Brand Comparison
Espoir vs Beauty of Joseon
A head-to-head comparison of two popular K-beauty brands. Which one is right for your skin?
Our Pick
Beauty of Joseon
Higher editor rating (9 vs 8.2)
Espoir
Espoir is the Amorepacific brand most international K-beauty fans encounter through the Water Splash Sun Cream — the watery, fast-absorbing chemical sunscreen that built TikTok virality in 2022-2024 and rewrote what K-beauty fans expected from daily SPF. Beyond the Water Splash line, Espoir runs primarily on the makeup side (Pro Tailor foundation, Couture Lip Tint) but the skincare presence has been growing — the Water Splash Sun Gel, Beauty Sleep Mask, and Couture Skin Tint Foundation have all extended the brand's hybrid skincare-makeup positioning.
Pros
- ✓ Water Splash Sun Cream is one of K-beauty's defining 2020s SPF launches
- ✓ Amorepacific corporate backing gives formula access and distribution leverage
- ✓ skincare-meets-makeup hybrid positioning targets the TikTok generation effectively
- ✓ TikTok-driven cult following provides genuine cultural momentum
Cons
- ✗ catalog is heavier on makeup than skincare — brand lacks depth on the routine side
- ✗ Water Splash success has overshadowed the rest of the catalog
- ✗ international distribution outside Olive Young Global is still developing
- ✗ skincare innovation pipeline has been narrower than the makeup side
Beauty of Joseon
Beauty of Joseon has quietly become one of the most impressive value propositions in K-beauty. Their Relief Sun is arguably the best budget sunscreen globally, and the Glow Serum delivers genuine results at a price that undercuts competitors by half. The hanbang angle could be gimmicky, but they back it with solid formulation science.
