My second and last Memebox - best bauty Rorward, first impressions

Last week my second and last memebox was delivered. The last one, because since 10th of February Memebox ships only to USA. I can see in my blog statistics that I have quite a lot of views form USA, so if you live there you can get yourself some box on Memebox offical website.

So this is the Best Beauty Forward Box:

Box description: With hundreds of new K-beauty products hitting shelves every year, how can you tell apart the goodies that you'll be loving for a lifetime and the dudes of the century? Beauty experts at Memebox tried and tested the most-talked about skincare and body products of 2015 to curate the most perfect box, jam-packed with Memebox-tested winners that will up your gorgeous factor this year. We promise.

In my opinion Memebox went a little bit too far with this description - 'the most talked-about products of 2015', really? It would make sense in November 2015, but for the box released in January? Bitch, please.

So this are the products, that are supposed to 'up you gorgeous factor':

1. Rimbi Powerful Treatment Essence 125ml

Product description: Powerful Treatment Essence functions as a toner and essence and is enriched with 85% galactomyces ferment filtrate - a key ingredient that penetrates deep into the skin to balace skin's renewal process and boost skin's radiance. It is also formulated with nourishing vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids to enhance efficacy of the complete skincare ritual.
How to use: After cleansing, use a cotton pad or your fingers to apply essence all over your face.

The essence was featured in box's spoilers and was the main reason why I bought this box. After what Missha's First Essence did to my face I'm eager to try any similar products. Because for me this is the most important product from box I translated the ingredients:

Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide, Purified Water, Adenosine, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

There is Galactomyces (type of yeast from Saccharomycetale order, some other essences of this kind, for example Missha, despite of Galactomyces contain Saccharomyces, genus from the same order), glycerin, vitamin B3 and adenosine, but where the hell are minerals and amino acids? It's not the first time that Memebox promises something that is not there; in my previous box there was a serum that was supposed to contain Acetyl Hexapeptide and EGF, which were not on the ingredients list... although that serum seriously pissed me off, the case of missing aminoacids in this essence doesn't really bother me that much - the Galactomyces was the most important for me, so it's fine.

The essence is watery and has slippery texture, but isn't sticky. A little goes a long way, the amount show on picture is enough for the whole face. I pour it on my palm, then rub my pals together and pat gently to face. It is moisturising, however it doesn't offer feeling of such deep moisture as Missha. It's scentless.

According to Memebox this essence is worth $34, which is not true - on Avecko website you can buy two bottles for... $11.19. Checkmate Memebox, you're cheating. Unfortunately I cannot compare this price anywhere else, as this "most-talked about product of 2015" is not available anywhere else, not on e-Bay, Amazon nor Gmarket.

2. W.Lab 3P+ CO2 Pore Crown Pack Deluxe Sample (6g + 1 mask sheet)

Product description: These powerful yet gentle blackhead butterfly patches* instantly remove blackheads and unclog pores while tightening and cleansing pores. Completed with carbonated gel syringe and a butterfly shape mask sheet, this two-step system features optimal pore purifying benefits for clear, healthy looking skin.
How to use: Place the mask sheet on hard surface. Inject the contents of the syringe onto the butterfly mask sheet and spread until evenly distributed. Place the butterfly mask sheet on the centre of cleansed face, so that mask covers the nose and cheek areas. Leave on for 15 minutes, remove and rinse with lukewarm water.

*it says "masks" but in this Memebox we receive only one mask.

I haven't tried this yet, so I can't say much. The packaging looks nice and intriguing, but I'm afraid that this "two-step system" may be triumph of form over content. In general I don't like blackhead strips and patches, when I remove them I feel like I'm going to ripe my face off and they usually don't do such a good job on blackhead removing. I don't even use peel-off face masks, they are just painful. So I'm not really looking forward to trying this out. And this "carboneted gel", seriously?

According to Memebox full size product (11g gel and 6 masks) is worth $79. Damn, expensive! However I am not able to check if it's really that pricey, because product is not available anywhere in the Internet.

3. Secret Key Perfume Body Peeling Body Scrub

Product description: This gently exfoliating body scrub hydrates skin and locks in moisture in the skin while rubbery peelings form to resurface, enrich and revitalise. Without the use of harsh granules, this formula is enriched with nourishing sweet almond oil, milk proteins, shea butter and walnut powder for an irritation-free skin cleansing.
How to use: Use approximately a dime size of scrub and spread it onto your face. Massage in a circular motion. Rinse with lukewarm water.

So is it a body or face product? Scrub or peeling gel? Usually word "scrub" describes a traditional peeling product with peeling granules, however this one is a peeling gel, no granules, only cellulose. The name and the size of the tube suggest it's a body peel, however the usage instructions are about face. It turns out that this is actually 2in1 product, both for body and face.

