No Make No Life (nmnl) is a Japanese & Korean beauty subscription box. "The name itself stands for: *no makeup no life*, since beauty and makeup products are some of the essential aspects in our daily life."
nomakenolife is a subscription-based service that delivers you a box of Korean and Japanese cosmetics plus skincare. Each box, curated personally by our in-house beauty consultant, includes 8-9 high quality, exclusive and limited edition beauty products in several categories including skincare, bath and body, hair care, makeup, tools and accessories, masks).
FYI, COVID-19 Update: Learn about delays, updates to shipping methods, and more right here.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About the No Make No Life Box
The Subscription Box: nmnl
The Cost: $35.00 a month + shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: A mix of 8-9 full-sized Japanese & Korean beauty items from 6 different categories - skin, body, makeup, hair, bath, and tools.
Ships: Worldwide via DHL for $10.95. Get all the details on shipping info here.
August 2020 No Make No Life "K-Pop Must-Haves" Review
Before we get started, it's worth noting this is the second box I've received since March. Japan faced shipping backlogs, suspended shipping to a growing list of countries, returned shipments, and other complications due to COVID-19. More from nmnl:
NOTICE FOR USA BASED CUSTOMERS: Unfortunately, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, on April 23rd Japan Post announced that flights to and from the USA have been reduced by 90% which resulted in delayed shipment of up to 4 months for Air Mail, with no guarantee of shipment. As such, we have made the decision to use Surface Mail, as it continues to operate during the COVID-19 crisis with a better guarantee of shipment at an estimated delivery time of 60-90 days.
Because of continued challenges, it looks like nmnl is moving away from Surface Mail in favor of other options. You can get all the details here.
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The booklet gives you detailed information on each item, as well as instructions on how to use certain products. This month's theme is 'K-Pop Must-Haves.'
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Make For You Sheet Mask - Retail Value $1.76 (currently out of stock)
This mask was a fairly standard sheet mask, nothing too fancy. It is made with hyaluronic acid to soothe and lock-in moisture. The mask was pretty flimsy and tricky to unfold, but once I got it onto my face it fit nicely. I kept my mask on for 20 minutes, wearing before bed, then I just rubbed the excess serum into my skin before going to sleep. The scent was super citrusy; I thought it was lemon-scented at first, but then I realized after reading the booklet that it is orange. When I woke up in the morning, I can't say that I noticed a big difference in my skin; my skin usually feels smooth and hydrated after using a mask, but this one didn't leave any lasting results into the morning, unfortunately. If nothing else, it was a nice relaxing experience for me!
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Over Action Rabbit Lip Cream - Retail Value $5.17 (currently out of stock)
This month is all about K-Pop so the packaging on this lip cream features the Over Action Rabbit. According to the booklet, the Rabbit became popular as a stamp for a Korean messaging app and is loved by Korean celebrities! I received the honey-lemon flavor which is perfect for me! This lip cream goes on clear and leaves my lips feeling super moisturized. I have been using this lip cream a ton before applying my lipstick.
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Crayon Royal Nail Stickers - Retail Value $3.03 (currently out of stock)
These nail stickers are so cute, they remind me of a Disney princess nail set I had when I was little! The stickers are royal-themed with roses, crowns, carriages, and more. The stickers themselves are super delicate and tricky to remove. I thought at first that I could remove and add the sticker with my fingers, but it is best and way easier to use tweezers for these. It makes it super easy to apply to your nail without ripping the sticker. My kids saw these stickers and were obsessed right away, I think we spent most of our evening decorating our nails and arms and feet with these stickers. So I can safely say they were a hit!
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Beauty Present Heart-Shaped Makeup Puffs - Retail Value $2.54 (currently out of stock)
I love a good makeup puff! Receiving a full bag of them is a huge bonus because I like to change mine out frequently (it is really good for your skin to keep puffs clean or use a new one regularly). You can either keep the heart shape together to use as one big puff or cut the heart in half to make two puffs. The quality isn't amazing, but they are on par with the ones you would get at the drugstore so they get the job done on applying foundation smoothly!
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The SAEM Single Eyeshadow - Retail Value $7.12 (currently out of stock)
I say this a lot, but I truly love receiving new eyeshadow colors! This single eyeshadow is perfect to keep with you in your makeup bag if you need touchups or to take on a weekend getaway. This color reminds me a lot of one that I wore pretty much my entire freshman year of high school, so I obviously loved it! It is this lovely purple that you can make light or dark depending on how heavy-handed you are. The shimmer is subtle while still giving you that little glow. I didn't have any fallout, but I will say that I had to do many layers to achieve the color that you see in the above photos. All in all, I thought this was a great color that I will be keeping in my makeup bag for those days that I'm feeling purple!
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BT21 Rose Oil Multi-Use Cream - Retail Value $13.95 (currently out of stock)
The BT21 characters on this cream were created by the members of the popular Korean boy group BTS. I received Tata, but you could have received one of the eight characters. This cream is made with natural rose oil to moisturize your skin. The booklet says you can use it on your face, body, and hair. It really has the texture and feel of petroleum jelly which is great for your skin, but it can leave your skin feeling a bit greasy. This left me skin super soft so I have been using it at night before bed on my feet, elbows, and knees for that extra moisture I really need!
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Chupa Chups Hand Cream - Retail Value $3.22 (currently out of stock)
This month's hand creams were inspired by famous lollipops! You could have received this in mango, cherry, strawberry cream, peach, mandarin-orange, muscat grape, or pink grapefruit. I received the muscat grape. I honestly wish I loved grape scented products, but they just make me think of cough syrup so I can't say that I loved the scent that I received. The cream itself is incredible though! It is made with shea butter so my skin just drinks it right up, leaving my skin feeling smooth without that greasy feeling after.
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Petit Recipe Two-Color Juicy Gloss - Retail Value $6.93 (currently out of stock)
I can't get over the packaging on this gloss! It looks like a little bottle! You could have received this two-color gloss in either vanilla, grape, cherry, or blood orange. It is made with pearl for that little bit of extra sparkle. I know that this is an unpopular opinion, but I have to say that I just don't love wearing gloss. I don't really love the shiny, sparkly look on me personally and I don't love the sticky texture that it leaves on my lips. I am more of a lip cream and lipstick kind of gal. I will say that I did like the subtle pink that this gloss left my lips and it wasn't overly sparkly. Plus, it left my lips feeling super soft! I am going to use this for my more casual makeup days when I don't want to wear my standard lipstick, and I am going to share it with my daughter who, at the age of almost 2, is already obsessed with lip gloss!
Verdict: No Make No Life Box was a K-Pop delight this month! Everything was bright, bold, and just all-around fun. I think that is what I love about this box; it is always so bright and cheerful! The single eyeshadow was my winner this month because it went on easily, lasted all day, and it was a color that really speaks to my style. The makeup puffs, while not the best quality, are something that I always need, plus they are super cute. The lip cream and the rose oil are keeping my lips and skin feeling fresh and moisturized, and I hope they both last me into the winter when I will really need them. While the mask and the lip gloss weren't my favorites, they were still great items to try! The total retail value came in at $43.72 which just a touch less than the $35 monthly cost of the box + $10.95 DHL shipping. This month really brought the fun and a little sparkle, something I always need!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the October box.
Value Breakdown: At $35 + $10.95 shipping for this box with a retail value of $43.72, you are approximately paying the retail value for each item. Alternatively, each of the 8 items breaks down to $5.74.
Check out all of our nmnl reviews and some of our other favorite beauty subscription boxes!
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What do you think of the August No Make No Life box?
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