Glowpick Awards 2025 Mid-Year: The Highlights

When it comes to Korean beauty awards and rankings, the unmissable Olive Young Awards is a name familiar to most. But the Glowpick Awards is another recognition of much-loved Korean beauty products to keep your eyes peeled for!

The Korean beauty platform Glowpick, the namesake of the renowned beauty award, boasts an impressive user base of over 40,000 users and over 670,000 reviews. The vast, authentic and credible data forms the basis of the Glowpick Awards, ensuring a fair showcase of high-quality, widely loved products.

With this year’s Awards categories ranging from makeup, to skincare, and even to hair and body, there’s no doubt all elected products enjoy rave reviews and returning purchases for good reason – you can’t go wrong with getting just about anything on this list.

If you’re scrambling to book the next flight to Korea at this point, hold on – just keep reading for a list of highlighted Glowpick Awards winners and shop from the comfort of your home! No matter if you’re a Korean skincare newbie or a K-beauty makeup guru, there’s always something for you.

Skin Care Category:

Glowpick Awards: Best Exfoliating Toner｜The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner

The low molecular weight of Glycolic Acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), enables quick penetration into the skin, exfoliating and resurfacing by getting rid of fine impurities and blackheads. Natural components like Tasmannia obovata, aloe vera and ginseng are also added to soothe and neutralise the irritation of acidic ingredients.

Glowpick Awards: Best Hydrating Lotion｜ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Lotion

A top ranker on popular Korean beauty platform rankings like Glowpick and Hwahae, ROUND LAB's Dokdo lotion is a favourite of Korean skincare fans both local and global – for good reason. Infused with mineral-rich deep sea water drawn from Ulleungdo in Korea, this hydrating formula replenishes 72 natural minerals for your skin, effectively retaining moisture and restoring your skin's moisture-oil balance.

Glowpick Awards: Best Hydrating Lotion｜ilso Daily Moisture Softening Lotion

This refreshing lotion, engineered with innovative bubble penetration technology, nourishes, firms and quickly hydrates dry skin with birch sap, sea buckthorn and hyaluronic acid, swiftly relieving tightness. It forms a moisture protection film to prevent moisture evaporation, improving skin moisture by as much as 32% after use.

Glowpick Awards: Best Soothing Essence / Serum｜SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule

SKIN1004’s flagship ampoule features top-quality centella ingredients from Madagascar and is known as a holy grail for sensitive skin. It rapidly relieves skin sensitivity and restores skin to a healthy, radiant state by strengthening its natural barrier, balancing water-oil levels and combating other skin concerns.

Glowpick Awards: Best PDRN Essence / Serum｜Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum

If you've heard of Rejuran, a skin-rejuvenating Korean skin booster treatment, this serum is loaded with the core ingredient used in the treatment. Its rich formula of 10,000ppm PDRN and salmon-derived collagen complex brightens and fades blemishes in two weeks, while lifting and improving skin elasticity. The highly concentrated pink peptide formula – lightweight, non-sticky and quickly absorbed – is safe even for sensitive skin.

Glowpick Awards: Best Soothing Cream｜Dr.Althea 345 Relief Cream

Viral all over Instagram and TikTok, the 345 Cream naturally alleviates breakout aftermath and calms sensitive skin. Not only does it fade blemishes and acne scars, but it also strengthens your natural barrier to improve your skin's moisture retaining abilities and lower sensitivity. More moisture in your skin means higher stability and defence against external aggressors, as well as better skin health overall.

Glowpick Awards: Best Oil Mist｜D'Alba White Truffle First Spray Serum

A quickly hydrating serum spray, leaving skin dewy and glowing in just 3 seconds! Featuring a unique water-oil formula enriched with high concentrations of white truffle extract, it instantly strengthens the skin's moisture retention abilities and keeps sebum production balanced while offering a brightening touch. Also comes with post-sun repair bonuses. Don't just restrict it to your morning/night time skincare regimes! Take it with you during the day for quick and easy hydration whenever you want.

Cleansing Category:

Glowpick Awards: Best Cleansing Foam｜SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam

This mildly acidic foaming face wash balances healthy skin and gently purifies with natural coconut oil surfactant and baking soda powder. It lathers into a rich, dense and fine foam, which absorbs excess oil and dirt from pores, leaving skin cleansed but not stripped.

