Memebox, Special #10 Mask 4 (July 2014)

Memebox (me me box, not meem box) isn’t strictly a subscription box, although there are definitely some similarities.  They specialize in Korean cosmetics, and while they do have a shop, most of what I’ve heard about are the boxes.  As I have discovered, there is good reason for the buzz about Memebox, since there is something about the site that is addicting.  There are boxes full of unguents and potions and colors that are mysteriously named and veiled in secrecy.  The name suggests something of what may be in the box, such as Hair & Body, or Cacao Cosmetics, but you really can’t tell exactly what you will get in most boxes.  They do occasionally offer a naked box, which is fully revealed before you buy.

To see my unboxing, click here.  To check out Memebox, click here.  Don’t worry, they’ll open in another tab so you can get right back to me!

Anyway, for my first expedition into the world of Memebox I may have gone a little overboard.  See, you can buy a Memebox, which is a box with 4-8 samples and full-size products, or you can buy a Superbox, which is a box of 4-8 full-size products, and you will pay $6.99 for standard shipping, or $25.99 for express shipping for EACH box.  Standard shipping takes about 2-3 weeks, express says 3-8 days.  Or you can go to the bundle section and get 2, 3, or 4 boxes bundled together, sometimes at a reduced rate, and shipping is $6.99 for BOTH boxes with a free upgrade to express.  Well, I had to go over to the bundle section.  And then I couldn’t decide between several different bundles, so I ended up buying two bundles, or four boxes.  Two of them won’t ship until August, but I did get my first two already.  They shipped on July 22, and I got them on July 23, which is insanely fast from Korea!

First thing to know:  do not throw away the info card!  Since these items are Korean, even though the names may be written in English, the directions seldom are.  The info card will tell you how to beautify yourself.

American companies could learn a lot from Korean ones in how to package stuff.  The first item out of the box, which was actually a spoiler on the site, is Skin Factory 7 Seconds Morning Sheet 7in1 (39).  When you pull off the reclosable top, there is a little pair of tweezers to use to extract the contents from the jar.  The description says to use these in the morning by wiping your face with one side for 7 seconds, and then patting with the softer side for 7 seconds, but it says nothing about why “Refrigerator” is printed in several places on the tub.  Just to be on the safe side, I put mine in the refrigerator.  It was fun to use this in the morning, but I really didn’t like the way it made my skin feel.  The “essence” kind of sat on my skin and made it look shiny.  Of course, that could be that my skin was overhydrated from my many treatments last night, but I’m not thrilled with it so far.

Purederm Vitamin C Facial Pads ($12) are also really nicely packaged with a little pair of tongs.  These things are cute as can be, printed to look like orange slices.  I’ve had very good luck with vitamin C products in the past, so I was really excited by these.  They smell nice and citrusy, and they’re easy to use.  The directions say to put them wherever you feel the need to rejuvenate your skin, so I put them on my cheeks.  Mostly because it was easy and that way I could still do other things.  That didn’t work very well, because they aren’t all that moist.  They kept falling off.  The info card does suggest putting these in the refrigerator, and I will try that.  I may also add just a tiny bit of water so they stay where I put them.

The last big thing in the box was Sua Young Berristure ($40), a contraction of berry and moisture.  This is another example of great packaging; not only is it cute, but they included a little spatula so you don’t get goop all under your fingernails.  It smells like Strawberry Shortcake, the doll, and is made to look like strawberry jam, seeds and all.  This can be used as a mask or just as a moisturizer, but I would strongly suggest using it as a mask.  Like the 7 Seconds Morning Sheet, when I applied it as a moisturizer, it never seemed to sink in but just sat on top of my skin.  When I rinsed it off, I was impressed with how soft my skin felt.

Finally, under all that, I found sheet masks!  I absolutely love sheet masks because they are easy and almost impossible to mess up.  They also feel like spa treatments, but without all the weird music and touchy-feeliness.  If you want to try some out, go to your nearest Asian grocery and look at the cosmetics section.  The ones I’ve gone to always have them at the front, behind the counter, and they usually cost about $1-2 each.  There are more expensive ones that you can buy at Sephora or Ulta, but the ones at the Asian groceries are great.  You open up the package, poke out the eyeholes, and drape it over your face for 10-20 minutes while you relax or read or whatever.  Then just take it off and throw it away, while patting or massaging what’s left into your face.  These are SLCosmetic Soo Effect Plus Essence Sheet Masks in Repair, Energizing, and Waterdrop.  I haven’t tried any of them yet, but I am looking forward to it.  It says that these are $2, which I think means $2 each.

Last are When sheet masks in 10:00 PM and Travelmate and are billed at $28.  Apparently there are 2 in each package.  The 10:00 PM one is to sooth and nourish your skin at night, while the Travelmate is for when you’ve been exposed to UV rays.  I am looking forward to these ones as well.  It will be interesting to see if there is a difference between the expensive ones and the cheaper ones.

This box was full of fun products, some of which I will use again and some of which I probably won’t.  It certainly is a nice way to find different Korean products, and at $23 for the box, I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth.

If you would like to try Memebox yourself, follow my link.  If you spend over $100, you will automatically get $5 off through July 30 by using that link.  If you get the Bubble Pop Cosmetics set, you will get $3 off through my link.  Even if you click it after July 30, you will get some special discount, I just don’t know what yet!