3B Box is a monthly subscription box that helps you discover popular Asian beauty products.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: 3B Box
The Cost: $12 per month
The Products: 4-5 sample- and full-size Asian beauty products
Ships to: US
Check out the Beauty Subscription Box Directory for more skincare & makeup boxes!
Each month the products come packaged in an organza (or maybe tulle?) baggie.
Each bag comes with a helpful info card.
Lioele Eyelash Curler - $3.50
The Lioele (pronounced lee-oh-el-lee) eyelash curler is your basic curler with a rubbery grip. The materials don't feel high quality so my expectations are low in terms of performance. Also included are two extra rubber pads.
Leaders Black Aqua Pore Scaling Mask - $4
I love sheet masks! Plus I've used this Leaders mask before and really liked it. It contains charcoal, volcanic ash, as well as chlorella and green tea extracts to remove impurities while hydrating the skin. When I used this as part of my nightly routine, the material fit comfortably on my skin and it didn't leave my face sticky afterwards. After discarding the mask I poured the leftover essence from the packaging into my palm and applied it to my face.
Instructions on the packaging are in Korean. 3B Box's info card states to apply the mask onto face after cleansing and leave on for 20-25 minutes.
Etude House Look At My Eyes Cafe Eyeshadow in BR401 - $4.60
This is a shimmery light brown eyeshadow that feels super buttery soft. Just one light swipe from my finger gives good pigmentation, but it sheers out when blended with a brush. Korean makeup styles focus more on natural, sheerer eye looks compared to, let's say, the bold and pigmented look you can get from MAC. Therefore if your Korean eyeshadows wear sheerer than those from Western brands, it may be intentional. See swatch below.
As a side note, I'm pretty sure the BR401 shade I received is from Etude House's Look At My Eyes line and not the Look At My Eyes Cafe line. Slightly different name but definitely different colors.
Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream 5g sample - $1.50
I used to own a full-size tube of this but ended up giving it to a friend who had been wanting to try it. I felt like a proud mom sending her child off to college... if you can consider beauty products as children? Anyway, receiving this little tube was like said child coming home temporarily for winter break. The cream is thick but not heavy on the skin. It's also scentless and best of all, not sticky! The lightweight formula and matte finish works really really well for my skin. I'm sad the sample isn't bigger.
This cream, which contains snail mucin and bee venom, claims to heal acne, soothe skin, and hydrate. I'm adventurous when it comes to skincare ingredients so bee venom doesn't bother me and snail slime is old news. However I know this sentiment may differ for the snail shy or for those in search of vegan products.
Top is the Etude House eyeshadow, swatched with a finger. Bottom is the oh-so-wonderful Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream.
Verdict: This month's 3B Box was ok for me. On one hand, I love the Leaders mask and Benton Steam Cream. On the other hand, the value is about $13.60, only slightly higher than the cost. I know that previous months have delivered better value, so February is hopefully just an exception. Overall the 3B Box is still an affordable way to get introduced to Asian beauty.
If you're thinking of signing up, all new subscribers get put on a waitlist (I was waitlisted for a couple months).
Also, a note about retail values. The thing about Asian beauty is that it's hard to determine a true retail value. Many times you can find individual items you receive in subscription boxes for cheaper on internationally-based retailers or on Amazon. Cheaper prices, however, do not account for other factors such as shipping costs, slow international shipping time, or item quality.
What do you think of this month's 3B Box?
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