Have any of you checked out Beautibi.com yet?
They're a beauty box company, much like Birchbox. The only difference is that they focus on Korean, Taiwanese, and Japanese products and instead of offering subscriptions, they offer themed boxes, like this Repair & Recover box* I'm unboxing today. I also think it's possible to buy things a la carte.
I found out about them through their killer Instagram feed. Long story short, I'm really into them! They opened up their shop only a few months ago from the looks of it, and they've got an awesome roster of brands like...
Annie's Way (Taiwanese Tw)
Ladykin (Korean Kr)
L'Herboflore (Tw)
Maskingdom (Tw)
Mizon (Kr)
My Beauty Diary (Tw)
Tony Moly (Kr)
& Too Cool For School (Kr)
They're from SoCal and they offer free shipping in the U.S. if you place a $75+ order. They ship internationally as well. You can see the full details at their FAQ page. Sign up for their email newsletter and get a 10% discount code for your first order.
So let's unbox!
I feel like Kbeauty stores based in the west are like a box of chocolates, you never knooow what you're gonna git and each one is very special and unique in its own way. I think Beautibi is the only one offering the Ladykin brand here in the U.S. Also, most beauty box companies send products in a box that is sturdy enough to serve as its own shipping box. Beautibi sends a beautiful and sturdy box, but ships it in another shipping box to make sure nothing gets damaged during delivery.
My thoughts as I opened the box.... "EEEEEEEE!!!!"
The box retails for $34 and the value is listed at $59. It contains...
Too Cool For School Good Morning Rice Wash 10 Sachets ($8)
I've seen this listed anywhere from $6 to $15
Mizon Good Night White Sleeping Pack ($13)
Other listings from $6.72 to $12
Mizon Snail Recovery Gel ($15)
These are usually anywhere from $5.50 to $10.
Etude House "I NEED YOU!" Wash Off Pack in Honey or Yogurt ($8)
Usually about $6.
& 2 Maskingdom Metropolitan Radiant Glow Facial Masks ($12)
Value about $12, even on the official Maskingdom site.
They also include a handful of samples with each box.
If you were to shop around for each of these items individually, picking only the cheapest prices, you would end up paying about $36-37, not including shipping costs so for sure it's offers value.
ZOMG.
I feel like the team behind Beautibi is made up of people who are amazing at giving presents. You know, the ones who take the time to make you photo collages... wrap it in wrapping paper with a motif of your favorite animal (llamas & puppies)... send it via snail mail... planning ahead of time so that it hits your doorstep on your ACTUAL birthday. This packaging is such a win and they give you confetti! Sooo pretty and definitely not as hard to clean up as the herpes of the art world - glitter.
I put the confetti to work :)
I'm going to talk about the products in the box in the order I rank them with my favorites first.
1. ETUDE HOUSE "I NEED YOU!" WASH OFF PACK IN HONEY
WHAT IT IS It's a honey-based wash off mask
TO USE Use a few times a week. Break off one pack and apply evenly and liberally over face. Keep on face for 10 minutes and wash off. Continue with moisturizer. TIP: You may also use 1/2 the pack and save the other 1/2 in the refrigerator for another day! Use a bobby pin or saran wrap to keep it fresh!
INGREDIENTS Each mask is different, the four kinds are angelica extract, red ginseng, ginseng and cactus. Because this product contains less than 70 ml, Etude House doesn't have to list everything in the mask. Edit: Someone has listed what may be the full ingredients list on CosDNA here. It looks like the cactus flavor.
REVIEW I've already used 3 out of the 4 masks in just the past week! I'm already in the habit of using honey in my DIY wash off masks. Not so secret recipes here. So I was pretty stoked to see they sent me the honey flavor instead of the yogurt one. Honey's great for acne, calming down redness, and hydrates the skin. I also love that each of the 4 masks in this contain different natural sources of antioxidants.
Red Ginseng - is actually highly prized and esspensive in Asia because it's super rare. Ginseng is great for firming skin. This mask was slightly red and smelled herbal.
Ginseng - is also great for firming skin. Ginseng is one of my favorite ingredients. The mask was lighter in color and had little orange beads in it. It smells like ginseng haha.
Angelica - Angelica is an herbal root. The extract is used in a lot of skincare. It's supposed to constrict the pores. It also contains antioxidants. This mask was straw-colored and smelled lightly herbal, not too sweet.
Cactus - Cactus contains antioxidants. News to me! And while I haven't used this mask yet, I've read that it's a pale straw-colored mask with red beads.
None of the scents are overpowering and the texture of the honey is really smooth and rich. It's sticky because it's honey and it can be a bit hard to wash off, but it feels refreshing and leaves your skin looking amazingly calm and even in tone. I didn't notice any pore tightening effects but it leaves my skin feeling so fresh and so clean, with a texture as soft as butter. In case this review tempts you, make sure to patch test bee products on your skin to ensure it doesn't cause a reaction. Some people are allergic!
2. TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL GOOD MORNING RICE WASH 10 SACHETS
WHAT IT IS It's a powder wash for your face. It contains rice bran extract, rice extract, and raw rice wine. When water is added to the powder, it turns into a milky cleanser / exfoliant.
TO USE It says to use as last step in cleansing. In a 600ml bowl of lukewarm water, add 1 sachet until water turns milky. Wash face with water and pat onto face. TIP: Dunk face in bowl while washing your skin with the wash for an added boost!
Instead of using this as a second cleanser, I like use it after my first and second cleansers every once in awhile as a finishing step. Similar to how Korean singer Park Boram uses rice water in her beauty routine.
INGREDIENTS Corn starch, Lactose, Glycerin, Betaine, Water, Titanium Dioxide, Rice Ferment Extract, Rice Extract, Rice Bran Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Tremella Fuciformis (Mushroom) Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Fragrance, Sodium Hyaluronate
REVIEW I've been lusting after powder cleansers lately but haven't pulled the trigger because I'm not really running low at the moment and almost every powder cleanser in the Korean market has papaya enzyme papain in it. Papaya is really hit or miss with my skin. It's fine in small amounts, but I found out after an encounter with the Alba Botanica Papaya Mask that too much is not a good thing for ma face. The only other powder wash I'd been eyeing is from a Thai brand and I've been messaging them, creepily poking them on Facebook, aka pulling out all the stops to try to purchase one and I haven't been able to get through.
I'm really happy that this one doesn't contain papaya extract, and as you can see in the pic above, the pH is a skin-friendly 6. I've used up 3 satchets already using the modified method I mentioned in the directions. Because it doesn't foam and it turns into a milky texture, I don't like using it as a second cleanser. I love it! It's really brightening, and you know I love me a gentle physical exfoliator. The scent is light but delicious smelling. My mouth waters as an Asian hehe. Oh, and these are great for travel or sleepovers!
3. MIZON SNAIL RECOVERY GEL CREAM
WHAT IT IS A lightweight snail gel cream containing 74% snail secretion filtrate
TO USE It's a light gel moisturizer, so this could go in your morning or night time routines as one of your first moisturizers (after cleansing and prescription treatments with active ingredients). Oily skin types may be able to get through a day/night using just this product, while normal to dry folks may need to follow up with something heavier.
INGREDIENTS Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, Triethanolamine, Dimethicone, Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca oleracea, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Tropolone, Copper Tripeptide-1, Allantoin, Panthenol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylalycerin
REVIEW Mizon is a brand that has really solid snail products. I've owned this before, about 4 months L.B. (stands for Life Before Blog) and I'm happy to have it once again. It's been unseated by my current favorite snail product, the CosRX Snail 96, but I'm happy to have something for when the CosRX runs out. I prefer the CosRX because it has 96% snail vs Mizon's 74%, the ingredients list is shorter, and the gel is goopier and gets all stringy like melted mozzarella cheese which is really fun to play with. This product is similar to the light refreshing feel of the CosRX, but without the goopiness and stringiness, and it smells every so faintly of florals. It's a nice product that almost everyone can use. I like the tube packaging - very sanitary!
4. MASKINGDOM METROPOLITAN SERIES: RADIANT GLOW EXPRESS MASK
WHAT IT IS A Taiwanese facial sheet mask with a pic of a girl all up on the latest me no shita chiku trend in Japan and rocking it in her wedding dress.
TO USE On a clean and dry face, remove sheet from sleeve carefully (not to spill essence) and apply onto your face by aligning the top of your face first. Leave on for 15-20 minutes. TIP: Use mask on neck or elbows and knees. You can also add additional essence from bag onto face for extra moisture.
INGREDIENTS Aqua (water), Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphensein, Phenoxethanol, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Malic Acid, Niacinamide, Yeast Extract, Sorbitol, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Extract, Panthenol, Zinc Gluconate, Caffeine, Biotin, 2-Phenoxyethanol, Zinc PCA, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate, Perfume
REVIEW This is my first time trying Maskingdom. I love the design of the packaging but wasn't that jazzed about trying it since it has papaya extract kind of high up there on the list. Also, almost all of the other ingredients listed are good for your skin, save the castor oil, perfume, phenoxyethanol, and potentially the lemon extract... but the phenoxyethanol (a preservative) is also pretty high up on the list. You probably already know what this means, but in case you don't, phenoxyethanol is allowed to be used up to 1%. So why does this matter? It means that all the good stuff in the mask listed after the phenoxyethanol makes up less than 1% of the mask. This is how I understand it, if someone with a cosmetics background could correct me if I'm mistaken I'd appreciate it! So that malic acid, not going to really exfoliate your skin that much. That niacinamide? Won't really make your skin glow or fade your dark spots.
