September 2016 3B Beauty Bag Review

3B (Beauty Beyond Borders) is a beauty subscription box that sends four to five deluxe Asian beauty samples for $12.00 a month. I say samples but most of the time there is also a full-sized product included. I’m a huge fan of Korean beauty (cause ya know). So a subscription box with Asian beauty samples was too hard for me to resist. If you’re already into Asian beauty and are well versed in the products this is probably not the box for you.

On to all the things!

The Aloe Vera Moisture Real Soothing Gel by Welcos Kwailnara was pretty hard to miss and believe it or not this is still not the full sized product! The Gel contains 98% organic aloe vera, cucumber extract, and vitamin E. What it doesn’t have is alcohol. This is a huge plus for me because of my sensitive and dry skin. I always wondered why companies put alcohol in products marketed to those of us with sensitive skin. “What’s something we can add that will irritate and dry out their face…? OH I know!”

It also contains no parabens, benzophenone, silicone, mineral oil, animal oil (what?) or pigment. It has a seal so I haven’t smelled it but the ingredients list does not have any added fragrance that I can see. I will be trying this product right after I make sure my new toner isn’t going to effect my skin (smile).

Super Plus Triple Function BB Cream by SKIN79 is 100% not my shade. There is no way I can test this but I can give you some information on the product.  “SKIN79 triple function blemish balm cream that shields skin from premature aging with potent SPF 25, while whitening skin and reducing existing lines and wrinkles. The creamy formula effectively covers up skin imperfections, creating a perfect base for makeup and foundation. Skin feels and looks fresh, with a gorgeous matte finish all day long. Recommended for combination and oily skin types.”

There is no scent to this BB Cream, which I really like. The product seems more like a thick foundation rather then a BB Cream and I think it will be pretty full coverage. I can’t find any information about the product’s ingredients but searching online has yielded no results. If you have a lot of sensitivities you may want to do a more in-depth search for an ingredients list.

Next we have a very small sample of the All Clean Balm by Heimish. I’m not even sure I’ll be able to use this to remove any makeup the sample is so small. Active ingredients are citrus herb oil, coconut extract, Shea butter, and donkey milk (maybe this is the animal oil they were talking about earlier?).

The last two products in the bag are by Etude House. We have the Honey Cera Cream and Honey Cera Priming Eye Serum. Unfortunately the scent of these products is a huge turn off for me. It smells like a fairy fart and I cannot put this on my face (yes I said fairy fart).

That’s all folks! I’m happy to have the Aloe Gel but I’m not sure that product alone is worth the bag. I’m thinking about canceling this subscription to be honest. I can buy Korean Skin-care without having to get this beauty box every month. What do you think?

Memebox Superbox #81 1st Anniversary Box

This is my unboxing of the Memebox Superbox #81 1st Anniversary Box. This box was also one of the first Memeboxes I purchased. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this box but I wasn’t expecting what I received. For those of you who don’t know Memebox is a subscription box service that gives you between 5 – 8 full sized Korean Beauty products. Memebox is different from other subscription boxes because you don’t pay a monthly fee (and seriously it’s all KOREAN beauty) but choose and purchase specific boxes that you find interesting. The boxes are released periodically and range from twenty dollars to fifty dollars depending on the type of box it is. The higher end brands of skincare such as the IOPE boxes have been priced at the top of the range. Since the boxes are shipping from Korean you have to also pay shipping. You can either choose standard ($6.99 for me in the US) or express shipping ($17.99). It can take a long time to get your box if you order standard (up to 20 days). So please keep that in mind when ordering – smile.

Now on to the box!

First thing I pulled out was these two items (actually the tube then realized they were together) this is the RiRe Cool Dr. Scalp+ & Hot Speed Manicure. The Cool Dr. Scalp+ is enriched with various oriental medicinal extracts and works to cool down the scalp temperature preventing possible hair loss as well as removes impurities and dead skin cells. 

The Hot Speed Manicure penetrates deep into the hair cuticles, delivers abundant nutrition, and creates a strong protein layer to help maintain a healthy moisture balance for your hair. 

I’m interested to try both products. Since chemotherapy my hair has been all kinds of jacked up. The parts that fell out are now growing back with a vengeance and randomly, curly. We’ll see how these products work with this hair – smile.

Next is another RiRe product. The RiRe Capsule Mask Pack is an innovative spray type mask pack which includes mixofadenosine, miacinamide, cherry blossom, evening primrose, and violet extracts. The Capsule mask is said to deliver rich nutrients and instant moisture to dry and sensitive skin. I received the Anti-Aging Capsule from a choice of three (moisture, whitening, anti-aging). 

This product seems to be a mix between an essence and a facial mist. I’ve sprayed it on my face and I’m not sure what I’m waiting to see. It’s a nice mist but I’m not big on spraying things on my face like a cat doing something wrong. I’m not sure I’m going to continue using this. 

