Showing posts with label AB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AB. Show all posts

Sunday, July 10, 2016

[Review] Jini Beauty Box June 2016 Normal/Combination Skin

Hey friends. Now that I've had a chance to use everything in this month's box, it's time for me to share my thoughts with you. 



If you haven't heard of Jini Beauty Box before, they're a monthly Asian beauty subscription box that retails for $24.95. The box usually contains mostly skincare, along with one makeup/cosmetic item per month. You're promised 1-2 full size products and 3-5 samples. The unique premise with this box is that it's curated by skin type (normal/combination, dry/mature, oily/acne, or sensitive/troubled). If you want to learn more about this box, I have an entire post here that explains everything about this box in-depth. I also have a review for last month's box here if you're interested. Ingredients for all of the products included in the box can be found here.

Disclaimer: I paid for this box with my own money. All views expressed are my own, authentic opinions. This post does not contain any affiliate links.


Thursday, June 30, 2016

[Review] April Skin Magic Snow Cushion Pink in 01 Pink

Today, I'm going to be sharing my full review on the April Skin Magic Snow Cushion Pink, which is a pale pink primer in cushion form, meant to brighten skin. I've previously reviewed this product briefly on Instagram, but I wanted to give you guys more details about the product. This product was sent to me by 0.8L in exchange for my honest review on Instagram, but I'm choosing to do a full review on it because I genuinely like the product and want to share my experience with the product in-depth. As always, my review will be 100% honest. 

This post does not contain affiliate links.


Saturday, May 28, 2016

Review: May 2016 Jini Beauty Box for Normal/Combination Skin

Another fun box from Jini Beauty this month! This month's box included a couple of products from brands I hadn't heard of, which is always fun, plus an interesting surprise in the form of a hair essence. 


If you haven't heard of Jini Beauty Box before, they're a monthly Asian beauty subscription box that retails for $24.95. The box usually contains mostly skincare and occasionally one makeup item per month. You're promised 1-2 full size products and 3-5 samples. The unique premise with this box is that it's curated by skin type (normal/combination, dry/mature, oily/acne, or sensitive/troubled). If you want to learn more about this box, I have an entire post here that explains everything about this box in-depth. I also have a review for last month's box here if you're interested. Ingredients for all of the products included in the box can be found here.

Disclaimer: I paid for this box with my own money. All views expressed are my own, authentic opinions. This post does not contain any affiliate links.

Friday, May 13, 2016

[Review] April 2016 Jini Beauty Box for Normal/Combination Skin

Hey friends! Today I've got another review for you, this time for the April 2016 Jini Beauty Box for Normal/Combination Skin. This has quickly become one of my favorite subscription boxes, and I think this is the best box yet!

If you haven't heard of Jini Beauty Box before, they're a monthly Asian beauty subscription box that retails for $24.95. The box usually contains mostly skincare and occasionally one makeup item per month. You're promised 1-2 full size products and 3-5 samples. The unique premise with this box is that it's curated by skin type (normal/combination, dry/mature, oily/acne, or sensitive/troubled). If you want to learn more about this box, I have an entire post here that explains everything about this box in-depth. I also have a review for last month's box here if you're interested. Ingredients for all of the products included in the box can be found here.

Disclosure: I paid for this box with my own money. All views expressed are my own, authentic opinions. This post does not contain any affiliate links.

Friday, April 29, 2016

[Review] Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick

I tried the cult-favorite Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick, and all I got was a face full of zits.

Yes, this cleanser made my skin throw a wee bit of a tantrum. However, before we get into the rest of the review, I just wanna remind you that everyone has different sensitivities, and the products that break me out, might not break you out. Obviously loads of people have had great experiences with this product or it wouldn't be a cult favorite.  This was just my experience. I think it's important to mention the good and the bad, so that you have all of the information you need to make the decision that's right for you. Alright, on with the review!

Disclosure: This product was purchased by me with my own money.  All views expressed are my own authentic opinions. This post does not contain any affiliate links.

First, a bit about my skin. I've got oily-dehydrated, acne-prone, reactive skin. I do suffer from product-related breakouts, but haven't been able to pinpoint any of my personal acne triggers yet. 

The Su:m 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick is a twist-up, soft, creamy solid stick cleanser manufactured by LG and originating from Korea. The Su:m 37 brand is centered around natural and fermented ingredients. This cleanser is unique because of the rose petals in the top layers of the product and the fermented damask rose extract. 

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

MaskBox: Sheet Mask Subscription Box Review February 2016

Today I've got a brand new subscription box to share with you!

