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!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
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 Mask Box
The Cost: $29.95 per month + free US shipping
COUPON: Save 10% off your first box with code MSA10.
And for a limited time only, receive a bonus washing hairband with your first Mask Box! No coupon needed!
The Products: 10 K-beauty mask products customized to your skin type plus an accessory item or full-size cosmetic/skincare item
Ships to: USA (free shipping), Canada ($8.95 shipping), and other countries listed here ($15.95 shipping)
Check out all of our PinkSeoul reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box 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, for example, some ingredients are more compatible with dry skin than with oily skin.
Each box includes a detailed info card. This month they pointed out the various types of face mask products and featured a couple of masks with "hanbang" or Korean traditional medicine ingredients.
5ildongan Premium Bio Cellulose Mask (Snow Lotus) - $10
Bio cellulose is the newest in sheet masking innovation. First there were regular cotton masks, then hydrogel masks, and now the bio cellulose material is a thin gel-like mask that's supposed to adhere to your face better than ever to allow for maximum nutrient absorption.
5ildongan is a new brand for me. The info card says this mask is the widest mask they've ever seen, and I agree! The sides are very wide and almost reach my ears. The bio cellulose feels like jelly cling wrap. I was hit with a strong alcohol smell upon opening the package and it lingers during masking. If you're sensitive to strong scents you may not like this alcohol and floral combo. However, I enjoyed the lightweight essence and my face didn't feel too sticky afterwards.
I've received this in a previous Mishibox and liked using it. This is a cotton mask that contains mugwort leaf water and ginseng extract to calm and moisturize the skin. It has a herbally floral fragrance. Because of the thicker mask texture it doesn't perfectly adhere to my face contours. The watery essence feels amazing but my face was left a bit sticky afterwards.
Hanbang ingredients include all sorts of roots and shoots and things, but ginseng is a classic and popular choice. I've seen ginseng marketed like they were Rolex watches. Lotus flower and ginseng extracts in this mask give deep hydration and anti-aging properties.
Jayjun 3-Step Refine to Shine Mask x2 - $4 each
As if a mask isn't enough, these Jayjun ones include a foaming cleanser and essence to go before sheet masking. The mask includes niacinamide, ceramide, and adenosine to help brighten skin tone, restore skin moisture barrier, and improve elasticity, respectively. The cleanser produces thick, plush foam and makes my face feel almost too squeaky clean. The essence has a gel texture and absorbs quickly. It doesn't smell like anything. You can get two uses out of the packets.
The sheet mask has a perfume-y fragrance and lingers a bit while masking. The mask is black and it fits my face pretty well. These have eye flaps too, but I fold them down because I don't like essence in my eyes. After removal my face feels a little sticky but it's manageable.
SNP Bird's Nest Sheet Mask - $3
I have received SNP masks in previous PinkSeoul boxes. I love their fit and nonsticky essence but the fragrance is strong. Bird's nest is prized for its nutrients and health benefits when consumed; maybe these nutrients are ok topically as well?
This is also included in the May/June PinkSeoul Box.
Seatree Snail Mask - $3
Seatree is a new brand for me. This one contains snail mucin, which helps improve skin tone, cell regeneration, and moisture. It has one of the best smelling scents I've ever smelt in a face mask! It reminds me of a creamy tropical smoothie. The mask fit is average but the essence feels soothing and non-sticky.
Tonymoly I'm Real Red Wine Mask - $4 (on sale for $2.75)
Tonymoly I'm Real Seaweed Mask - $4 (on sale for $2.75)
Tonymoly I'm Real Aloe Mask - $4 (on sale for $2.75)
Sephora started carrying these Tonymoly I'm Real masks back when it debuted its K-beauty section. It made me so happy to see K-beauty in big US retail stores. Red wine apparently helps tighten pores, seaweed has skin purifying properties, while aloe soothes and hydrates. The cotton material is thin and clings to my face well. The red wine one has a watery essence though I know different "flavors" can have different essence types. The mask leaves my face a tad bit sticky but it disappears after a couple hours. Also, stickiness may vary for people. My boyfriend and I wore the same sheet mask once but his skin was left soft and smooth while mine became tacky afterwards...
The Face Shop Gold Nail Stickers - $5
These gold stickers have simple zigzag or line shapes that can spice up regular nails. I rarely do fancy things to my nails but this will definitely be fun to experiment with.
Holika Holika Cuticle Oil - $5
Cuticle oil moisturizes cuticles and improves nail health. This cuticle oil is scentless and looks yellow but goes on clear.
The nail stickers and cuticle oil were both included in the May/June PinkSeoul and PinkSeoul Plus Box.
Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence 5g samples - $4
Benton essence samples were featured in the March/April PinkSeoul Plus box. This is a lightweight, scentless, watery gel essence that absorbs quickly and provides some hydration without being greasy. It's perfect for my oily skin. Snail secretion filtrate and bee venom helps improve dull complexion, fine lines, and hydration. People with bee allergies should be cautious when using this product.
Verdict: I get so excited to see PinkSeoul in my mailbox every month. Despite the smell I enjoyed the 5ildongan mask the most because it was wonderful to try out bio cellulose material. I calculated the total value to be $52.25 (with sale prices). I feel like it can be challenging to curate a sheet mask-only box that's exciting every month, but PinkSeoul do a wonderful job of keeping things fresh. They are also good about having a mix of previously featured and new brands. Plus, they curate some extra fancy and harder-to-find masks too, like the 5ildongan masks! One thing to note: if you subscribe to multiple PinkSeoul boxes you'll likely see product repeats.
What do you think of May's PinkSeoul Mask Box?
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