Daebak Box - WINTER 2019

My Google Reports tell me that most of the views on my website (or my site was found via this post), come from my first Daebak subscription box review. I’m not really sure why - except that maybe, right now, Korean culture and music is YUUUUUGE in the US. It’s been here for a while but I think it’s expanding ever farther each year.

And with that, I’ll add another review to a Korean culture/lifestyle box - the Daebak Winter box for 2019.

If this is new to you, Daebak is a quarterly subscription box that’s jam packed with all sorts of Korean cultural items. Each is valued at $75+ and costs $49.99 per month, or you can pay for a yearly subscription for $179.96 and save $20. If you’d like to check it out, click on the link - DAEBAK.

It’s only my second box, but I’m still amazed at how much stuff comes in each one, including stationery, skin care, accessories, and more. And look how fucking cute all that is!

Let’s do the character stuff first.

Kakao Friends Square Pouch (Ryan): I’m so glad I got Ryan, since he was on the tote and face mask from the Fall box. And though it’s a small bag, I was rather surprised at how much I got in there the first time I used it. Not my phone, but if I’m just running out to dinner or a quick errand, I don’t need my phone on my person at all times.

Romane Brunch Brother Winter Collection: I don’t know who the Brunch Brothers are, or the company that makes them (Romane), but this duck flannel blanket is super soft. It’s more like a small throw, but I’m not the Jolly Green Giant so it works for me!

Here are all the skin care things this season:

Nature Republic EXO Edition Face Mask: I can’t remember if I’ve already used this (my bet would be ‘yes’). It’s hard to say whether these things do more than add hydration, but I am never mad at a sheet mask. I don’t know much of EXO’s music, but I do have “Mama” on my iPod. It’s a good one. And one member (Byun Baek-hyun) played a prominent character in one of the most fantastic KDramas I’ve ever seen: Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

The Saem Healing Tea Garden Cleansing Water: I can’t find much info on whether or not The Saem brand is cruelty free (so many things are changing in South Korea, requiring all companies to be CF as of last year, but the whole China thing is still an issue, and even THAT is changing….GAH!). But this cleansing water is phenomenal. If I haven’t worn makeup or gotten dirty over the course of the day, just using this to cleanse my face, before serum and moisturizer, is fine. And I couldn’t really ever do that before.

The Saem Care Plus Baobab Collagen Cream: I’m on the verge of using up a thick cream by The Ordinary so I’ve been on the lookout for something new. Again, not sure if The Saem is cruelty free, but I plan to use this when I run out of my current moisturizer (though I do still have a cream from Nature Republic from the Fall box to use, too).

And now for ALL the stationery:

Kakao Friends 2020 Small Table Calendar: I’m not really in NEED for a desk calendar, but this is kinda cute, man. If I can just clean off the desk in my office, I could totally use it.

OohLala 50 Stickers: Who doesn’t like stickers? Apparently, this stack is from one of the most notorious brands, OohLala, and includes their eccentric character designs. I’m not sure what makes them notorious, but them’s pretty strong words. They’re not exactly my style, but I’m sure I can find a use for a few.

7321 Design ‘The Color My Book’ Diary: It’s actually a planner and it comes with…wait for it…stickers! I really have no use for this, as I’ve got a large planner already in use, and a small one for my purse. So if anyone wants this, just let me know!

Lucalab Shining Gel Stick: These are pretty cool. I’ve never seen nor used anything like them. They’re kind of like crayons, but smoother, if that makes sense. I dig ‘em.

That’s it for the Winter box. Lots of fun stuff to play with! If you get this box, what’s your favorite item you got?

Morgue Drawer June 2018

Here we are again, folks. As the temperatures remain in the nineties, it feels safer to me to stay inside and write up a few blog posts/reviews. So let's start with my trash, eh?

AND SO....I DIE...

These make me sad. There's still product in each container but either the formulas have changed, they smell off, or they tingle against my lips and they're not supposed to do that. So I need to trash them.

Medusa's Makeup Lip Paint Remover: This stuff works great on MM's lip paints but after a while, the smell got horrible and the cap is all sticky and crusty with dried oil. It's basically almond oil, grapeseed oil, and fragrance so I imagine just almond oil will work fine. But they're having a sale right now and it's half off! I might keep the bottle and reuse it for something else. (CF)

Elf Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Nude Pink: I love this color and the formula. It started out smelling like mint but now it smells like menthol so into the garbage it goes. Would totally buy again, though, if they still had this shade. Which they don't. (CF)

Colourpop Lippies: These are probably the oldest CP lippies I own so it makes sense that they smell funny now, or the formulas have changed and actually burn when I put them on. As I have a ton of other lipsticks and glosses, I don't NEED to repurchase. Doesn't mean I won't, though...(L to R) Ultra Glossy Lip in Tight Fit; Ultra Satin in So Wavy, Lost, Petit Four, and Marshmallow (Tight Fit, Lost, and Marshmallow are still available on the CP site). 

