Friday, April 25, 2014

Memebox by Banila Co.

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post is bought with my money. I am not affiliated with the company nor getting paid to advertise the products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

Please don't forget to enter Reviva Labs Antioxidant & Texturing Day Cream Giveaway. It ends April 29, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. PST (Pacific time).


Couple of months ago I learned about Memebox (pronounced mi-mi-box). If you don't know Memebox, it's a subscription beauty/skin care box from Korea. The big difference between Memebox and US subscription boxes is that you choose the box you want. It's not a monthly box that arrives at your doorstep. Memebox is always updating their website with new and old boxes. Whenever and whichever you want, you just buy it. Last month, Memebox had their first box dedicated to Banila Co. I've been wanting to try Banila Co. for years. Without a thought, I purchased the box.

Product Review: Memebox by Banila Co.

Where to purchase: online at us.memebox.com
Price: $39

Made in Korea

Description from the brochure: Introducing our very first Memebox by banila co. High quality, high performance, essentials: We're shooting for the classics. Endorsed by Girls Generation's Jessica, banila co. is most certainly one of Korea's favorite brands. From skincare to cosmetics, banila co. is well-known for it's high quality, efficacy, and gorgeous packaging. We wanted to create a box with goodies that everyone could love, everyday.
Thoughts: Knowing that it's coming from Korea as well as ordering the cheapest shipment, I just assumed it'll take several weeks to a month to arrive. When I came home and saw the box, I was in total shock. It only took a week and a day. That's pretty impressive! Not only was the shipment fast, I was excited to see what I got.
Here's a picture of the box. It came in a bubble wrap with a thick, plastic package.
Here's the inside of the box with a brochure. Most of the writing on the inside of the box is in Korean. This wouldn't be good for someone who doesn't read Korean, as well as, someone's reading skill is limited like myself. Thankfully, the brochure is in English.

Now for what beauty/skin care products came in this box...
The first is Friday Night 3D Highlighter. They described it as "this pearly highlighter brightens your facial tones through a gorgeous mosaic of colors."
Here's the inside of the highlighter and it also comes with a small brush.
The second product is their Marbling Shadow in Titanic. The description is "marbling shadow (20 Titanic) is a multi-colored shadow. Gold-brown with a pearlescent shimmer, this shadow will be perfect for your party night!" Is it just me, but it reminds me of MAC eyeshadows?
Here's a look at the eyeshadow. The design is pretty unique.
The third product is The Great Love Extra Bold Eyeliner. The product description is "create a defined and bold look with this easy-application eyeliner."
One end is the eyeshadow/eyeliner and the other end is an applicator that you smudge the eyeliner.
The fourth product is Intense Care Moisture Balm SPF13 in Soft Peach. "This lip balm offers intense moisture to keep your lips plump throughout the day. It's lightly tinted to enhance the natural color of your lips as well. SPF 13 offers protection from the damaging rays of the sun."
Here's a closer look at the lip balm. Isn't the color pretty?
The last products are It Radiant CC Brightening Cream samples, It Radiant CC Cream, and It Radiant CC in Melting Pact. The description is "Banila Co. It Radiant kit contains all the right products to create a radiant look with a dewy glow. The Brightening Cream hydrates while evening out the skin's texture. The CC cream naturally covers any blemishes and creates an even complexion. The CC in Melting Pact will give you a radiant and perfect finish."
Here are the three products from It Radiant.
Here's the packaging for the CC Cream and Melting Pact.
Even though this isn't the full size, I love how it came with a sponge applicator. It's so tiny and so cute! By the way, I did not open the package. I will when I use it.

