Memebox (미미박스) Wish Upon A Mask

Badum-tssss! That’s the sound of my last Memebox review [for now], and I am officially caught up on my Christmas haul madness. Doesn’t it feel good to finally finish a project? That’s kind of what I’m feeling right now, although I know it won’t last and I’ll just fall behind on something else again 😉 Today I wanted to show you Memebox Wish Upon A Mask box, that I bought in October [!!!], but it shipped mid-December and been sitting under the Christmas tree until now, unopened.

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. 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
Take $3 off your order of $30 or more using code LODCS6. Expires 1/31/2015. [new coupons for February have not been released yet]
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.
Order over $100 using this link and receive $5 off automatically at checkout, no code required.
Order over $150 using this link and receive $10 off automatically at checkout, no code required.

Banila Co. Claypatra Mineral Salt Clay Pack – You’ve seen this mask mentioned several times on my blog, that’s because I get it a little too excited whenever I spot a cute sample jar in one of my boxes.

How to use: Spread a thin layer evenly over clean face, and rinse off after 10 minutes. Suitable for oily and combination skin.

In case this is your first time reading about this magical mud, Claypatra is a godsend for oily and combination skin. It contains Dead Sea salt and oxygenated clay with moisturizing emulsion mixed in, so your skin never becomes painfully dehydrated, like it usually does with most clay masks while they’re drying on your face.

AHC Real Aqua Velvet Sleeping Pack – I have more sleeping packs than I could ever use at this point, but not all of them are outstanding [as you might have noticed from my Night Care box review last Friday]. There are several that I really like, but I still haven’t found the HG of sleeping packs, although a lot of people sing praises to Lioele, which I haven’t tried yet.

How to use: Apply a thin even layer over cleansed, toned, and moisturized skin at the end of your evening routine, and wash off in the morning. Suitable for all skin types.

Memebox card says this luxurious sleeping pack is a one-step facial in a bottle. It’s supposed to brighten and even out uneven skin tone, rebalance those annoying pores, and give the skin plump and youthful appearance every morning. It contains niacinamide, adenosine, snail slime filtrate, birch tree sap, and ice plant extracts. I know the first three ingredients work well together, but I still need to test the birch tree sap. I recently got another product with that ingredient, so maybe I’ll use them together. Keep in mind that this mask has a strong floral fragrance to it, which might be too intense for scent-sensitive people.

Shara Shara Real Sauce Mung Beans Mask – Shara Shara and I don’t get along, and I disliked most of their products with several exceptions. All of the makeup and most of their skincare just didn’t wow me, but there were several products I enjoyed quite a bit. I’m not super picky about sheet masks, and these sound as good as any of them.

How to use: Spread the sheet over cleansed and toned skin, and relax for 20 minutes. Remove the sheet and pat in the remaining essence. Suitable for all skin types.

Memebox card says these masks are rich in vitamins, proteins, and fibers [sounds like we’re talking about food here], and help transform the skin from dry and dull to bright and supple after just one application. Bonus: unlike many cheap Korean masks, these do not contain alcohol.

Purederm Yogurt Wash-off Pack – There were two types of this mask sent out – kiwi and strawberry, with kiwi being my second choice. It’s a wash-off type mask, packaged in single use packets, that are perfect for traveling.

How to use: Apply the contents of one pack to clean and dry skin and wash off with lukewarm water after 10-15 minutes. Suitable for all skin types.

The kiwi mask has exfoliating properties that help keep the skin free of dead cells by melting them off with various acids present in kiwi extract. The formula is actually nothing to write home about – just your typical petroleum jelly, parabens, and silicons, with all the good stuff starting in the middle of the ingredient list, but still a lot better than some local masks I tried.

To The Nature Black Rice Hydrogel Eye Patch – I adore hydrogel eye patches, they are so refreshing! I think it has to do more with how they were stored rather than the actual ingredients, because I keep mine in the fridge and they always depuff my eyes like champs.

How to use: Place hydrogel patches under eyes, and leave on for 10-20 minutes. Gently remove and pat in any remaining essence. Suitable for all skin types, especially mature.

This brand is apparently known for their products that use organic plant extracts, and these patches are infused with organic black rice extract, rice bran, seaweed, adenosine, rosewood oil, and even gold flakes. The formula soothes gentle undereye area and helps combat fine lines, wrinkles, bags, and dark circles while firming the skin and making it look well-rested.

Inoface Modeling Cup Pack – This is only my second experience with modeling packs, but this is the craziest and most awesome type of mask out there. Basically, you add some water to the pot of powder, and make a paste, then quickly apply that paste to your face and let it harden. After it solidifies a bit, you just peel it off in large thick chunks and the skin looks amazing!

How to use: Mix the powder with water at 1:0.8 ratio, stir with spatula, and apply to the skin. Wait 15 minutes and then peel off the hardened mask. Suitable for dry skin.

There were several different types sent out, and I got “Peppermint”, which is supposed to soothe and replenish moisture in dry and sensitive skin. Mine is sensitive, but not dry, but I will still have fun using this one, because my cheeks get really tight during Winter months.

THE VERDICT
Despite low retail value, this box was pretty solid and reminded me a lot about the early days of Memebox mask editions, where we would get a nice mix of masks for different body parts and concerns, and they would all mostly be higher end brands. While this box had a couple cheaper items — like Shara Shara sheet masks and Purederm, which I love — the rest were solid department store or popular boutique products. To this date Claypatra is the best clay mask I’ve ever used, and I discovered it through Memebox. I still have enough samples to use, but when I run out, you bet I will be buying a full size!

P.S.: Memebox slowed down a lot on box releases during their transition from Global to USA-only branch, so I actually only have a couple more new boxes coming to me through the end of February, and then nada. It’s kind of a scary feeling but it’s pretty liberating at the same time. I am just so used to having pink boxes in the mail at least once a week, but I was totally ignoring the stacks and stacks of unused products piling up in my ALEX drawers. I think it’s time I actually take a closer look at everything, and maybe find a few favorites, so look forward to some full-sized product reviews in the future, because I’m sure there are some real gems hiding in my stash waiting to be discovered.