“The Biggest Scam”: New K-Beauty Brand Gets Flamed For Nonsense Product And Ad

“Companies like this should go bankrupt.”

Like “K-Pop” or “K-Drama,” K-Beauty is a whole league of its own. More often than not, Korean cosmetic products are regarded as effective, with brands like Laneige, innisfree, Dr. Jart+, and Beauty of Joseon being popular among non-Koreans, too. But one brand, DPPR, is now being slammed online for promoting a “nonsense” skincare product for achieving a new beauty standard.

DPPR, pronounced “dipper,” released its “PDRNCUBE” lineup of products in July 2025. According to DPPR, the “Middle Shot” serum and cream help “shorten” a person’s “midface.”

Introducing the PDRNCUBE line from DPPR,
launched after years of development!
PDRN Middle Shot 2000 Serum #MidfaceLiftingSerum
PDRN Salmon Egg Cream #MidfaceVolumeCream

Lift with the Middle Shot 2000 Serum
Fill in volume with the Middle Shot Cream
And give your midface a quick care boost!

Light yet powerful — PDRNCUBE
Curious about a truly shortened midface?
Find it now on Musinsa Beauty

— DPPR

While the products did not receive too much attention at the time of their release, a recent social media advertisement has since put all the spotlight on the brand. The ad shows a long-faced dog plushie photoshopped to have a shorter “midface,” the area from below the eyes to above the lips, following a new trend that focuses on a smaller nose and philtrum.

| @dppr_official/Instagram

Say goodbye to midface concerns!
Midface-reducing serum that shows results in just 4 weeks*

*Based on human clinical trial for midface lifting (angle and length) improvement conducted by Global Medical Research Center
March 27-May 20, 2025 / 22 Participants / Individual results may vary

— DPPR

The ad openly claims that the serum and cream will “shrink” a person’s midface in four weeks.

| DPPR website

Given how skincare products work (or don’t work, in this case), Koreans are now calling out the brand for their blatant false advertisement…

| theqoo

• “Is anyone actually buying this…?”
• “Companies like this should go bankrupt.”
• “Huh??? LOL.”
• “If you put that on your hands, will your hands shrink too? LMAO.”
• “These ads are seriously ridiculous lately, haha.”
• “What are we, gummy bears?”
• “The dog is seriously cute, though.”
• “If you put it on your jaw, will it reduce a double chin?”
• “I mean… You can use PDRN serums that sell well and help with elasticity, but marketing it as ‘midface reduction’ is just too much…”
• “Are they serious? WTF?”
• “This doesn’t even make sense LOL.”

…and the trolling is fierce.

| theqoo

• “Isn’t this a scam? It’s false advertising, but with so many clueless kids these days, they’ll probably fall for it.”
• “So what exactly did the clinical trial measure?”
• “Does that even make sense…?”
• “Why are there so many random cosmetic brands lately?”
• “Is this the brand’s way of saying they only want dumb customers?”
• “Are false advertisements no longer punishable by law?”
• “It will reduce your bone structure? You mean a serum and cream can do what even medical professionals can’t do?!”
• “Using a plushie for demonstration is wild LOL. They don’t even bother faking it properly. It’s just like ‘let’s easily take money from people insecure about their looks.’ LOL.”
• “LMAO. I cracked up at the example before vs. after pics. Are they serious?”

DPPR is yet to respond to the scathing reactions online.

Read more:

Koreans Debate New Beauty Standard Of A “Short Midface”

What's Happening In Korea