I think you noticed that I don’t buy nearly as many Memeboxes as I used to. It’s a combination of a total product overload, and the fact that the US branch didn’t seem to have many unique Korean brands, aside from the usual Missha, Skinfood, and Tony Moly. They’ve since added a lot more interesting products to their shop, and I once again feel the occasional urge to grab a box or two 🙂 Today I wanted to show you one of my latest purchases – Memebox Whole Body Box.
HOW IT WORKS: Memebox 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. At this time Memebox ships to USA, China and Korea. All themed boxes tend to sell out fast, so by the time you read this review this particular box probably won’t be available for sale anymore. Click here to see available boxes.
Coupon codes:
- Use code LOVEYOURSKIN to get 15% off skincare in Memeshop.
- Use code FANCY to get 15% off in Memeshop. Also works for boxes.
- Use code makeuplove to get 15% off makeup in Memeshop.
- Use code WELCOME to get 15% off your first purchase. For first time customers only.
- Use code SOOTHING10 to get 10% off your entire order, if it includes Soothingsista palette.
- Use code NYLON20 to get 20% off your entire order over $100, if it includes Nylon palette.
- Use code BOXPARTY to get $5 off when buying 2 or more boxes using Memebox mobile app.
Skin79 Peeling Gel was the first product I grabbed from the box, because I saw the words “peeling gel” and squealed in delight! Enzymatic peeling is probably my favorite way of exfoliation, and there’s also the fun factor of seeing all that dirt and dead skin roll off your face in grayish chunks. Unfortunately, this gel didn’t seem to create chunks on my face, and no, it’s not because my skin is squeaky clean. It looks like a typical clear gel to the naked eye, but when applied to the skin, you feel the tiniest exfoliating particles rubbing your face. I couldn’t actually see them, but they felt like very fine powder [as fine as confectioner’s sugar] against my skin, so this treatment combines the benefits of both enzymatic and extra-gentle physical exfoliation. I won’t lie, I was a bit bummed that it’s not what I expected, but the result was good – my skin felt soft and clean. By the way, in the US Skin79 is mostly famous for their extensive range of BB creams, so it was nice to try their skin care for a change.
How to use: Apply a pea-sized amount over cleanser skin, gently massage it in, and rinse off with lukewarm water. Use once or twice a week. Suitable for all skin types.
This huge salon-sized bottle of Secret Key So Fast Hair Booster Treatment didn’t even fit in the pink outer box, so Memebox sent my entire order in a separate brown outer packaging. At first I thought this was a shampoo, but it turned out to be a pH balanced deeply nourishing conditioner, that is supposed to renew damaged hair and tame frizz. Sounds like the perfect product for me, because my hair tends to get frizzy all the time, regardless of the season. It has that powdery rosy scent, which is typical for skincare, and I happen to like roses, so I thought it smells pretty pleasant. I’ve only used it twice so far, but it seems to work well enough, although I wouldn’t call it revolutionary, or a must-have.
How to use: Spread a generous amount through damp hair after shampooing, and leave for 3-4 minutes, then rinse off with warm water. Suitable for all hair types.
It’s been about 6 days since I used Holika Holika Baby Foot One Shot Peeling kit, but my feet aren’t flaking much, like they did after I tried Kocostar peeling pack. I knew that not all of these peels are good, so I guess Holika Holika is one of those duds.
How to use: Put on the included socks, then open the feet-shaped pouches with liquid, and pour the contents into each sock. Wear them for 1h30m then rinse your feet with warm water. Your feet should start peeling after approximately 5 days. Suitable for all skin types.
Just like that Skin79 peeling gel wasn’t what I expected, neither was Secret Key Secret Perfume Peeling Body Scrub. Instead of a gritty cream-gel, like most scrubs, it turned out to be one of those exfoliants that make the dead skin ball up, and I’m actually quite happy about that, because I prefer less abrasive exfoliation. As the name suggests, this formula is highly perfumed, but the packaging is a bit deceptive – the scent is fruity rather than floral. I couldn’t pinpoint exact notes, but this fragrance has some tropical vibe to it; think papaya, mango, coconut, passion fruit, pineapple and kiwi. I used it once on my face, and twice on my body, and worked pretty well! I don’t think it’s sold on Secret Key website anymore, but you can still get it from trusted resellers, like Beautynet korea.
How to use: Apply a thin layer of gel to clean skin and massage for a few minutes, then wash off with lukewarm water. Suitable for all skin types.