Product is available in two types. I've got pink one, "fresh fruity" with notes of melon, plum and freesia. The smell is lovely, fruity and sweet. The other version, purple one is called "mild soap" and has notes of musk, iris and cotton.

I've tried this only on my palm, so I can't say much. It rolls up well, has lovely smell, as a face peeling the big tube would last ages. I can't really see this as a body product, as it has to be used on dry skin you would have to first rub yourself in it and the enter the shower or bath. I prefer using peeling on already cleansed skin, so it can focus on my dead skin cells not on rubbing off sweat and dust, so I would have to first take shower, then dry myself, rub peeling into skin and then shower again... Nah.

According to Memebox the tube is worth $24, which again is not true - the prices on e-bay start from $13.10.

4. SUR Nail Polish

This doesn't really require description or usage guidance. There were three randomly selected versions placed in boxes: red, lavender and gold glitter. As you can see I've got gold glitter, which I'm not happy about as I hate glittery nail polishes. According to Memebox it's worth $6.

5. Ferfree Ultra Facial Intense Hydration Cream 50ml 

Product description:  This comfortable moisturising cream is an oasis-in-the-desert for the skin, continuously plumping it with hydration for 24 hours. It improves the appearance of fine lines, flakiness and tightness, leaving skin looking and feeling happier and healthier all day long.
How to use: After cleansing the skin, take a dime-sized amount of cream and massage all over the face and neck. Use daily, morning and night.

Cream has a nice creamy, but relatively light texture and lovely smell. For my oily skin is perfect as a moisturising night cream, for day use is a little bit too heavy and leaves skin shiny.

According to Memebox it's worth $16. On Gmarket you can buy it for approx. $12.

6. Virgin Farms Double Care Fresh Gel (7x3g) + Double Care Ultra Cream (7x3g)

Product description: Virgin Farm's Double Care Set aggressively, yet gently and effectively targets matters that plague blemish riddled skin, such as mild acne, redness, dryness and sensitivity as it enhances skin's moisture balance and elasticity. The dual skincare set uses natural ingredients such as baobab seed and fermented galactomyces filtrate to to deliver cosmic doses of hydration, energy and nutrition to blemished skin.
How to use: On clean face apply Double Care Fresh Gel (green) to entire face. After complete absorption apply Double Care Ultra Cream (orange) to the entire face. For best results use twice daily. Continued use helps keep skin looking fresh and rested.

According to Memebox the full size 100ml version of each of these is worth $94. I'm not able to verify this information, product is not available anywhere...

7. Tony Moly Delight Tony Tint in Red Deluxe 1.5ml

Product description: One of the best selling lip tint in Korea, instantly gives vivid colour to your lips with just a single touch. It creates long-lasting, radiant lips, popular among Korean Beauty lovers.
How to use: Apply small amount of the tint from the inside to outside of your lip. Apply before lip gloss to give natural gradient lips. 

Lip tint is not my thing really - after my every attempt to use it I end up looking like vampire after dinner. In addition this is really REALLY wear-proof. If you don't like that your lipstick disappears from your lips and leaves marks on glasses, lip tint is what you're looking for, it's indestructible. And indelible, so if you don't know how to use it, don't experiment just before leaving house... and make sure your lips are moisturised and smooth, applying this on cracked lips gives terrible result!
 

Some time ago I received exactly same sample as a free gift from e-Bay seller, so now I have two. It has gorgeous smell, but I don't think we will make friends. I will give it to my friend, who loves all lip stuff.

According to Memebox the full size product (8.3ml) is worth $4, which is true for a change. But since is so cheap why didn't they just provide full size product???

Summary
I'm happy to use my Galactomyces Essence and Ferfree cream, although I'm not sure about the rest. The Best Beauty Forward box just confirmed that 'mystery box' shopping is not for me, I prefer to choose for myself and know what I am paying for. So I'm not really bothered that they stopped international shipping - even if they would continue selling worldwide, I wouldn't buy another box for a long, long time. I don't like their misleading product descriptions (for example missing ingredients) and overstated prices. They sell low budged cosmetics as a higher end ones by putting them into pretty pink box and adding fancy descriptions. It also annoys me that majority of featured products are so hard to buy anywhere else - it's cool to get something unique from time to time, but then if I like it I can't re-purchase it.
Goodbye Memebox, I won't miss you. 

