in the mask-wearing era for non-sticky sunscreens with tone-up effect.

1. Tone Up Sun Cream: Dr.G – Brightening Up Sun Plus
2. Sun Essence: d’Alba – Waterfull Essence Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++
3. After Sun Care: HOLIKA HOLIKA – Aloe 99% Soothing Gel

Bath & Body Care

Affordable and readily available body products such as ILLIYOON’s Ceramide Ato 6.0 Top To Toe Wash, ILLYOON’s Ceramide Ato Lotion and Vaseline’s Petroleum Jelly Original were selected for the 2021 GLOWPICK Awards.

1. Body Wash: ILLIYOON – Ceramide Ato 6.0 Top To Toe Wash
2. Body Lotion / Cream:ILLIYOON – Ceramide Ato Lotion
3. Body Balm: Vaseline – Petroleum Jelly Original