I received a whole bunch of Memeboxes all in one day so I’m slowly getting to review them all one by one. Today I’m showing you what came in my Memebox (미미박스) Global #12. Numbered boxes and Luckyboxes usually have the best value and a great overall mix of products, so my expectations were set very high. Now let’s see if Memebox Global #12 lived up to them 😉
HOW IT WORKS
Memebox Global is not a typical subscription service. They periodically curate boxes filled with assorted beauty products popular among Koreans, and those Limited Edition bundles are sold on first come first serve basis. Prices vary depending on the type of the box. Memebox ships internationally, so make sure to check on their website and see if they ship in your country – chances are they do. All themed boxes tend to sell out fast, so by the time you read this review this particular box might not be available for sale anymore.
Click here to see available boxes.
COUPON CODES
Take $5 off any order using the code NI3XI9. Valid through July 30th 2014.
Take $5 off your purchase of 3 boxes or more using code MEMEBUNDLE3.
For information about the shipping dates check out Memebox shipping schedule.
Inter-cos Smooth Sensitive Removal Cream – It’s been ages since I last used a hair removal cream, so this will give me a good excuse to try it again. The reason I stopped is because I don’t find them terribly effective, especially for legs, but I might try it on my arms and face instead. This cream comes in a spray bottle so it’s actually really easy to apply. I admit, I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan to very soon.So far I only unscrewed the top to smell it, and it smells AWFUL, but not any worse than other hair removal creams. Let’s hope this stench doesn’t linger!
Banila Co. Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack – I actually heard about this mask! I remember seeing a review on some blog and thinking that I would really love to try it, so I was really happy to see this sample jar in my Memebox. It’s a natural clay mask, rich in Dead Sea salt and minerals; the instructions say to apply it for 15 minutes and wash off to reveal brighter, cleaner skin. Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?
Plagentra White Mark lotion, Cream & Massage Gel – Plagentra is a mommy+baby company; they make products for all stages of motherhood from pregnancy to post-partum and infant personal care. Memebox sent us a sample pack with assorted stretch mark products, including a massage gel, rich cream and a lightweight lotion in addition to a nice travel-sized tube of the cream. Personally, the only product that helped very slightly with my stretch marks from constant weight fluctuations was StriVectin, but I’ll use this one anyway without expecting too much
Palan Crysence Organic Essence – At first I thought this was a face product, but turns out it’s a hair treatment for nourishing dry hair. Memebox card listed it at $72 [are you serious??], but I looked it up and found out that in Japan it costs 3,000 yen, which is around $29. The bottle looks pretty fancy, with a sleek black tube and a pretty silver pump top. This serum smells like pineapples, and makes my hair feel super soft!
L.Vida Nail Polish in Aqua Green – I think this is a great color for Summer! I’m pretty excited to sample Korean nail polish; so far I’ve only tried one of these from Etude House, and it would be nice to compare the quality. Each bottle is adorned with a little flower that can be worn as a ring. It’s not my style of jewelry, but I bet it would look adorable on the right person. I will be posting swatches separately some other day.
Ryo Anti-Hair loss Treatment – I thought this would be another leave-in treatment, but it’s actually a rinse-off conditioner. I think this is one too many hair products for me, but I’ll still use it. I tried it once so far and it has a cooling effect on the scalp, which feels really nice in the Summer.
THE VERDICT
This box wasn’t bad or anything, but I definitely felt a little disappointed with the selection. First of all, as much as we all like hair products, two in the same box is a bit too much, wouldn’t you agree? Also, things like hair removal spray and stretch mark cream can rub some people the wrong way, although it’s certainly something different from the usual sunscreen/toner/moisturizer lineup. I’m also not a huge fan of Memebox inflating the values of their samples on product cards, so I pretty much ignore those and hunt for values myself. This box didn’t feel as exciting as other Memeboxes I got, but this is the first half-dud out of 12 that I have received to date, which is why I’m okay with it.
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| Inter-cos Smooth Sensitive Removal Cream | $43.00 |
| Banila Co. Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack | $1.82 |
| Plagentra White Mark lotion, Cream & Massage Gel | $6.78 |
| Palan Crysence Organic Essence | $29.51 |
| L.Vida Nail Polish in Aqua Green | $5.20 |
| Ryo Anti-Hair loss Treatment | $1.00 |
| Box Retail Value | $87.31 |
The polish is pretty. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the clay mask.
UGH that hugely inflated price on the hair stuff bothered me SO much. I’m wondering if Memebox is asking the company what they would price the product at in the US Market and going by that? I’m not even sure what they’re doing with those prices or how they even come up with them. Because sometimes they’re spot on, and other times they are absurdly over-priced. I love Memebox and it pains me to even think that there’s a chance they’re inflating prices solely to boost the overall value of the box, as if we wouldn’t notice. I’m way too positive-thinking to believe that, but I can’t help but be annoyed when I see it. Not to mention it makes me not trust a single thing I read on those info cards!
Hmm, this box isn’t appealing to me as much as many others. I typically love Korean beauty products. My favorite product was a nail polish. I have a clay mask and I love it as long as I don’t use it too often on my dry skin. Enjoy your goodies!
That kind of stinks about the inflated values, and that this wasn’t a knock-out box! 🙁
It’s a shame that they tried to up the value of the box. I have tried some Korean beauty products but not as many skincare items!
ehhh not sure about this box – but the nail polish is pretty!
I’m intrigued by a few items in this box, especially the Hair Essence and Clay Pack.
Removal creams never work on my legs either. I can’t wait to see how it works out for you!
This looks like a great box!
I’m with you. I wouldn’t use half these samples. I do love my Memeboxes, though!
You always get good things in these boxes!
That’s a pretty polish color.
This box has a few things I would try, the mask for sure.
The clay mask sounds awesome!
I’m not sure how much longer I can resist! Sounds like a great box.
that removal cream had me at hello!
This box would leave me wanting more too.
Anastasia, do you live near a beach or do you travel to take these awesome photos??
I love this box!
Now I know your secret to gorgeous glowing skin, all these Memeboxes w/ Korean skincare products! You’re the Meme Queen!
The pineapple hair serum sounds the best to me!
The hair removal cream sounds appealing but at $43, I doubt I’d ever buy it. Do tell me what you think of it though!
This box looks interesting… I swear, I need to try one of these.
The polish is really pretty!
Cool subscription box! I like the assortment of products.
looks interesting!