MemeBox Gudetama Box Review + Coupon – October 2016

Memebox is a Korean beauty shop that curates themed boxes and sells beauty products from a variety of brands. Most of these boxes are limited time/stock only.

For this particular box, the contents were revealed beforehand.

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

This review is of the Gudetama, $30 box. This box is currently sold out.

The Subscription Box: Memebox

The Cost: Each box varies in price. The Gudetama Box is $30 (Free shipping for orders $35+)

ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: 101smiles

The Products: Korean beauty products centered around a theme

Ships to: U.S. only

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

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

The box arrived with an info card that contained application instructions. The Gudetama Box features K-beauty brand Holika Holika's skincare collaboration with Sanrio's Gudetama, the lazy egg. He is basically my spirit animal(?) so I was very excited for this box.

Holika Holika Lazy & Easy Egg Smooth Egg Peeling Gel - Value $12

Peeling gels contain ingredients that are designed to pill up as you massage your face. The pilling is a combination of the gel and dead skin cells. This one includes eggs that tighten pores and moisturize while removing sebum, blackheads, and whiteheads. It doesn't smell like eggs, though (it has a candy-like fragrance).

I didn't notice any solid "pills" with this one. It thickened a little but it's not nearly as noticeable as other peeling gels I've tried. However, I still get the same soft and smooth skin as I get with other peeling gels, so this definitely works.

I love the packaging, though. It's slightly awkward to store because of the bulky shape, but seeing Gudetama's face really makes me happy.

Holika Holika Lazy & Easy All Kill Cleanser Oil to Foam - Value $20

This is a 2-in-1 cleanser that dissolves makeup as a cleansing oil and then transforms into a foam cleanser after adding water. The consistency is like egg yolk: a little thick, slightly gooey. After adding water, the cleanser turns soapy and washes off very easily. It dissolves all of my day makeup with ease. Plus, my face doesn't feel tight or dry after use. I'm pleasantly surprised by how effective this 2-in-1 product is. It's a win!

Holika Holika Lazy & Easy Gudetama All Kill Sheet - Value $3

This is a cleansing tissue and sheet mask duo. I am in love with these Gudetama illustrations. Here he's swimming around in his own egg yolk. 

Gudetama is very impressed by the cleansing tissue and sheet mask from the looks of it. I was also a big fan of the tissue. It was a very moist towelette and cleaned up everything from budge-proof liquid lipstick to gel eyeliner with room to spare. The sheet mask was good too, but it left a somewhat greasy and heavy residue that would not sink into my skin. I feared for my pillowcase overnight so I had to wash it off before bed.

Holika Holika Lazy & Easy Jelly Dough Blusher in 1 Grapefruit - Value $15

This is a cream blush that, according to the info card, also contains natural fruit extracts to strengthen skin and battle blemishes. The shade in Grapefruit is a very pretty grapefruit/coral color. The blush comes sealed with a piece of tape shaped like bacon (Gudetama uses bacon as a blanket, as seen in this YouTube video).

The inside comes with a plastic separator with another Gudetama illustration. The text roughly translates to "I want to be alone." Give him some peace and quiet, y'all!

The consistency is like dough. Once you make an indent in the blush it doesn't bounce up again. I'm not a big fan of the application puff. If you want more pigment per swipe I would use a different applicator.

Here is the color blended out (left) and with several swipes (right). It matches my skin tone really well and gives it a natural-looking flush of color. I will really gravitate toward this shade for daytime makeup looks.

Verdict: I think the Gudetama Box lives up to its expectations. Some of the packaging is hilariously adorable. Plus, the products do not sacrifice quality over aesthetics. My favorite find is the All Kill 2-in-1 cleanser. The retail value is $50, which is a pretty good deal but not $65 like advertised online.

One thing I wanted to point out was the retail value discrepancy. I noticed every single item was priced lower on Memebox's website than they were listed on the info sheet. Now, I don't have a problem with K-beauty price discrepancies as a whole. The selling price at US-based retailers would definitely be higher than if you purchased directly from Korea. It's just as possible that Memebox overestimated their "retail value" for this box before deciding to sell for cheaper on the website. However, it still feels a little dishonest to me especially because they didn't bother to correct their price changes on the info card or online. So, at the end of the day I feel a little "cheated" out of my high value. Regardless, this isn't going to stop me from shopping at Memebox because they still curate boxes with great value!

Have you purchased anything from Memebox?