Missha Total Repairing Hand Treatment is basically an anti-aging treatment for your hands; it contains ingredients proven to brighten the skin and combat fine lines & wrinkles that I actually use on my face: Niacinamide, Galactomyces ferment filtrate, Macadamia oil, Shea butter, and many others. The texture felt pleasantly creamy, and the formula absorbed quickly, leaving the skin slightly sticky to touch. I think this will be a nice treatment for cold weather, so I’ll save the rest of this cream for Fall.
THE VERDICT: I don’t know about you, but I thought this box was well-curated and contained some pretty nice products. Aside from the foot peeling pack, I was satisfied with everything, and I know that everything will definitely get used up, which is more than I can say about some other things I got in the past. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d say that the Secret Key “scrub” impressed me the most in terms of performance, and I also liked the tropical fragrance. When I wrote this review, Memebox Whole Body Box was still available for purchase; you can check the availability here.
Have you bought any Memeboxes recently? Do you like Korean skin care? Let me know in the comments below!
Product | Retail value |
---|---|
Skin79 Peeling Gel | $10.91 |
Secret Key So Fast Hair Booster Treatment | $15.46 |
Holika Holika Baby Foot One Shot Peeling | $6.27 |
Secret Key Secret Perfume Peeling Body Scrub | $14.56 |
Missha Total Repairing Hand Treatment | $10.00 |
Box Retail Value | $57.20 |
Disclosure: This post features products purchased by Glamorable and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
I love reading your Memebox reviews. The foot peeling sounds kinda weird, but everything else sounds good. I’m glad Memebox is returning to their former glory!
Thank you Allison, I’m glad you enjoy them! The foot peeling sounds icky, that’s for sure, but a good one works miracles. I’m also glad that Memebox seems to have improved their selection, and the boxes are finally interesting again – this one is definitely a winner in my book.
This box is chock full of good stuff!
I learned that soaking your feet will ramp up the peeling. I recently did a foot peel and it was flaking but not really PEELING. I soaked my feet and hello! Soak and use some friction. A good foot peel is the Etude House. I buy mine from Amazon, ten clams. Works great. 😀
I’ll have to try Etude House foot peel, I love that brand 🙂 And thanks for the tip!
You’re welcome. Girls have to look out for one another. 😉
Feet gross me out, but I love these little foot things hehe I have tried a few and they seem to work decent enough. I might pick up a memebox I am curious now 🙂
This box is definitely one of the best they’ve released recently, and one I would recommend for a full body K-beauty experience 🙂
Too bad the foot peel isn’t working.
Well, maybe I’m just doing something wrong 🙁
This looks like a good box, I just a little burned out on sub boxes at the moment.
I’m slowing down on my subscriptions as well. I plan to cancel my Sample Society subscription, already canceled graze, and not renewing LMdB for another year. I also canceled Glossybox because last box was a dud.
Sounds like a good value for the box. The fragranced products wouldn’t work for me unfortunately.
That’s one thing with Korean beauty, they loooove fragrance in their skin care, it’s always added for the “fun” factor. It’s always hard to find unscented products, but I have a few in my stash that I really like, although I wouldn’t know where to re-purchase them from, since they are not represented outside of Korea.
Overall a good box. The packaging of secret perfume peeling looks like Victoria’s Secret
It really does, doesn’t it? I mean, they’re not really knockoffs, but many legit Asian brands like to imitate the appearance of popular Western products to make theirs more appealing to the masses. US-based cosmetics have always been “trendy” in Korea, even though I personally think our skin care is not as effective as theirs.
In many cases, they actually are knockoffs, but improved or “Koreanized.” When I lived there, I noticed this and read quite a bit on it. Although there are many top notch luxury brands, they are expensive. Affordable brands imitate popular, higher end products for the masses. Not just Western products, but worldwide…even domestic. So long as it’s a big seller. Sometimes they are better than the original!
That’s some great info, Jennifer! I’ve only seen one Korean knock-off of another Korean product so far – Elizavecca Milky Piggy mask pack, but you’re right, sometimes the imitation is better than the original. I would choose this peeling gel over VS scrub it was clearly inspired by any day!
I like that they really did include something for different body parts – head to toe!
Yep, me, too! I was buying this box without any expectations just so I’m not disappointed later, but it turned out to be a nice well-rounded box, full of fun new things to try. I just love it when I get a box and can use all of the products at once haha 🙂
Wow – I love that they included products for the whole body – that is such a great box this month overall.
I know, right? It’s nice to feel the “old” Memebox vibe again when they really wowed with their boxes. This one was well-curated!
I want that peeling body scrub!
It’s the coolest thing ever seeing your dead skin roll off in chunks 🙂