"Pore Cleansing and Gua Sha Massage Experiences"... Musinsa's 'Beauty Festival' Opens in Seongsu [Reportage]

86% Indie Brands Join Musinsa Beauty Festa
Experiential Programs Enhanced
Daily Beauty Classes and Interactive Events

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

On the afternoon of August 28, the Musinsa Beauty Festa pop-up store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, was filled with lively sounds. The 'Ilso' brand booth on the first floor was bustling with participants waiting to experience the event. Visitors took part in the 'pore cleansing game' by using a vacuum cleaner to move between white and black balls, and received gifts such as full-size products and samples.

On the afternoon of the 28th, visitors are playing a pore cleansing game at the 'Ilso' brand booth on the first floor of the Musinsa Beauty Festa pop-up store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Photo by Jae Hyun Park

At the entrance of the event, broadcaster Noh Hongchul's 'Hongcar' drew attention. Musinsa recently launched the 'No The Love' lifestyle brand in collaboration with Noh Hongchul, unveiling it offline for the first time at this event.

Musinsa opened the site to reporters, brand representatives, and influencers ahead of the official opening of the pop-up store on August 29. This Beauty Festa marks the third offline pop-up store since Musinsa first introduced the event last year. The space, spanning a total of 2,180 square meters across the first and second floors, features 40 beauty and food brands. The event will run for three days until August 31.

Entrance of Musinsa Beauty Festa popup store on the afternoon of the 28th. Photo by JaeHyun Park

A key feature of this event is the significant enhancement of experiential elements. On-site, different beauty classes are held at various times each day. On August 29, 'Oddtype' will offer a personal color class; on August 30, 'S Nature' and 'Cleardear' will each host a bath salt experience and a skincare consultation. On August 31, 'Refilled' will run a gua sha massage class.

Various interactive events were also prepared at the brand booths. Each booth featured activities such as Instagram follow events, skin diagnostics, and personalized fragrance discovery. Notably, at the 'Isoi' booth on the second floor, participants could win samples by finding cards labeled 'Barrier,' 'Moisture,' and 'Soothing' hidden in sand. Visitors who collect stamps at booths categorized into five groups (makeup, skincare, hair & body, fragrance, and others) can receive a gift box worth 480,000 won.

Musinsa's media day pop-up store event held on the 29th, one day before the official opening, attended by reporters, brand representatives, and influencers. Photo by JaeHyun Park

Another highlight is the large participation of small and independent brands. Of the 36 brands operating booths, 86% are small-scale indie brands. Among them, 28% are emerging brands launched within the past three years. Additionally, 81% do not have their own stores, and 31% have not entered major offline channels in Seongsu-dong. Some brands have gained significant popularity through collaboration with Musinsa. For example, 'Housefog,' which launched last year, saw its search volume increase by 496% over the three months following its participation in the Beauty Festa in May. Its keyring pendant design has recently become popular as a fashion item among Millennials & Gen Z. For this Festa, the brand has planned exclusive products such as the 'Lip & Cheek Balm' and hairpins.

Musinsa aims to transform Seongsu-dong into a 'beauty playground' during the event period. In addition to the main pop-up store covering 2,180 square meters, Musinsa is also running 'Friends Pop-up' events in collaboration with beauty stores throughout Seongsu-dong. Visitors to Musinsa Beauty partner brand stores such as The Tool Lab Lounge and Dasique will receive gifts and discount coupons. Furthermore, Musinsa's outdoor space, Musinsa Empty, is hosting a pop-up trailer by the beauty and lifestyle media outlet 'Cosmopolitan,' and at Musinsa Beauty Space1, the haircare brand 'Curishil' is offering scalp and hair diagnostic services.

Recently, Musinsa Beauty has shown remarkable growth. In the first half of this year, Musinsa Beauty's transaction volume doubled compared to the same period last year. A Musinsa representative said, "Musinsa is emerging as a new sales channel for up-and-coming beauty brands. Through Beauty Festa and offline pop-up support, even brands without stores can expand their offline customer experience." The representative added, "We aim to provide brands with practical sales channels and offer customers new shopping experiences."