Next up is the Tosowoong Bee AC Control Toner (could have received the Tosowoong Bee AC Control Lotion) which is comprised of bee venom, glactomyces, and bifida ferments. The Bee AC Control series effectively soothes and neutralize acne-prone and reactive skin. This is recommended for people with sensitive, problematic skin. I’m excited to try this product because I am so in love with the Benton Snail Bee products. I know that there is no snail in this toner but I am curious to see how the venom performs on its own. 

I find the A.H.C Whitening Cream SPF35PA++ intriguing. This product combines moisturizing cream, sunblock, brightening cream, and complexion correcting cream. The Whitening Cream combines niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, lemon, kakaduplum, kamu kamuberry and betaine to replenish dry damaged skin and visibly corrects uneven skin tone. While I want to take this and slather it all over my face I realize that it may be irritating to my sensitive cheeks. So, I’m doing a spot check as I type this and will update you on the product if I am able to use it – smile.

The last product is the Unni Recipe Makes Your Skin Smooth Firming Pact SPF25 PA++ #21 Light Beige. This Unni Recipe pact helps skin breathe through and over full makeup; its moist, cushiony formula is infused with a mix of galactomyces, bifida, lactobacillus ferments, and Unni Recipe’s special Silky Balance Network. 

Want to know what’s really funny? Most of the makeup products I receive from Memebox are spot on my color. I don’t know if it’s because my undertones match better with Korean Brands or if I’m must lucky. The product is very smooth and has a slight fragrance but nothing over powering. I’m going to wear this and report back to coverage and staying power so keep a look out! 

Overall I am very happy that I purchased this box. I was expecting something different such as some blow you away, OMG I can’t believe they gave me that, WOW, products. What I received was not bad just unexpected. I think the warm glow of Memebox is starting to wear off on me. This is the last box I had on order and I’m hoping that 2015 brings some “Wow” boxes for me to purchase.

Memebox Special #76 The Empress's Secrets

I finally got my Empress’s Secrets box! I was really looking forward to this Memebox. This was actually the first Memebox I ordered (way back when). Was it worth the wait? You’ll have to read on to see – smile. Onto the normal stuff before the review – This is a box from Memebox. Memebox employs magical fairies to put Korean beauty products in lovely pink boxes (I mean…how many times can I say the same thing?). You pay between $20.00 - $50.00 for a box (depending on the box) plus shipping ($6.99 for standard and $18.99 for express). It’s a great service and offers a lot of products you can’t get in the United States (easily). Check them out here http://us.memebox.com/. 

Now that I have that out of the way, on to all the things! 

Like I said I was really excited about this box. So I tore into it like there was no tomorrow and the first product I pulled out was the Daltokki Facial Scrub. The Daltokki Facial Scrub is made from glutinous rice cake (funny I just ate that today) – known to be rich in various vitamins and nutrients – and works to smooth out and clarify the skin through exfoliation. 

If you read my blog you know I have sensitive skin but this seems pretty gentle (I rubbed it between my fingers). It has a light smell that is not offensive and comes in a pretty big jar (90ml). I’m going to give it a try in a few days because I just used some GlamGlow on my face and I want to the skin on my face some time to rest – yes the review will be up today as well. 

I also got the Soy BIO+ Fermented Lumpoule 5ml (2). This is actually an ampoule with a fun combo name of lump (Korean fermented soy bean lump) and an ampoule. This formula is to prevent formation of fine lines and wrinkles and also brighten up the overall complexion. After cleaning and toning your faceyouapply2-3 drops and pat in for full absorbance. 

 

Since the package was all in Korean I worked with my mother to translate the ingredients. The ingredients are great and there are no irritants or acne triggers in the SoyBIO according to CosDNA. You can check out the formula list here http://www.cosdna.com/eng/cosmetic_387d167049.html. I’m excited to use this! 

My next product is the Tosowong Syn-ake Wrinkle Free Essence. The claim for the Syn-Ake Wrinkle Free Essence is that it will help you maintain a healthy moisture and oil balance. I find this product very interesting and will add it to my skincare routine. In about a week or I’ll give this a good try and do some updates on it in my blog (just like the Benton). 

Next is the PurDerm Make-up Cleansing Tissue. These are cleansing tissues (duh) that are enriched with nutrients from green tea leaf. I’m not big on cleansing tissues but I will try these the next time I use eye make up to see how well they work. 

The last product in this box is the Lime Nature Double Very Moisturizing Cream. This cream is enriched with acai berry complex and a rich blend of ancient medical herbs such as chuanxiong rhizome, peony, licorice root, kudzu root, portulaca, and cornflower. This product is sealed in the box so I did not take it out to smell it or test the product. I am pretty intrigued by this and as soon as my moisturizer runs out I’m going to start using this. 

Was this box worth the wait? I think it was. I’m pretty excited about all of the products sans the makeup wipes (that might change once I use them though). Overall the box was worth it to me. You guys should really check out Memebox for a great introduction to Korean Beauty products!

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence 14 day Update

Hi everyone. This is my last Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence update. It is a little late but I blame the holidays. I used the Benton Snail Bee Essence daily morning and evening along with my Clinique Gentle Face Wash, and my Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer. I have since added more steps to my skincare routine but at the time I took these photos (the 14 day mark) I had not added any other products. Here are the before and after photos (Note: I have two before and after photos of the left side of my face because I couldn’t fit them all into one collage – laughing). 

