When I think about “oriental medicine” first things that come to mind are ginseng roots, dried mushrooms, and snakes in a bottle. No, seriously, if you’ve ever been to one of those traditional Oriental medicine shops, you’d see all kinds of cool/weird/intriguing things like that.
Oriental Medicine Memebox was actually released a long time ago, but at the time I couldn’t find extra funds in my budget to purchase it. But Memebox is full of surprises, and one day they randomly restocked this one and several other popular boxes that were long sold out! I also had a few points burning a hole in my account, so I scored a really good deal on it, too.
P.S.: I apologize for the picture quality, I’ve encountered some technical difficulties when taking these.
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 purchase using code EUXACK. Not my code, actually, I didn’t get one for August 🙁
Take $5 off your purchase of 3 boxes or more using code MEMEBUNDLE3.
Take 10% off your purchase of $100 or more using code 6KKG.
Take 15% off your purchase of $150 or more using code 3DDS.
Take $7 off your purchase of 2 boxes or more using code LLFT.
D’RAN Wonder Serum – I always welcome a good facial serum into my routine, after all they usually come in small bottles, just like this one, and don’t last me as long as moisturizers. The packaging even has some English on it! According to the company, this serum contains extracts of 20 different traditional Korean medicinal herbs, including ginseng, black hoof mushrooms, and licorice.
Memebox suggests using it AM and PM before toner application, but I think Korean toners are different from US toners, so I will use it after essence. The formula does have a fairly strong spicy floral fragrance, but it disappears on the skin soon enough. I can’t vouch for this serum’s brightening properties, but its claims to improve skin elasticity seem to be true. It has a very pleasant texture and spreads well, filling in the cracks and immediately plumping the skin, so it feels more elastic. In my opinion, this serum is pretty good, if you don’t mind the fragrance.
Purederm Korean Herb Mask – Can I just say that I like the packaging design of these masks? They look so pretty and traditional, with those pastel colors, and birds, and cherry blossoms. There were several variations of these masks sent out, and I received Refining and Brightening varieties.
I took a peek at the ingredient lists [that happened to be in English, thank goodness] and seems like these masks actually contain all different extracts. Sometimes I really feel like they are all the same, but today I was finally convinced otherwise. I haven’t opened either of these yet, so they are going to my “mask bank” to be used as needed.
Donginbi Donginbidam Red Ginseng Aqua Oil + Red Ginseng Aqua Pack Essense – Memebox says this is some kind of fancypants brand that is sold exclusively in high end department stores in Korea, like our Neiman Marcus or Barneys. The samples come in lovely pink pump bottles adorned with intricate caps, that mirror the appearance of their full-sized siblings. Elegant packaging design is very unique and mimics the look of traditional Korean porcelain.
Since there are no instructions in English on the bottles, I had to refer to my insert card. Memebox recommends first applying 3-4 pumps of Aqua Oil, followed by 3-4 pumps of Aqua Pack. I think they nailed the amount, because that’s exactly how much I needed to cover my face and neck. I have to say, I really loved the Aqua Oil, it felt like water going on, but my skin looked amazing: radiant, smooth, and moisturized without being sticky or oily. Talk about a great product for combination skin! Random trivia: red ginseng extract is considered to be one of the most powerful and expensive ingredients in Asian skincare because of its high potency and the ability to make the skin brighter. P.S. I looked up the prices and OMG these two really do cost a lot!
Hanhui CC Cream SPF50+ – Before Memebox I had a lot of BB creams. After Memebox I now have a lot of CC creams, too. Even though I like the medium/full coverage I get from BB creams, I’ve been leaning towards more natural look lately, and using CC creams more often.
This particular one feels like it would be good for normal or dry skin, because it’s a little on the rich side as far as CC creams go. It does have a nice feel to it, and the formula is very emollient, making it easy to apply and spread all over my face and neck. I think I will keep it for Fall and Winter when my skin gets much drier. The color also seems to match my complexion really well, as you see,
This CC cream also acts as skincare and can replace a moisturizer in the routine. The insert card says that it’s infused with some nifty extracts, like red ginseng, cactus, and even galactomyces [same stuff they use in celebrity favorite SK-II essence], that work to make the skin smooth and give it that glow from within over time. We’ll see if that is true when I actually get a chance to use it daily, but so far it sounds promising.
Shib Jang Ceng Chun Ji Heang Hand Cream – That name almost sounds like a tongue twister to me! I can never say no to another hand cream, because I go through them pretty quickly. There is a hand cream by every sink in the house, and also by the TV, in the bedroom, and on my desk. Oh, and did I mention, I have a travel-sized hand cream in each one of my purses, too? Not obsessed at all, lol!
The packaging looks nice, and the cream even comes in its own box, but there is not a single word in English except “hand cream”. Thanks to my product card I was able to find out that it’s made with extract of a 110-year-old wild ginseng root, shea butter, and olive oil. Sounds a bit too precious for a $17 hand cream, doesn’t it? Either way, it actually feels pretty nice on the skin, although I gotta admit that it takes a while to thoroughly sink in. I think this is a great hand treatment for the nighttime.
PRODUCT RATING
Glad Memebox didn’t send me a snake in a bottle or dried crickets [but they still could be coming in my OMG box next week!]. I was very pleased with every single product in the box, and can see myself using up everything eventually. I think my favorite product so far is Donginbi Aqua Oil sample [looks like my skin has expensive taste, lol], with D’RAN Wonder Serum being a close second. If Memebox offered Oriental Medicine #2 I know I will buy it in a heartbeat! 🙂
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| D’RAN Wonder Serum | $25.00 |
| Purederm Korean Herb Mask | $3.00 |
| Donginbi Donginbidam Red Ginseng Aqua Oil + Essence Pack | $14.00 |
| Hanhui CC Cream SPF50+ | $30.00 |
| Shib Jang Ceng Chun Ji Heang Hand Cream | $17.00 |
| Box Retail Value | $89.00 |
I agree, the masks are very cute! I love when I get masks in my boxes.
Me too! Memebox seriously spoiled me with a variety of masks.
I got this box, too! I haven’t tried everything in it, though. I love reading what you say about them, so I can get excited about my box all over again. LOL!