Making the rounds
A jewel box: At Aritaum, a sleek store in the Koreatown Plaza, featured brands include Iope, Sulwhasoo, Laneige and Mamonde. It’s a jewel box in a world flooded with chain stores and cramped displays. Aritaum, 928 S. Western Ave., (213) 385-9062
Try before you buy: You’ll see plenty of European and American brands at Cosmetic World, a high-end store in the Koreatown Galleria, but it also offers a moderate selection of K-beauty items and unobtrusive salespeople who seemed happy to demonstrate product after product. 3250 W. Olympic Blvd., (323) 734-0777
Vast collection of face masks: Nature Republic, which was created in 2009, has a number of bricks-and-mortar outlets in SoCal, including this artfully arranged shop on Wilshire Boulevard. Step inside and you’ll be immersed in a fragrant space with music and salesclerks worthy of a “Blade Runner” tribute film. Bestsellers include a vast collection of face masks and a series of lotions, toners, mists and gels with aloe vera. 3785 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 425-2177
Free samples: Palace Beauty, the large store in the Koreatown Galleria primarily devoted to K-beauty products, was full of customers and people to wait on them on the day we visited. Two of the salespeople checked in on us on a regular basis and loaded us up with free samples — and advice — before we left. Fun. 3250 W. Olympic Blvd., (323) 734-5844
Huge selection: Plaza Cosmetic in Koreatown Plaza carries bigname American and European brands, as well as a large selection of serums, creams, masks and cosmetics from South Korea, some of them on sales tables spilling out into the mall. 928 S. Western Ave., (213) 384-0008
Younger and hipper: The Face Shop, across the street from Nature Republic, has a similar vibe: much younger and hipper than the mall stores. The salespeople, after recovering from the shock of a customer over the age of 30, couldn’t wait to answer all our questions. Bonus points: The Face Shop shares a space with the Chocolate Chair, which means you can indulge in all sorts of sweets, including liquid nitrogen ice cream after (or during) your shopping excursion. 621 S. Western Ave., (213) 389-3360