about 4 hours ago
Amazon vs Global AMORE/YesStyle/Olive Young
As someone who is very impatient I tend to get a lot of my stuff on Amazon, but when it comes to K-beauty I usually go to Global AMORE Mall. I love the deals, the gifts and samples, and using CYOUNGS codes for discounts. Still, there are times when I’m tempted to buy one or two products off of Amazon here and there. I’ve read that some people have had bad experiences with products that are ordered from Amazon when the same product appears to be in better quality from global AMORE or olive young etc. So, I wanted to ask for peoples experiences and advice on buying products from Amazon compared to the more common Korean places. Any products or brands that you wouldn’t recommend from Amazon? Or brands and products that you would?
Comments (3)
I avoid Amazon for most hair and body products, western or eastern, because it can be difficult to verify things like expiration dates, the true source, if the product was stolen and resold, tampered with, etc. I have purchased some items in a pinch if the brand has a store front. That being said, it's fairly easy to return although this summer I've been dealing with a lot of absurdity from shops claiming that items were returned unexpectedly (even though I received the return approval confirmation for each item). So I'm starting to feel uneasy about Amazon returns. At this point, if you're feeling impatient, just order from Sephora, Ulta, or Target for delivery or pick up. I've also seen KB products at TJ Maxx (but, you know, check expiration dates). I find the best deals on products and shipping for non-Amore Pacific brands tend to be YesStyle and Stylevana. Olive Young US, unfortunately, has become so limited since splitting from the global mart. I use that as my third choice and usually for cosmetics more than skincare. I like the brand Mude, for example, which I don't think is available on Stylevana or YesStyle. What I appreciate about Stylevana and YesStyle is that you can use both their coupon codes that are always on the banners of their websites in conjunction with an influencer's codes. CYoung has codes for both. These can be used in conjunction with most sales unless otherwise noted. They also have programs like gifts with purchase, bogo sales, bundled savings, and product giveaways in exchange for a review. I haven't ventured too far outside of these three online stores. Soko Glam has a good introductory offer of $20 off your first purchase, but their stock is fairly limited. Some other online sites have been a turnoff because of shipping costs or exorbitant order prices to get free shipping. I've seen expired products in their discount sections listed for very low prices or even free, which is just....ew. I haven't experienced any major shipping issues with YesStyle or Stylevana other than wait time. YesStyle is good about being transparent about shipping estimates. I also started ordering after these companies figured out the whole tariff mess, so I feel like it's key to pay attention to dates if you're looking at Reddit complaints or review sources. The only shipping issue I've had was with my first Amore Pacific order back in July, lol. It sat in customs for several weeks. All of my orders from AP after that have been golden.
Thank you so much for this extensive comment! I like how quickly my stuff from AP gets to me so it’s not that much further off from Amazon really, and it’s worth it for all of the free extras. It feels like Christmas every time I get an order lol
@Sora It does feel like Christmas! And it's definitely the most cost effective way to purchase their brands. But I like to explore and so many of their skincare brands include fragrance, so there's no one stop shopping for me.