A few weeks ago, Memebox released some value sets that were of major interest to me, of which one was a Secret Key value set. I know that Secret Key is considered a low end cosmetic brand in Korea, but every product I have received from them, I have loved! From the Intense Ice sleeping pack ~ which is so wonderful in the summertime ~ to their Honey Bee AC line ~ I’ve used the mist, spot treatment and cleanser with great success ~ to eye makeup remover ~ I have enjoyed their products very much. I had been wanting a Secret Key branded Memebox like FOREVER. I had been suggesting it at makeuptalk.com forums, as Memebox is a sponsor of makeuptalk.com and they do read there (they are affectingly known as Memespies there)
I never got the Secret Key branded Memebox, but they did come out with a value set that was retailing at $116.00 and they sold this Value Set for $35.00, which included shipping. At long last, as it spend a long time in NY customs, I received my Secret Key Value Set! This is, alas, sold out…but Memebox just released an Edition 2 ~ slightly different, but still a fantastic value.
Secret Key Holiday Edition Value Set
- Black Out Pore Minimizing Pack
- Color Recipe Cream in Yellow Cream
- Berry Milk Hand Cream
- New Repairing Eye Cream
- Perfume Body Mist in Sugar Lemon
- Miniature Starting Treatment Essence
Black Out Pore Minimizing Pack I have the Black Out Pore Toner and I did use it all up. It really helped with my oil and clean out my pores. I love a good Volcanic clay mask treatment. This is a dark grey in color, very creamy and has a very strong scent of clay. This contains volcanic ash (bentonite) from the Jeju Island, which absorbs oil six times more than charcoal. Centella Asiatic extract is an excellent anti-inflammatory. This pack also has charcoal, which explains the dark color, black garlic, black sugar and white clay to really help clean out pores and absorb excess oil. Peat water is an antioxidant and antiseptic, high in Vitamin E and other minerals, while papaya extract is a natural enzyme, which helps exfoliate and remove dead skin cells, improving skin tone and hyper-pigmentation from sun damage. This pack does not have any parabens, mineral oil, phenoxyethanol, coloring or flavoring additives. Full Size 55 grams Value $12.33 ~ $16.00
Product Description: This powerful, skin-clearing Black Out Pore Minimizing Pack visibly draws out dirt and congestion while a proprietary blend of charcoal, black sugar and black garlic to dramatically brighten and soften skin. It works magnetically to draw out dirt and pores, leaving skin smooth and healthy-looking.
How To Use: Apply a thin layer to clean skin. Leave on for 10-15 minutes and rinse thoroughly
Ingredients: water, bentonite (volcanic ash), propylene glycol, kaolin (clay), PEG-75, alcohol denat., polysorbate 60, betaine, charcoal powder, macadamia integrifolia seed oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, allium sativum (garlic) bulb extract, carica papaya (papaya) fruit extract, centella asiatica extract, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, glycine soja (soybean) seed extract), sesamum indicum (sesame) seed extract, oryza sativa (rice) extract, xanthan gum, polyepsilon-lysine, sucrose, disodium EDTA, peat water cosDNA.com analysis
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key—Black-Out-Pore-Minimizing-Pack-100g/KRSKEYSK0001874
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key—Black-Out-Pore-Minimizing-Pack-100g/KRSKEYSK0001874
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key—Black-Out-Pore-Minimizing-Pack-100g/KRSKEYSK0001874
Color Recipe Yellow Cream This is a brightening cream, which I am getting more and more into these days. I’ve been noticing the sun damage from the years of living in Los Angeles without sunscreen!! Well, I had sunscreen, but only applied it when I was going to the beach 😦 This is a gel with little yellow capsules and it smells like freshly squeezed lemons ~ it is bright and effervescent. This does have jasmine extract in it, but since I am only allergic to the scent and I cannot smell any jasmine in this cream, I am sure it will fine for me to use. However, I will do the test patch and wait overnight to see what happens. This cream can be using daily, for both morning and night time use. This has alcohol in it, which is a pain for me. I like alcohol in my toners and drinks, but not in my moisturizers if I can help it. I will save this cream for the summertime, where it might be better for my oily skin during the heat. This gel goes on very watery and absorbs quickly into my skin after I massage it in. Full Size 55 gram Value $10.80 ~ $16.00
Product Description: This high-performance skin-brightening facial cream delivers powerful vitamins to the skin, fighting external damage, increasing luminosity and supporting natural collagen for a visibly brighter, firmer, more youthful appearance. Antioxidant rich vitamin capsules burst onto the surface of the skin to deliver cosmic doses of nutrients to the skin. Paraben-free, mineral oil-free, benzophenone-free, phenoxyethanol-free, animal cruelty-free.
