Kim Yun Kyung is a one-woman powerhouse.
In 2005, as fashion e-tailers were beginning to take off in Korea, Yun Kyung came onto the scene and rapidly rose to the top with her fashion e-commerce site, Bagazimuri. Bagazimuri offered high-quality, beautiful finds at surprisingly accessible prices, but Yun Kyung didn’t simply stop with that. She would model the clothes on relatable, everyday people, often on her sister, Hee Kyung, in real-life contexts — on the street, at a cafe, by the beach — instead of on a fashion model in a studio, accompanying the photographs with fun, creative descriptions that would engage potential customers.
This winning combination of relatable photographs, creative copy, and high-quality clothes at affordable prices quickly made Bagazimuri one of the top fashion e-commerce sites in Korea’s highly competitive landscape. Yun Kyung’s continued unflagging dedication, working day-in, day-out without flagging, has kept Bagazimuri as one of Korea’s top three fashion e-commerce sites for fifteen years.
Because of Bagazimuri’s built-in audience, it was only a matter of time before major cosmetics manufacturers began to approach Yun Kyung with offers to create her own beauty brand. It would have been easy for her to start a generic beauty brand quickly, but, in typical Yun Kyung-fashion, she turned these fast opportunities down, wanting to create something only if she could offer something truly special.
Fast-forward to 2014: pregnant with her first child, Yun Kyung started down a path of deep contemplation about her lifestyle. Concerned about toxins and irritants in skincare that could potentially be unsafe for her child, Yun Kyung decided to bring her creativity to the table and create a skincare brand that would be convenient for busy moms and was gently formulated with a high emphasis on efficacy.
The first product she developed was the now-famed Secret Mist Plus. This beautiful formula is like a toner and essence in-one that helps hydrate, soothe, purify, and balance skin. Conveniently bottled in an easy-to-carry mist, it can not only be easily incorporated into any daily skincare routine, but it can also be used to hydrate throughout the day, whenever skin needs refreshing.
The results spoke for themselves. The Secret Mist Plus was used and liked by moms for its convenience and efficacy, but then one mom noticed that the Secret Mist Plus seemed to be helping her baby’s dermatitis — and the rest is history. Word quickly spread, and, soon, the Secret Mist Plus became a favorite among moms for their babies. Then, for some reason, pet owners tried it on their puppies’ rashes and discovered that the Secret Mist Plus also worked like a charm on them, too. These results went viral on Instagram, with consumers sharing before and after photos of adorable babies and puppies, providing evidence of the incredible power of this mist. Rashes, irritation, and redness just seemed to disappear with regular use of this Secret Mist Plus.
Since then, Yun Kyung has gone on to create an entire skincare line and, even, cosmetic products under her brand, Ground Plan. She remains devoted to the same principles that drove the development of the Secret Mist Plus — clean, efficient products that are gently formulated and convenient for busy lifestyles.
Founders like Yun Kyung only come around every once in a while. First, she brought such a special and delightful experience to fashion, and, now, she has given us such a beautiful brand that gently but surely transforms skin in such a way that inspires countless before-and-after photos. We love it when results simply speak for themselves — hats off to Yun Kyung!