Maskbox is a monthly sheet mask subscription box. Each month you will receive between 2-6 masks, depending on the plan you choose. Plans start at $10. I'll discuss the subscription options in more detail down below. Maskbox is based in Los Angeles and ships between the 5th and the 8th every month. The plan that I chose for my first month is the Combo Box, which contains 3 masks and retails for $10/month.

Disclosure: I purchased this product with my own money. All views expressed are my own, authentic opinions and experiences with the product. This post does not contain any affiliate links.




Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Why Do So Many Asian Beauty Products Mention Jeju Island?

As someone who has recently (as in the last 6-8 months) taken the plunge into Asian beauty, I spend an absurd amount of time scouring the internet for info. What can I say, I like rabbit holes. *shrug* My nerdiness makes me want to know ~all the things~, so my spare time has quickly been filled up by reading blog posts and reddit discussions old and new, seeking out trustworthy sources of products and information, and endless amounts of scrolling through site after site in order to understand who has the best prices on what (the discount diva in me strikes again, did someone say 'free shipping'?) and to get a better feel for what's out there and what I might want to try next. In all of my nights spent scrolling through TK, RRS, and about 20 other sellers, I've seen numerous references to Jeju Island, but its significance to AB is rarely explained outside of promotional info. So, a curious-kitten mission took shape and now here we are, trying to answer the question: What's the deal with Jeju Island and how does it relate to beauty products?

Jeju Island is located off the coast of South Korea.


Jeju Island (제주도) is a South Korean island, located just south of the mainland in the Korea Strait. It has gone by many names over the years, but you're most likely to see it referred to as Jeju Island or Jejudo. The island was formed by a volcanic eruption around 2 million years ago, which gives the island some interesting geographic features, such as lava tubes and an abundance of volcanic soil. It's well known for its natural beauty, and has been named as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The primary industries of the island are agriculture and fishing, which is where it begins to intersect with Asian beauty.


Friday, January 8, 2016

Jini Beauty Box: A New Asian Beauty Subscription Box (Now Bi-Monthly!)

[Edit 1/8/17 Jini Beauty Box has become bi-monthly, meaning you recieve a box every other month. You can basically think of it as getting the amount you would get in two boxes, but every other month. More details below]
[Edit 5/11: All of my Jini Beauty Box reviews can be found here]

New Asian beauty subscription boxes have been launching left and right lately. After the newly-launched Jini Beauty Box was brought to my attention by the gals at BeautyandtheCat, I decided to sign up for the box and be a bit of a guinea pig, if you will. As of the writing of this post, there's not very much information available on this box (hence the guinea pig-ing), but I wanted to go ahead and sum up what I've been able to find out so far in hopes of helping anyone else who's looking for info on this box. And just to let you know, I'm not affiliated with this company in any way, and I paid for the box with my own money. I'll be doing a review of the box once it arrives, so stay tuned for that.  All of my Jini Beauty Box reviews are available at the link above! I haven't reviewed any of the bi-monthly boxes yet, but will do so starting with the Jan/Feb 2017 box.

What is it?

A bi-monthly subscription box centered around Korean beauty products, and curated to address the needs of different skin types. Every other month, subscribers receive a box of 6-8 full size and deluxe sample products, 2 sheet masks, and a few free samples. Boxes have typically included 1 or 2 makeup items as well, which I've really enjoyed.

Subscribers choose from one of four boxes, each geared toward a different skin type. There are no quizzes to take, you just choose the box you think will suit you the best. You're also able to change which skin type you're subscribed to from month to month. So, for example, I chose to subscribe to the Normal/Combination box because my skin is combo most of the year, and even though I have acne, I find most acne products to be too drying for my skin. Let's say that I get my box and I find that the products aren't quite cutting it because my skin is throwing a weather-induced tantrum and needs more hydrating products. I could go into my account settings and switch my skin type to Dry/Mature (I'll show you how to do this later), then the next shipment I would receive a box with products aimed at treating dry/mature skin. I've been very happy with the normal/combo box, so I haven't felt the need to try any of the other skin types, but I love knowing that I have the option.

If you're concerned about ingredients, Jini Beauty Box also features a list of ingredients for the products in every box, which can be found here.

Screenshot of the subscription page on jinibeauty.com *Note* This screenshot reflects the old prices, NOT the bi-monthly prices.

How much does it cost?

A bi-monthly subscription is $44.95 billed on the 14th of every other month. (ex. January,  then March)
6-month (3 box) pre-pay is $129.95
12-month (6 box) pre-pay is 249.95

Subscriptions automatically renew unless you cancel or skip before the 14th of the billing month. So if you received the Jan/Feb box but wanted to skip the March/April box, you would need to skip before the 14th of March.

