Memebox is a nifty little service that sends full-size Korean products to beauty addicts in the states and beyond (shipping to 51 countries). Original Memeboxes contain 4-8 full-size products. Superboxes contain 1 full-size with sample/travel sizes.

Being a beauty product fiend, I couldn’t settle for just one box. I ended up ordering three of the Scentboxes. Because this is EauMG and this is a dedicated “scent space”. I was curious to see what is happening scentwise in the world of Korean cosmetics. Plus, if I bought 3, I would get free express shipping…

This month I received the three boxes: Floral, Tropical Fruits and Sweet Shop. The boxes contain a mix of products: skincare, bath and body, perfume and makeup. I’ll try to make it quick while I explain the contents of three boxes and my impressions of Memebox in general.

#4 Floral

“Packed with whimsical floral scented skin care and body care goodies, these magically evocative notes will immediately awaken your deepest senses and give you the impression of living in your own secret garden! Feel positively lovely with this floral explosion in a box! Open this box and you’ll be transported to a field of delicate flower and sunshine with beauty goods that burst with floral fragrance!”

Sally’s Box Friendly Cherry Blossom Hand Mask ($2)

First things first, does this marketing work on anyone around the globe? Because it’s a pretty freaky-deaky image. She is DELIRIOUS looking! Anyway, I was happy to get this in a box because I have been wanting to try a Korean hand mask. I’ll let you know how it goes when it shows up in my Empties. 

Esthe Shower Cologne in White Musk (3.4 oz for $26)

This is basically what Korea is calling body spray (OK, maybe not all of South Korea but Esthé brand).And guess what? It smells like White Musk. Reminds me of The Body Shop White Musk EDT. It’s powdery and clean. Sometimes I do like smelling like this.

L’Ocean Feromonika Perfume in Fresh (.33 oz for $12)

So, the deal with L’Ocean is that this brand of perfumes all brag about featuring L-Muscone which they describe as “a synthetic replica of the key perfumery component found in musk deer”. And apparently they are like “designer imposters”. With Fresh, I can’t tell  but it’s so familiar. Reminds me of older cousins circa 1992, so I’m thinking it probably reminds me of Malibu Musk or something. It’s like fruity-musky. And I know I should hate it but I’m Malibu Musk era and this is nostalgic for me. And it’s something I would have NEVER bought myself but hey, it’s fun.

Secret Key Hand Cream in Petit No. 2 (30 g for $10)

This is a very fragrant hand cream in a little, teeny tube. The scent reminds me of Avon Skin-So-Soft meets Avon Sweet Honesty. It’s a powdery floral. The cream is lightweight and absorbs super quickly.

Final Thoughts on Floral: Contains a lot of new-to-me stuff that I would have never bought myself. But, I like trying it. Overall theme in my box was “powdery floral”.

#5 Tropical Fruits

“Has your booked-solid work and study schedule kept you from flying to your dream tropical beach getaway? Get a whiff of our fruity tropical beauty picks and visualize your way to white sands, swaying palm trees, and the refreshing tropical sea-breeze! Take a pick from fresh and light tropical fruit scented beauty goodies that are great for casual days under the sun, or from sweet, sensual and alluring fruity beauty treats that are perfect for a summer romance or a glamorous night out! Dive into this tropical fruit scented box for a fragrant and exotic escape!”

Boutique Bebe Coconut Pack (100 g for $20)

Dang, this smells just like that Mountain Ocean Skin Trip that you can find at hippie grocers. It’s super fragrant coconut pack. What’s a pack? It’s like a bar soap/mask thing. You lather and massage for a few minutes and rinse. This brags about having the same stuff in it as human breast milk which I find slightly creepy, but hey, I like the scent.

Ladykin Twinklight Soft Foam Cleansing in Kiwi (3.4 oz for $10)

I like to laugh at this name. “Twinklight”.It’s a super foamy cleanser that smells like green apples and sugar to me. I’ve been using it after using a greasy, oily cleanser. The aroma is annoying.

Konad Niju Mango Moisture Hand Cream (2 oz for $6)

I usually don’t like mango-y scents but I like this. It’s a mango scented (which reads more like peach with a hint of citrus to me) hand cream.

Konad Scented Nail Polish in Pineapple (retails for $6)

I don’t have a color like this at all. It’s a pastel yellow like a baby chick. It’s pretty but like every yellow nail color ever, it’s streaky and takes like 4 coats. It really does smell like pineapples.

Evas Vitamin Body Wash in Strawberry (6.7 oz for $6)

Smells like a strawberry lollipop (or Korean energy drinks) and is in Vitamin Water-ish packaging. It’s super foamy and rinses easily.

