PinkSeoul is a monthly Korean beauty subscription box curated to your skin type. They focus on customized, full-sized, and curated products that are designed to guide you in your K-beauty journey of discovery. You can also shop their online store for more K-beauty goodies!
PinkSeoul offers 3 subscription types. The PinkSeoul Box is $39.95 every two months with retail value over $60. The PinkSeoul Plus Box is recommended for subscribers age 35+, $49.95 every two months with retail value over $80. These two boxes are shipped bi-monthly and each box contains at least 4 full-sized items plus an accessory item. The PinkSeoul Mask Box is $29.95 every month with 10 customized mask products and an accessory item.
This review is of the PinkSeoul Box for Oily skin types.
The Subscription Box: PinkSeoul Box
The Cost: $39.95 bi-monthly
COUPON: Save 10% off your first box with code MSA10!
The Products: at least 4 full-sized K-beauty products customized to your skin type and an accessory item
Ships to: USA (free shipping), Canada ($8.95 shipping), and other countries listed here ($15.95 shipping)
Good to know: PinkSeoul and PinkSeoul Plus subscribers who sign up in March will receive their next box in May, whereas subscribers who sign up in April receive their next box in June. During the March/April period the boxes are the same for both sets of subscribers, just shipped out at different times.
Check out the Beauty Subscription Box Directory and make sure to add PinkSeoul to your subscription list or wishlist!
Prior to purchasing a subscription, PinkSeoul will ask you several customization questions. Be sure to figure out what your skin type is because some ingredients are more compatible with dry skin than with oily skin, for example.
All first-time subscribers receive a detailed "welcome" card that introduces Korean skincare routine basics and tips on how to incorporate those skincare into your daily life. I would keep this card somewhere handy especially if you're new to K-beauty or find all of this confusing.
The March info card is detailed and extremely informative. First there are some basic tips about your skin type-- mine is oily. There are also instructions on how and where in your routine to apply each product. The card states that full ingredient lists and label information can be found on their website.
Skinfood Black Sugar Mask 100g - $14.70 (on sale for $13.95)
All subscribers get this classic Black Sugar Mask from Skinfood. It's a mineral-enriched Brazilian black sugar-based exfoliating mask and face scrub. It looks and feels like brown sugar and smells delicious. When I first tried it without adding any water the scrub felt too abrasive. Therefore I'd follow the info card's recommendation to thin it down with water first before application. This would be a great inexpensive scrub/mask for those who enjoy physical exfoliation.
Lindsay Vitamin Modeling Mask 30g - $5.95
Modeling masks are the best. They feel like rubber when dried and I have way too much fun peeling them off. This mask comes in a single-application bowl and includes a spatula. I got the vitamin mask, which contains Vitamin C and niacinamide to even out skin tone, hydrate, soothe, and help with pores. Although it's meant for a single use, they're very generous with the powder! I scooped out half the powder to my own mixing bowl and saved the other half for another time.
Mediheal Teatree Care Solution Essential Mask - $3
Mediheal is known for its masks. This one appeared in the PinkSeoul Plus box as well. It contains tea tree oil, which is great for combating acne. The mask is hydrating and soothing. After removing the mask the leftover essence didn't feel sticky or tacky.
Nature Republic Real Nature Cucumber Mask - $2
This mask contains cucumber extract that helps with hydration and softening the skin. I like all the juicy cucumbers on the packaging. Some masks like this one contain alcohol, so if your face is sensitive to alcohol you may want to skip it or patch test first.
SNP Charcoal Mineral Black Ampoule Mask - $3
This is a black sheet mask that contains charcoal powder, which helps with pore and sebum management. I had a wonderful experience with the Leaders Black Aqua Pore Scaling mask in my February 3B Box so I hoped this charcoal mask was comparable. I'm not a fan of its strong perfumey smell, but other than that the mask material fits perfectly. The essence doesn't feel sticky and it's a moisturizing mask overall.
However, I have a quick PSA: remember to use the essence left in the packaging! I ripped my packaging too clumsily and most of the essence inside dripped down the sink. It was so sad. Squeeze it out of the bag and put it on your face. Put it on your neck. Slather it on your unsuspecting partner's face. You're buying a mask for its essence so try not to waste any!
Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel 100ml - $16.95
Aloe and propolis are two of my favorite skincare ingredients. I like aloe for its moisturizing and soothing properties, and propolis helps with acne-prone skin. This gel feels lightweight and absorbs very quickly on my skin. It doesn't smell like anything. I like to use this as a light moisturizer during the day because makeup sits very well on top of it.
Berrisom My Lip Tint Pack in Virgin Red - $15 (on sale for $9 on Memebox)
I've heard about this lip tint pack for a while now and was very excited to try it out. It is a heavy-duty lip stain that requires some time, effort, and patience to do perfectly. You have to apply a thick, even layer of sticky goop to the lips, wait several minutes for it to dry, and then peel off the tint. You'll know the tint is ready to take off when it feels like dried Elmer's glue. I was awful at applying tint around my lip lines, as you can tell in the top photo. The slanted tip applicator helps somewhat with precision, but expect a messy process regardless. I also had to keep my lips parted while drying or else they would stick together. Ultimately it was worth the struggles-- I mean, look at that color!
Pros of the Berrisom lip tint: it's a beautiful and vibrant color (much more opaque than water-based tints), it's extremely long lasting, and there is no color transfer. Cons: applying the tint takes time and precision, it tastes bad, and I don't recommend using this when you have chapped or raw lips because the tint will sting. I'm excited to add to this to my lippie arsenal.
Etude House Missing U Hand Cream in Panda/Peach - $5.90
Etude House is known for their adorable packaging, as evidenced by this cute hand cream! Everything about this is downright amazing: the delicious peach scent, the fluffy consistency, the eco-friendly packaging, the cute panda...
Banila Co. Clean It Zero 7ml sample - $2
The Clean It Zero is a popular sherbet-type oil cleanser that works wonderfully for a double cleansing routine. I actually own a full-size jar and use it every night before my foaming face wash. It removes face makeup very well, but heavy eye makeup is a little tricky-- it blurs my vision if it gets into the eyes. I'm going to pack this cute sample for an upcoming trip.
Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream 5g sample - $2
I received this exact steam cream sample in a 3B Box a couple months ago. It's a wonderful cream that's lightweight but hydrating. It dries matte and works pretty well under makeup! Benton's whole snail bee line contains bee venom so people with bee allergies should be aware.
Washing Headband - $7
PinkSeoul included a super soft headband as its accessory for the March/April box. This is perfect for pulling loose hair out of your face when doing masks.
Verdict: I loved the PinkSeoul box! There is such a fun variety of items this month. I like that the headband complements all those masks they included. My favorite discovery is the Berrisom lip tint pack-- it looks like all the hype around it is justified. It's great that the box is bi-monthly so that it gives subscribers sufficient time to incorporate the full-size items into their skincare routine, or at least try everything out. The total retail value is $77.50, nearly twice the cost of the box. I regularly state that you can find many Korean beauty products for cheaper on places like Amazon and international e-retailers (you just have to account for questionable item authenticity, long delivery time, shipping fees, time spent comparison shopping, etc.). Despite that I'm still very impressed with PinkSeoul's curation, presentation, and attention to detail. I think this is a good box for K-beauty beginners (and veterans) to try out full-size skincare that's curated to their skin type.
What do you think of the first PinkSeoul Box?
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