Small Businesses

Small Businesses We Love

Alongside the big retailers we track, we want to spotlight the independent shops that make K-beauty special — real businesses, run by real people. We don't take payment for placement here. These are shops we genuinely recommend.

No affiliate links. No sponsored slots. Just shops we'd send a friend to.

PlayLab Beauty

Your K-beauty & J-beauty playground.

Pasadena, CAOnline + In-storeAuthorized retailer

Founded by industry veterans Jeanha and Vanessa, PlayLab Beauty has edited down the vast Asian beauty market to the best of the best. It's both a brick-and-mortar shop in Pasadena and an online store, with a focus on demystifying K-beauty and J-beauty for newcomers and enthusiasts alike — they'll even sit down with you for a 1:1 skincare consultation.

Good to know

Carries K-beauty, J-beauty, and hard-to-find brands: COSRX, Anua, Beauty of Joseon, numbuzin, medicube, TIRTIR, SKIN1004 — plus J-beauty like Bioré, KOSÉ, Shiseido, and shu uemura.
Free nationwide shipping on orders $50+, ships in 1–2 days, tariff-free.
Guaranteed-authentic, authorized retailer.
Offers virtual or in-store skincare consultations with the founders.

Visit PlayLab Beauty

Olive Kollection

Authentic Korean skincare since 2018.

Est. 2018OnlineCreator-led

Run by the creator behind @kbeautymom, Olive Kollection has been on a mission since 2018 to bring the latest, best-quality Korean skincare to the US. It's a curation-first, beginner-friendly shop — built around guided routines, starter kits, and shopping by skin type, concern, or active ingredient — backed by an active community on TikTok and YouTube.

Good to know

Curated for newcomers: a 10-step "Start Your Routine" guide and beginner kits for acne and anti-aging.
Shop by skin type, skin concern, or active ingredient (PDRN, centella, vitamin C, and more).
Free sheet mask + samples on orders $40+; free shipping on $40+.
Deal-forward, with rotating limited-time sales.
Carries Anua, Medicube, Centellian24, Dr. Althea, COSRX, Round Lab, Beauty of Joseon, and more.

Visit Olive Kollection

Ohlolly

Clean, functional K-beauty curated by two sisters in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, CAOnlineWomen-ownedFounded 2016

Founded by sisters Sue Greene and Herra Namhie in 2016, Ohlolly is a women-owned, Los Angeles-based online boutique that curates clean, functional, and highly effective Korean skincare. The shop prioritizes independent, results-driven brands with safe ingredients and offers personalized guidance to make K-beauty accessible.

Good to know

Strict curation around clean, organic, and vegan-friendly formulations from independent K-beauty brands.
100% authentic products; carries Sioris, Pyunkang Yul, Isntree, Melixir, Haruharu, Hyeja, Beauty of Joseon, and more.
Free U.S. shipping on orders $50+.
Personalized skincare recommendations and an active K-beauty blog.

Visit Ohlolly

Sokit Beauty

Premium K-beauty lab with in-store skin analysis.

Fullerton, CALos Angeles, CAIn-store + OnlineSkin analysis

Sokit Beauty is a fast-emerging indie boutique on a mission to make skincare easy. With locations in Fullerton and Los Angeles, it blends a tightly edited range of premium Korean and Japanese skincare with high-touch services like in-person skin analysis and 1:1 product recommendations.

Good to know

Curated premium K-beauty and J-beauty staples, including many products hard to find in the U.S.
Offers in-person skin analysis sessions and personalized product recommendations.
Free U.S. shipping on orders $40+.
Carries brands like COSRX, Anua, medicube, numbuzin, TIRTIR, and SKIN1004.

Visit Sokit Beauty

OO35mm (Senti Senti)

Historic indie beauty shop in NYC's Chinatown.

NYC ChinatownWilliamsburg, BrooklynSince 2009Now Senti Senti

Founded in 2009 by a sister duo, OO35mm is a historic indie boutique in New York City's Chinatown (now also in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and operating as Senti Senti). It offers a joyful, welcoming space with hard-to-find Asian beauty, indie skincare, and curated items from around the world, sourced in small batches for freshness.

Good to know

Two NYC locations: 81 Mott St in Chinatown and 66 Ainslie St Store B in Williamsburg.
Carries hard-to-find K-beauty, J-beauty, and indie skincare brands.
Free U.S. shipping on orders $65+ with no tariffs.
Stock is received in small batches daily to ensure product freshness.

Visit OO35mm (Senti Senti)

Glowie Co

Authentic Korean and Taiwanese skincare, shipped fast.

US e-commerceK-Beauty + T-BeautySamples with orders

Glowie Co is a small, independent US e-commerce boutique dedicated to sourcing authentic, hard-to-find Korean and Taiwanese skincare. Its mission is to make Asian beauty routines joyful, honest, and easy to explore, offering curated products with fast shipping and sample-friendly shopping.

Good to know

Specializes in authentic Korean and Taiwanese (T-beauty) skincare.
Offers samples with orders to help customers discover new products.
Publishes educational guides that simplify K-beauty vs J-beauty and routine building.
Partners directly with brands and distributors to ensure authenticity.

Visit Glowie Co

Live K-Beauty

Authorized K-beauty distributor with clinically proven formulas.

Studio City, CAAuthorized distributor50+ brands

Live K-Beauty is a highly focused independent distributor based in Studio City, California, bringing authentic Korean skincare and beauty products directly from Seoul to U.S. shoppers. It curates 50+ premium brands, prioritizing clinically proven ingredients and ingredient transparency.

Good to know

Authorized U.S. distributor of 50+ premium Korean beauty brands.
Sources directly from Korean manufacturers and authorized distributors; 100% authenticity guarantee.
Partners with Skincarisma to provide full ingredient analysis for every product.
Offers skincare consultations and a 21-day return policy.

Visit Live K-Beauty

Know an independent K-beauty shop that deserves a spotlight? We're always looking. The bar: real curation, authentic product, and a story worth telling.