UNBOXING: July 2015 MISHIBOX

I don't know what it is about receiving packages in the mail, but I find it so unbelievably fun and exciting; it makes it feel like Christmas! And yes, I am the girl that waits around for the mailman to come by every day LOL. Because of my undying love for mail, I tend to get obsessed with subscription box services. More specifically, I have grown a huge obsession with those that cater to us K-beauty lovers and specialize in sending Asian goodies to our mailbox! 

Today I will be unboxing and reviewing the July 2015 MISHIBOX that they kindly sent for reviewing purposes. I have previously mentioned all the details about MISHIBOX in a previous post, which you can find HERE. 

WHAT IS MISHIBOX?

A quick synopsis: MISHIBOX is relatively a new beauty box subscription service that focuses solely on Korean beauty and make-up products. The products can range from skincare, makeup, body care, haircare, and etc.

Cost: $19.95 (FREE SHIPPING)

What you get: 4 to 6 deluxe-sized samples and full-sized Korean beauty products

As a quick side note: When reviewing subscription boxes, I am not only looking for a high value for the amount of money I paid (even though this box was sent free of charge, I review it as if I paid with it for my own money; I try to be unbiased and honest as possible), but also looking for practical products that can be of use, the size of the deluxe samples or full-sized products, the brands included, and how well the box is curated. I will be honest with everything I review and say my suggestions with a kind and open heart. :)

UNBOXING

Kwailnara Touch Therapy Cacao Pore Clear Nose Sheet (Deluxe Sample - 1 Sheet) - RETAIL VALUE: ~$1 ($10 for full-sized pack of 10 sheets)

WHAT: Keep your nose sebum and blackhead free with this blackhead patch made with cacao extract for sebum absorption and witch hazel extract for pore contraction.

 THOUGHTS: I have a love-hate relationship with nose strips: I hate them because they're bad for your skin and your pores, but I love them because it gets out so much hard-to-reach gunk from my pores!

Kwailnara Hand Essence in Avocado, Pink Peach, or Blueberry (FULL SIZE) - RETAIL VALUE: $7

WHAT: Moisturize your hands with this light hand essence. The Avocado essence is rich in vitamin E for a consistent moisturizing effect, Pink Peach is rich in Vitamin A for keeping your hands supple & healthy-looking, and Blueberry is rich in Vitamin C and E for a powerful antioxidant effect.

THOUGHTS: I received the Pink Peach and this is such a wonderful and deliciously scented product. The moment I tried it out on my dry and dull hands, they transformed instantaneously becoming hydrated and glowing! This product seemed thicker than a usual lotion, but when rubbed in, it absorbed quickly leaving my hands soft and nourished. The hand essence was actually very lightweight and moisturizing. It didn't leave a greasy residue that most lotions tend to leave behind. 

It's Skin Macaron Lip Balm in Strawberry, Green Apple, Grape, or Pineapple (FULL SIZE) - RETAIL VALUE: $10 

WHAT: This adorable and fruit scented lip balm looks good enough to eat --but please do not eat! It is formulated with vitamin derivatives and fruit extracts to provide moisture and nourishment for your healthy lips.

THOUGHTS: I received the Grape Macaron and it is TO-DIE-FOR. It smells heavenly and I literally would eat it if it was edible. Not only does it smell amazing, it's also super cute. I mean, who doesn't like macarons?! This lip balm is very moisturizing and helps keeps my lips ultra soft throughout the day.

MISSHA The Style Lip & Eye Makeup Remover in Regular or Green Tea (FULL SIZE) - RETAIL VALUE: Regular is $9 | Green Tea is $10

WHAT: Remove makeup residue and other impurities from the sensitive lip & eye areas without any irritation. Regular is great for removing waterproof makeup and Green Tea is great for those with sensitive skin.

THOUGHTS: I received the Makeup Remover in Green Tea and I am loving the heart shaped bottle and cap! I am also a Green Tea fiend and will buy anything with those words attached to it. Even though this is a full-sized product, it is relatively small compared to my other make-up removers which means that it will be a perfect makeup remover for traveling! The cap twists on/off and clicks to ensure a tight closure and no spilling. 

Confume Argan Gold Hair Pack (Deluxe Sample - 30ml) - RETAIL VALUE: ~$0.75 ($25 for 1000ml)

WHAT: This hair pack is made with argan oil AKA "God's oil" to repair damaged hair and help maintain your hair's elasticity. This hair pack also makes your hair voluminous and contributes to a healthy scalp. The coconut and almond oil will also keep your hair moisturized and luminous.

