12 New Beauty Brands In Singapore In 2024, From Highly Raved Makeup To Korean Skincare

The beauty realm is truly in its best era. More discerning than ever, even the most casual beauty enthusiasts have a whole list of expectations for skincare and makeup these days. Brands should be clean, eco-conscious and cruelty free, products should work really well while being gentle, textures must offer an experience, and so on. The best part is? Brands are actually stepping up and delivering on these expectations! Among them are 12 new beauty brands that have launched in stores and online in Singapore this year.

Here's a TL;DR on the brands and products to keep on your radar:

#1 JUNGSAEMMOOL - beauty brand by K-celebrity makeup artist

Photo from JUNGSAEMMOOL

Behind the flawless faces of Korean actresses and singers is Jung Saem Mool, a K-celebrity makeup artist who has worked with stars like Gianna Jun Ji-hyun. Her own beauty brand, named after herself, was first created in 2015 and was unsurprisingly a hit.

JUNGSAEMMOOL has just opened its first-ever global flagship store outside South Korea in our li'l red dot, inconspicuously nestled in a black & white colonial bungalow in at Scotts Road. It is also the first flagship worldwide to house the three pillars of JUNGSAEMMOOL — retail store, salon, and academy — within the same space.

It lives up to its postcode, with swanky, museum-worthy interiors, a glam room offering makeup services ($300 – $500), a retro-inspired lounge and even a hair salon (haircuts from $100, hair styling services from $100 – $120). Brides-to-be can engage their wedding services ($800 to $3,000) to doll them up for their big day.

Aspiring makeup artists or avid makeup enthusiasts can sign up for Jung’s Personal Color Theory + Key 7 Philosophy courses (from $2,000 for a 1-day course) to learn how to perfect their makeup skills and techniques. Regular Joes can participate too, and prices for these classes will be confirmed soon. Those who want a taste of the K-celeb treatment can engage Jung Saem Mool herself for a personal makeover and consultation session, if you have a cool 2,000 bucks to spare, subject to her availability and schedule.

Of course, there's also a retail space housing skincare, makeup, haircare and kids’ products.

JUNGSAEMMOOL is located at 27 Scotts Road. For more information or appointment booking, contact 6320 3896 or email [email protected].

#2 KraveBeauty - intuitive & minimalist skincare

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

This Korean skincare brand was founded in 2017 by beauty influencer, Liah Yoo, to fight skincare trends that leave the skin overwhelmed and sensitised. Its mantra is simple, less-is-more skincare that nourishes the skin and gives it exactly what it needs.

First-timers to the brand can dive in starting with its bestseller, the Matcha Heartleaf Hydrating Cleanser ($26). This super gentle and non-stripping cleanser quenches the skin's thirst with hydrating ingredients like vitamin B5 and Sodium PCA. Matcha leaf extract, matcha leaf water and matcha powder provides potent antioxidant properties to support a healthy skin barrier. Reminiscent of raw honey, the viscous texture is a sensory delight!

Another one we're completely on board for is the Oil La La ($45), an oil-based serum that's made for - you'd never guess it - oily, acne-prone skin. It sounds counter-intuitive, but in reality, giving oily skin moisture and nourishment helps support a healthier sebum composition, leading to less oil production and acne. This serum does exactly that! It soothes and hydrates the skin, and is enriched with Linoleic Acid to prevent breakouts. The texture is also more of a watery oil than a traditional facial oil, so it feels luscious and slippery on the skin without being greasy or too heavy.

KraveBeauty is available at Sephora stores and sephora.sg.

#3 TAKAMI - Japanese skincare with roots in medical aesthetics

Photo from TAKAMI

Founded in 1999, TAKAMI was originally a medical aesthetics beauty clinic in Tokyo. The brand's ethos is about maintaining a healthy kakushitsu AKA stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin. And so, all three of its skincare product lines are made to be as gentle as possible to protect and nourish that delicate 0.02mm layer of skin.

Its crowning glory is the multi-award winning TAKAMI Skinpeel Essence ($75, 30ml), one of the most popular skincare products in Japan. This light, water-like exfoliant works by nurturing the skin's natural turnover rather than sloughing away the top layer of skin. The formula is remarkably simple, containing just 13 ingredients including fruit extracts, and yet is highly effective in smoothening and brightening the complexion. Designed as the skincare step 0, the essence can seamlessly fit into any skincare routine right after cleansing and before serums and moisturisers. And while unlike most exfoliants, it's suitable for all skin types including sensitive and acne-prone skin.

The TAKAMI skincare range will be available in selected Sephora stores and online from 22 August, and will also be launching on Shopee soon.

#4 Kosas - makeup with skincare benefits

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

We've all had fomo while seeing TikTokers rave about Kosas' concealer, and finally, we can get our hands on it in Singapore! For the uninitiated, this Los Angeles-based clean beauty brand is best known and loved for its makeup with skincare benefits that creates that 'living my best life' look. The high-performing, dermatologist-tested formulas are tested to be safe for even the most sensitive skin.

What deserves a spot on your shopping list is the highly raved Revealer Concealer + Daytime Eye Cream ($50). This creamy, skincare-packed concealer melts into the skin to create solid medium coverage. Still, your skin will still look like just skin, but fresh, hydrated, radiant and more even-looking. It's even formulated to improve the quality of bare skin over time and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Their brow products are pretty intriguing too, like the Brow Pop Nano ($38) and Air Brow Tinted Volumising Treatment Gel ($42). This brow line of products are all boosted with haircare actives to condition and nourish the brows. Likewise, the lip products - Wet Lip Oil ($38), Wet Stick Moisturising Lip Shine ($42) and more - also function as skincare for the lips.

Kosas is exclusively available at Sephora stores and on sephora.sg.

#5 Visée by KOSÉ - high quality & affordable Japanese makeup

Photo from Visée

There's no need to stock up on Visée products on your trip to Japan or Taiwan anymore, as this well-loved Japanese beauty brand is finally available in Singapore. And it's no surprise why it's so popular. Everything has quality formulas, come in versatile shades, and best of all, won't break the bank.

If you're not sure where to begin, start with the three hero products. A viral hit, the Essence Lip Plumper ($17) volumises the lips with a fascinating, warming and cooling sensation that doesn't sting. Another well-loved product is the Extra Skinny Concealer ($15) which has an ultra-thin 3.2mm tip to easily cover up little imperfections with the precision of a pro. Finally, the Nuance Dewy Creator Eye Shadow Palette ($15) has four smooth eyeshadows that delicately enhances the eyes with a veil of shimmery colour.

We're also intrigued by the tiny and cute makeup products like the Red Trick Eye Concealer ($14) to colour correct dark eye circles, and the hydrating and pigmented Mini Balm Lipstick ($13).

Visée by KOSÉ is exclusively available on KOSÉ’s official store on Shopee Mall.

#6 Glint - makeup with sophisticated shimmers

Photo from Glint

K-beauty brand Glint is now in town to spread its shine and shimmer! Its range of products - highlighters, bases, lip balms and more - are all formulated with gorgeous sparkles and glitters in a range of textures and finishes. A fresh new approach to contouring the face, Glint's products focus on brightening the complexion and adding visual volume to points of the face for a K-idol-worthy glow.

The brand's highlighters are adored in Korea, and the Glint Stick Highlighter ($26) even took the No. 1 Highlighter spot in the 2022 Olive Young Awards. This semi-sheer highlighter comes in a convenient twist-up tube for easy, on-the-go application. Its balm-like formula glides on like a dream and feels moisturising on the skin. Over time, the balm doesn't dry up as it's formulated with Glint's exclusive innovative triple-layer system.