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From K-Drama to K-Pop, the world has become fascinated with Korean culture.

This includes Korean beauty trends which have taken the lead in cosmetics and skincare with its innovation in sheet masks and meticulous skincare practices.

Korean beauty companies are known for combining modern technology and natural ingredients to develop first-rate products.

Because of importation, some Korean products may be a bit pricey, so it's tempting to purchase your Korean skincare essentials from online sellers and pop-up stores with marked down prices.

Unfortunately, there's a risk of getting fake products when you're not getting your haul from an authorized reseller or the brand's outlet store.

Here are a few ways to spot fake Korean cosmetics and skincare products:

1. Check the label and packaging

Most Korean products use a combination of English and Hangul.

Be wary of items which have grammar inconsistencies as well as low-quality packaging.

2. Look for reputable resellers

Watch out for resellers claiming they sell original products in marked down prices.

Always check if they have an official certification as authorized resellers that's approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Also, be wary of Korean skincare products that didn't come from Korea since other countries also sell fake Korean products.

When buying online, choose authorized distributors such as AltheaPH, BeautyMNL, and The Skin Care Curator.

3. Don't be fooled by low prices

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

If a product is being sold for a much lower price than its original store price, chances are, it might not be authentic.

It's better to pay the normal price for legit products than pay less but without any assurance of its authenticity.

4. Research and compare

Research how an original item's packaging looks like and compare that to the item you're planning to buy.

If the logos, colors, and labels don't match--chances are, you're dealing with a fake.

Never go for a “Class A” product.

5. Download apps to study the packaging

Use mobile applications to check the authenticity of products.

BrandSafer, HiddenTag, and PapaRecipe S (available for Android and iOS) are apps that can be used to check the authenticity of K-beauty products. Simply upload a photo of the product seal or input the product code to verify whether an item is legitimate or counterfeit.

Meanwhile, here's a good news for K-beauty lovers, you no longer have to go on detective mode when buying Korean products.

You can get all your favorite Korean cosmetic brands and the latest in Korean skincare at SM Beauty from The SM Store.

Their K-beauty zone is bringing all your favorite Korean skincare brands in one roof.

These brands include CosRX, Dear Klairs, Mediheal, Leaders, Banila Co, AHC, Esfolio, The Saem, Face Republic, iWhite, Seoul White and top Korean makeup lines Club Clio, Peripera, and BT21.

Now, you can achieve your Korean makeup and skincare goals without all the hassle of moving from one store to the other or worrying about fakes.

Just avoid scrimping on a few pesos, don't put your safety at stake for fake products that can have adverse reactions.

Remember to always do your research to make your skincare and makeup shopping fun and easy!