Ingredients: water, glycerin, butylene glycol, niacinamide, alcohol denat., sodium hyaluronate, betaine, aloe vera leaf extract, boswellia serrata resin extract, lemon extract, mulberry root extract, jasmine extract, capryl hydroxamic acid, caprylyl glycol, hydroxyethylcellulose, carbomer, PEG-60 hydrogenated caster oil, calciumalginate, glyceryl polyacrylate, gellan gum, agar, mica, titanium dioxide, disodium EDTA, triethanolamine, 1,2-hexanediol, CI77491, fragrance cosDNA.com analysis
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key—Color-Recipe-Cream-55g/KRSKEYSK0001870
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key—Color-Recipe-Cream-55g/KRSKEYSK0001870
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key—Color-Recipe-Cream-55g/KRSKEYSK0001870
Berry Milk Hand Cream I like donkey milk products, just not the oil ones. This hand cream is made with donkey milk and 3 types of berry extracts ~ raspberry, blueberry and blackberry ~ which will moisturize and smooth your hands as well as hyaluronic acid which acts as a protection layer to trap moisture in and collagen, which enhances moisture and skin elasticity. This hand cream is not sticky or heavy, absorbs quickly, has no fragrance from what I can tell and is berry great to have on hand 😉 Full Size 60 mL Value $3.60 ~ $10.00
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key–1-1–Berry-Milk-Hand-Cream-60ml/KRSKEYSK0002534/
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key–1-1–Berry-Milk-Hand-Cream-60ml/KRSKEYSK0002534/
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key–1-1–Berry-Milk-Hand-Cream-60ml/KRSKEYSK0002534/
Snail + EGF Repairing Eye Cream Okay, we all know what snail mucus (snail slime) extract is by now, but what is EGF? EGF is Epidermal Growth Factor, which stimulates cell growth and aids in renewal and repairing of skin/cells. This is a natural ingredient, which is a protein. Snail slime, as we all know, is used for its miraculous repairing proprieties to heal and strengthen skin and locks in moisture. It also helps with evening out and brightening skin tone. Adenoisine and arbutin will help with reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles. This product also has a fermented (saccharomyces) legume aka Chinese Pea Shrub aka Caragana Sinica. Saccharomyces is just another term for Galactomyces, I believe ~ they might use different micro-organisms to ferment the ingredient, but the end result is the same. The reason why I mention this is that cosDNA.com doesn’t recognize saccharomyces, but it does recongize galactomyces. I’ve also have an image of the Mycologia family, so you can see that they are kissin’ cousins. Koh Gen Do uses this ingredient in their products and you pay a lot more for them too! This product has received a certification of Korea Food & Drug Administration in reducing wrinkles and brightening skin. This is an eye cream that has no scent to it and it very creamy in texture. It absorbs quickly into my skin, leaving it hydrated without being sticky. Full Size 30 mL Value $9.29 ~ $12.98
Product Description: This rich eye cream smooths the eye contour while lifting and firming the skin around the eyes. Snail mucin extracts and powerful youth-preserving ingredients smooth out wrinkles and helps to minimize the appearance of dark circles, leaving the eyes looking younger and more radiant.
Ingredients: water, cetearyl alcohol, macadamia ternifolia seed oil, arbutin, niacinamide, butylen glycol, snail secretion filtrate, steareth-2, squalane, hydrogenated vegeterble oil, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) seed extract, beta-glucan, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, panthenol, human oligopeptide-1, saccharomyces/caragana sinica root ferment extract, dimethicone, propylene glycol, lechithin, adenosine, propylaparaben, methylparaben, fragrance cosDNA.com analysis
To see full report and image, click on the Mycologia Family Tree ~ it is found on page 3
image from http://www.en.secretkey.co.kr/pdf/SecretKey_product_lntroduction_english%20130802.pdf
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-key—Snail-EGF-Repairing-eye-cream-30g/KRSKEYAA0000559
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-key—Snail-EGF-Repairing-eye-cream-30g/KRSKEYAA0000559
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-key—Snail-EGF-Repairing-eye-cream-30g/KRSKEYAA0000559
Perfume Body Mist in Sugar Lemon I am not sure what the heck this smells like. I catch a soapy scent, maybe a light pineapple, but it isn’t lemony or citrusy. The Yellow Cream was a lemony scent and I was expecting this to be like that, but it is not at all. I am not sure if that is “rose” as in rose petals. 로즈 is rosa canina, which is normally the dog rose plant, and I am not allergic to that. At any rate, I do not smell rose, I am not sneezing and I did a patch test on my skin and no reaction. This is not what I had thought it would be like and I wouldn’t use it on my body. To freshen up clothing or as a room spray, maybe. Maybe my nose is not working properly or something. Full Size 80 mL Value $6.30
Product Description: This refreshing perfumed body mist lightly scents the skin with the clean, citrusy sweet scent of lemon and crushed sugar cubes while providing hydration and antioxidant benefits. Lift your spirits and be instantly refreshed. It has a fruity top note – lemon, lime, pineapple and pine scents, a relaxing floral middle note composed of freesia, lilac, orange flower and rose, and an earthy cedarwood base note.
