Nope, the Korean skincare trend isn’t fading into background noise anytime soon, and it doesn’t seem like subscription services are either…
I’ve never given in to beauty box subscriptions, which is surprising considering the kind of beauty junkie I am. However, Beauty Beyond Borders (3B) reached out to the Zanita Studio team to see if we were interested in receiving two test boxes for September. This was a no-brainer considering each box contains a collection of deluxe samples that are either new or popular in Asia, but hard to get your hands on in the States. The products change monthly, and you can even get samples from high-end brands like SK-II, Kanebo, and Sulwhasoo. Again, I’ve never tried a subscription service (not even Birchbox or Glossy Box), so I had no idea what to expect… What I appreciated most was that even though many of the descriptions were in Korean, 3B provides a card with English translations - it’s such a simple add-on, but supremely helpful!
So what’d you get???
In one pouch (the products are enveloped in fun purple pouches), I received a sheet mask, a honey propolis essence, blackhead nose patches, an essence sleeping packet, and Sulwhasoo face cream samples. I really liked that where smaller samples were provided, 3B supplied multiple samples (like the Sulwhasoo creams) - that way you can get a good indication of whether or not you’ll like it. Aside from the face mask (which I’ll take multiples of any day), I’ve never tried any of these other brands, and that was unexpected. I’ve used the propolis essence, which I believe is supposed to be a huge acne ass-kicker, and it’s been impressive in combatting the redness around my face. I haven’t opened up the blackhead patches yet, but I’m looking forward to them most because clogged pores have become more annoying than ever… I’ve also been wanting to try sleeping packs and I’m super excited that I finally get to!
In the second pouch, I got an Aloe Vera Soothing Gel, which was a full size product, a cleansing balm, a BB cream, a honey face cream, and honey eye serum. I stand by honey as an effective skincare ingredient because of my painful acne experience in the past, and it’s good to know many Korean brands have caught on to it.
So again, here I am with a box full of new introductory products, and I’m not disappointed at all. Most of these will make it into my TSA makeup bag, especially the cleansing balm - this Heimish one is all natural, but effective and smells divine. It’s a great addition to my double cleansing routine.
My favorites from these pouches so far are the Skin79 Super Beblesh BB Cream (Pink), face mask, Heimish Cleansing Balm, and Skinfood Propolis Serum. The aloe vera gel, I’m sure, would have been an amazing staple in the summer!
Based on the two sets, I think I got a pretty good feel for the type of boxes I can expect to receive from 3B. And at $12/month I think, Beauty Beyond Borders (3B) is truly a foolproof way to trial Korean skincare products. Like Birchbox, 3B is currently working on an e-commerce platform that gives you full access to full-size versions of the samples they provide, which I think will be a win in the long run.
xo,
Susan
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You Should Also Read:
Vicky Tsai of Tatcha on J-Beauty & Building a Bona Fide Brand
Saving Your Face the Korean Way
The Real Deal on the Korean Skincare Routine
