Unboxing Beauty

The 3B Box has been suffering lately in terms of “new” product releases as a discovery service.  Last month was an improvement in the quality of products, but not with new brand releases.   What is 3B (Beauty Beyond Borders)?  It is an Asian sample monthly subscription box and is very affordable at $12.00/monthly.  It is similar to ipsy and Birchbox, where you get 4 to 5 deluxe samples (and sometimes a full sized item!)

If you are interested in 3B, you can sign up for their waitlist ~ it took me almost 2 months to get off their waitlist, which is fine, because they are being very careful not to have their service suffer by over subscribing customers.  More about 3B’s monthly service:

Each box contains a collection of deluxe samples that are new or popular in Asia but hard to get your hands on. The products will change each month, and you’ll get to try new skincare, haircare, nailcare, and cosmetic products. Sample products range from go-to brands such as Lioele, Etude House and Skinfood to high-end premium brands like SK-II, Kanebo, and Sulwhasoo. Don’t worry about not being able to read Japanese or Korean – we’ve got you covered with English translations of descriptions in each box. (https://the3bbox.com/the-box/)

 

Informational Card

Botanic Farm Natural Energy Mask ~ Rice  I like Botantic Farm products and have used their grain ferment sherbet cleanser ~ I love the scent of that product ~ very yeasty! I have tried some of their Natural Energy masks series but not the Rice one, so I am excited about trying this mask.   This is an engendering mask with pure rice extract and will clean your skin and more dirt and debris.  This is a brightening and cooling mask to help revive dull skin and not only does it have rice extract (20mg), it contains something called “Herb (Hurb) Complex”  which is made up of

• 녹차 – Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis)
• 금은화 – Honeysuckle (Lonicera Japonica)
• 백작약 – White Peony (Paeonia Albiflora)
• 황금 – Scutellaria Baicalensis
• 고삼 – Sophora Angustifolia
• 도엽- Something leaves.  I am not sure – but I have the feeling this is the Peach Leaves (Prunus Persica)
• 은행잎 – Ginkgo Biloba

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All of the Natural Energy Masks have the Herb Complex, made with a natural cellulose sheet mask and is free from: parabens, mineral oil, sulfates, synthetic dye, silicone, animal raw materials and talc (7 free).    Value $2.00

Description: Rice is known for its rich fiber content which helps purify the skin while promoting a clear, trouble-free skin. It is also perfect for those with sensitive skin as rice also helps calm irritated skin while also minimizing redness and inflammation. This mask also contains essential oils and herb extracts that supply abundant nourishment to the skin.

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Alcohol,  PEG-75, Citrus Paradisi (grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Oryza Sativa (rice) Extract (20mg), Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract,  Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Lonicera Japonica (honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Prunus Persica  (peach) Leaf Extract Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract,  Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance  cosDNA.com analysis

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Benton Honest Cleansing Foam I have tried this foam before and one of the issues that others might have with it is the   higher pH level ~ personally, I use this as a body wash for other reasons.   This isn’t a fantastic cleansing foam, otherwise, I would use it despite its pH level.  I will give you a quick overview of my review of this foam ~ if you wish to read the original review, please click here.

This product does contain Palm Oil, but I asked Benton about it they used sustainable palm oil, and their response was that they are using RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil in this product. The scent is a fresh, clean soap scent.   Benton Honest Foam Cleanser looks to have a pH level of 7 – 8, which is high for a facial cleanser.    Some of the colors look to be lower, but since some are higher, I am going to give this that range.  I would not say it is a 9 or 10.   I am not an expert in pH level testing so that is why I have included the 3 photos so you can review this yourself and draw your own conclusions.  I also read and took the photos of the strip when it was still wet, so it will bump up the reading about .4. 

I didn’t find it drying on my face, but it didn’t wow me either.  I used this foam as a body wash or brush cleanser.  Sample Size 8 g Value .65 cents

Product Description:  We called it the Benton Honest Cleansing Foam because you could be reassured of using the product due to its honest ingredients used in making the product.  In order to have a healthy face wash, Benton Honest Cleansing Foam cleanses fatigued skin caused by various stress and pollution. This natural cleansing foam not only cleanses your face but further moisturizes your skin to minimize dryness of your skin.

