Ever tried a blush at a beauty fair and forgotten the shade by the time you got home? Kurly Beauty Festa 2026, Nov. 12–15 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, is easier to navigate with one comparison in mind. Its 45 brands are spread across four zones: Morning, Day, Evening and Night. Pick one question before you arrive. Which product do you keep buying in the wrong shade? Is there a fragrance you stopped using because it lingered too long?

Cosmetics and a sign against a red backdrop.기묘한

A makeup stand at the 2025 festival.

For color, start in the Day Zone

For makeup, head to the Day Zone in Art Hall 1. Kurly says you can swatch shades at Ameli and try a Kurly-exclusive cream blush color at Fressian. With two similar shades, think about what each would look like next to your usual foundation or lipstick. Note the product name, shade number and how it looks after a few minutes. You’ll have enough information to find it again online.

A visitor’s hand trying a product at a counter.기묘한

A tester station at the 2025 festival.

Separate what you’d buy for yourself from what you’d give someone else. For your own makeup, pay attention to how easily it blends and where you’d wear it. For a gift, start with the colors and textures the recipient already uses. A striking blush can catch your eye without going with the lipstick you wear most days.

Products displayed on purple shelves in a dark room.컬리

A product display at the 2025 Kurly Beauty Festa.

For fragrance, think about how you’ll use it

The Evening Zone in Art Hall 2 brings together body and hair care from brands including SABON and La Rosée. What you smell in the first few seconds at a stand can be different from what you notice on your skin after a shower. If test strips are available, note the first impression and smell the strip again a few minutes later. Decide which products you want to fade quickly and which you’d like to smell after getting dressed.

A staff member inside a booth decorated in blue.기묘한

The Serenity area at the 2025 festival.

If strong fragrances tire you out, try two or three and move to a different zone for a while. Start with the product whose online description left you unsure. Finding out what kept you from ordering it is a better use of the visit than smelling an old favorite again.

A staff member checking a visitor’s scalp.컬리

A scalp assessment at the 2025 festival.

For skincare, notice what stays on your hands

The Night Zone features skincare brands including La Roche-Posay, d’Alba and Eucerin. If testers are available, compare what you can observe there: fragrance, texture and the way the product feels after application. A quick swatch tells you little about how your skin will respond days later. If you have an allergy or avoid a particular ingredient, read the label and ask whether a sample or smaller size is available.

A visitor using a touchscreen during a skin consultation.컬리

An AI-assisted skin consultation at the 2025 festival.

The Beauty Kurly Icons area near the entrance gives you a quick look at a range of products. For anything you want to remember, make a note about how you’d use it: for travel, for winter mornings or as a possible repurchase. A best seller and a product you’ll finish can be two different things.

A booth with cosmetics and an information screen.기묘한

An interactive booth at the 2025 festival.

Pick separate routes if you and your companion want different things

One of you may want to see makeup while the other wants to try body care first. Agree on a place to meet after visiting your first booths. The ticket covers four hours, and you can finish earlier. If you find what you came for, add one new zone while you still have room to remember what you tried.

Visitors walking between product booths.기묘한

Visitors moving between zones at the 2025 festival.

If you’re traveling light, find out whether the product is Korea-exclusive or whether the same shade or size is available online. Take a photo of the name and number before you buy. Similar names and packaging can make the wrong item easy to order later.

A large Kurly Beauty Festa banner on the exterior of DDP.기묘한

DDP during the 2025 Kurly Beauty Festa.

Last year’s garden and this year’s daily routine

The 2025 festival used a garden theme, with hands-on booths offering things like scalp assessments and skincare consultations. The photos show how visitors took part. This year’s zones follow the times of day. Pick one part of your routine you’d like to change and see what’s offered in that zone.

A floor plan marking the art hall zones and booths.컬리

Kurly’s published 2026 floor plan.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Naver Map

Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Naver Map

  • Venue: Art Hall, B2, DDP, 281 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul.
  • Dates: Nov. 12–15.
  • Hours: Morning ticket 10:00–14:00. Afternoon ticket 15:00–19:00. Each ticket allows one entry in its booked session.
  • Tickets: See Kurly’s ticket announcement for sale terms.

If you leave knowing the blush shade you couldn’t pick from a screen or the scent you’d use after a shower, you’ve found something that can help with your next purchase.