The Guru IndexReviewersLiah Yoo
Liah Yoo
Skincare expert

Liah Yoo.

Liah Yoo is a K-beauty creator and founder of KraveBeauty who champions a 'press reset,' minimalist approach to sunscreen and skincare. Her 1.2M followers love her transparent, less-is-more philosophy and honest take on barrier-friendly essentials.

Why Are They A Guru?
Former L'Oréal product developer and founder of the skincare brand KraveBeauty, channeling formulation experience into a minimalist, barrier-first philosophy.
Founder · KraveBeauty
15Products
11 approved92% approval rate
1 skippedDoesn't pull punches
1 hot takesWhere they break from the pack
By the numbers

What they review most.

Against the grain

Liah Yoo's hot takes.

Products where their take diverges from the rest of the gurus.

Liah Yoo: Skip vs gurus 63% Approved
The Vital Proteins collagen, the main supplier of this is sourcing from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, so I would probably not go with that. I would also look for hydrolyzed collagen for better absorption and better digestion.
Every take, in full

Every review.

All 15 products Liah Yoo has reviewed, grouped by product type. Click a product to see the full guru consensus.

All takes Approved only Skip only Against the gurus
Sunscreen6 reviews
"It's water resistant, it's only $8, but to me it's one of those like oh this feels like it's only $8. It just gets the job done but it doesn't give me that sensorial like oh it's more plush more velvety. I think this category will definitely take care of you when you're going out to the beach or you need a stronger water resistant sunscreen."
~Mixed
70%of gurus approve
"This product is the only one that I can comfortably apply on my face because it doesn't give me that like lip balm feel all over my face. It actually feels like there's no shininess or glow to it because this is also made for oily skin in mind. It gives that like beautiful kind of powdery finish but it's very comfortable on your skin. So I've been really enjoying this. During the development process I was like I need it more matte and they're like you have oil soluble actives in here that are making it oilier so we took those out. There's a lot of powder mattifiers in there but if you have deeper skin those powder mattifiers can leave a white cast if you don't rub it in afterwards and part of the incentive of a sunstick is you don't have to rub it necessarily so that is something to note. It's not the most white cast free on very deep skin for those who are worried about that."
Approved
80%of gurus approve
"I love the original Relief Sun but some people find that to be a little bit glowier, it's very moisturizing, it is still lightweight but very moisturizing, and it has a Tinosorb M in there, which is the insoluble chemical filter, so it's not going to dissolve, so therefore it can leave a white cast on deeper skin tones. This is stunning, objectively, the finish and texture of this are really really nice. This basically gives that glow that you get from being in the sun in a more oily skin-friendly way. It really is aqua fresh. I've seen a lot of deep skin creators try this and it just looks stunning on them. The minute that this was launched, it kind of reminded me of those Japanese sunscreens. It does give that vibe. It's alcohol free, I believe it's also niacinamide free, so if you have sensitivity to alcohol or niacinamide, gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous option."
Approved
85%of gurus approve
"It's one of my all-time favorite sunscreens and also one of my favorite launches of this last year. It has that Super Goop Unseen Sunscreen vibe, similar family of texture and finish, but this just got the texture and the finish more finessed for a better price point. It has a silicone gel texture that's completely transparent, really does give that primer finish. If you have a sensorial issue where high silicone feel bothers you, this has that, but to me it has more structure to the formula to give it more of that gel vibe. It dries down like matte, perfect for priming. This one's 80 minute water and sweat resistant as well. It has that traditional vanilla coconuty Sun Bum smell, very traditional to their products, but I think much more subdued. I ranked it number one among Super Goop dupes because it gives me that sensorial feeling of being more plush, more velvety."
Approved
87%of gurus approve
"It applies like a really hydrating tinted moisturizer that disappears into my skin right away. It doesn't really have any cast on my skin tone, and unlike other tinted mineral sunscreens that rely heavily on silicone, this doesn't have dimethicone or any popular silicone oils. This is an absolutely stunning formula. Because this is developed by a dermatologist, there's an ingredient called phytolis, which is an innovative ingredient encapsulated in liposome that helps improve sun-induced damage while helping to calm and soothe the skin. There's also niacinamide, which is another great antioxidant with squalene, which is a really lightweight oil, and lingonberry, which is really rich in polyphenols and a really potent antioxidant. It's a really rich tinted mineral sunscreen, and it is absolutely amazing."
Approved
82%of gurus approve