Now for my overall opinion... First of all as I mentioned, I'm impressed with the shipment. Not only is the shipping fast, they packaged it well. None of the products were broken, spilled, and so on. Secondly, I'm happy with the products I got. It ranges from CC Cream to lip balm. There is one thing I did notice. The picture on the website is very deceiving. They don't show the products itself but you get an idea from the little they do show. The only product from that picture I received is the mini-sized Melting Pact. I was hoping to get the duo eyeshadow palette and the lipstick. To be honest, that's one of the reasons why I purchased this box other than wanting to try Banila Co. for years. I was slight disappointed it wasn't those products, but on the other hand, I'm really happy with what I got. I've never seen these products and they are all in colors I would use. I cannot wait to play around with them. I will review them on my blog. Lastly to get all this for $39, it isn't bad. It's not great but it's not bad. It's definitely a steal if you're purchasing internationally like myself. If you're purchasing in Korea, it'll definitely be a lot cheaper to purchase individually.

$24,000 won/ $12,000 won on sale           =          $24 /$12 on sale (highlighter)
$14,000 won/   $7,000 won on sale           =          $14/   $7 on sale (eyeshadow)
$12,000 won                                             =          $12                     (eyeliner)
$14,000 won/   $7,000 won on sale           =          $14/   $7 on sale  (lip balm)
_______________________________________________________________
TOTAL                                                                 $64/  $38 on sale

Thankfully with my Korean skills, I calculated the total cost of the box. I looked on Banila Co. website and found out the price for each products. I did not for the It Radiant CC. From what I remember from my trip to Korea, as well as, growing up in this culture, the It Radiant CC are all sample sizes. They hand them out in Korea for free unless they changed. With that said, 3 out of the 4 products are on sale now for 50% off. It comes out to $38. If the products weren't on sale, it'll be $64. That's only if you live in Korea. Since most of the cost comes from shipping, they double to triple the price here in the US even in Los Angeles. If I double the price of the total, it'll be $128 not on sale and $76 on sale. Not only that, Memebox has a lot of discounts. When I purchased this box, I had a $10 discount. It came out to $29 for me. With the discount or even without the discount ($39), this box is worth more than what you paid for. For that reason, this is worth it if you want Korean products.

Pros:
* Varieties of boxes to purchase.
* They're always coming up with new boxes.
* Shipping is fast.
* Sturdy, well packaged box.
* Mostly full-sized products.
* Variety of beauty products.

Cons:
* The picture on the website is deceiving.

Would repurchase: Yes!
Rating:  4/5 Tobey's Paws

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post is bought with my money. I am not affiliated with the company nor getting paid to advertise the products. This post is written with my honest opinion.

8 comments:

Sachi said...

that lip balm looks soooo pretty! And that eye shadow does totally remind me of MAC ones. Can't wait to see some reviews! Makes me want to hit up some of the Korean stores by me and look at the beauty section...though I am afraid I may become addicted since I always hear such amazing things about Korean cosmetics. I can hear my bank account trying to hide...lol

Allie Mackin said...

I like that you get to choose. I just wish all these services were not locked in monthly positions and you could buy it one off when you felt like it.

Allie of ALLIE NYC
www.allienyc.com

Kim A. said...

I love Korean makeup. I started getting into that last year. You really do save money. The only thing is I like to know what I'm getting. LOL I clicked on their website and they have a lot of boxes to choose from! But like you said, you don't know exactly what you're getting. I see all of these are from Banila? I wish they had Etude House and Skin Food etc. Excellent review.

http://www.averysweetblog.com/

BlushandBarbells said...

I love the look of the highlighter. I'm looking forward to reviews of the CC cream!

Ahleessa said...

Koreans are known for their skincare. If you do purchase Korean products, I recommend skincare products. If you're into opaque makeup, you might want to skip makeup.

Ahleessa said...

I agree with you. There are times when you get a monthly subscription box and wish you didn't.

Ahleessa said...

Most of the boxes from MemeBox carry brands that are not well known. For that reason, I skipped until I saw one box dedicated to Banila Co. Banila Co. is a well known brand in Korea, as well as, Etude House and Skin Food. I think there was one box dedicated to Skin Food. You should try that.

Ahleessa said...

I will remember to use the CC Creams soon. I have the highlighter as my next product to use. I've been looking for a dewy highlighter. I've had no such luck yet.

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