Glowpick Awards: Best Cleansing Lotion｜Isntree Yam Root Vegan Milk Cleanser

A moisturising cleansing lotion rich in Yam Root, the mucus of which helps keep skin smooth and nourished by forming a moisture barrier, while pure vegan and plant-derived Phyto Mucin Complex gently soothes irritation and hydrates skin.

Glowpick Awards: Best Mask Face Cleanser｜Arencia Fresh Green Cleanser

None other than the rice mochi cleanser currently all the rage on Threads and TikTok! Formulated with over 30 plant-based components through a 72-hour fermentation process and kneaded over 7,200 times, Arencia's rice mochi cleanser is known for its – well – mochi-like stretchy texture. Rolling away dead skin cells and impurities with fine, smooth cleansing beads, It keeps pores fresh and tight and leaves your skin smooth, clear and dewy.

Glowpick Awards: Best Cleansing Balm｜Dr.Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm

This cleansing balm comes in an innovative grinding design for easy and precise portion control while ensuring the product’s quality and hygiene. Loaded with nourishing plant extracts, it delivers a gentle deep cleanse with grape seed oil and moisturises with tea seed oil, while madecassoside and centella extract help to soothe sensitive skin and reduce redness. It goes without saying that the cleansing formula is powerful enough to remove even waterproof makeup.

Glowpick Awards: Best Cleansing Oil｜SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil

Blended with 4 plant-derived oils, this light dual-function cleansing oil gently removes makeup while dissolving dirt in pores. Functioning on the principle of "dissolving oil with oil", it cleanses without stripping the face of essential oils, leaving the skin fresh and hydrated with no greasy feel.

Glowpick Awards: Best Cleansing Wipes｜Ariul Stress Relieving Purefull Cleansing Tissue

Handy makeup-removing and cleansing tissue from Ariul, equipped with the triple functions of cleansing, moisturising and relieving. The olive oil-derived cleansing ingredients gently and neatly remove fine dust, base and waterproof makeup without making a greasy, sticky mess, while 7 kinds of natural plant-based oils help keep skin moist after cleansing.

Glowpick Awards: Best Cleansing Pads｜Ariul Stress Relieving Purefull Lip and Eye Remover Pad

4-in-1 double-sided makeup remover pad featuring a gentle, hypoallergenic formula infused with nourishing and skin-friendly ingredients. Gently cleanses and remove all kinds of makeup with just one pad, reducing the hassle of makeup removing for lazybones. The portable and compact size also makes it perfect for use on the go.

Glowpick Awards: Best Peeling Gel / Sebum Softener｜ilso Super Melting Sebum Softener

This deep cleanser takes sebum care to a whole new level, fully purifying pores in two easy steps: just soften sebum and dissolve blackheads with this Super Melting Sebum Softener, then remove the surfaced sebum and blackheads with a skin spatula or pore strips. Imbued with skin-softening enzymes and soothing additives, the Softener delivers non-irritating pore care.

Skincare Pads/Masks Category:

Glowpick Awards: Best Peeling Pad｜celimax Jiwoogae Heartleaf BHA Peeling Pad

Champion of the Best Scrub/Peeling Category in the 2021 Hwahae Beauty Awards, celimax's Heartleaf BHA pad is yet again recognised for its gentle yet excellent exfoliating benefits! Each pad is soaked with rich heartleaf essence and BHA to gently remove old dead skin cells and keratin, while hyaluronic acid is infused to keep skin moisturised. This soothing, resurfacing and hydrating 3-in-1 is sure to keep skin smooth and soft.

Glowpick Awards: Best Peeling Pad｜ANUA Heartleaf 77% Toner Pad

An exfoliating and soothing toner pad concocted with 77% Heartleaf extract from none other than the "Heartleaf Expert" brand Anua! The lightweight, refreshing essence helps calm sensitive skin and soothe irritation with just one pad, making it a must-have at home for quick redness and sensitivity relief.

Glowpick Awards: Best Skincare Pads｜SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Quick Calming Pad

Each piece of SKIN1004's Centella cotton pad is soaked with 10 EWG Green Grade soothing ingredients. The triple-layered embossed design holds more essence than your average toner pad, providing optimum comfort and calming effects for your skin in just 3 to 5 minutes.