I did try the mask though, and I have to admit that it was pretty hydrating (raised the water content of my skin by about 10% points according to my skin analyzer) and my skin didn't freak out over the papaya. It was very soft and smooth, made out of silk, and drippy. The fit was nice and it covered the area under my chin. It also smelled nice and fruity. :) I'm okay with the mask, I don't see myself seeking it out, especially at $6 a pop.
Maskingdom as a brand are really interesting though. Beautibi has all of these awesome fact sheets on the brands they sell here. From reading through that list, I learned that Maskingdom doesn't use alcohol, mineral oil, animal ingredients, or parabens (meh - I like parabens). They promise not to use the 102 ingredients that can cause dermatitis (read: irritation/inflammation) as per Japan's Ministry of Welfare, and they also won't use the 26 hazardous perfumes identified by the EU. Fun fact: Maskingdom masks are given to diplomats by Taiwanese government officials as souvenirs! :)
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| Whee! Throws samples and confetti in the air. I've tried all of these before. I like them all, but not enough to repurchase. |
5. SAMPLES FROM LADYKIN, ETUDE HOUSE, TONY MOLY, MY BEAUTY DIARY
Important: their sample service is strong. I love samples for traveling and I also love the fact that I got a bunch of satchets of products that I like, but not enough to purchase. I like to save them as little treats.
6. MIZON GOOD NIGHT WHITE SLEEPING MASK
WHAT IT IS A lightweight cream that goes on as the final step of your nighttime routine with skin lightening and brightening ingredients. It hydrates and brightens while you sleep. Ideal for oily and normal skin types.
TO USE Right before bedtime, slather evenly on skin as your last moisturizing step. It has a gel like texture, so it will absorb into skin quickly. Sweet dreams! You’re ready for bed!
INGREDIENTS Aqua, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Polsorbate 20, Glycerine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Caprylyl Gycol, Ethylhexyl Glycerine, Tropolone, Triethenolamine, Carbomer, Trehalose, Sclerotium Gum, Broussonetia Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Patethine, Placental Protein, Natto Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Disodium EDTA, C1 17200, C1 42090, Fragrance
REVIEW Ok so everything before this I liked enough, but this one was a bit of a miss for me. It has niacinamide (turns my face into a lite brite!), glycerin and sodium hyaluronate (glycerin + sodium hyaluronate is the essence of wetness). Many of the ingredients in the bottom half of the list are also really great brighteners, moisturizers, and anti-agers. The only ones that concern me are the silicones for those with acne-prone skin, and the triethenolamine for health concerns. Fragrance and dyes are included - which sensitive types should note. The reason why it's a miss for me is that the alcohol is pretty high up there so the mask isn't as heavy as I like. The scent is nice, deep, and floral, but not overpowering. This is a great product for someone who likes light moisturizers. I'll likely gift mine to someone else.
FINAL VERDICT, R&R BOX Worth it!
I would definitely repurchase the first 3 products, I enjoyed using the the next 2, and there was 1 miss, which I can gift to someone with the opposite skin type as me. I'm happy with the box! It delivers some value and the products are great.
WHERE TO BUY Beautibi.com sillies!
I'm liking Beautibi's beautifully themed a la carte box offerings a lot. I'm also checking out their L'herboflore masks for a potential treat if I can fit it into my skincare budget.
They also carry some a la carte products...
ANNIE'S WAY SNAIL REPAIRING JELLY MASK* (not included in box)
They also carry some products a la carte like this Annie's Way Snail Repairing Jelly Mask. Note the awesomely adorable and sturdy spatula that Beautibi included with a strip of some really cute washi tape. I haven't tried this yet as I've been going overboard on wash-off masks lately, but I've heard great things about Annie's Way (Tw) jelly products and am excited to try it! If you're interested in seeing a full review about this, just leave a comment below!
MY BEAUTY DIARY ULTRA CLEANSING WATER* (not included in box)
I'm saving this to crack open after I run out of my Missha Green Tea Lip & Eye Remover and the Simple Micellar Cleansing Water. But I heard it's great at cleansing from Ceci over at CeciBeautyTherapy who did a comparison between this product and the Son & Park Beauty Water. If you're interested in seeing a full review about this, just leave a comment below!
GIVEAWAY
I haven't done a giveaway in a little while. I thought it might be nice to have a little surprise sampler pack. It's not much, maybe about $10 worth of goods but if you would like to participate, there are 3 steps to take to enter.
(1) Follow my blog on Bloglovin' using the little subscribe button on my sidebar.
(2) Follow Beautibi on instagram here.
(3) Leave a comment below with your instagram handle and name on Bloglovin'.
Open to those 13 and over residing in the U.S. or Canada. Sorry!! I'll have an international one soon, it will be bigger. Use products at your own risk.
Contest ends Wednesday September 23, 2015 at 11:59 P.M. Eastern.
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