Memebox Anti-aging first impressions

Memebox is a beauty box containing Korean cosmetics. Every box has some theme to it, for example colour, smell, ingredient, type of product etc. I kept an eye on their website since last fall, I've bought couple of items on sale, but I was sceptical about boxes. I don't exactly like the idea of buying cosmetics at random - I do often buy some products without knowing the ingredients or without reading any reviews on them, but at least I am buying a certain item, for example eye cream and I can choose brand, capacity, price etc. while Memebox is almost completely random. And every time they launched some box that sounded interesting to me, it was sold out in a blink, so I could never find anything that I would really really want. My first two boxes I bought in January and I bought them mainly because of the content spoilers. I bought "Anti-ageing" box, because of the snail cream and serum with Acetyl Hexapeptide, botox alternative. I also bought "Best Beauty Forward" box, because of "first essence" with Galactomyces.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) my adventure with Memebox ended almost as soon as it started. Exactly one day after I purchased my boxes I received an e-mail from Memebox informing that from the 10th of February they will ship only to the USA, Korea and China. I can see in my blog statistics that I have a lot of views from USA, so I hope those who can still enjoy Memeboxes will find this post useful.

So here is my first (and almost last) box:

I apologise for the poor quality of those pictures. My camera is about to die :/

Box description: Anti-aging is everyone's beauty concern, no matter what age. And so, we've curated a mean anti-aging box that defies the laws of gravity - no more lines, no more wrinkles, no more saginess! With all the best goodies for combating visible signs of aging, this breakthrough box is packed with high-performance products that dramatically counteract all the signs such as wrinkles, lines, loss of firmness, dullness and dehydration!

And that's the products:

1. Bory Wrinkle Repair Serum 50ml
 

 
Product description:  This antiaging Wrinkle Repair Serum works on skin to remodel and rejuvenate the skin's surface for the look of firm and supple skin. It contains EGF to enhance collagen production and Acetyl Heaxapeptide, a natural ingredient with properties similar to that of Botox, to relax facial muscles and prevent creation of fine lines and wrinkles.

This description is printed on the little leaflet included in the box and there is a mistake - Acetyl Hexapeptide, is not a "natural ingredient" - it's synthetic peptide. But never mind. The serum is in nice, glass bottle with pump applicator. Pump is protected with special cup, that prevents it from accidental push and spillage. It has consistency of light lotion and smells a little bit like Nivea Soft. It absorbs quite quickly and doesn't leave any film on skin, for my oily skin it seems to be suitable both for AM and PM use.

I translated ingredients from Korean and you know what? There is no Acetyl Hexapeptide in there. And no EGF. I could understand if it would be a Memebox's mistake, but on the cardboard packaging of the product, on one side of the box there is description in Korean mentioning Acetyl Hexapeptide and EGF and on the other side of the packaging there is list of main ingredients in English and full list of ingredients in Korean and they are both lacking those two substances. Are they trying to fool me or what? But before I publish the ingredients I will double check my translation with someone smarter than me, maybe I am a fool...

Edit 03.2015: I contacted Agath from Agath Blog, who is much more experienced in Korean ingredients translation than me. Agath confirmed my assumptions - product does not contain neither Acetyl Hexapeptide nor EGF. Shame on you, Memebox.

Full list of ingredients:
Purified water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10 Liposomes 5%), Sodium Hyaluronate, Raffinose, Ethanol, Polyquaternium-51, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract, Licorice Extract, Green Tea Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, PEG-15 Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Perfume, Allantoin, Methyl Paraben, Benzophenone-9, Disodium EDTA, Tartrazine
 
According to Memebox this product is worth $48. I don't know if it's true - according to the Internet this product doesn't exist :P the only results on Google are the posts about the box itself. It is not available on e-Bay, Gmaret, Amazon...

2. Esthetic House Collagen Herb Complex Eye Cream 100ml

Product description: Now you can have it all. This jumbo sized eye cream will give you the lifted look, the firmer feeling and glowing radiance from around the eyes. The intensely nourishing formula contains marine collagen, herbal complex and adenosine to firm, lift, define and brighten the area to improve visible signs of ageing around the eyes, mouth, brow bone, neck and other areas.

When I first saw the big tube I was quite excited thinking it's a hand cream. I can never have too many hand creams, I got placed strategically everywhere: in bedroom, in living room, in every handbag, in workplace locker, in car... However my excitement didn't last long as I read the product description. Eye cream? Seriously? Who puts eye cream in such a big tube?

