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Sephora Favorites: Soko to Tokyo Review – October 2019

Marne Orenich
ByMarne OrenichNov 8, 2019 | 11 comments

Sephora is always releasing new Favorites Kits and one of the latest that I clearly needed is " Soko to Tokyo" which includes 9 skincare items inspired by beauty from South Korea and Japan.

FYI – this Sephora Kit is no longer available for purchase.

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

About this Sephora Favorite

The Box: Sephora Favorites: Soko to Tokyo

The Cost: $40.00 + shipping (a $124.00 value)

The Products:

0.1 oz/ 5 g AMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder
0.33 oz/ 10 mL BELIF The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb
0.16 oz/ 5 mL DR. JART+ V7 Priming Moisturizer
0.30 oz/ 10 mL Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask
0.1 Oz/ 3 g Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
0.33 Oz/ 10 mL Saturday Skin Bright Potion Probiotic Power Serum
0.84 Oz/ 25 mL Saturday Skin Cotton Cloud Probiotic Power Mask
0.33 Oz/ 10 mL Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate
1 oz/ 30 mL SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

Shipping: $5.95 if your purchase is under $50, free if you are VIB Rouge. This is also available in stores.

Sephora Favorites: Soko to Tokyo Review

The back of the box is where you'll find all the info you need on what's inside. This Sephora Favorite has 9 Asian skincare products to try out and see what works for you!

 

AMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder, 0.1 oz. - Estimated Value $3.41 (Buy a full-size 1.76 oz. for $60.00)

Wow- this product is really cool. I've tried other cleansing powders but I found this one to be much easier to control. It wasn't super messy like finer powders can be and it feels fantastic on my face while creating a nice soft foam lather. You can't tell in the photos, but it's actually a bright yellow and the powder it like a superfine salt consistency. Because of that, it also makes for gentle exfoliation and I was pleasantly surprised that it left my face feeling well hydrated. I'm very tempted to buy a full size of this one even though it's QUITE expensive for a cleanser.

 

belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb, 0.33 oz. - Estimated Value $7.46 (Buy a standard-size 1.68 oz. for $38.00)

belif True Cream Moisturizing Bomb is a classic to me. I've received it in several subscriptions in my day, and it always delivers ridiculously soft skin. Take off its cute little top hat to reveal a fresh smelling and super hydrating cream. It's just so light while still bringing powerful moisturization. Honestly- this cream is amazing. I am always more than pleased to have one of these in my travel bag.

 

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment, 0.16 oz. - Estimated Value $4.89 (Buy a full-size 1.7 oz. for $52.00)

I try a lot of products, as we all know. But once in a while one comes along that stops me in my tracks and makes me immediately scramble to get more of it. This is one of those. I've seen this line from Dr. Jart+ come through the office a decent bit (as well as seeing it in stores), but this is my first brush with the Tiger Grass series, Cicapair. How do I pronounce that? No clue, but boy oh boy do I love this color-correcting cream! It starts as a muddy light green color and turns into a beige that matches my skin tone and corrects the redness that I have on my chin as well as other spots on my face. It also includes SPF 30 which is a nice combo and makes me want to ditch my BB cream that I use instead of foundation. Like- the dream is to not wear something at all, but this is getting me even closer to that life. This is my new go-to and I pack it in my makeup bag or use it every day when I'm wearing makeup. It's magic, and it's so lightweight that it doesn't get cakey.

 

Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask, 0.30 oz. - Estimated Value $6.39 (Buy a full-size 2.3 oz. for $49.00)

I am becoming quite a fan of Glow Recipe products, the more I try them. After using most of the watermelon products, I saw this avocado product that contains retinol and got excited since I love a good sleep mask. This is a great trial size and has quite a few uses in the pale green pot. It's a little harder to the touch than expected, so I had to carve out a little scoop with my nail and get it softened between my fingers before applying it to my face before bed. I'd describe it as somewhere between a cream and a balm. It has almost no fragrance at all and I could feel how hydrating it was as soon as I was spreading it onto my face. Just a thin coat is needed, and in the morning I woke up to baby soft cheeks and tighter skin. This one gets my stamp of approval!

 

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, 0.1 oz. - Estimated Value $3.00 (Buy the full-size 0.7 oz. for $20.00)

At this point, this lip sleeping mask from Laneige is an old friend. I am slowly stockpiling these small pink tubs that keep my lips glossy and hydrated while I sleep. I just put a tiny bit of this berry lip mask on my pout before bed and wake up with softer lips that are more than kissable. This type of mask is especially important in the dry months that we're heading into!

 

Saturday Skin Bright Potion Probiotic Power Serum, 0.33 oz. - Estimated Value $16.83 (Buy a full-size 1 oz. for $51.00)

Dear Saturday Skin, you have the best packaging. This probiotic "power serum" comes in a cute holographic tube and is a thickish clear gel-like consistency with tiny beads in it that smoosh into the skin as I massage the serum into my face. It has a slight alcohol scent that I don't love but feels cooling and soothing. Just a little of this goes a long way and gives quite a brightening glow to the skin. It has seabuckthorn fruit extract with vitamins and omega fatty acids as well as cotton extract that contains vitamin E and polyphenols which are micronutrients. My skin literally glows after this and stays slightly tacky which makes for a decent primer.

