Memebox (미미박스) Special #14 Zero Cosmetics Unboxing, Review, Pictures + September Discount Codes

Zero Cosmetics box was released a looong time ago, but Memebox [or maybe US/Korean customs] were experiencing delays, and many boxes sent on August 5th were delayed for several weeks. It took me almost a full month to get my package! This box was one of my most anticipated purchases, because it’s supposed to be filled with all-natural products that don’t contain any harmful chemicals.

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
!September Affiliate code! Take $5 off your order using code ML2B. Expires 9/30/2014.
Take $5 off your purchase of 3 boxes or more using code MEMEBUNDLE3.
Take $8 off your purchase of 4 boxes or more using code MEMEBUNDLE4.
Get free shipping on orders above $70 from Memeshop using code FREESHIPPING.

Innerface Shy Blossom Soothing Serum – According to the product card, this all-natural serum contains a complex blend of natural oils and extracts to soothing and deeply moisturize the skin. Formulated by New Zealand chemists, it features hyaluronic acid, sacha ichi oil, chamomile water, tea tree water, sweet almond oil, evening primrose oil, olive oil, lavender extract and other powerful botanicals.

The packaging is actually very interesting – it’s a square sheet of recycled cardboard folded into triangular shape, like origami, with an opening inside, big enough to house the bottle. The serum itself is white in color with lotiony consistency, it’s not runny, but not thick either. It smells very fresh and citrusy at first, I think I can smell bergamot and maybe lemongrass? Later when the citrusy notes evaporate, I can smell something warm and grassy. That’s probably chamomile and tea tree kicking in. So far I only used it once, so I can’t comment on this serum’s effectiveness, but it seems like it would work for my combination skin. It felt very moisturizing at first, but the formula got absorbed into the skin fairly quickly, so it’s not one of those products that sits on the surface all day. We’ll see if it’s actually any good when I finally get to it, but for now it’s going to my stash.

Nature’s Friend  SaeHaneul Eye & Nourishing Cream – I’m still not even halfway through the first eye cream Memebox sent me, and gave away the second one I got, so this one will have to wait a while before I use it. Memebox says this brand never uses common fillers in their products, like mineral oil, silicones, artificial fragrances, alcohol, and parabens. This eye cream supposedly contains 10 different organic plant extracts that treat first signs of aging.

Just like the serum above, I only tried it once so far, and I’m a bit on the fence. The cream is very rich, doesn’t spread very well, and leaves greasy film on top of the skin. I had to gently pat it in to help it absorb, and even then the area was still pretty sticky. I think it might work for people with dry eyelids, however, mine are very oily to begin with, so I will either pass it along, or keep it for Winter.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream – Sooo… in theory, this company is really great, and I’ve seen a lot of bloggers rave about their products, and even saying they’re better than high end skincare. However, earlier this year there have been numerous incidents that killed my desire to try this cream.

The company released what appears to be a contaminated batch of products that completely ruined people’s faces. No, it wasn’t just an allergic reaction, they actually had some really nasty stuff growing in their products that caused widespread and painful breakouts that would not go away for months. Of course bloggers went ballistics about that! Read here about Sample Hime’s experience. If that wasn’t bad enough, supposedly, someone from Benton made a Reddit account and released all of Sample Hime’s private information to the public, including her full name, phone number, paypal email, and address. Here’s Beauty Barre talking about the incident. I am crazy enough to try it, but will discontinue use at first signs of any kind of irritation.

Easydew Fresh Mild Sun Block SPF50 PA+++ – You know me, I’m your resident sunscreen girl 🙂 This sample is pretty small, but there’s enough to maybe last a week or so, if I apply it only on my face.

Memebox card doesn’t really give it any special description; they just say it’s very light and moisturizing, and provides high levels of sun protection. As long as it’s easy to spread and doesn’t clog my pores, it’s a winner in my book.

Papa Recipe Bombee Soap – This all-natural handmade soap contains real honey, propolis, jojoba, and citrus seed oils, that nourish the skin as you wash it. It’s very gentle and even suitable for the face, but I will probably only use it in the shower.

The bar itself looks high quality and well-made, and it’s a little soft to touch, so it must be a fresh batch. Memebox says that it helps soothe red irritated skin, but I wonder if it will make a good shaving product? Since I plan to use it mostly on my body in the shower, I might try shaving with it, too, and hopefully it can reduce the razor burn. I still have at least 2 soaps that I need to finish, so I won’t get to try this one for a while.

All Nature Organic Mask Sheets x4 – Memebox wouldn’t be Memebox without their masks! I absolutely love getting them, and I’d use them every day if my supply was big enough, but right now I try to do them every other day.

According to my Meme-card, these masks contain more than 50% organic extracts from superfoods like black beans, broccoli, blueberries, and something magical called huttuynia cordat. Not sure if they will work any better than some other sheet masks, but I know that I’ll certainly use them at some point.

THE VERDICT
This box had products that I both liked and disliked, so the final verdict is that it was just okay, at least for me. I will certainly use up the masks, sunscreen, soap, and serum; I will give Benton cream a shot, but I hope to never get anything from that brand again. As for the eye cream, I might just give it away, because it was way too rich for my oily lids.