Showing posts with label Korean skincare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Korean skincare. Show all posts

Sunday, March 5, 2017

French Luxury Meets Korean Innovation [Review] Erborian Yuza Double Lotion, Eau Ginseng, and Bamboo Matte Lotion

One of my favorite things about skincare, especially Korean skincare, is the innovation. New ingredients, new textures, new methods: I live for that stuff. There are numerous brands bringing out some very interesting products right now, and I think Erborian is one of those brands. Keep reading to find out why I think these Erborian lotions are something special.

Erborian's lotions balance a French aesthetic with Korean ingredients and technology.


Disclosure: These products were provided as PR samples, but the views expressed here are my own honest opinions and experiences. This review is not sponsored. This post does not contain affiliate links.


Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Review: Jini Beauty Box Normal/Combination Skin January/Febuary 2017

I've been subscribing to Jini Beauty Box for about a year now, so I guess you could say things are kinda serious. I love that this box offers a mix of sheet masks, full size products, and deluxe sample sizes. Wanna see what was in the January/February box for Normal/Combo skin? Read on!






If you haven't heard of Jini Beauty Box before, they're a bi-monthly k-beauty subscription box that retails for $44.95. The box contains mostly skincare and one or two makeup items per box. You're promised 6-8 full size products/deluxe samples, 2 sheet masks, and a few bonus sample packets. 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. Ingredients for all of the products included in the box can be found here.


You have until March 13 to sign up for the March/April box!



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.



Monday, August 22, 2016

May Coop Raw Sauce Review

As promised, here's my review of the May Coop Raw Sauce, which has become a k-beauty classic. It's a much buzzed-about product known for giving the skin a radiant glow. But did it live up to the hype?

May Coop Raw Sauce 1.35 oz bottle

Disclosure: This product was purchased by me, with my own money. This post does not contain any affiliate links.


Wednesday, August 3, 2016

July 2016 Favorites




Things are a little bit crazy for me at the moment. I'm starting classes at a new university (if you're curious, I'm working on a Bachelor's of Science in Communication), preparing for a friend's wedding, which I'm also a bridesmaid in, and doing the bride's makeup, starting a new job, and to top it all off, I'm in the process of house hunting (stalking them from the bushes and everything*) and getting ready to move. Hence the lack of blog posts recently. I'm trying y'all. I've got a few long-awaited reviews in the works and lots of empties posts coming up, I'm just trying to find a way to sneak them in amidst the chaos.


Thursday, June 16, 2016

Review: Take Out Spa My Renew Bottle and My Bright Bottle Sheet Masks

I picked up the Take Out Spa My Renew Bottle and My Juicy Bottle masks a couple of months ago when HKC Plaza was having a sale. I was also on a bit of "juice" mask kick, spurred on by my love of the Ariul Juice Cleanse masks. I saw the Take Out Spa masks, and figured I'd give them a try.




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 24, 2016

[Review] Jini Beauty Box February 2016 (Normal/Combination Skin)

It's here! It's here!

I'm so excited to be bringing you guys another review of a new subscription box—and in one of my favorite categories: Korean skincare!



When this box was first announced I did a whole post explaining the concept and features, so if you're looking for more in-depth information head over here for a full run-down. The Sparknotes version: Jini Beauty Box is a new Asian beauty subscription box launched by blogger, Geekinheels (Jenny) and her friend, Sunny. The box is unique among the quickly growing AB subscription market because it focuses on monthly boxes curated by skin type (Dry/Mature, Normal/Combination, Oily/Acne, and Sensitive/Troubled). Each box contains 1-2 full-size products, and 3-5 deluxe samples for $24.95 per month (discounts available for longer subscriptions).

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. 

Now on to the fun stuff!

February 2016 Normal/Combination Skin 


The products were securely packed in a cardboard box with the company logo on it. They also included an info card, which is very important for a box that deals with skincare, especially when the instructions and ingredients on the packaging may be in another language. The card doesn't contain an ingredients list, but they've provided an ingredients list for all of the products on the website here. Additionally, they've posted the contents of all of the February 2016 boxes here, which may help if you're having trouble deciding between skin types. Or maybe, like me, you just have to peek into everything. Look, we both know we've been through each others' medicine cabinets, so let's just own up to it and call it even, shall we?


What the card does contain is a brief description of each product and directions for how to use it. It also tells you where it fits into your routine, which I think was very smart and helpful. We're off to a great start!


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