"We incorporated beetroot extract and also a humectant hyaluronic acid. This is going to be a super hydrating. Upon contact with your skin, when you apply this, you would be amazed by how easy it applies and how quickly it disappears on top of your skin. It just literally melts into your skin. So I think this is a really great all-arounder for those who hate applying sunscreen. I have had many success just convincing my friends who never wore sunscreen when I just put this on their hands, their life has changed. One of the best things or the best reviews that we get around this product is the beautiful glowy dewy finish. So if you are a fan of that glass skin look or the glowy skin look, this product is the way to go. This is also really great for acne prone skin, sensitive skin, and if you just literally hate American sunscreens, I think this product is the way to go."
Approved
89%of gurus approve
Moisturizers2 reviews
"Great Barrier Relief is a product that really will soothe and nourish your skin barrier. It has very beautiful barrier nourishing ingredients. I think moisture sandwiching is a way to go, so you can use a first coat of Great Barrier Relief, add a layer of retinol, then sandwich it with another coat of Great Barrier Relief. This is a really effective way to minimize any potential irritation."
Approved
85%of gurus approve
"This cream is enriched with three types of hyaluronic acid and five multi-ceramides providing essential skin barrier repair. It has a very unique sorbet or sherbet texture that immediately melts into your skin so you don't feel any heavy, greasy, oily film at all, but it still does a great job at holding all the moisture and hydration inside all day long. If you're looking for a more natural semi-matte finish, Tocobo Multi Ceramide Cream is going to be your friend."
Approved
84%of gurus approve
Blush & Bronzer1 review
"The Fenty Beauty Contour Stick in the shade Amber has a perfect neutral undertone that's not either too cool or too warm that looks like a bronzer with the exact neutral shade that is so perfect and looks so natural. It's so easy to travel with and it blends in so well. What I love about this the most is it has a powdery finish which actually is a plus because a lot of sticks can be very sticky and too moisturizing that your hair sticks to everywhere, but this doesn't."
Approved
75%of gurus approve
Haircare1 review
"The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density is a very peptide forward serum to promote hair growth. It's a water-based formula which is so easy to use on your scalp. I'm not going to guarantee your hair growth or anything, but definitely in conjunction with some physical stimulation with a scalp brush and these wooden tools would be worth trying."
~Mixed
63%of gurus approve
Lip1 review
"I'm obsessed with this Lisa Eldridge lipstick in love of my life. It's such a beautiful coral pink color and it's super moisturizing so I don't need a lip gloss or a lip balm on top."
Approved
74%of gurus approve
Mists & Essences1 review
"There's a lot of rice derived ingredients, a lot of nourishing emollient and it even has shea butter. It also has sunflower seed oil, meadow foam seed oil as well for that extra nourishment and emollient type of experience. Despite all the ingredients, I wouldn't say this is the heaviest formula. This is definitely still a very fast absorbing, almost like a hydrating serum like formula that instantly just melts into the skin leaving your skin pretty dewy and glowy, but it's not like overly greasy or heavy."
Approved
92%of gurus approve
Serums1 review
"They have hexaeptide 11 and a good blend of ceramide complex. So you're not only getting the skin barrier repairing story, but you're also getting a much more skin firming story. So if you have extremely dry skin looking for peptides and ceramides, I think this is the one. And also, you can't really beat the price for this. The only thing that really bothers me though is a slight odor that I would have to say from the ingredients in the base. I don't know what that is, but it's not like the most pleasant smell on this planet, but that's the only thing. But other than that, beautiful experience. Really, really soothing and skin conditioning. And also very substantially heavier in terms of the body. So you would love it if especially if you're trying to layer multiple different coats of a liquid moisturizer."
~Mixed
75%of gurus approve
Supplements1 review
"The Vital Proteins collagen, the main supplier of this is sourcing from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, so I would probably not go with that. I would also look for hydrolyzed collagen for better absorption and better digestion."
Skip
63%of gurus approve
Toners1 review
"I'm from rice toner. This product was highly recommended by you guys, which is why I got it in the first place and I loved it. I emptied it. My skin drank it up. And this is a product that I would gladly repurchase as well. It's such a unique product in the sense that the ingredient list is one of the shortest, it's the simplest and also doesn't have fragrance and essential oils which I always appreciate. This is also one of the only products that doesn't have those ceramides or skin barrier repairing serum. So this is staying very true to a brightening hydrating toner with rice bran extract and niacinamide as well. I always love the philosophy of I'm From. I think they do a fantastic job sourcing locally from South Korea, highlighting each individual farm and that's why I love the brand so much. The texture after you mix everything up is still on the thinnest side. This is really great for oily skin or oily combo skin, acne prone skin who's looking to just even out their skin tone."
Approved
87%of gurus approve

This week's top beauty news, in your inbox.

A weekly read of the takes worth catching up on: the raves, the splits, the ones the gurus won't shut up about. Free, no spam, unsubscribe whenever.

Subscribe to the digest