Key Ingredients: mangosteen, fermented bean extract
image from http://www.secretkey.co.kr/FrontStore/iGoodsView.phtml?iCategoryId=183&iCategoryIdMain=183&iGoodsId=0013_00016
image from http://www.secretkey.co.kr/FrontStore/iGoodsView.phtml?iCategoryId=183&iCategoryIdMain=183&iGoodsId=0013_00016
Miniature Starting Treatment Essence ahhh….back in the good ol’ days, my Office Essential box was supposed to have the Starting Treatment Aura Facial Spray and it wasn’t in that box. It was the only reason why I purchased that box. I purchased the Aura facial spray on eBay and I love it. So, now, I have a mini essence from the same line and OMG, it is ever small!! This item is full of good stuff for your face: Galactomyces (my yeasty friend), which has over 50% of proteins, plus Vitamin B1, B2, Niacin and Folic Acid, all which are nourishing and moisturizing to your skin. This is a watery essence, almost the same consistency as my facial spray. This fermented product has 7 functions: moisturizing, antioxidant, anti-wrinkle, calming/soothing, whitening (brightening), elasticity and smoothing the skin’s surface. Contains no parabens, mineral oil, benzophenone, alcohol, animal oil, artificial color or artificial fragrance Mini Size 30 mL Value $3.13 ~ $3.60
For comparison, my 100 mL facial mist ~ looks pretty much the same in consistency
Product Description: Starting Treatment Essence is a must-have for healthy radiant skin. It helps maintain the skin’s natural renewal cycle to its optimum condition to allow skin nourishment. It also works to balance the skin, so oily and dry areas are properly moisturized.
Key Ingredients: Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Albutin, Adenosine, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract , Grapefruit extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, chamomile extract, green tea extract, centella asiatica extrat, witch hazel extract, portulaca oleracea extract, ground cherry fruit extract, chopi tree (Japanese pepper tree) fruit extract
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key—Starting-Treatment-Essence-155ml/KRSKEYSK0001864
image from http://beautynetkorea.com/product/Secret-Key—Starting-Treatment-Essence-155ml/KRSKEYSK0001864
image from http://www.en.secretkey.co.kr/pdf/SecretKey_product_lntroduction_english%20130802.pdf
This value set was $35.00 including shipping and it is a $45.62 ~ $64.88 value, which is a far, far cry from the $116.00 value that Memebox stated. However, I am pleased with all of these products and probably wouldn’t have picked out a few of them on my own, so I feel this was a good set to get. Also, SIX products for that price ~ if I wanted to purchase them at beautynetkorea, you can see I wouldn’t break my budget by doing so. Secret Key is always a good deal and if you haven’t tried their products, you should! They are inexpensive enough that if it doesn’t work for you, you won’t feel like you wasted a lot of money. I am only mentioning beautynetkorea.com because Memebox doesn’t seem to stock these particular Secret Key items right now, and BNK does, with free shipping! Did you get any of the Value Sets that Memebox was offering? Please comment below! I am always interested in my reader’s thoughts 🙂
Promos for December
I would love it if you use my links!
- MEMEBUNDLE3: Get $5 off on orders when you buy 3 or more Memeboxes
- MEMEBUNDLE4: Get $8 off on orders when you buy 4 or more Memeboxes
- FREESHIPPING: Get free shipping on purchases over $70 on only Memeshop items
- AFFILIATE-2841-R8H5H-KEQP $5.00 discount on orders above $100.00
- AFFILIATE-1654-71SPA-YBUU $10.00 discount on orders above $150.00
The last two codes you do not need to enter if you use my links to purchase products. They will be automatically apply to your order!
[ all descriptions in italics are from the linked website. All items were purchased by me ]
Unboxing Beauty 