THOUGHTS: I am really happy this product was a deluxe sized sample! I'm always trying to carry along my big bottles of hair treatments with me during vacation, but now I don't need to. This hair pack smells divine!

MJ Care Essence Mask in Charcoal, Snail, Seaweed, Royal Jelly, Pearl, and Green Caviar (FULL SIZE) - RETAIL VALUE: $2

WHAT: Enjoy a relaxing experience with this specially formulated sheet mask made with highly concentrated active ingredients to make your skin elastic, moisturized, and clear.

THOUGHTS: I actually don't like the fact how they include sheet masks as being a "full-sized" item. Technically, it IS a full-sized sheet mask, but sheet masks never come in sample sizes... It's also a one-use type of product, so I see it more of as a "sample".

COST OF BOX: $19.95

TOTAL BOX VALUE (according to MISHIBOX prices): ~$30.75

TOTAL BOX VALUE (according to cheapest prices I could find online): ~$29.35

REVIEW

First of all, lets talk about shipping. MISHIBOX typically ships out their boxes on the 15th-20th of the month with Priority 2-day shipping. The boxes arrive to your doorstep within 1-3 days, so you won't have to endure the torture of waiting for too long! The shipping time is the fastest shipping I have ever seen with any subscription box EVER, and I love that!

Another wonderful thing about MISHIBOX is that every single product comes with English descriptions and instructions! This makes figuring out how to use the products and what they're for a breeze. Usually I have a difficult time trying to decipher through the Korean instructions, so I'm glad I don't have to with the products in the boxes. MISHIBOX also caters to those who are very ingredient-conscious by posting up English ingredient lists on their website for the products that they send.

The products MISHIBOX included for the month of July was just okay in my opinion. I tend to like a lot of variety between the products when I subscribe to a beauty box. Unfortunately, this box included skincare products, a body care product, and a hair care product, but there wasn't any makeup included whatsoever. I love Korean makeup as much as I love Korean skincare and I wish there was a more even mix between the two. I do understand that this is only MISHIBOX's second beauty box, so they're still new and trying to find out what their customers like. MISHIBOX has done a fantastic job trying to figure out what their customers want in their boxes and are trying to cater to them, so I am proud of their effort and hopefully they'll keep my suggestions in mind!

I did enjoy the slight variety they had with the products such as the lip balm flavors, the different sheet mask essences, the hand cream, and also the makeup remover. The fact that they were able to mix it up a bit, without giving everybody totally different products (which can usually cause disappointment and jealousy), is something I look for when deciding on a subscription box.

MISHIBOX costs roughly $20 a month and that's pretty pricey considering that a lot of K-beauty brands are relatively cheap. The value for this month's box was approximately $31 according to the prices that MISHIBOX put on the informational card. With a little digging, I researched the products online trying to find the cheapest prices to see how close (or marked up) MISHIBOX's prices were and to my delightful surprise, they were on point! Most companies tend to mark up the prices a lot when including them in beauty boxes to make the value inflated and seem higher than it really is. I applaud MISHIBOX for keeping it real! The value of the box is only about $11 higher than what you actually paid; it's not a tremendous amount, but you are still saving a lot of money!

Overall I think MISHIBOX did a decent job with only their second box! I could stand for a bit more makeup instead of mostly skincare, but I'm not complaining since I do love skincare just as much! 

MISHIBOX is perfect for those who are new to K-beauty! If you don't have a lot of Korean products or just want to try more from different brands (well-known and not-so-well-known), then this is the box for you! By looking at the past MISHIBOXes, I don't think this subscription service would work well for die-hard K-beauty lovers who already have a huge stash of products since you'll probably already own half of these products. ;)

Overall I think MISHIBOX did a decent job with only their second box! I could stand for a bit more makeup instead of mostly skincare, but I'm not complaining since I do love skincare just as much! MISHIBOX only costs $19.95 a month and is definitely worth the value. You can subscribe to them HERE!

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN MORE K-BEAUTY BOXES...

I have reviewed several other K-beauty and Asian beauty subscription boxes, so if you are interested in what I thought about the boxes and the services, check them out below!

3BBox (aka Beauty Beyond Boarders) - HERE (Info/background), HERE (Dec 2014 Box Review)

Meikoko's BCDation Box - HERE 

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for reviewing purposes; all reviews are, and will always be, my own 100% honest opinions. This post also contains a referral link.