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As we mentioned in our previous article, Inspire Me Korea kept their promise and sent one of their subscription boxes to MCM Buzz to review for our readers. Brimming full of Korean goodies the box arrived in quick time straight to my door. One of the big bonuses of ordering a subscription box is that you get to experience many different things that you usually wouldn’t pick for yourself.

Inspire Me Korea can boast a personalised package, and really do care for their customer’s wants and needs. Their customer service is beyond that of a regular subscription service, and with the inclusion of their “Inspired By Korea Series” on their website, there is a real sense of community with other customers and possible new customers of the box.

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“I’m Fresh” Real berries in fresh cream cake

Reminiscent of the Japanese Dorayaki (ice-cream in a buttermilk pancake). There is a soft pancake which is sweet and fluffy that surrounds the most delicious berry flavoured cream filling. As someone with a sweet tooth and a love for cream cakes, this was a definite 10/10 on the scale.

 Tako Chips “Seafood” flavour

Wheat crisps which have more of a seafood smell rather than a seafood taste. Savoury to the taste buds these air filled crunchy fish shaped Wheaties are subtle enough in flavour to have with a dip but slightly bland to the palette.

Korean Hi-Chew “Apple” flavour &  Ace crackers

Just like their Japanese counterpart, these chewy sweets are bursting at the seams with that apple flavouring which is known to make people salivate beyond their control. They remind me of the UK sweets Chewits or Fruittella. These are extremely more-ish and I dare anyone to open the packet and only eat one – it’s impossible! As for the Ace crackers, they are slightly salted with a subtle flavour which are light, crispy yet fluffy. They are great with some jam or even on their own as a small snack.

SCINIC advanced snail mask sheet & Etude House green tea face mask

Featuring the members of K-pop girl group Girls Day, these masks work wonders on anyone’s skin. In true Korean beauty style, these face masks come in a sachet full of the slightly fragrant snail goo (or if you’re using the Tea Tree mask, then it’s full of fragrant green tea goodness). The masks are disposable – so when you are done using them you can throw them away. The mask leaves your skin feeling tight, fresh and as plump as a peach.

Soloman’s Seal Tea

As a British person it’s not that rare that we are called “tea snobs” when it comes to tasting tea. Unlike many others I’m not a tea snob. In fact I rarely drink tea at all. But there is something about this tea that leaves me wanting more. When left black and mixed with two sugars the flavour is beautiful. This specific type of tea is known to relieve irritation of the digestive system as well as aiding recovery of the human body – it’s also a great tea to fight away colds, flu and to rebuild your strength.

Inspire Me Korea magazine

Something that is unique to the Inspire Me Korea box is the inclusion of a small magazine which is full of information about Korea, such as the culture, history, food recipes, language, tourist attractions, interviews and a sneak peek section of what’s in your box. This provides you with a light read whilst you eat your snacks as well as educating you about Korea on a wide range of subjects.

EXO: D.O K-pop socks

Do you have all the merchandise of your favourite bands? Are you looking to support them no matter where you are? Want to low-key support your favourite groups? Then this is the must-have piece of merchandise for any K-pop fan. Before I received my box I was emailed a link to a questionnaire where I could choose five idols I liked. Then by random the person who picks the items for your box knows which idol you would prefer and can customise it to your needs (in my case it was the founder, Diana Chan).

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Overall the box itself is really well curated, covering a huge area of everything needed to educate those who are new to Korea. It also offers lots of little bits that those of us who are slightly more Korea-savvy might have never seen before. The inclusion of food, K-pop and culture are essential in having a successful box, and with the added beauty elements it opens the doors to other potential newcomers.

With the fast delivery, really secure packaging, cute personalised and cared for gifts, I highly recommend this subscription box. There has been a very positive buzz (no pun intended) about subscription boxes going around the UK K-pop and Korean culture scene, and it seems that Inspire Me Korea is one of the top ones. Although there have only been three boxes so far, the steady build of fans and subscribers is definitely warranted and I can only hope that more people will support the Inspire Me Korea team.

For more information about any upcoming boxes, or to join in with the fun be sure to check out Inspire Me Korea’s website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more updates and details about the UK’s first Korean subscription box.