Glowpick Awards: Best Skincare Pads｜ROUND LAB Birch Juice Moisturizing Pad

The 3-layered pad of these ROUND LAB pads can hold a great amount of essence and infuses rich birch juice and nourishers into your skin for full rejuvenation. Its deeply hydrating properties and immediate cooling and calming effect is a godsend for tired, irritated skin, so it's no wonder that this toner pad is a favourite among Korean girls.

Glowpick Awards: Best Clean Beauty Skincare｜Skinfood Carrot Carotene Calming Water Pad

The winner of not just Glowpick but multiple Korean skincare awards, the B-carotene in its formula is extracted by steaming to retain as much as possible the natural nutrients in the botanical ingredients. Quickly calms redness, soothes sensitised skin, hydrates and repairs your natural barrier.

Glowpick Awards: Best Hydrating Sheet Mask｜Torriden Dive In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Mask

Meet the top-spot winner of the Olive Young Awards Sheet Mask Category – for 3 years in a row! Each sheet of Torriden's Dive In Hyaluronic Acid Mask is formulated with 27ml of serum, which equates to over half a bottle of serum! 10 minutes is all it takes to quickly rehydrate dry skin and soothe sensitivity and discomfort caused by irritation or dehydration. Find your skin soft and dewy after use.

Glowpick Awards: Best Soothing Sheet Mask｜Abib Gummy Sheet Mask - Heartleaf Sticker

Abib's innovative gummy sheet masks boast a density of up to 4 times higher than regular facial masks and are enhanced with a whole bottle's worth of essence. The three active Heartleaf complexes in this formula deliver quick and direct soothing care for unstable, troubled skin.

Glowpick Awards: Best Pore-minimising Sheet Mask｜numbuzin No.3 Tingle-Pore Softening Sheet Mask

Long-time Olive Young bestseller in Korea, this mask is known as a K-beauty dupe of luxury department store-grade serums "Little Brown Bottle" and "Miracle Essence" for the active ingredients they share. It's designed to shrink pores with a unique tingling sensation through a pore-tightening complex, while intensively moisturising and improving skin texture. Enjoy smoother skin and finer, less visible pores after use!

Glowpick Awards: Best Pore-minimising Sheet Mask｜VT Mild Reedle Shot 100 2-Step Mask

This 2-step mask set from the viral micro-needle essence brand VT combines the Reedle Shot 100 and Hydrogel Mask for you to complete your microneedling skincare regime in one go, greatly boosting the effect of other skincare products! The certified vegan and biodegradable mask sheet holds a powerful amount of essence to continuously pump moisturising and soothing ingredients into your skin, including hyaluronic acid, amino acids, ceramides, and Centella.

Glowpick Awards: Best Skin-brightening Sheet Mask｜numbuzin No.5 Vitamin Spotlight Sheet Mask

Concentrated vitamin C powder is integrated into this brightening mask to facilitate the essence's penetrating into the skin. Combined with a formula rich in glutathione and vitamin C, numbuzin's No.5 mask improves luminosity, reduces melanin precipitation and evens out skin tone.

Glowpick Awards: Best Skin-brightening Sheet Mask｜Mediheal Madecassoside Essential Mask

Quickly soothes and calms with a formula of 98% pure asiaticoside and hyaluronic acid while strengthening the skin barrier. A multifunctional holy grail that not only calms and soothes but also helps fade spots, brightens and improves skin texture.

Glowpick Awards: Best Skin-lifting Sheet Mask｜Numbuzin No.9 NAD Bio Lifting-sil Full Face Mask

Who said a sheet mask could only go on your face? Designed to improve sagging skin and reshape your overall facial contours, the numbuzin No.9 Full Face Mask features a unique ear-hooking design that envelopes and lifts your entire chin and jawline. Its blend of elasticity-enhancing ingredients, including NAD+ capsules and 50 Peptides, provides a tightening, firming and lifting effect to redefine your jawline contour and promote a radiant, plump complexion.

