The Olive Young x Sephora Collab Is a Very Big Deal for K-Beauty Fans

21.08.2026, 02:16 allure.com

If you’ve ever stepped inside an Olive Young in Seoul (especially a flagship store), you know the particular thrill of wandering aisle after aisle of buzzy Korean skin care, makeup, and hair care—and wondering how much you can reasonably fit in your suitcase. Starting today, you can save that precious luggage space. Sephora and Olive Young are officially coming together to bring 19 Olive Young-curated K-beauty brands to Sephora.com (and in stores).

And this isn’t simply Sephora stocking more K-beauty. Olive Young, Korea’s largest health and beauty retailer, selected the lineup based on product performance, popularity, and trend leadership back home, essentially giving American shoppers a shortcut to what Korean beauty lovers are actually buying. The assortment spans familiar names like Banila Co, Ma:nyo, and Abib alongside brands that have largely flown under the radar stateside, including Fully, Menokin, and Bioheal BOH. Translation: Your next K-beauty haul comes with significantly less jet lag.

BePlain

Sephora

Allure commerce editor Sarah Han applying the BePlain Mung Bean Pore Tight-Up Serum

Why we love it: Until now, Beplain has largely flown under the radar in the US, but with its arrival at Sephora, that’s about to change. Back in South Korea, the skin-care brand has already made a name for itself with its soothing mung bean formulas, which have racked up awards from major K-beauty platforms like Hwahae and, of course, Olive Young. Here, mung bean seed extracts are paired with niacinamide, which can regulate excess oil and improve the look of pores, plus glycerin and hyaluronic acid to draw moisture into the skin. Adenosine and peptides round out the formula with smoothing benefits. What starts as a lightweight gel melts into a watery essence on contact, sinking in almost instantly and leaving skin noticeably softer and glassier.

Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han

“As a heavily awarded brand (by both retailers like Olive Young and K-beauty review sites such as Hwahae), Beplain has been on my radar for a while. So, while in Seoul, I picked up three of its mung bean products: cleansing oil, cleansing foam, and serum. All were really great, but spoiler alert: The serum was the standout. I love a lightweight gel serum, and this one is especially cooling and refreshing, and it absorbs like *snaps fingers.* As someone who's increasingly concerned about pore care—especially around the center of my face—I love how seamlessly the Mung Bean Pore Tight-Up Serum fits into my daily routine, no matter day or night. It does tighten up the look of my pores when I use it multiple days in a row." —Sarah Han, commerce editor

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Banila Co.

Sephora

Allure contributing commerce writer Christa Joanna Lee applying the Banila Co Clean It Zero Best of Cleansing Balms Trio

Why we love it: Dermatologists, K-beauty experts like Charlotte Cho, and Allure editors have long been keeping Banila Co’s Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm in rotation—and the iconic cleanser now comes in a trio of formulas that let you tailor your first cleanse to your skin’s needs. There’s the Original Balm, the classic, jojoba oil-based makeup melter; Pore Clarifying Balm, which adds salicylic acid, LHA, and gluconolactone for a little extra exfoliating power; and Brightening Balm, made with the vitamin C derivative ascorbyl glucoside to help boost radiance while you cleanse.

Whichever one you reach for, the appeal starts with that signature texture: a silky solid that practically liquefies on contact, helping dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and excess oil without requiring a ton of rubbing or tugging. “I use this for my evening cleanse when I want to remove all the dirt, makeup, and oil that accumulated throughout the day,” Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at UnionDerm based in New York City, previously told Allure of the Original formula. She also praised its soft, milky texture and the way it leaves her skin feeling smoother and more hydrated. And there’s no need to go overboard: “Just a little scoop goes a long way!” says Cho.

Tester feedback from contributing commerce writer Christa Joanna Lee

“Some cleansing balms, you just know from the second they hit your skin that they’re going to be a good fit, and Banila Co’s Clean It Zero (the original pink one!) is one of them for me. The solid balm gets sooo melty almost immediately, transforming into such a silky oil that it’s hard to believe it started solid in the first place. I’m already on my third tub even with a shelf of cleansing balms to choose from, which says plenty. I get very irked if my face cleansers leave my skin too squeaky after cleansing but this does no such thing. And, importantly, it passes my white-towel test with flying colors—there’s hardly any makeup residue left behind, save for the little bit my second cleanse takes care of.” —Christa Joanna Lee, contributing commerce writer