Final Thoughts on Tropical Fruits: More stuff that I would have never have bought on my own but happy to try. “Fruits” in Korea are the same as the US 😉

#6 Sweet Shop

“Can’t get enough of your favorite sweet treat? Indulge your senses with our decadent, deliciously scented and cute-as-a-button Sweet Shop Scentbox! This too-good-for-words Seeet Scentbox offers you scrumptiously scented beauty treats that will leave you smelling like yummy sugar crystals and sprinkles! Satisfy your sweet fix with 100 percent calorie free and 100 percent delightfully and deliciously sweet shop Scentbox!”

Pure Smile Jewelry Scrub Glitter Sugar Scrub in Sapphire (3.4 oz for $8)

Scrub your jewelry? Scrub yourself with jewelry? This is a black sugar scrub with an orchid-patchouli-vanilla fragrance (or at least that is what I make of it). It smells very Victoria Secret-ish or Bath & Body Works-ish. It actually smells hella familiar but I can’t tell you like what other than “Limited Brands”. And I don’t care because the back features hearts cleaning gunk out of your pores, so that’s cool.

Hello Everybody Vita Spa Berry Shampoo (7.4 oz for $23)

This shampoo smells just like berry jam. I haven’t used it yet so can’t comment on formula.

Hope Girl Tinted Lip Balm in 01 Strawberry (5g for $12)

This is such a “dolly pink” with a strawberry aroma. And the packaging is Jersey-licious with pink leopard print (the gloss is the same color as the pink on the packaging).

Pure Smile Choosy Lip Pack in White Pearl and Pink Pearl ($5 each)

These things look so weird and I’ve been wanting to try them. So happy to see them in the box. They’re so goofy. And apparently you can put these on your nipples too. Because, damnit, I don’t really know. This image on the back says you can, so I guess you should do that…

Final Thoughts on Sweet Shop: Contains a few novelty items that I wanted to try. The other stuff in here I would have never bought myself because it’s dolly and cute. Also, I think if this were an American “Sweet Shop” box, it would be all cupcakes and caramel. This is more fruity stuff.

My thoughts on my initial Memebox purchase:

Overall Pros: I think it’s a good mix of full-size products for a fair price (well, in the US for imported Korean products). Once the item was shipped, it did get here rather quickly (well, to Seattle. I get products from Asia quicker than I do stuff sent from NYC). Everything is wrapped up very nicely, all prepared to be shipped overseas. My boxes reached me safely with no leakage or messes.

I think it’s fun and novel I mean, who cares if I get a shower gel that smells like strawberry lollipops? I can’t buy it here! So, it’s cool. Grown-up life is so boring and this breaks up the monotony 😉

Oh, and I like that it is a subscription. I can buy boxes that sound interesting to me whenever I want.

Overall Cons:  You don’t get sent items immediately after purchasing. It takes months. I seriously forgot that I ordered these. The site does tell you when they ship, so this isn’t a surprise at all. You know there will be a wait. Be sure to read the ship dates on the site. It usually takes 1.5 to 2 months to get your box.

And not to be Debbie Downer but I *suspect* because of the market, that many of these aren’t cruelty-free (sold in mainland China). But, in all fairness I didn’t do my research on all of these products so I’m making an assumption without actually doing the research (sorry, lazy and very unprofessional of me). Many US boxes like this contain a mix of products tested and not tested on animals. If this is a priority for you, you already know that you have to do your research. *Anyway, what I’m saying is that like the US, there are Korean brands that are cruelty-free and some that aren’t. Here’s more info and even more.

Pro or a Con? You don’t know what you’re going to get. Once people start talking about the boxes, they are already sold out. It’s a gamble. This could be frustrating or exciting; it depends. Also, the products’ demo leans younger in comparison to what I usually buy myself from Asian cosmetic brands. However, I think it’s fun but the products, as you can tell, are more “youthful”.

Korean pals have explained these products to me as more “young” and “k-pop” which is totally the vibe I get from the Memebox site. They didn’t say this was a bad thing. They agree with me that this is more about being young, impulsive and this comes with a lower price point. When it comes to our “heavy duty” skincare, we aren’t going to buy a surprise box. We know what we want because we’re grown women. But, we do like to have fun 😉 And these products are fun. If you don’t like them, you may know a young person that would be delighted to take these off your hands. Speaking of…these would make an awesome gift for nieces.

Will I be repurchasing? Yes. I really liked the surprise with these and the price isn’t too much of a gamble for me once I break down the cost per item. I like getting items that are new-to-me and trying things that I would have never tried. I have tried many, many Korean products but Memebox has introduced me to so many new brands and items. I really was like a kid in a candy shop with these (OK, a #6 Sweet Shop).

Boxes are available at Memebox. FYI – I bought all three of these boxes for $30. I think I got a lot of product for that.

*Boxes purchased by me. Logo and the three images at the end are from Memebox. Pics are mine. I apologize for their crumminess as I was just so darn excited to get this and play in them. I had no time for outtakes! Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!