Confession time - I love getting mail. There’s something thrilling about coming home and finding a box to open. Most of the time, it’s one of my orders of Korean beauty items, so something I already knew was coming. But it’s even more exciting if the contents of the package are a complete surprise!
I was recently approached by the creators of the Korean beauty box Joah Box offering to send me one of their monthly packages. I looked at the site and was pleasantly surprised by the curation of lesser-known brands, so I said yes.
On March 1st, a neatly packaged bundle arrived at my doorstep, directly from Korea! Of course, I dug right in. Inside was a “box in pouch” - a drawstring bag that contained several interesting and completely new to me Korean beauty and skincare items. I will go through each, one by one, and list my experiences and impressions so far.
1. Milimage Face Tone Cealer
This is a paraben, sulfate, and alcohol - free pallet of colors to conceal any skin imperfections, from redness to dark circles. It comes in a cute flat case with a built-in mirror.
Green - for red zones and pimples
Yellow - basic concealing and to neutralize dark circles
Purple - hides sallow complexion and yellow bruises
White - hides general discoloration
Each square is filled with a thick, creamy concealer that can be applied with a brush or fingers. I prefer fingers. The coverage is medium-full and can be layered to achieve the desired effect. I do not have the dark circle issues (a miracle, really, as a mom of a preschooler with baby #2 on the way), so I’ve mostly been testing the green color on an occasional blemish. The results are great - everything is hidden. I apply the concealer first, then put a cushion BB cream (currently using this one) over it. The coverage lasts all day and doesn't smudge or move.
2. Milimage Bashful Blusher in color 05
Another adorable Milimage case, just like with the Face Tone Cealer. I really love the packaging because it’s so lightweight yet seems durable.
The blusher inside is a creamy formula that can be applied with a brush or fingers, and even used as an eye shadow. I use my fingers as it is easier for me.
The color 05 fits my pale complexion well and makes me appear healthy and well rested without looking like I dipped my face into a paint bucket. It can be layered for a more dramatic effect; I stick with one light application that I blend in with fingertips.
3. British M Ethic Shampoo
A healing shampoo with 10 different plant-based ingredients that focus on a healthy scalp to minimize hair loss. The bottle is a good travel size (2.7 fl oz / 80 ml), definitely enough to form an opinion about the effectiveness and the overall feel of the product. The shampoo is sulfate-free and should work for all hair types, including color treated hair.
I’m extra excited about this item, because the baby is coming any day now, and many women experience postpartum hair loss. Yes, much of it is hormonal and cannot be helped, but I still like to do all I can. I'm saving this bottle for after the baby arrives.
4. Aqulabo Mask Boosting Jelly Mist
This product is specifically designed to make all your other skincare work better and penetrate deeper. It contains 99% natural ingredients (95% of them EWG certified as Green Grade). It’s best applied immediately after cleansing and comes in a convenient spray bottle.
A complex of amino acids gently softens the skin and makes the rest of your skincare do its job better. I’ve owned a booster product before (review here), but it wasn't in a mist form. In general, I’m a fan of boosters and I like this gel-to-liquid formula. The mist can also be used right before a sheet mask to maximize the results of the mask essence.
5. Butiqlab Premium Mask Pack for Moisturizing in Aloevera
What’s Korean beauty without sheet masks? I can’t even imagine such a world. This sheet mask contains soothing aloe to calm and hydrate all skin types. A nice finish to a beauty box, in my opinion.
6. Instructions booklet and a playing card
This is cute. I’m not sure what the purpose of the card is other than for branding and amusement, but I saved mine. It seemed too nice to throw away.
The booklet with product descriptions and instructions is invaluable, as most of these packages have wording exclusively in Korean. And sure, a blush is easy enough to figure out, but the jelly mist and the color correcting palette need more thorough explanations, conveniently included in the booklet.
Overall box impressions:
The Joah Box plans run from $35.95 to $31.67 USD a month, depending on the duration of your plan (the more months you sign up for, the cheaper each box). Each box ships for free and contains an assortment of 5-7 full-sized curated products of skincare and decorative makeup.
A note on the “full-sized” claim. In my particular box, the makeup was full-sized, but the shampoo and the mist are more of a “travel” size. The shampoo, for example, is typically sold in a 14.88 fl oz size and the jelly mist in a 6.76 fl oz size - larger than what comes in a Joah Box. However, these are definitely not single-use samples that many other boxes send, so I think it’s still a fair claim that you get 5-7 products that are sized well enough for you to truly enjoy them. As I mentioned, this box was gifted to me, but would I pay $36 for it? Yes, I would. I think the contents are well worth it.
The biggest part I love about this is the exposure to new-to-me brands. I haven’t owned a single item by any of these companies before. And that’s saying a lot, because I’ve been buying Korean beauty and skincare products for over two years now. It’s nice to see new and exciting things and not just the well known giants of Korean cosmetics. Plus, it lets people like me, who already have large stashes of skincare, order a box with confidence that we will not receive the same old tried and true products. And anyone new can play around with Korean cosmetics at a discount (versus buying everything individually).
Final verdict - I liked it, it was interesting and worth the cost. You can order your own Korean Beauty Box by Joah Box here.
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