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Menokin

Sephora

Han applying the Menokin 30 Seconds Quick Bubble Mask

Why we love it: Love a sheet mask but don’t always have time for one? The lightweight formula foams up in about 30 seconds, creating a layer of tiny bubbles that gradually collapse and sink into skin—no slippery fabric or rinse required. Once the bubbles disappear, they leave behind skin-nourishing benefits: Niacinamide brightens uneven tone and boosts radiance, while hyaluronic acid draws in moisture for a plumper, smoother look. The formula also contains Myrothamnus flabellifolia callus culture extract, an antioxidant-rich plant extract that supports skin recovery, plus adenosine to soften the appearance of fine lines. And tucked toward the end of the ingredient list is sh-Oligopeptide-1, a lab-made form of epidermal growth factor (EGF) used in skin care to support a firmer, smoother, and more rejuvenated appearance. Come for the extremely satisfying bubbles; stay for the skin-care ingredients doing the actual heavy lifting.

Tester feedback from Han

“The moment I saw this bubble mask in an Olive Young store, I knew I had to get it. I love a sensorial skin-care product, and K-beauty always nails that category. Not only does it melt into your skin in 30 seconds, but you don't even need to wash it off—how simple for someone who's already running late…and taking work-related content at the very last minute. (Guilty.) The instant satisfaction of my glowing, hydrated skin is unmatched. I love sheet masks, but they often slip and slide across your face, feel heavy, and take at least 20 minutes (don't get me started on the multi-hour/overnight masks—I simply won't do them!) to do their thing. Whatever gets me to mask more regularly wins in my book. Hydration is king!” —Sarah Han, commerce editor

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Ma:nyo

Sephora

Former Allure senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin applying the Ma:nyo Pure Soybean Cleansing Milk

Why we love it: Already in a committed relationship with Ma:nyo's Best of Beauty-winning Pure Cleansing Oil? Consider its Pure Soybean Cleansing Milk the gentler, creamier addition to your cleansing lineup. The milky, all-in-one formula is particularly well suited to combination-to-dry and sensitive skin, thoroughly whisking away makeup and excess oil without leaving your face with that squeaky-clean, tight feeling. At its center is wild soybean extract fermented for a whopping 120 hours, a process that breaks down the ingredient's components and creates a lightweight, nourishing formula that smooths the look of skin texture and keeps excess sebum in check. Sunflower and jojoba seed oils do much of the makeup-melting work while replenishing skin with emollient moisture, and a supporting cast of ceramides, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, cica, and fig helps hydrate, soothe, and support the moisture barrier.

Tester feedback from former senior commerce editor Sarah Felbin

“This might be the gentlest cleanser I've ever used. My skin is super-sensitive—some cleansers are too harsh and leave my face feeling dry and tight (not fun). But Ma:nyo's new cleansing milk barely foams up at all and feels more like a moisturizer than a face wash. It's so gentle, I was surprised by how well it removed oil and makeup. Dry skin people, you'll be obsessed with this one.” —Sarah Felbin, former senior commerce editor

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Sungboon Editor

Sephora

Allure shopping market editor Sarah Hoffmann removing the Sungboon Editor Deep Collagen Power Boosting Mask

Why we love it: If plumper skin is the goal, Sungboon Editor’s Deep Collagen Power Boosting Mask certainly doesn’t skimp on the ingredients meant to get you there. Its claim to fame is the sheer amount of its star ingredient: 2,160,000 ppb of low-molecular-weight collagen. (PPB, or parts per billion, is a way of expressing an ingredient’s concentration within a formula.) Smaller collagen fragments draw moisture to the skin, supporting the appearance of firmness and elasticity. “I like how this mask comes in two parts, so you can adjust as needed. In addition to its high collagen content, it contains multiple peptide ingredients to deliver a powerful, hydrating punch that’s still great for sensitive skin,” says Jane Yoo, MD, a dual board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon based in New York City. Hyaluronic acid piles on even more hydration, while ceramides support the moisture barrier and soothing extracts like cica keep skin feeling comfortable—all adding up to that bouncy, glass-skin finish.

Tester feedback from Allure shopping market editor Sarah Hoffmann

“This mask was my first foray into overnight sheet masks, and I'm simply obsessed. When you first apply the mask, it's opaque, then when you wake up, and all of that delicious, collagen-packed serum has been absorbed, it's totally clear. So cool, right? If you're worried about it slipping around overnight, don't worry—you have to sit still for about 20 minutes when you first apply it, but after that, it's pretty secure, and you can move about the cabin. I roll around a lot when I sleep, and it was stil