Feeling sceptical I decided to translate ingredients. Here they are:

Purified water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Stearate/PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Olive Oil, Caprylyl Glycol/Glycerol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Shea Butter, Allantoin, Chrysanthemum flower extract, Honeysuckle extract, Rosa Rugosa Extract, Rose Extract, Hollyhock Extract, Safflower Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Perfume, Tomato Extract, Elm Root Extract, Magnolia Extract, Gallnut Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Goldthread Extract, Human Oligopeptide-1, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA

Collagen is sixth on the list. Collagen is natural protein present in our skin - it's amount decreases with age what causes wrinkles and sogginess, so it became popular ingredient in anti-aging cosmetics. However you need to know that Hydrolyzed Collagen does not penetrate deep into skin, simply because it's particle is too big - so it won't magically increase the amount of collagen in our skin and make wrinkles disappear. But it will moisturise and condition skin.
In general the ingredients look fair to me, there is promised collagen, there are some plant extracts, there was even enough room for some adenosine and EGF at the end of the ingredients list. I have some anti-wrinkle eye cream from L'oreal that contains almost only silicons, so comparing these two Esthetic House's cream seems to be a miracle in a tube. Probably I won't use it as an eye cream as I currently testing a very good eye cream from su:m37 and I have a tube of Japanese eye cream waiting for it's turn. But I think I will use it up for my neck and neckline, eventually hands.

Cream has a nice, silky texture. It's lightweight and has pleasant, subtle smell. It leaves a bit of film on skin, making it smooth in touch.

According to the Memebox this jumbo tube is worth $42. Again, I am not able to verify this information - when googled it shows up only box's description, it is not available on Gmarket nor e-Bay.

3. Enesti Day to Day Pomegranate Acerola Foaming Cleanser 160g
 

Product description: This daily pomegranate and acerola infused foaming cleanser effectively removes make up and oil, opens and de-clog pores, enhances skin's elasticity and brightens up the overall complexion.

No surprises here, very typical Korean face wash. Thick, pearly cream which resembles shaving cream - massaged into wet skin turns into thick, rich foam. It takes only a pea size to wash the whole face and neck, so 160g would last for good couple of months use. It cleanses well and leaves skin squeaky clean and a little bit tight. As a cream it has a little bit weird fruit+something sour smell, but after turning into foam it has a lovely smell of... bubble gum. I love it! I am very sensitive to smells and bubble gum is one of my favourite smells ever. So this smell and a big capacity would make it quite a good product right? Well unfortunately this foam has one, very important con - high base pH of 9. Two months ago that wouldn't bother me at all, I would just use it and enjoy bubble gum smell, but since I switched to slightly acidic cleanser I would never go back to base. Since I use face wash with pH 6 I didn't have a single breakout on my face, not a single spot, even during my period! So forgive me, bubble gum, but I'm not going to risk it. Maybe I will use it from time to time to pamper myself with that smell, but for sure it's not going to became my everyday cleanser.

According to Memebox this foam is worth $14. Unfortunately I cannot find it anywhere else, so I can't confirm it's price.

4. Puresmile Mask 5 Pack Box

5 different mask sheets:
Pearl: Hydrates skin and locks in moisture
Bee Venom: Softens and smooths the skin's texture, delivers radiant glow
Snail: Repairs, renews and rejuvenates skin
Red Ginseng: Delivers vital nutrients to the skin and enhances skin's elasticity
Vitamin: revitalises and energises dull skin

I haven't tried any of them yet, but I'm quite excited about them. I love mask sheets! ^^

According to Memebox this pack of 5 masks is worth $6. On Gmarket you can buy pack of 8 masks for $5.40, so a little bit cheaper.

5. Tosowoong Snail Natural Pure Cream 45ml

Product description: This intensive skin regenerating, anti-blemish cream contains snail mucin, known for it's regenerative properties. Snail mucin and galactomyces help to control excessive sebum production, the core of acne and skin blemishes, and supports natural cell regeneration to decrease appearance of wrinkles and other flaws.

I really like the appearance of this product, both cardboard box and tube. It is plain and simple, smart. The tube is soft and you have to squeeze it to get the product out. The texture is light and creamy, doesn't leave any film on skin. It's moisturising just right for my oily skin, I think it will do good both AM and PM.

In the ingredients there is snail secretion filtrate (30%) on the first place followed by birch leaf water (20%). Comparing to some other brands 30% of snail secretion filtrate seems a bit low and disappointing, I came across statement that there has to be at least 80% of ssf in cream to make it work properly, but I don't know if it's true. I didn't translate the rest of the ingredients yet, I will use the cream and once I put up full review there will be ingredients there :)

According to Memebox this cream is worth $26. On Tosowoong official website the price shown is 21500 won, so approx $19.50, on e-Bay prices are between $14 to $36.

