Singaporean entrepreneur Jungmin Lee shares her work mantra, Korean beauty trends and more in conjunction with the launch of Ksisters in Malaysia.
After working at P&G, a global consumer goods company for many years as a marketer, Jungmin Lee felt that it was time for her to start her own business. As a Korean based in Singapore, she found it difficult to find Korean kids clothing, and so with her two beautiful daughters in mind, she started bringing in indie, Korean-made kids apparel back in 2016. One of her best-selling items include stylish mom-and-daughter twinning sets which got people noticing her business. It then grew and became Ksisters, a premium online retailer of curated Korean beauty and lifestyle products. Here, Jungmin Lee tells us more about her business venture.
Tell us the main idea of Ksisters.
“Ksisters stands for Korean sisters. Two years after we first launched, we managed to build a strong community called the #ksistersfam. We then got so many requests about K-beauty, so we started to curate K-beauty brands in 2018, and now we are expanding to K-lifestyle and K-food brands too! 2020 marks a very critical milestone for us because we launched in Malaysia (which was my dream since the beginning), and we started our very first in-house brand, Jung Beauty. We also have a Disney Collaboration too. If you are looking for what’s trending in Korea, please check out our website!”
What do you love the most about Korean style?
“In the Korean culture, we care about our appearance with great effort. Displaying the best version of ourselves is considered good manners towards others. We are invested in fashion and lifestyle, and generally study global trends and give it our own twist. Our adapting speed is very fast. I once read that Zara’s CEO even said that the Korea Dongdaemoon wholesale market is their greatest competition. So I am very proud of the global reputation for effortless chic, Korean style.”
You talk about your daughters in your site bio. How old are they and how much do they affect your work decisions?
“They are now 6 and 7 years old. I mean 100%! We always think of the brand as pregnancy/ breastfeeding-friendly. And in terms of decision-making, we try to have high business ethics and strictly follow them so my team and I can be proud about what we are doing every day in front of our family members. We always talk about ‘doing the right thing’ internally.”
Which skincare products from your site do you personally use and swear by?
“I can guarantee that all products on our website are personally tested, unless we can’t curate them. So I can swear by all our products! We have categorised them according to skin concerns so it will be easier for you to find them.”
What was your biggest challenge while establishing Ksisters?
“As a foreigner who has zero local network, I had to start everything from scratch. So it was very tough to learn even the basic things. But the Singapore Instagram community is very friendly, welcoming and willing to try out products and share honest feedback. So from small day-to-day conversations, I have learned a lot!”
Korean beauty trends are constantly evolving. What are some of the current makeup and skincare trends that are big right now?
“The K-beauty industry is so big and ever-changing. There is always a new technology and new ingredients coming up. One of the top ingredients, which was very popular recently was Centella and peptide. Routine-wise, after the much-buzzed-about 10-step skincare, people have pared back with skipcare, so many multi-use products were popular this year. And another trend is using salon or aesthetic-grade products at home. Makeup trends are always changing too. The recents ones are either a more glowy, natural look or more glam using earthy colours.”
Congratulations on expanding your reach here in Malaysia. Is there any message you’d like to share to your customers about beauty or skincare in the age of COVID-19?
“The beauty industry is changing so rapidly and keeping up with all these trends can sometimes be too tiring. It’s not necessary. The most important thing right now is self-love and self-understanding. Only then can you focus on what you truly need. With the right knowledge, you’ll be able to give yourself some well-deserved self-care and boost your self-esteem and confidence, which is crucial during this tough time. It is ok to be not ok. Let’s understand ourselves and give ourselves lots of love, which we all deserve. And if you can have a trusted partner for your skincare choice like Ksisters, it will be easier!”
