Monthly subscription and curated themed boxes have become a worldwide sensation, ranging from food and drink, toys and beauty products; there are an endless supply of random and unique boxes available. But with Asian music and culture becoming a huge part of a niche market within the western world, it wasn’t long before people took note of the amazing beauty regimes and products from the far east.
Our friends at Beautibi in Los Angeles sent MCM Buzz one of their curated beauty boxes which claims to bring the best skincare and cosmetic products from Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Beautibi only ship to the US at the moment, but they are hoping to start shipping to Europe. To give our readers an insight of what is available I decided to take one for the MCM Buzz team and went completely beauty product crazy.
The first thing I should explain is that there is a difference between a subscription box and a curated themed box. With a subscription box you pay monthly for a box of goodies of which you won’t know what’s inside, and money will be taken from your bank account unless you unsubscribe. With a curated themed box you can choose products of a certain type (in this case make-up, daily beauty creams and face masks), but still receive a surprise of what will come. There are no recurring fees or contracts and you are not limited to just having the one box.
I’m not the most savvy at beauty products, so I asked for a mixture of items. Beautibi graciously delivered a wide variety of goodies for me to try. I was pretty surprised at the delivery time considering it was coming from the US. I was informed of the box being sent out on 4 August and it arrived on my doorstep on 7 August – just a mere three days later! Not to mention my box was very well packed.
My first impressions was mainly that of excitement after seeing the sturdiness and prettiness of the box and packaging within. Everything was very secure and extremely summery. You are greeted by a card which tells you all the information about the products within as well as a breakdown of how to use them and the R.R.P of the products. There are five main items and a small pouch with six sample pouches of different products (possibly future box items?).
After adding the product prices together it worked out that the box I was sent was worth roughly $60 (around £38), which is pretty considerable when you are only paying roughly $30 (around £19). Can’t say no to a 50% discount! So what did I get in the box and how did I feel about the products?
Beyond: Very Berry Cleansing Foam – Gooseberry scented (Korea). R.R.P $16.
A daily cleansing foam that creates a fine, lush lather with natural plant ingredients as a mild facial wash. Being rich in anthocyanin it provides energy and freshness to the skin. After using this on my face I realised how rough my skin actually was and how much make-up and grime gets left on your face even though you scrub it. It was really soft and beautifully scented inside the bottle, but I feel that the product did leave my skin slightly sticky and the beautiful scent was diminished when placed on the skin, which meant it smelt like every other ‘cheap’ soap. The packaging is simple, but instructions are written in Korean on the back of the package – luckily instructions are included on the welcome card.
Beyond: CC Cream – Aqua, Cover, Glow (Korea). R.R.P $16.
Beyond Real Skin CC Cream has a moisturising cream texture which leaves the skin hydrated and protected from the harsh environmental pollutants. With an SPF25, PA++ rating, you can wear this cream as a make-up base and protect your skin from the sun. I have actually been looking for a new base make-up for my face since my favourite brand had discontinued the one I normally use and I had researched Korean BB and CC creams. When I first tested the product I was slightly disappointed because I have ridiculously pale skin and the pigment was too dark, but as I began to rub the cream into my skin I saw that it was adjusting to my skin tone. It left my skin soft, gave full coverage, and had great lasting power.
PeriPera: Ice Jelly Sun SPF30, PA++ (Korean). R.R.P $12.
With an instant cooling sensation, this water based sunscreen gel is guaranteed to leave you feeling protected and cool. Without leaving any residue on the skin, you can go out and have some fun in the sun with confidence. Again the instructions for use on the back are in Korean, but using the information card you are advised to re-apply every 2-3 hours as needed. I haven’t a clue what the scent is, but it smelt good enough to be eaten – it smells super yummy! It also leaves the skin soft, it’s non-sticky, doesn’t leave any residue whatsoever and I was able to apply my make-up over the top with ease.
Cezanne: Duo Eyeshadow – Peach & Brown (Japanese). R.R.P $10.
The eyeshadow palette comes in peach and brown and are great natural colours for everyday use, with the packaging being small enough to carry in a bag or purse. The pigmentation of the product is extremely high and with a simple glide of the applicator there is more than enough to cover the whole eyelid. The blending capability of the product is clearly where I was charmed as it created a perfect “smokey ” eye.
Maskingdon: I Wish Series – “Made A Miracle” Facial Mask (Taiwan). R.R.P $6.
One of Taiwan’s leading companies in the facial mask business and boasted as the “Queen’s Facial Mask”. The “I Wish ” series has a natural water barrier lock and invisible protective film that helps to provide immediate moisturising, smooth lines, and wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid and marine moisturising micro-membrane absorbs into the face muscles to activate firm and beautiful skin. Now I might not be a beauty buff, but I do know a good face mask when I see one, and this is one of the best I have used. It re-awakened and vitalised my face, leaving it full, moisturised and fresh looking. It comes in two parts; the mask and the aftercare moisturiser. After wearing the mask for 15-20 minutes I used up the rest of the excess product and dried it in to my face. Once it was dried I then applied the second part which helps to seal all of the goodness into the skin whilst leaving it plump and soft. One thing I must note about this product is its packaging – the lolita-esque Alice in Wonderland inspired package was so cute that I really didn’t want to ruin it.
As an added bonus there was a small pouch of samples which are usually given to customers who purchase items within beauty stores in Asia. Included with my box was Tony Moly: Panda’s Dream – White Magic Cream (Korea), Tony Moly: Tomatox – Magic Massage Pack (Korea), Nature Republic: Super Origin – CC Cream (Korea), Nature Republic: California Aloe – Sun Block SPF50 (Korea), and two unknown brands from Taiwan that have Cleansing Water and Super Moist Gel inside them.
In total the whole box was extremely affordable, completely random, yet contained products of high quality whilst keeping their cute yet professional style within their packaging. Although this box is currently only available within the US, I am hoping that readers will pop along to Beautibi’s website, Facebook and Pinterest and show some support or ask questions about the box. The more interest that is generated, the better the chance that Beautibi will deliver to Europe. Be sure to check out our gallery of images on the MCM Buzz Facebook page for a closer look at the products received in the Beautibi box.
A huge thank you to Jennifer at Beautibi for all of her help.
