“Similar to Chanel in the 60,000 won range, great”…Daiso’s 3,000 won cosmetics are in turmoil

‘Cost-effective’ daily necessities store Daiso’s new cosmetics are selling out one after another as word of mouth spreads that they are similar to products from luxury brand Chanel.

According to Asung Daiso on the 25th, sales in the cosmetics sector in the first quarter of this year (January to March) increased 150% compared to the same period last year. In particular, color cosmetics sales last month increased 130% compared to the same month last year. It is interpreted that the color balm of the ‘Son & Park’ brand, which was released on the 7th of last month, went viral as ‘Chanel balm’, resulting in a significant increase in color sales.

Recently, many videos were uploaded on YouTube, etc. comparing Son Ae Park’s ‘Arty Spread Color Balm’ product and Chanel’s ‘Lip & Cheek Balm’. Among them, YouTuber ‘Unni Ahn’ uploaded a video of herself actually using the product, saying, “I heard that Son & Park Color Balm Sunset Color and Chanel Lip & Cheek Healthy Pink are similar,” garnering nearly 40,000 views.

The YouTuber said, “The color is similar to Chanel, and the shine is similar,” and “This is awesome.” He explained that while Chanel products have a heavy and sticky feel, Son & Park products have a light and moist feel. He said, “What’s really good about Son & Park is that it applies moisturizingly so your makeup doesn’t come off.” He added, “This is not at the level of Chanel’s cheap products.” I actually compared the two products after applying them to my cheeks and lips, and at first glance, it was difficult to find a difference.

Another YouTuber put each product on the skin to develop color and asked, “Which one do you think is Chanel?” Netizens reacted in surprise, saying, “Of course I thought it was Chanel, but it was Daiso.”

Son & Park products sold at Daiso are 3,000 won, and Chanel products are 63,000 won. As rumors spread that similar effects can be achieved at a price as low as 60,000 won, three types of Son & Park Color Balm are sold out at Daiso’s online shopping mall. In most stores in Seoul, it is sold out quickly upon arrival, causing a shortage.

This is not the first time Daiso cosmetics have become popular. Previously, basic cosmetics VT Cosmetic’s ‘Riddle Shot Facial Boosting First Ampoule’ even had an open run. A bottle (50 ml) of VT Riddle Shot was sold for over 30,000 won, but at Daiso, 12 ml can be purchased for 3,000 won, so it was sold out. VT Cosmetic explained that the two products differ only in capacity, packaging, and formulation, but that the main ingredients and functions are the same.

In addition, Able C&C’s ‘Apieu’ sells ‘Tea Tree Line’, a basic cosmetic product specialized for sensitive and blemish-prone skin, and sold 330,000 units within 8 months of launch.

Currently, there are 34 cosmetics brands and over 310 products available at Daiso. Daiso announced that it would speed up the opening of new cosmetics brands, saying, “We will stock a variety of products to satisfy many customers.”