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3B Box K-Beauty Subscription Box Review – September 2016

Nancy Su
ByNancy SuSep 15, 2016 | 13 comments

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The 3B Box
4.2 overall rating
23 Ratings | 1 Reviews

3B Box (AKA Beauty Beyond Borders) is a monthly subscription box that helps you discover popular Asian beauty products. 3B believes that "finding your perfect product shouldn’t be limited to what country you live in or what language you speak."

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

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The Subscription Box: 3B Box

The Cost: $12 per month + free shipping

The Products: 4-5 sample- and full-size Asian beauty products

Ships to: USA only

Check out all our 3B Box reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

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Each month comes with an info card detailing the month's selection.

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Etude House Honey Cera Eye Serum 5ml - Value $4.98

This eye serum contains honey, ceramide, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide to nourish, firm, hydrate, and brighten the eye area. It smells faintly of beeswax, feels lightweight, absorbs easily into my skin. I'm a fan! This is 1/4 of the full size and will last me a long time.

Etude House Honey Cera Cream 10ml - Value $4

This cream is from the same Honey Cera line as the eye serum and has a similar beeswax scent. The info card especially recommends this for normal to dry skin types. I have oily skin so it can feel heavy if I apply too much. However, I will save this for the dry winter months and use it sparingly.

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Closeup of the Etude House Honey Cera Cream.

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Skin79 Super Plus Triple Function BB Cream 7g - Value $2.45

This BB Cream is very popular in Asia and with the 3B Box team. It contains sebum controlling ingredients like kava and purslane extracts and provides medium to full coverage as well as SPF 30. I like the consistency-- it feels lightweight and blends easily into my skin. Unfortunately, the BB cream only comes in one shade and the undertone looks too gray on me.

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Swatches of the Skin79 BB cream.

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Welcos Kwailnara Aloe Vera Moisture Real Soothing Gel 150g - Value $1.85 (on sale for $1.06)

This is an aloe vera gel made with 98% organic aloe vera, cucumber extract, and Vitamin E. It is also alcohol free. The gel dries down quickly and leaves no sticky residue. The fragrance might be a little strong for more sensitive noses, but it works just as effectively as any other aloe vera gel. At less than $2, this is an incredible value, even more so since it's currently on sale.

Heimish All Clean Balm 7g - Value $2?

This cleansing balm has been making its rounds in K-beauty subscription boxes but I'm happy to receive more! This is a solid oil-based cleanser that turns into oil when you massage it into the skin and transforms into milky liquid when washed off with water. It has a mild scent and emulsifies easily, making it a simple but effective makeup remover. It is also free of parabens, artificial fragrances, and artificial coloring.

Verdict: I'm happy with this month's 3B Box! I am excited I got to try the Etude House Honey Cera line and the Heimish All Clean Balm is always a keeper. Also, the full-size aloe vera gel is not only a great choice but it is super affordable too. I estimate the total retail value at $15.28, which is slightly over the cost of subscription.

What are your thoughts on 3B Box? What's your favorite item?

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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 ... read more.
Nancy Su
Nancy Su
Nancy began her subscription box adventure in 2014 and never looked back. She loves Asian beauty and is constantly in search of skincare holy grails. She hoards lipsticks. Her favorites are beauty, lifestyle, and jewelry subscriptions.

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13 comments

Lisa

Also, Nancy, have you heard of the W.I.N. Beauty Kit? It is also Korean and Japan based beauty products. I get this sub and love it!

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Nancy Su

Hi Lisa, I heard about it! It looks very interesting 🙂

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Lisa

I haven’t received my box yet. 🙁 I hope I get it soon, I like everything in this month’s box! 🙂

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Kaitlynn Marie

The aloe thing makes me itch just reading about it. This month would have been terrible for me because I’m allergic to aloe and that is just a giant thing of aloe right there. I would be worried it would spill or something too.

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W

I think it’s worth mentioning that part of the real value of this box is that some of these items are not readily available in the US without expensive shipping and long shipping times from South Korea (e.g. a couple of months). Of course, it can be hard to quantify this cost.

However, not being able to select a skin type is an immediate deal-breaker for me. Korean BB creams are also ridiculously pale–yes, the grey cast can disappear after oxidization, but if the BB cream is too light and pink, it will still be too light and pink. If you’re white or have light skin, this may not be an issue for you. I’m East Asian (~NC25) and even I can’t use most of the BB cream shades from South Korea. Some of the brands (e.g. Missha, Laneige) have expanded their range of shades for markets outside of Korea, but those darker shades are never as cheap as the lighter ones.

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Steph

That is one of my fav BB Creams! Once it sits on your face for a few minutes the grey goes away and blends into your skin. Give it a try.

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Nancy Su

Hi Steph! The BB cream does oxidize to a better shade after a while but it’s still a little ghostly on me lol. I’ll definitely use it up though.

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Sarah

I started subscribing to this box three months ago because of your reviews, and I have loved every box I received so far! I do find there’s usually one item out of the bunch that I can’t use (I’m not totally sure why they asked our skin type when we register because I have super dry skin, and you chose oily/combination, and we’ve gotten the exact same items each month so far) but one out of four or five isn’t bad at all. I really love this box.

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Nancy Su

To my knowledge there isn’t any variation between subscribers. Maybe there is use for our data in the future? Thanks for reading, Sarah 🙂

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Donna

I have been trying, but can’t understand how to use oil to clean – it doesn’t wash off easily at all, and just makes the towel dirty! So this balm that turns into oil sounds like I could make it work.

And I love honey in any form. However, not sure if the value is in this box yet…

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Nancy Su

Hi Donna, I also double cleanse, like W suggested above. I wash oil cleansers off with water. The only ones I use emulsify/turn milky after contact with water so it’s very easy to rinse off. Best of luck finding one that works for you! 🙂

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W

The oil cleanser is used in the Asian beauty double-cleansing method: first use an oil-based “first cleanser” on dry skin to remove sunscreen and makeup, then rinse with water (no need to dry with towel), and then you use a water-based “second cleanser” (e.g. gel or foam cleanser) to remove the oil residue. I’ve started doing this 4 months ago and really love it. If you choose the right cleanser combination for your skin, it’s very effective and not stripping at all.

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Nikki

I just learned about Rose Rose shop and their great prices. The only unfortunate side to ordering from Rose Rose is the shipping. It’s done by weight. So, the great price for the aloe vera gel is great but shipping ($8 to TX) adds on a little more. Still great value and I love this item! Thank you for reviewing this box. I love this box!!

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