Shipping is free in the US, but some states, such as New Jersey, may be subject to sales tax. I live in Nevada and wasn't charged sales tax on my order.

Where does it ship to?

At this time, US and Canada (shipping is free in the US, $8 in Canada)

When does it ship?

According to the jinibeauty.com FAQ, boxes will ship around the 5th of the 2nd month. For example, for the January/February box, you would be billed on the 14th of January, then your box would ship around the 5th of February. Typically, my boxes have arrived within 2-3 of shipping. 

How hard is it to cancel?

Super easy. It's part of why I was willing to take a chance on a brand new box. From the subscription page, click on your name in the top right corner, then click 'My Account'. This will take you to a page where you'll be able to see all of your account info and settings. There will be a box on the left-hand side labeled 'Your Subscription(s)', click the large purple button that says 'Edit'. On the next page, you'll see something that looks like this:
Screenshot from the jinibeauty.com subscription settings page. *NOTE* this screenshot reflects the old prices, not the bi-monthly prices.
From this page, you can choose to skip your next renewal (top right), change your skin type, change your subscription term, or cancel your subscription altogether. Click 'change' to save any changes you make. I love that this sub doesn't require you to make an awkward/inconvenient phone call to cancel, and even better, you're able to skip a month without having to go through the constant subscribe/unsubscribe cycle (Birchbox anyone?? hehe). There's no limit to how many times you can skip, either.

How is the bi-monthly subscription different from the old Jini Beauty Box?

The bi-monthly subscription is basically 2 boxes rolled into one, so you're actually getting more products for less money than before. The monthly boxes were $24.95, so 2 months would have been $49.90. The bi-monthly boxes are $44.95, so you're actually saving $4.95. 

I'll admit, I was skeptical when Jini Beauty Box switched to a bi-monthly format because I've never really been a fan of that type of subscription. However, the September/October boxes was one of the best boxes ever, so after giving it a try, I really think it's worth the wait. Sunny's thoughtful curation really shines through, and some of the products I've received in these boxes have become beloved favorites. I've been very happy with these boxes and would highly recommend it if you're looking for an asian beauty box that gives a variety of products. Personally, I get bored with boxes that are purely sheet masks, so Jini has been perfect for me. I've been a subscriber for a year now (skipped a few boxes here and there, but I've never once wanted to cancel) so I can confidently say that I love this box and I think it's one of the best AB beauty boxes on the market in terms of quality and value. 


I think I've answered the most pressing questions, but if you want to learn more about Jini Beauty, here are a few useful links:
Links to all of Jini Beauty's social media:
You can also contact Jini Beauty with any questions at support@jinibeauty.com

Hopefully this post was helpful to you if you're thinking of subscribing. If you want to subscribe, you can do so here.

-Cristine

Thursday, December 17, 2015

[Review] SK-II Essential Power Moisturizing Cream

Today we're talking about the SK-II Essential Power Moisturizing Cream. I received this product complementary from BzzAgent for review purposes, however all views expressed are my own, authentic opinions. To learn more about my review policies, click here. To learn more about BzzAgent, click here*.
This is a deluxe sample size (0.51 fl. oz./ 15 ml). The full size (shown below) is $215 (yes, two hundred and fifteen dollars) for 2.71 fl.oz. Are your eyes rolling out of your head yet? Mine are. 

Full size of the SK-II Essential Power Moisturizing Cream from the Sephora website. Geez, Sephora, why isn't your lighting this good in your stores? I'd never go home with the wrong foundation shade again. 
I use a few luxury products and I'm perfectly willing to splurge on a product here and there if the quality is high enough, but good lawd I think this price per ounce ratio falls under the "not even if I won the lotto" category.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Skincare Woes and My Introduction to Asian Beauty

To put it quite simply, my skin and I have been duking it out for some time now (the same goes for my hair, but that's a story for another day). As a teenager, my skin was super oily with the occasional blemish, and, like most teenagers, I used products I probably shouldn't have to try to combat this (I'm looking at you St. Ives Apricot Scrub!). Around the time I started college, my skin was getting worse and I was rarely without at least one active blemish. I also suffered from the occasional cystic acne spot, probably from sleeping with my makeup on every once in a while. It was like this for a few years, and while it's never been something that's bothered me to the point of tears as I know is the case for many acne sufferers, it was frustrating because I felt like my makeup never looked as good as it would have if my skin was smooth and blemish free, and I felt like I always had to wear foundation.