Glowpick Awards: Best Collagen Sheet Mask｜BIODANCE Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask

A magical mask that can be worn overnight without making a mess of your pillow – the longer you keep it on, the better! Containing ultra-low molecular collagen and the “miracle ingredient” Galactomyces, the Biodance collagen mask delivers deep nourishment and injects hydration and elasticity deep into your skin. Tackles pore problems, improves skin elasticity and smooths wrinkles and fine lines. The mask slowly turns from milky white to transparent as the essence sinks into your skin, a sign that your skin is drinking up the active ingredients.

Glowpick Awards: Best Wash-off Mask｜Torhop Saunan Heating Salt Mask

Torhop's flagship product, without a doubt. Inspired by Finnish sauna culture, the salt mask is engineered with a unique heating system that recreates the warmth of a traditional Finnish sauna. The skin-warming formula, made from pure sea salt, seawater and Finnish birch tree sap, instantly raises the skin temperature by 14%, treating your pores with a warm sensation to dissolve excess sebum, purify waste and dead skin cells within pores, and leave your skin smooth and soft.

Glowpick Awards: Best Sleeping Mask｜Torhop Finlande Aurora Night Glow Mask

A mesmerising sleeping mask inspired by the Finnish northern lights! The starry bits aren't just for looks – they're actually cholesterol capsules, cholesterol being one of the main components of the skin that aids repair, moisturisation and other benefits. Infused with humectants like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, this aurora mask intensively moisturises and enhances radiance during sleep.

Glowpick Awards: Best Nose Strips｜ilso Natural Mild Clear Nose Pack

One of Korea's must-buy blackhead pore strips, these nose strips get rid of blackheads in just 2 easy steps. The mild natural formula contains a variety of plant extracts and exfoliating ingredients that not only dissolve blackheads, tighten pores, but also help soothe skin.

Sun Care Category:

Glowpick Awards: Best Mild Sunscreen｜Goodal Houttuynia Cordata Calming Moisture Sun Cream

A moisturising chemical sunscreen formula equipped with SPF 50+ and PA++++ for gentle yet effective daily UV protection. Enriched with Heartleaf extract from Jeju Island in Korea to soothe sun-irritated skin. If you have sensitive skin, this sunscreen will be your best friend this summer.

Glowpick Awards: Best Essence / Serum Sunscreen｜SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum

A hydrating chemical sunscreen serum for sensitive skin with a light, creamy texture that imparts a dewy yet non-greasy glow. Formulated with 7 plant seed extracts rich in antioxidants and minerals, this sun serum is sun protection, moisturising and anti-aging benefits in one tube.

Glowpick Awards: Best Gel Sunscreen｜BIORE UV AQUA Rich Watery Gel

This Japanese sunscreen comes in a lightweight gel-like texture that has no stickiness even when layered repeatedly. Skin nourishers like hyaluronic acid and royal jelly extract help provide lasting hydration while preventing hyperpigmentation and freckles.

Glowpick Awards: Best After-sun Products｜AROMATICA Soothing Aloe Vera Gel

Concocted with ECOCERT certified organic aloe, this all-purpose high concentration aloe vera soothing gel is perfect for post-sun first aid skincare. With a rich 96% aloe vera content rich in essential nutrients, it protects and soothes skin from external stimuli, leaving skin comfortably refreshed, hydrated and soft after use.

Make-Up Category:

Glowpick Awards: Best Glow Cushion Foundation｜TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Cushion

This Korean foundation cushion has topped @cosme charts in Japan for not one, not two, but three times in a row. It boasts 72-hour long-lasting coverage and perfect adherence to your skin, with UV protection and brightening effects as bonuses. The perfect balance between high coverage and thin, comfortable wear, it keeps your makeup light yet flawless.

Glowpick Awards: Best Matte Lipstick｜rom&nd Zero Matte Lipstick

This lipstick creates a soft, natural look with a smooth, matte formula that does not transfer, emphasise lip lines or flake. The velvety texture clings to your lips like silk, while the hues stay true and satisfyingly vibrant with just one layer. And unlike other matte products, this lipstick mattifies without drying. Gently adhering to, and moisturising, your lips, it creates a variety of charming soft matte looks with no worries of lip wrinkles or peeling.

Glowpick Awards: Best Lip Gloss｜fwee 3D Voluming Gloss

With Gel Lasting Technology to coat your lips with a dewy and delicious transparent film, this thick, chewy lip gloss gel keeps your lips irresistibly moist and richly plump with a high-shine, mirror-like gloss.