Ingredients: Water, Potassium Stearate, Glycerin, Potassium Myristate, Potassium Laurate, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyquaternium-10, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Phytosterol, Lecithin, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ceramide 3, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract  cosDNA.com analysis

Lador Sleeping Clinic Ampoule  I really am enjoying the Lador items that I use now (see my review here on some Lador hair care products) and this is a new item for me.  Its official name is Keratin Power Fill Up Sleeping Clinic Ampoule and it will provide intensive hair treatment to nourish scalp and hair.  It is supposed to help make your hair strands more strong and will result in healthier and softer hair.  You apply this at night time, so that it has overnight and will create a strong barrier that coats your hair strands to prevent further damage.   You are to apply this on clean damp hair in the evening and then air or blow dry before sleeping.  I wash my hair in the morning, so I will have to save this for when I color my hair, which I do in the evening.   20 mL RV $5.00

Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, PEG-14M,  Propylene Glycol,  Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Gelatin, Avena Sativa (oat) Kernel Extract, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Leaf Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Seed Extract, Brassica Campestris (rapeseed) Sprout Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Amodimethicone, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, Polyacrylate-13, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolyme, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 60, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol

 

It’s Skin Color Play Powder Eyeshadow  This is a pale shimmery peach-pink color that is great as a highlighter for your cheekbones or accents on your eyes.  It is smooth and silky, and it really is a radiant color.   It is a shimmer/glitter shade, but there isn’t a lot of fall out with this, so I am pretty happy with it.  This is shade number 21 and the colors varied this month and I saw shades from lavender to cream to cocoa ~ I think I would have loved the cocoa shade best!  RV $3.40

Too Cool For School Egg Mellow Cream   I have used the Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Pack (review here)  and I did really enjoy it so I will give these sample packets a try ~ I didn’t like the facial sheet mask, so right now, the egg series is 50-50 for me.  This is a 5 in 1 cream ~ toner, serum, cream, eye cream and mask and it is highly concentrated.  It contains 98% collagen fibers (100 pm), Inca omega oil, albumin (egg white) protein extracts and 3% egg yolk extracts. Egg whites hydrate your skin and leave it radiant, while egg yolks will increase your moisture level and leave your skin smooth.  The collagen fibers is created from hydrolyzed collagen which is flash frozen at -120 C to preserve the active ingredients and will help increase skin elasticity.   I plan to use this as an eye cream and see how it works.   This does look to be a very sticky cream, so this will be used at night time.  I do appreciate that The 3B Box gave us 7 foils to try this out for a week.  7 foil samples  RV $2.00

Ingredients: water, isohexadecane, glycerin, egg yolk extract, triethylhexanoin, sorbitan stearate, stearic acid, butylene glycol, niacinamide, cetyl alcohol, sorbitan oleate, dioscorea japonica root extract, phellinus linteus extract, arctium lappa root extract, piper methysticum leaf/stem/root extract, portulaca oleracea extract, pueraria thunbergiana root extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, paeonia lactiflora bark/sap extract, cnidium officinale root extract, albumen extract, soluble collagen, plukenetia volubilis seed oil, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hydrogenated lecithin, argania spinosa kernel oil, sodium hyaluronate, dimethicone, 1,2-hexanediol, polysorbate 60, sucrose cocoate, tromethamine, ethylhexylglycerin, carbomer, polyquarterium-51, glycosyl trehalose, glyceryl polymethacrylate, squalane, hydrogenated polyisobutene, alcohol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate,  raffinose, disodium EDTA, biosaccharide gum-1, adenosine, isononyl isononanoate, polyglyceryl-10 stearate,  lecithin, cetearyl alcohol, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, polyglyceryl-2 dipolyhydroxystearate,  hydrolyzed collagen, panthenol, xanthan gum, inulin lauryl carbamate, folic acid, ceramide 3,  cholesterol, disodium stearoyl glutamate, pullulan, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, fragrance, phenoxyethanol, Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Yellow 6 (CI 15985)  cosDNA.com analysis

 

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Again, none of these products are that new, so The 3B Box is not living up to their “discovery” claim.  I do like Botanic Farms, Lador product and eyeshadow ~ even though the eyeshadow is very much discontinued ~ and Too Cool For School samples will be fun to try (but they aren’t a new release either).   There were 3 full sized items, even though 2 of them are one time use products, and 2 sample items.    Again,  I wish The 3B Box would have more new and unique products, but that doesn’t seem to be happening right now.   I paid $12.00 for this and received a RV of  $13.05,  which is pretty low in value.

Did you receive The 3B box this month?  What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!

[ descriptions in italics from linked product website ]