My favorite part of being a Kbeauty blogger is discovering all the exciting things the industry has to offer. New brands are launched all the time, and the existing players release wonderful and innovative products to keep or capture market share. It’s really a great time to be alive.
Of course, I am just one person (and a busy one with a job and kids and laundry that never ever gets finished), so I can’t possibly discover all of this “newness” on my own. I was thrilled when Sophie’s Beauty Box creators contacted me and offered to send me their November 2019 box.
At first, I thought this was one of the subscription boxes that are so popular right now (where you get a variety of surprise items every so often), but instead it’s a brand discovery box. A quick look on Sophie’s Box Instagram showed me that they partner with brands to introduce influencers to the best in Korean beauty innovation. I suppose I could call myself an influencer now? Cool.
Again, I expected maybe 3-5 products in the mail. Imagine my surprise when this chest showed up:
This thing was HUGE and full to the brim with head to toe Korean beauty. Really, it’s head to toe. Twenty one products in total, from shampoo and body wash to nutrition drinks. There’s even a little exfoliating loofah. Sweet.
One of the struggles of kbeauty shopping (for me, at least) is lack of ingredients lists and sometimes even instructions in English. So I very much appreciated that Sophie’s box included a printed Sophie’s K-Beauty Self-Care Guide From Head to Toe booklet. It talks about each step/product, so I was not simply left to my own devices to figure out how and when to use them.
The retail value is around $500 (I did some quick math, so don’t hold me to it). Out of all the brands included, the only one I have previously tried was #Huangjisoo (click on the hash tag to read my reviews). It’s a very high quality vegan brand designed by a doctor. Their cleansing oil is my all time favorite first cleanser. Based on that alone, I know that the box was carefully curated with high quality content. The other brands featured are Bepure, Logically, Skin, Rated Green, La Muse, Let Me Skin, Everydaze, Elensilia, Lissederm, J. Estina, and Georganic.
It would be unwise (to say the least) to introduce 21 new products to the skin all at once. In case of a reaction, I wouldn’t be able to tell what exactly caused it. I am a person of integrity, so I will not tell you that I have tried all of these. I have been trying some of them, carefully, slowly, and posting first impressions on my Instagram. Follow me there to see more (and to be alerted about new blog posts). I also talked about the J. Estina lip balm in this video. As I use everything more and more (and long enough to talk about lasting effects vs just first impressions), I will be posting full reviews here on the blog and mini reviews on Instagram.
The Bepure scalp massager is an instant favorite. I think everyone should own one - massaging the scalp gently while shampooing is a heavenly sensation. Plus, it promotes blood circulation which can be helpful for healthy hair. I’m also loving the Huangjisoo peeling pads (which are larger than regular toner pads I’ve used previously), the Logically, Skin mist and J. Estina lip balm.
So far, I can tell that the products have been carefully selected. Sophie’s box Instagram account has very helpful infographics about each one, highlighting if the product is vegan, paraben-free and so on. I find that information invaluable and hard to find in English in other places.
As someone who’s been heavily into kbeauty for several years now, I appreciate this amazing opportunity to discover new brands. To receive a large box full of products and only be previously aware of two of them is lovely. So, thank you, Sophie’s Box, for choosing me. I think the brands that partner with you are gaining great exposure, which I’m sure is what they are striving to achieve.
Have you tried any of these brands? If so, what do you think?
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Happy holidays!