Glowpick Awards: Best Liquid Eyeliner｜KISS ME Heroine Make Prime Liquid Eyeliner Rich Keep

The 0.1mm ultra thin pen tip of this Japan drugstore favourite promises perfect eye lining even for beginners and shaky hands. The lasting, water-resistant formula stays put even when mixed with sweat and sebum and prevents smearing or transfer when you blink, but it's easily removable with warm water.

Glowpick Awards: Best Skin-blurring Lip & Cheek Product｜Fwee Lip&Cheek Blurry Pudding Pot

These viral blurring lip-cheek 2-in-1 pots come in an innovative pudding-like texture that is easily spreadable, so that you can freely blend and layer the tint for your desired colour richness. Plus, you can mix and match different colours to create your own unique blurry matte look!

Hair Category:

Glowpick Awards: Best Damage Care Shampoo｜UNOVE Deep Damage Repair Shampoo

A long-time occupant of top spots on Olive Young rankings, this highly nourishing and fragrant formula repairs damaged hair with 35 high-quality proteins and nutrients, leaving hair strengthened and hair texture improved.

Glowpick Awards: Best Anti-hair Loss Shampoo｜LABO-H Scalp Strengthening Shampoo Hair Loss Care

An Olive Young top-ranking scalp strengthening shampoo for 3 consecutive years, this shampoo is a blend of probiotics and nutrients engineered with barrier strengthening technology. It fortifies the natural barrier of a weakened scalp to ease irritation and itching.

Glowpick Awards: Best No-wash Hair Treatment｜Shiseido TSUBAKI Premium Repair Hair Water

Camellia essential oil lies at the heart of this moisturising hair mist from Japan, which fuses the three effects of adding shine, repairing damage, and UV protection. It also includes heat protection benefits, making it your perfect pre-styling product to combat heat damage from hair dryers and hair irons.

Glowpick Awards: Best Hair Mask｜Shiseido TSUBAKI Premium Repair Hair Mask

After having swept through Japan and bagged countless Japan beauty awards, Shiseido's Tsubaki hair mask has now taken Korea by storm, fully testifying just how widely loved it is. Imbued with hair care ingredients, the richly hydrating formula sinks into your hair to rejuvenate damaged tresses from the core of each strand. Rinse without waiting and enjoy salon-grade hair without the time and hassle of visiting the hair salon!

Glowpick Awards: Best Hair Scaler｜A'pieu Mint Scalp Hair Vinegar

Designed to improve oily scalp concerns like scalp odour and dandruff, this hair scaling formula balances your scalp's water-oil levels, moisturises and eliminates dandruff with natural sebum-controlling plant ingredients like evening primrose extract, restoring the scalp to a healthy, balanced and fresh state and keeping odours at bay.

Glowpick Awards: Best Hair Tonic｜AROMATICA Rosemary Root Enhancer

Combating hair loss and strengthening hair begins with your scalp! This scalp-spraying tonic nurtures hair roots with natural essential oils and nutrients in a light and non-greasy texture, preventing hair loss and creating a healthy scalp environment for stronger hair growth.

Glowpick Awards: Best Hair Tonic｜Ryo Root:Gen For Scalp Hair Loss Care Scalp Essence

A natural, vegan essence that soothes and restores dyed and coloured hair without irritating the scalp. Reduces hair loss and relieves scalp itchiness and redness with a range of hair fortifying ingredients.

Glowpick Awards: Best Hair Essence / Serum｜Moroccanoil Treatment Original

This iconic salon-quality luxury hair oil is a household name both in and out of hair salons at this point – highly acclaimed even by Hollywood celebs! Infused with antioxidant-rich argan oil and vitamins, it instantly reduces frizz and leaves hair smooth and manageable. Use regularly and find your hair nourished, soft and healthier over time!

Glowpick Awards: Best Hair Essence / Serum｜UNOVE Silk Oil Essence

A refreshing, quick-absorbing oil texture serum richly composed of 23 protein & amino acids, 5 botanical extracts and other nourishing ingredients to not only improve rough hair, tangles and split ends, but also enhance hair elasticity and shine.