6 beauty products you'll love if you're Labubu obsessed

From the sweet (but not sickly) fragrance, to the affordable K Beauty essence and of course, the cutest lip gloss charm

We’ll get back to my Substack hiatus another day, but for now, I wanted to share a post I’ve had in my mind, ever since I walked into that Pop Mart on Oxford Street.

Thanks to Labubu, we’re all obsessed with everything cute. Call it regressing, call it healing your inner child, call it escapism, I don’t care. If it makes us happy, long may it continue.

But, it got me thinking about the beauty products you’ll love if you’re also riding this current wave of fluffy little monsters attached to your bag.

Whether it’s because the packaging is just as cute as a Pop Mart blind box, the scent is equal parts sweet and comforting or it’s another incredible Asian beauty brand you should know about. Here are my recommendations on where to spend your adult money in beauty world:

1 Joonbyrd Moon Swim Body Wash, £40

I would never have tried this product if it wasn’t for judging this year’s Marie Claire Prix d’ Excellence awards.

Joonbyrd is a new(ish) body care brand by dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite. Despite being a big fan of Dr Granite, I have been critical of Joonbyrd’s pricing. This, however, is the first product by them that I’ve really loved.

“Moon Swim” doesn’t give a lot away in terms of scent profile. However, I definitely wasn’t expecting anything coffee related. Despite being an espresso/cappuccino/flat white/Americano and everything in-between hater, I genuinely loved the caramel latte scent of this and it was the perfect accompaniment to my evening shower.

It was the perfect balance of sweet (without being sickly), comforting and uplifting, which is pretty similar to how my Labubus make me feel. Plus, the bottle really does make my shower look a lot cooler, regardless of the built in handlebars.

Available at Space NK

2 DedCool Mochi Milk

The latest scent from the people who brought you my beloved Xtra Milk, is not yet available in the UK, but when it lands, I’m expecting PopMart live levels of chaos to get your hands on it.

I have my friend and fellow beauty journalist Vanese, to thank for bringing this back from NYC for me and despite taking a risk buying it blind, I have no regrets whatsoever.

Described as a fruity floral gourmand, this isn’t the kind of scent I’d typically be attracted to. Neither are the marshmallow, peach, incense or vanilla bean notes.

But, the addition of milk, rice, white musk, sandalwood and amber, combined with DedCool’s affinity to a skin scent, makes this a sweet, not nauseating experience.

3 TirTir Milk Skin Toner, £19.99

K Beauty has been growing in the UK for years now, but it really does feel we’re at an exciting point in terms of brands, availability and formulas.

TirTir is the brand you’re probably most familiar with for the cushion foundation in the red compact that went viral on TikTok. However, I have been using and loving their Milk Skin Toner.

Now, you know I’m loyal to my Rhode Glazing Milk and while that remains a ride or die, this is a welcome addition.

Compared to the Rhode it has a thinner consistency and absorbs quicker, but with all the hydrating benefits I’ve come to expect from a Korean essence. Not to mention, it costs under £20.

This is a brand I’m excited to try more from.

Available at Skin Cupid

4 Dior Addict Lip Glow Butter, £33

There is a waiting list to buy this lip balm and I’m not surprised by that whatsover, especially at a time when we’re all bag charm obsessed.

I got an email about this launch and it’s not often I do it, but I immediately had to ask for a sample because that silver Dior charm against the baby pink tube, took me back to the days of being obsessed with Jennifer Lopez’s ballgown in Maid in Manhattan.

Available in 5 shades, this is the upgrade your Labubu deserves.

Join the waitlist here

5 Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturiser, £33.50

Most of the time, the best skincare comes in really ugly packaging, so when a moisturiser like this launches, that’s housed in an adorable baby blue cube, I need to tell everyone.

Another K Beauty brand (can you tell I’m obsessed), Laneige’s Water Bank Moisturisers are a guaranteed crowd pleaser. There’s three different ones to choose from: Hyaluronic Gel, Hyaluronic Intensive and my one, Hyaluronic Cream.

I picked the one right in the middle of the hydrating spectrum and it’s simply an absolute pleasure to apply every night. In fact, I’ve almost finished my tub and my mum is also obsessed with the one I gave her.

Available at Space NK

6 Elemis Black Cherry Cleansing Balm, £49

I don’t know whether it’s all these blind boxes affecting my brain, but as someone who usually hates sweet or fruity scents in their beauty products, I’ve become a practical Willy Wonka.

Synthetic cherry is up there with one of my worst smells ever. In fact, one time Lucy P got in my car wearing an incredibly pungent cuticle oil and I had to tell her to put her window down.

I wanted to be in on the Elemis Black Cherry hype, but with this in mind, I was hesitant. However, on Saturday night I finished my first tub and I’m a little bit sad about it.

The scent is gorgeous and it’s given me a reminder of just how lush the Elemis cleansing balm formula is. Buttery, smooth and never, ever chunky.

Available at Sephora