If I had to describe the effects on my face in one word I would have to say amazing. The pustules (that’s a horrible word) are gone, the redness and hyperpigmentation has decreased and I have not experienced any new rosacea symptoms. I am actually shocked that in only 14 days my skin looks so much better. Skin cells totally regenerate (i.e., new skin all over the face) in 28 days and I can only imagine that my skin will continue to improve (I do have a few areas of hyperpigmentation still). I 100% recommend this to anyone looking for something that is not only safe to use with sensitive skin but gives you results. 

I am blown away and I have to say that this is going onto my (very small) list of Holy Grail skincare products. There is one problem with this product – it’s from Korea. Since this is a Korean product and can be a little tricky to find, I’m going to link you to a few websites I trust. You can always try Amazon or EBay but there are a ton of counterfeit Korean beauty products and unethical sellers on both sites. These are tried and true and you’re going to be getting the product you order. 

The first is Memebox which is where I personally purchased the product. Here is a direct link to the Essence. 

http://us.memebox.com/snail-bee-high-content-essence#.VKRbFivF_ng

TesterKorea is another website that I have ordered from. It can be a little scary because the prices are in won but the conversion is listed at the top right (usually around 1 American dollar to 1000 won). 

http://testerkorea.com/Product/benton-snail-bee-high-content-essence-60ml

Beauteque is another good option. They ship from the US but the product is a few dollars more.

http://www.beauteque.com/benton-snail-bee-high-content-essence-60ml/

Benton has an entire line of products associated with their Snail Bee High Content line. If you would like a chance to win the Benton High Content Steam Cream check out my giveaway Korean Beauty Blog Hop Giveway (which is also part of a large Korean beauty giveaway). Have a happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a great 2015!

Memebox Blackfriday Box #5 Unboxing and Review

Well it’s time for another Memebox unboxing! I really do enjoy doing these unboxings but I think I might switch it up a bit (I’ll explain more at the end of this blog). This is my unboxing and review of the Memebox Black Friday #5 box. For those that don’t know Memebox is a K-beauty box service (like a subscription box) but the spin on this is that they curate boxes and then you choose which box you want to purchase. It’s really fun to be surprised by a box. The prices range from $20.00 - $50.00 depending on the box. They also ship from Korea so keep that in mind and the fact that shipping is $6.99 for standard and $18.99 for express. Now on to the box!

This is the Shara Shara Top Talented Skin BB Brightening & Wrinkle SPF 34 PA ++. I’m not a big fan of sunscreen combined with product. It’s just a personal preference and because of that I didn’t test any of this product in order to pass it along in the future – smile. 

I received this Hologram Collection Moisture Serum and was again blown away by the packaging. I’m a sucker for good packaging. This product contains mineral water gel and twisted moist essence. Unfortunately it also contains alcohol so I’m also not trying this product so I can pass it along. 

We all know (if you read my blog) that this is the Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream. This is a natural product (no alcohol) which contains snail mucus extract and bee venom. You use this after washing your face. Just slather it on and then remove it with warm water. I love this stuff and if you want a chance to win one take a look at my giveaway here K-Beauty Blog Hop Giveaway.

I also received the dearberry Ice Cream Hand Cream in Vanilla. I don’t like vanilla hand creams so…again I’m not opening it. 

Last but not least we have the dearberry Kiss of Berry #1 Raspberry. So…again I don’t like the flavor of fake Raspberry so I also haven’t tried to use this product. 

Overall this box was a disappointment for me. The products are good but I really will not use any of them (besides the steam cream). Which leads me to what I was alluding too earlier. I think I might be doing more purchases of single Korean Beauty products in the future. The boxes are great but the price plus the shipping and wait time takes some of the fun out of it. I haven’t decided 100% but I know I do want more control of what I’m going to receive. The next few months will help me make my decision.

Massive Korean Beauty Blog Hop Giveaway!

This is it! What you've been waiting for!

Today starts the multi-blog Kbeauty blog hop. All of the blogs listed below will be participating. Please make sure you read their rules as all our rules (like where you have to live) might not be the same.What do you get if you win you ask?

You're going to get...

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream.

If you haven't seen what the Benton Snail Bee Products have done for my face take a look at some of my previous Benton posts. This is great for sensitive or angry (grr) skin.

You like masks you say? Ok, how about two Benton Snail Bee High Content Masks? Ok, you got it!

I'm also going to include this set from I am designer so you can act like a chemist and mix up your own shade of blush/concealer/face stuffs.

Last but not least a mystery gift! I want people to be a little surprised by what they get! I promise it will be something fun.

Now, here is what you have to do. See that cool raffle thingy down there (look down) you have to use that to enter. What you must do is leave a blog comment with your type of skin and a skin concern you want to address.This is really important for that mystery prize (hint hint) so make sure you leave some info I can use! For an extra entry you can also tweet about the Kbeauty blog hop (who doesn't want an extra entry?)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck everyone! OH wait...Whats this?