ROSE & IVY Journal Mask Monday with Alicia Loon of Peach & Lily

This is an extra special mask Monday! Today we are chatting with the ultimate guru in Korean beauty, Alicia Yoon, the founder of Peach & Lily. Unless you have been living under a beauty rock, the latest and most cutting edge technology in the beauty industry is hailing from Korea and Alicia Yoon is bringing that goodness to America. We chatted with the busy entrepreneur about what it takes for a product to make the Peach & Lily cut and learn about her new collaboration with Barneys, where she has curated a collection of sheet mask stars. Plus, she shares her top five masks with R&I. Read on to learn more - for more in this series, click here.

You scour the market for the latest and greatest in Korean beauty. What hooks you onto a certain brand or product?

Effectiveness. A range could have the most beautiful packaging but it it doesn’t work, then it’s a no-go for me. I want to see tangible results, and fairly quickly!

Congratulations on your new collaboration with Barneys. When curating the Mask Bar for the retailer, did you have a certain goal in mind with the products that you picked?

Thank you! The concept behind our Barney’s curation was all about luxury. These highly efficacious masks use indulgent ingredients, fun textures and deliver big results but not necessarily at a high price tag. You can have a luxurious experience even at a $3 price point. It was important that all the masks had a meditative and relaxing element, whether that came across in the packaging, the application or the ingredients. Everything is super high quality.

What is the latest innovation in masks that should be on our radar?

I think water jelly masks are the new sheet masks. Not only is the texture exciting to apply, it seals in all the ingredients so it can really penetrate skin.

How long do you test a product before it makes the Peach & Lily cut?

Sometimes, testing can take months. We have high standards for what makes the cut, only 5% of products we try actually make it to the site.

What brands are currently trending that are new in the shop?

Atoclassic, this range is all about of really gentle nurturing formulas. Skincare doesn’t need to be harsh and cause redness and flaking to be effective.

The sheet mask has grown incredibly popular in the United States. Do you have any predictions about what the evolution will be?

I think we’ll see more varieties and that consumers will begin using sheet masks regularly and not just as a special occasion experience. In Korea, “one mask, one day” is an incredibly popular concept where people use a sheet mask every single day!

Please tell us, what has been the most unique beauty treatment you have ever experienced?

I met Ryu Bae, a therapist known for facial sculpting. She uses a mixture of a fascia massage, craniosacral therapy, acupressure, bone adjustment to manipulate the face. The results are insane and you walk out looking like you had a face lift!