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 a 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 Oily Skin Type, PinkSeoul, $39.95 every two months, box.
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.)
The Subscription Box: PinkSeoul Box
The Cost: $39.95 bi-monthly + free U.S. shipping
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 boxes are delivered every two months depending on which month you signed up. For example, if you signed up in April, your next box will be in May; if you sign up in May your next box will be in June. The boxes are the same for the May/June period, just shipped out at different times.
Check out all of our PinkSeoul reviews and the Beauty Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add PinkSeoul to your subscription list or wishlist!
Prior to purchasing a subscription, PinkSeoul will ask you several customization questions. Some products are more appropriate/recommended for a particular skin type so be sure to figure out your skin type.
The info card always lists the products in the order of recommended usage-- useful if you're not sure of where to insert products into your routine. Full ingredient listing can be found on their website.
A'Pieu Reusable Mask Cover - Value $3.81
This is a reusable silicone mask cover with ear straps that helps to keep sheet masks moist for longer, which means the skin has a longer time to absorb all the nutrients from the essence. It's like saran wrap for your face. I've heard this type of product mentioned on the internet here and there. It's an interesting if not a somewhat gimmicky idea. Sadly I ran into some problems early on-- the cover doesn't fit my face! My eye area gets uncomfortably squished under the pressure. The under eye skin puffs out from the eye holes like muffin tops. It's also too tight with the ear straps on, and my face isn't particularly wide either! I guess this mask cover isn't a one-size-fits-all type of thing. Maybe people with smaller or more angular faces will have better luck.
Skinfood Rice Mask Wash Off 100 g - Value $10
I adore Skinfood for its affordable yet effective products. This wash-off rice mask acts as a mild exfoliating scrub and mask in one to gently remove dead skin cells and brighten skin tone. It has a rice pudding-like texture and smells fairly sweet. The exfoliating action is very mild, so those with sensitive skin should have no problems with it. After use, my face felt pleasantly hydrated while maintaining velvety soft and matte skin. The skin was so smooth I couldn't stop touching it! I didn't notice any brightening effects but I liked my first impressions enough to continue using it.
Elizavecca 97% Hyaluronic Acid Serum 50 ml - Value $12.80
These days you'll find shelves upon shelves of skincare items touting the wonderful benefits of hyaluronic acid. This serum contains 97% hyaluronic acid, which has moisturizing, plumping, lifting, brightening, and anti-aging properties, just to name a few. The serum comes in a glass dropper bottle and it's both colorless and scentless. The liquid feels viscous at first but blends into the skin like a watery gel. It also absorbs very quickly, leaving skin lightly hydrated and plump and but feeling like I hadn't applied anything at all. Best of all, it has a matte, velvety soft finish! No stickiness! I'm addicted to this serum for the finish alone, but it's hydrating and plumping effects aren't so bad either. Time to stock up!
Missha Herb In Nude Sheet Mask (Purifying Care) - Value $2.50
This mask is made from light, transparent mask fabric and it aims to detoxify skin with apple mint tea extract. The mask fits comfortably on my face like advertised, and the essence felt cooling and soothing throughout my masking session. It smelled like a generic floral sheet mask. It was a bit strong at first but faded after several minutes. After use, my skin looked brighter, less red, and fully moisturized. The essence dried down to a slightly sticky finish but it didn't feel heavy on the skin.
A'Pieu Real Big Yogurt One Bottle Mask Pack in Apple - Value $1.98
This is a cotton fiber sheet mask that's packaged like those tiny yogurt drinks popular in Asia (spoiler alert: they're delicious). It contains yogurt extract and lactobacillus to improve the skin's barrier. The essence smells like crisp, fresh apple juice but it's clear the fragrance is artificial because no apple actually smells this good! The fit was great and the watery essence felt soothing against my skin. However, after removing the mask from my face, I noticed the skin looked red and splotchy like it was irritated. Thankfully it wasn't itchy and I didn't break out, and the redness retreated after 30 minutes. Once fully absorbed, the essence also left skin feeling tacky. I think I'll just stick to drinking yogurt drinks from now on...
The Saem Iceland Hydrating Eye Stick 7 g/0.25 oz. - Value $7.90
This is an eye stick infused with Icelandic mineral water, and it has whitening and anti-wrinkle properties. While the stick is easy to apply and fun to use (who can resist that adorable polar bear?), the performance is just ok. The cooling effect is felt immediately, then it remains for 20-30 seconds before disappearing. The formula feels weightless yet it leaves skin slightly more moisturized than before. Other than that, there are no additional benefits. I also wish the fragrance wasn't so strong. I'll continue using it for the polar bear packaging though!
Kwailnara 99.5% Real Jeju Carrot Gel 250 ml - Listed Value $12
This is a multi-functional gel that moisturizes and soothes skin. While the carrot-shaped packaging is unique, the product itself works just as well as other bamboo or aloe vera gels I've received from K-beauty subscription boxes.
The gel is colorless and scentless with a watery gel consistency. It dries fairly quickly and set to a silky smooth finish. I use it as a lightweight moisturizer for any part of the body that feels a bit dry. I can also combine it with denser moisturizer to make the finish less heavy feeling on the skin. It's perfect lightweight product for summer months.
Missha Pure Source Pocket Pack in Green Tea 10 ml - Value $0.98
This "pocket pack" can be used as a wash-off, peel-off, or sleeping mask. I first tried it in the March 2017 W.I.N Beauty Kit but it wasn't for me. It has a light fragrance and watery gel-like texture. Unfortunately, when I used it as a wash-off mask, the pocket pack irritated my skin. Instead of a soothing sensation, my face stung in the areas where I was breaking out. I stopped using it immediately. Maybe it works better for other skin types!
Verdict: PinkSeoul has consistently fantastic curation and this month's box was no different. My favorite is the Elizavecca 97% Hylauronic Acid Serum, which just may be one of the best subscription box discoveries I've ever made. I had unexpected issues with the A'Pieu sheet mask and silicone mask cover but they didn't put a damper on my overall positive experience.
The total value this month is about $52, which is more than the cost of the box but under the advertised value of $60 or above. It's a situation I'm familiar with. The thing is that Korean beauty prices are highly variable depending on where you look, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes subscription boxes inflate their listed values. Other times buying from international e-retailers is a much better deal than buying K-beauty from Sephora or Target, but there are risks involved with this method such as item authenticity, long shipment times, and high shipping fees. So, when it comes to determining K-beauty retail value, it's rarely black-and-white. Ultimately you just have to do your research.
What do you think of PinkSeoul Box?
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