NONFICTION launched in 2019 as a lifestyle beauty brand built around one simple idea — that scent is the most honest way to express who you really are (hence the name: "non-fiction," as opposed to a curated fantasy). It was founded by Cha Hye-young, a fashion industry veteran who previously ran the influential concept store PRODUCT and co-founded the culture-and-art collective Studio Concrete. That design pedigree shows: every NONFICTION product, from the bottle shape to the store interiors, has a quiet, editorial minimalism that feels more like a design studio than a beauty brand. The brand grew explosively in its first two years — revenue jumped from roughly ₩80 million in 2019 to over ₩5.5 billion in 2020 — almost entirely on word of mouth, before expanding internationally into Sephora, SSENSE, and its own boutiques in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei, and New York.

From Sink to Shelf: The Products Everyone's Obsessed With

NONFICTION's core lineup spans Perfume (Eau de Parfum), Hand Care (hand wash, hand cream, hand lotion, lip balm), Body & Hair (body wash, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, hair mist), and Home Fragrance (scented candles, room sprays). The eau de parfum collection is the heart of the brand, with signature scents like Open Arms (their best-known citrus-musk), Simple Garden, Neroli Dream, Santal Cream, Gaiac Flower, and Forget Me Not — most designed by internationally acclaimed perfumers and sold in both full-size 100ml bottles and portable 30ml versions. But it's the hand wash and hand cream that turned into the brand's real signature: they're a fixture in the bathrooms of Seoul's trendiest cafés and restaurants.

The Bathroom That Broke the Internet

NONFICTION didn't get famous through a celebrity ambassador — it got famous through hand soap. Trendy Seoul restaurants and cafés started stocking NONFICTION hand wash and hand cream in their restrooms, and the distinctive scent became so associated with "hot places" (핫플) that people started tracking down the brand just from smelling it in a bathroom. That organic, word-of-mouth virality — plus a design sensibility that felt fresh next to Korea's more heritage-driven beauty brands — is what turned NONFICTION from a niche startup into one of Korea's most talked-about lifestyle labels within about a year of launching.

Price Range

• Perfume (Eau de Parfum), 50ml: roughly 148,000–178,000 KRW (~$105–125)
• Perfume, 100ml: roughly 218,000–235,000 KRW (~$155–170)
• Hand cream: generally in the 28,000–35,000 KRW range (~$20–25)
• Body wash / lotion: similar range, around 30,000–40,000 KRW
• Candles: usually in the 40,000–60,000 KRW range

Where to Buy in Seoul

Signature Stores

• NONFICTION Seongsu — 8-1 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 1F | +82 2 462 4096 Naver map
• NONFICTION Hannam — 242 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 1F | +82 2 790 4097 Naver map
• NONFICTION Sinsa — 13 Apgujeong-ro 10-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 1F | +82 2 511 4098 Naver map
• NONFICTION Samcheong — 84 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 1–2F | +82 2 733 4099 Naver map
• NONFICTION Gift Shop — same address as Samcheong (84 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul) | +82 2 733 4099 Naver map

Duty Free

• Lotte Main DFS — 30 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, 11F | +82 2 759 6411
• Shilla Incheon Airport T1 DFS — 271 Gonghang-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon, 3F (near Gate 11) | +82 32 743 4473
• Shilla Incheon Airport T2 DFS — 446 Je2terminal-daero, Jung-gu, Incheon, 3F (near Gate 253) | +82 32 743 2350

Department Stores & Malls

• Shinsegae Centum City — 35 Centum nam-daero, Haeundae-gu, Busan, 1F | +82 51 745 1443
• Lotte World Mall — 300 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 1F | +82 2 3213 4145
• Starfield Suwon — 175 Suseong-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 2F | +82 31 690 1243
• Lotte Dept. Store Dongtan — 160 Dongtanyeok-ro, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1F | +82 1577 0001

Concept & Multi-Brand Stores

• 10 Corso Como, Cheongdam — 416 Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul | +82 2 3018 1010
• 10 Corso Como, Avenuel — 73 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, 5F | +82 2 2118 6098
• The Conran Shop (Lotte Main) — 81 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul | conranshop.kr
• The Conran Shop, Gangnam — 401 Dogok-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul | +82 2 531 2591
• The Conran Shop, Dongtan — 160 Dongtanyeok-ro, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1F | +82 1577 0001
• Worksout, Hongik Univ. — 130 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul | +82 2 337 8334
• Worksout, Apgujeong — 20-4 Seolleung-ro 157-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul | +82 2 541 0840
• Chicor, AK Hongik Univ. — 188 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 1F | +82 2 789 9810
• Chicor, Gangnam — 441 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 1F | +82 2 3495 7600
• Chicor, Times Square — 15 Yeongjung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 3F | +82 2 2638 2362

Website https://nonfiction.kr/

Instagram @official.nonfiction

Photo @official.nonfiction