One Brand Wonder : Laka Cosmetics.

Laka is Korea's first Gender-Neutral makeup brand founded by Minmi Lee who has previously been a Marketing Director for major Korean Beauty company LG Group (THEFACESHOP, Belif, The History of Whoo, fgmt, VDIVOV, etc) and Global Beauty brands such as Estee Lauder (Bobbi Brown, MAC, Smashbox, Too Faced, Tom Ford Beauty, etc).

Laka debuted in January of 2018 launching several products. Their brand concept & identity comes from the idea of being Neutral & is heavily founded on gender inclusivity especially when it comes to colour makeup. Laka has also been picked as one of Allure's Best K-Beauty product in 2020.

" We don’t believe that makeup needs to be restricted to a specific gender. The beauty of LAKA is that we promote individuality and believe in gender equality for all identities, whether it’s male or female. We are making it our mission to open up the cosmetics playing field to many more people. "

" NEUTRAL IS LAKA’S BRAND PHILOSOPHY THAT PURSUES BEAUTY FREE FROM GENDER BIAS AND THE CONVENTIONAL COLOR SCHEME. "

I would classify them to be a middle range brand where their prices are comparable to brans like Mude, WAKEMAKE, CLIO, etc. If you are interested in knowing more on the products and my thoughts please continue reading!

Concept & Packaging :

The entire concept or branding of Laka is based on the idea of Neutral, by pursuing beauty without the bias of gender. All their concepts, colour schemes, packaging, visuals along with formula stay very true to their philosophy & identity. That is why Laka created formulas that are buildable so that it can suit everyone's taste whether it be a beginner or someone who is very comfortable with makeup is very true to their concept. In addition to that, Laka overall has a wide selection of colours throughout their products, that can really cater & suit everyone's needs.

Packaging wise to me it has a very artistic feel, the packaging uses geometric lines and shapes but very subtly and not overly done. I also feel that there is a sense of fluidity in their simplistic packaging that is very beautiful. Everything I purchased feels so nice to hold and are all aesthetically pleasing to look at. My favourite packaging would definitely be the Lip Tint bottles, the frosted plastic with gold type embellishment really give it a high-end feel and the tapered cap with the subtle rounded edges gives an organic touch. I'm definitely a huge fan of their branding & aesthetics!

Products :

The images below are some of the products I purchased from the Collection/Brand.

New Level Eyeshadow Palette (Stance) is one of Laka's x8pan eyeshadow palettes, Laka has x2 variety of eyeshadow palettes, one called Mid-Tone Collectors Eyeshadow Palette which has a total of six x8pan palettes while the palette I purchased is Stance from their New Level Eyeshadow range. The colour story from this palette ranges from coral pinks, peach, copper and brown shades. The palette consist of x5 Mattes, x1 Shimmers, x1 Glitter & x1 Matte Shimmer shade. The palette to me is also very versatile, where it can create simple everyday neutral looks along with nighttime smoky look as well.

The matte formulas are super soft & buttery and the pigmentation is good. They blend and also layer well on top of other products. I love that it's very easy formula to work with and it also gives a lot more control to how vibrant or subtle the shade can be.

As for the matte shimmers, they are also super soft but have tiny micro glitters. The pigmentation has the same base formula as the matte shadows and to be honest, this is my least liked formula for eyeshadow because it leaves so much fallout. She base formula is such a pretty shade that I wouldn't mind using it but I would apply my eyeshadow first before applying my foundation.

The shimmer shade it is soft & buttery and have great pigmentation, not very shiny but leaves more of a sheen. The glitter shade is soft but also has abit of a grittier feel compared to the shimmer shade. The glitter formula comprises of tiny micro glitter that is tightly compact together along with the copper base shade. The pigmentation is abit sheer but the reflectiveness is so pretty. Both shades can be easily built-up and layers well on top of other shadows. I find both shimmer & glitter shades to be best applied using finger tips.

Overall I'm so surprised and very impressed with the quality of the shades and formulation of this palette. To me it's an amazing eyeshadow palette coming from a K-Beauty Brand and is one of the best K-Beauty eyeshadow palette I've come across in a long time and is definitely a contender behind my Hince Eyeshadow Palette!

Vital Sheer Blusher (Marsala) is Laka's single blush product, they released x6 shades, I purchased the shade Marsala which can be described as a muted clay shade and is also the darkest shade out of the range. The shade Marsala is such a pretty neutral shade that to me will suit all skintones. The formulation is soft and smooth but also feels slightly powdery/talcy. There's not much kickback which is quite nice to work with. The pigmentation is sheer in nature, but the colour can be layered and built up without looking cakey and powdery. The blush blends very well, it does give my cheeks a nice soft flushed look. Overall, a solid blush that is very user-friendly & will work well for alot of people.

Fruity Glam Tint (111 Mellow) is Laka's bestseller product up to date, it is a glossy lip tint that comes in x14 universal shades. I purchased Mellow which is described to be a neutral pink shade. The formula is lightweight & has a gel like texture which is very typical consistency of alot of lip tints I own. It feels very comfortable & hydrating on the lips. The formula has great pigmentation, it covered my dark spot on my lips and gave my lips a nice wash of colour. I do notice that after some time, the initial pigment does face away slightly after the tinting effect has taken place. The tinting effect is quite immediate but not as long lasting as other lip tints I own or tried. The formula layers really well without feeling stringy or goopy on the lips and the shine is very nice, not overly glossy but has a nice reflectiveness to the finish. The formula fills in the fines lines giving my lips a pump look. Overall, my favourite product from the collection and I cant put this down! I will definitely be getting more shades.

Flower Capture Tint (207 Moon) is Laka's matte liquid lipstick/tint with a velvet feel that comes in x8 shades. I purchased the shade Moon which is described to be a coral nude beige shade. I would say the formula is thin at first but feels somewhat similar to 3CE Velvet lip Tint but abit more velvety in comparison. The formula is a mousse like consistency and the pigmentation is actually very opaque, the colour coats the lips evenly, it does fills in the fine lines on my lips. The formula is not drying and super light-weight on the lips and I like that I can create a very soft but blurred out lip look very easily when I just want a light wash of colour. My favourite method to applying this is to apply thin layers at first, then using my fingers to spread & tap the product into my lips for a soft blur effect. Overall I like this product very much from the packaging to the formula and I would consider purchasing more shades.

Pure Melting Lip Oil is Laka's vegan lip oil that comes in a slightly purple hue. I normally don't gravitate to lip oils because they tend to feel heavy & greasy on the lips but I was actually given this as a free gift upon purchasing everything else and decided to add it in the review. The formula lightweight feeling & not too heavy on the lips. Very hydrating and really helps to moisturize my lips when they feel abit dry. A little does go along way and does really last a long time if not eating or drinking. The formula doesn't get goopy or stringy and has great shine. Overall, a good product that I will continue using.

Laka overall really impressed me as a brand and now I'm obsessed with them, from the branding to the formulas I think Laka is a solid K-Beauty brand with fantastic formula. I really love their concept & philosophy and I'm a believer that makeup should be all inclusive regardless of skintone, race & gender. Their are definitely one of my top K-Beauty brands that is worth looking out for and I'm excited to see more from them.

Laka Cosmetics it not currently selling in Malaysia Stores but buyers who are interested may purchase it on YesStyle's website. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it. If you liked it continue reading other post, or come back for more updates and blog posts!

Official Website to Purchase :

- YesStyle Website