SummaryIn general I'm pleased with the box, it didn't blow my mind, however I don't think it was a waste of money. For $25 I got snail cream worth $20, some mask sheets, "hand" cream an serum, which may contain Acetyl Hexapeptide. Not bad. The experience of buying cosmetics in box was interesting, but for sure it's not going to became my favourite way of shopping, so I don't really feel upset about Memebox stopping international postage. Despite there I will just continue spending my money on e-Bay ;)

Sidmool Secret of Red Astaxanthin Concentrate Review

I always had problem with defining my skin undertone: warm or cool? Yellow or pink? When I look on my hands I would say I have yellow undertone, but then my face is obviously pink. Pink to the point when it started to annoy me. And I'm no talking about pink cheeks (I think everyone know as least one person who has always pink cheeks ;) ), but about the whole face being pink, like I'm constantly blushed.
In my flat the bathroom mirror is hung perpendicularly to the toilet. So whenever I go to the loo I'm used to see something pink in my peripheral vision - my pink, not necessarily beauty, face. But one morning when I went half awake to my bathroom I almost had a heart attack when I caught a glimpse of something white in the mirror. I came closer and could not believe my eyes - my face was pale and bright. What happened? Well, I'm using Sidmool Astaxanthin Concentrate from over a month.

Product description: Secret of deep ocean - astaxanthin, natural anti-oxidant for milky skin.
How to use: after the essence, apply an appropriate amount gently around the eyes or spread over face with gentle pat.

Astaxanthin is natural pigment of animals and plants, giving them red colour. It's in shells of prawns, crabs and lobsters, feathers of flamingos and in salmon's muscles. Astaxanthin has ability of absorbing UV rays and it's one of the strongest known antioxidants - it is estimated that astaxanthin can be up to six times more effective as an anti-oxidant than vitamin E and Beta-karoten! Astaxanthin also accelerates skin renewal process, strengthens the protective function of the epidermis, prevents water loss from skin, stimulates production of collagen and elastin. Applied topically can reduce melanin production by as much as 40%.
Sidmool's concentrate is made of Astaxanthin in 98,7% . Remaining 1,3% of the product is Butylene Glycol (solvent) and plant extracts: grapefruit extract (rich in vitamin C, brightening and purifying), eucalyptus and clove extracts (antibacterial), Sophora Angustifolia extract (inhibiting melanin production) and Yuzu fruit extract (skin brightening).
Looking just at the ingredients product seems to be perfect for skin battling with first signs of ageing, acne and pigmentation - perfect for me then!

INCI: Astaxanthin, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Cellulose Gum
Ingredients Analysis [HERE]

Product is in a plastic 30ml bottle with pump applicator. The bottle is packed in  characteristic for Sidmool brown cardboard box. The concentrate is runny, so to apply it I first have to pump some on my palm and then pat into skin. I use two or three pumps for my whole face - two if I want to top it up with some other products, three if I finish my skin care regimen with it.

The liquid is a bit oily, takes a while to absorb and leaves filmy feeling on skin. Maybe some dryer skins would find it suitable for day use, for my oily skin is a nighttime only product. It's perfect to use after high frequency treatment - after Darsonval my skin is a bit dried out and absorbs everything like crazy. After treatment  concentrate is absorbed so well that I can easily top it up with some other product, for example Baviphat Sleeping Pack.

My product is running low and the pump catches air - that's why the bubbles appear

After application my skin is moisturised, smooth and soft. I didn't have any breakout in a while (suspicious =.=), so I'm not sure how the product would work for severe acne sufferers. For me it does fantastic job of toning down my skin tone, which is now brighter and more even. I'm not pink like a piglet any more, finally my face doesn't stand out from my neck so much. I don't know what had caused this pinkness on my face at the first place, but whatever it was it has been defeated by Sidmool :)

Piglet no more!

Price: approx. £10 on e-Bay.

Pros:
+ moisturises and smooths skin
+ evens out skin tone, brightens
+ very good ingredients with high astaxanthin content
+ considering the outstanding results very cheap

Cons:
- a bit oily
- takes a while to absorb

Summary: I am really pleased with this product, I'm about to finish off my bottle and I'm sure I'm going to buy it again. I think this product will stay on my "Certainty list" - products I rely on and always keep them handy in case some new product won't work out. I am pleasantly surprised how even my skin tone is now and I'm sure it's thanks to this particular product and the moment I am using up all my "old" skincare - Hada Labo Kiwamizu, Purebess Snail Gel, Baviphat Sleeping Pack - none of them has such a powerful whitening properties. The only thing that makes me wonder is why I noticed the change in my skin tone so suddenly - but it's probably because when I get up to work it's dark yet and when I'm coming back from work is dark already, at work I wear make up so for a long time I didn't have chance to have a look at myself in natural light.