Dear Dahlia 🤍 Vegan and Diverse

Dear Dahlia is a delectably lush and elegantly feminine vegan brand located in Korea. Everything from the gleaming rose gold and matte white marble aesthetic to the gentle shimmers of their eyeshadows exudes a sophisticated and delicate image.

Do you have trouble finding a foundation that matches your skin tone?

Most drugstore options in Korea have great full-coverage cushions, but they usually only carry a shade variation of 2 or 3 shades. Coming across a foundation that isn't too fair is a common problem for most people living in Korea. Before the arrival of Sephora and all of its unique and varied brands, I often went to Dear Dahlia for my makeup needs.

A simple Naver Search will highlight their many branches at different department stores in Korea. But my personal favorite is their flagship store in Apgujeong Rodeo. Everything from the rose gold wine glasses lining the walls to the overall pink and white interior aesthetic is a sight to see. A slightly curved marble staircase that leads up to the cafe is also a charming touch. The second floor has a cafe with a refreshing variety of snacks and drinks. The sweet desserts offered at the cafe were reasonably priced and were surprisingly rich and creamy. I give the cakes a solid 10/10.

Pictured - Tiramisu Cake, Carrot Cake, Americano, and an Earl Gray Latte

Dear Dahlia’s foundation line has a wide range of shades, and their formula is lightly moisturizing with a semi-glossy natural finish. According to Allure Magazine, "Many foundation shade ranges for drugstore beauty brands are seriously lacking. The most options you typically see is 10, give or take." With a total o 35 shades, Dear Dahlia comfortably sits well above average. In addition to being above average in terms of variety, the cost of one bottle of foundation is 38,000 won which is often much cheaper than most department store brands. They also efficiently organize their shades by using the letter in the middle to separate the undertone of each shade. N is for neutral, W is for warm, and C is for cool. The cool tones are slightly more pink or red, and the warm tones are a bit more yellow.

Picture provided by Dear Dahlia's website

Finish

The foundation is a semi-glossy natural finish and is medium to full coverage, depending on how much you choose to apply. It is almost skin-like and does not get clumpy should you decide to layer more on top. It feels weightless, and I often forget I am wearing foundation. There is no separation throughout the day, and it stays in place.

Wear

The foundation lasts me through most of my day and only rubs off on the bridge of my nose, where my mask sits most of the day. I would also like to mention that as an instructor, I talk for most of my day, and the mask is perpetually moving on my face as I speak. Other than that, the foundation lasts 9-10 hours in mild weather. It does not sit in my fine lines either, which is a great bonus. It is slightly blurring, and I have mixed it with their sunscreen when I want a somewhat brighter and more moisturized look.

I highly recommend going into the store and getting matched to your foundation shade. The staff at the Dear Dahlia store are often willing to help you get matched to your shade. I would be sure to mention that you would like a natural look, as the trend in Korea is to go with a slightly lighter shade for a 'brighter' look to contour over it. Below are the links to their sites if you would like to take a look before heading into one of their physical locations.

Korean Site

https://deardahlia.kr/

American Site

https://deardahlia.com/