Three K-Beauty Moves Worth Knowing About Right Now

Three separate K-beauty stories dropped this week, and together they sketch out where the industry is actually heading — Daiso-tier ampoules with real derma credentials, a lash serum going viral on TikTok with a Gen Z megastar, and a centella brand quietly becoming a global drugstore staple.

Amplen drops four Daiso-exclusive ampoules at 5,000 won each

Koreana Cosmetics' ampoule specialist brand Amplen (앰플엔) is launching four Daiso-exclusive ampoules, each 50mL and priced at 5,000 won. The lineup is built around specific skin concerns rather than a one-size-fits-all formula, which is the right call for a Daiso shelf.

• Pepta Thread Shot Ampoule — targets firmness and nutrition, with five types of peptides and what the brand calls "dissolving thread" beads in a dense, gel-like texture.
• Cera Booster Shot Ampoule — a moisture-barrier product combining rice ceramide, rice PDRN, and panthenol. Positioned as a pre-makeup prep step.
• Multi Hyaluron Shot Ampoule — uses eight different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid plus a bio-networking system for layered hydration, with a lightweight, non-sticky finish.
• PHA Shot Ampoule — a low-irritation exfoliating ampoule with gluconolactone (a PHA) at 10,000ppm, plus AHA, BHA, LHA, and zinc PCA for texture and sebum control.

Amplen positions itself as a derma-cosmetics ampoule specialist with 39 years of parent-company technology behind it, and all products have passed low-irritation testing per the brand. Getting that kind of ingredient density at 5,000 won a bottle is the actual story here.

Epais' lash serum caught Loren Gray's attention — and 10M+ TikTok views

K-beauty brand epais (에이페), a high-performance hair solution brand under the K-beauty multi-brand company Adapt, has been building a real foothold in the US lash-care category. The latest signal: Loren Gray — TikTok first-generation creator with over 52 million followers — featured epais' Eyelash Essential Serum in a recent video, sharing that she's been using it nightly to achieve what she calls "Bambi lashes." She also noted she'd worn false lashes from age 13 for about 11 years, which gives the product context beyond just a sponsored mention.

The video crossed 100,000 views within 24 hours of going live. That's not even the biggest number in epais' TikTok story — an earlier creator review hit 13 million views in 12 hours, and the day after that video dropped, daily product sales were approximately 15 times higher than on upload day. Those are the kinds of numbers that explain how epais went from TikTok Shop Tier 5 (Premier) in July to Tier 6 just three months later.

The Eyelash Essential Serum is a nutrient-dense serum designed for short, weak lashes, and the brand is now participating in major year-end shopping promotions on Amazon and TikTok Shop as it pushes deeper into the North American market. According to Grand View Research, the US lash serum market is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 6.2% from 2025 to 2030 — so epais is moving into a category with genuine runway.

Centellian24 is now in European drugstores — and the Amazon numbers are wild

Dongkook Pharmaceutical's derma-cosmetics brand Centellian24 hit cumulative sales of 1 trillion won by end of 2024, and it's been expanding fast ever since. The Europe push is now in full swing, anchored in the UK: since July, the brand's Madeca Cream and seven other products have been available in over 70 Boots stores and its online shop, with 13 products also listed on Superdrug's online store.

Eastern Europe is also in play. Centellian24 entered Czech drugstore chain Rossmann's approximately 230 stores in early April, and has since landed on Notino — described as Europe's largest beauty e-commerce platform. Products are also now in 247 dm stores across Slovakia and Serbia, and 180 Zegin pharmacy locations in North Macedonia.

The global footprint goes further: Shoppers Drug Mart's 1,500 stores in Canada, Watsons (177 stores) and Guardian (222 stores) across Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, Socobox K-beauty stores in Chile, and roughly 7,500 offline stores in Japan including Don Quijote, Loft, and Matsumoto Kiyoshi.

The North America momentum is what's fueling all of this. During Amazon Prime Big Deal Days in early October, Centellian24's sales grew 1,104% year-over-year — a record for the brand. The 360 Shot PDRN Lifting Eye Cream ranked number one bestseller in the eye treatment cream category on Amazon during that event. That's the kind of platform validation that opens drugstore doors globally.