 

Saturday Skin Cotton Cloud Probiotic Power Mask - Retail Value $6.00

I can't explain to you how happy it made me to open this mask and discover that the two little clouds with faces that were floating around near the top are stickers. Yes, I am a grown woman but this packaging makes me giddy as a pre-teen. The holographic package (similar to their serum, above) was fun enough, but STICKERS? Ugh, I love it. Saturday Skin, you are FUN. Now- the mask itself was also pretty much a dream. It is coated in a serum that is more like a moisturizer than a gel which made my day and also uses probiotics to help my skin look and feel its best. It didn't make my face feel sticky or gross at all either. This is the only true full-size item in the kit but well worth the $6 to buy again.

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, 0.33 oz. - Estimated Value $20.63 (Buy a 1.6 oz. for $100.00)

Wow- Shiseido, you are pricy, babe! This small bottle has a little over a third of an ounce and has a value of a little over $20, so I was expecting a lot. Truth be told, I didn't keep reaching for this one after I initially tried it. It has a scent that is pretty strong with alcohol with a dab of rose and although it feels amazing putting this serum on my skin, I think the scent was a little much. It's a little on the thinner side and has a great slippery feeling while also pumping moisture into my skin that made it look plump and dewy. There is a slight stickiness before it fully absorbs and it really makes my skin feel nice, but overall I think the scent is too much for me.

 

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, 1 oz. - Estimated Value $39.60 (Buy a 2.5 oz. for $99.00)

I've been seeing ads for this brand everywhere but haven't actually tried anything by them until this essence. Although totally clear and a thin liquid, this does slightly remind me of the Laneige Cream Skin Toner without being as milky or creamy. It's similar in the fact that it's slightly moisturizing and not drying at all. The star ingredient in this essence is Pitera which is a bio-ingredient derived from yeast fermentation that contains loads of vitamins and minerals that are similar to your skin's properties. I didn't find myself reaching for this one all that much either, but it is still nice to have in my travel bag as well and will feel fancy doing so with this pricy product.

The Verdict: The Sephora Favorites: Soko to Tokyo Kit was quite fun for me! I found some amazing new products that I can't wait to buy again and tried some brands I've been wanting to that didn't quite pan out for me personally. Overall, I LOVE trying new things and this kit was filled with exciting items that should make anyone interested in Asian skincare fill with delight. While this kit says it has a retail value of $124, I only came up with a value of $108.21, but for $40 and the joy it brought me, I still think it's worth it for the right person.

To Wrap Up:

Can you get this box if you order today? Unfortunately, this kit is no longer available.

Value Breakdown: At $45.95 ($40 + $5.95 shipping) for this kit, here's what you're paying per item:

  • AMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder - $1.45
  • belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb - $3.17
  • Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment - $2.08
  • Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Mask - $2.71
  • Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask - $1.27
  • Saturday Skin Bright Potion Probiotic Power Serum - $7.15
  • Saturday Skin Cotton Cloud Probiotic Power Mask - $2.58
  • Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate - $8.76
  • SK-II Facial Treatment Essence - $16.82

Check out all of our Sephora Favorites Kit reviews, plus the best skincare and beauty subscription boxes of 2019!

What do you think of the Sephora Favorites: Soko to Tokyo kit? Any heavy hitters here for you?

Marne Orenich
Marne Orenich
Marne is a lipstick connoisseur, record collector, and twice over cat mom. She loves discovering new clean beauty brands and has quite the collection of beautifully packaged serums and moisturizers.

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11 comments

Jody

Marne I just got the Shiseido sample and will be trying this week. I hope the scent isn’t too strong for me. I usually can’t tolerate too much scent in skincare for the face. I had no idea it was that pricey.
I love Saturday Skin too. Those clouds….I will have to get that mask.
Thanks.

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Gina

Marne, this box actually includes 10 products, and you only included 9 in your review. You forgot the 10 ml Primera Alpine Berry Water Cream, which is worth $8. That brings the total value up a bit.

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Annie S.

Don’t give up! Even if it’s not available on the website, it might still be in stores. I have seen it
in several stores this week during the sale. It might be worth calling around to your local stores if you really want the kit.

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Joy B.

LOL I didn’t even think of that! Good grief what is wrong with me?! I need to go there anyway to pick up my birthday prize so I will look for this then. Thank you so much! 🙂

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Luna

It is definitely still in stores! Of course, YMMV but I just picked up a kit an hour ago. 🙂

Joy B.

I am crossing all my fingers and toes that they restock this one. It contains seven things I have been dying to try and for $40 I consider it a steal! Maybe since it was so popular they will bring it back. Here’s hoping! Thank you for the awesome review!

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Tamar

Do these boxes generally go on sale or do they sell out first? This one looks really good but I’d love for it to come down by $5-$10.

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Coco

Marne noted this one is no longer available, so it must have sold out. Bummer – this looks much better to me than most of the pricier Advent calendars out there. Some of the Sephora kits eventually do go on sale if they don’t sell out, but not this one obviously.

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Dorothy

Sephora favorites themselves don’t usually go on sale but Sephora is having a 10 percent off sale for everybody until the 11th.

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Annie S.

I believe that you need to be a Beauty Insider to get the percentage off.

!0% for Beauty Insiders, 15% for VIB’s and 20% for VIBRogues.