SCRUB-A-DUB AND SMELL GOOD

Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Conditioner: I've been enjoying a lot of Paul Mitchell products lately and the hubby loves this conditioner (and matching shampoo), too! It works pretty well to keep hair clean and moisturized, which is good for me since I bleach my hair now. I ended up buying the bigger size so hubs and I can share. (CF)

Phyto Color Enhancing Hair Mask: I got this sample with an Ulta order, I think. Though it worked really well (at least at moisturizing), it's not a Cruelty Free brand so I won't be purchasing it in the future. It's also $59 for 6 ounces. Uh...no. (NCF)

Purlisse Coconut Oil and Coffee Sugar Scrub: This was a decent scrub, smelled great, but I only got one use out of this sample size. You need to use a lot to cover the whole body (I did, anyway, and I'm not very big). (CF/Vegan)

Mitchum Stick Deodorant: This worked okay. I like the clear gel formula much better. Pretty sure any deodorant that isn't one of the 'natural' brands, isn't cruelty free. (NCF)

Nature's Truth Sweet Almond Oil: I like to use this on my feet and toenails after I shower. It's a nice, light oil, that absorbs quickly into the skin. Good for all over the body, actually. Almond oil is used as a base for other moisturizers because it has no scent. Will buy again (it's not all gone but I poured the remainder into an empty pump bottle for easier dispersement). (CF - ?)

Purple Cat Apothecary Body Butters: Two more from the 5-pack sample set I ordered. The Lemon Chiffon was divine! Lemon and butter cake. The Frostbloom was okay. Kinda floral, kinda minty...hard to pin down. This formula was much thicker and drier than the Lemon one but both worked very well, especially over the almond oil I talked about above. (CF) NOTE: This was originally an Etsy store with art and body products. Apparently, Etsy is making is difficult and more expensive for people to use it as a store front so this woman only has an on-line art store at a separate website. Dammit.

SQUEAKY CLEAN

TN Dickinson's Witch hazel: I like to use this after I do a mud mask. It's great for cleaning off any excess or left behind product without drying out my skin. I know a lot of people hate the smell of witch hazel but it doesn't bother me at all. Very gentle and could be used every day. I think I got mine at the grocery store but it's sold everyone it seems. (CF/Vegan)

Everyone Lavender and Coconut Hand Soap: We've tried a few scents from this brand and I really have enjoyed them all. This and the Lemon/Mandarin one have been been my favorites. Great for the kitchen! (CF)

BBW Good Vibes Only foaming hand soap: I bought this scent to get a deal at Bath and Body Works so I wasn't expecting it to be great but I love it. Even the hubby, who's not one for a lot of scented cleansers, really liked it. But...because it's BBW, and they sell to China, I really have only been keeping my purchases to candles (I love their candles and haven't found anything else to replace them yet). (NCF)

CHOMPERS AND THE LIKE

ACT Restoring Mouthwash: I used this stuff every day with Invisalign and now it's just a habit I can't quit. Which is good! My teeth need a lot of help so this fluoride rinse is perfect. Doesn't burn like a mo-fo, either. (NCF)

Tom's of Maine Maximum Strength Sensitive toothpaste: Love this stuff. Will keep buying. (CF)

Simply Creative Living Honey Cherry Almond lip balm: I believe I talked about another lip balm from this company. I got it at my city's Farmer's Market or the 4th of July fair. Can't remember. This was just okay. Probably won't repurchase. (CF)

ALL ABOUT THAT FACE

NO:HJ Sheet Mask: Got this from my monthly subscription, Facestory. It was really nice and it had all these gold colored flowers all over it. I felt so fancy! It's a Korean brand so the cruelty free status is hard to know/confirm.

The Ordinary Buffet serum: I've raved about this product before here but lately, this stuff hasn't been working all that well. It's actually been breaking me out. I know skin can acclimate to a product, making it less effective, even develop reactions to some. Seems that's what's happened here. So while my backup bottles sit unused, I'm trying something else. I'll let you know how it goes. (CF)

Ole Henrickson Banana Bright Eye Cream: Got this in one of my last Ipsy bags, I think. The cream is yellow but not sure it's brightening. It's thick but doesn't absorb that well. In fact, it didn't really do shit. (CF)

SkinRX Labs MadeCera Cream: Another sample product but can't remember where I go it. I really enjoyed it, though. Felt great on the skin and did a good job of moisturizing. Again, SkinRX is Korean so can't confirm or deny cruelty free status.

Formula 10.0.6 Day/Night Cream: I've been using the day and night creams for a while. Still loving them. (CF)

ALL SORTS OF STUFF

The Ordinary Fluid Primer (forgot to put this with the makeup): This stuff is pure shit. When I bought it, the bottle was barely half full (but it wasn't wet or sticky so nothing leaked - it just wasn't filled). Can't get it out of the bottle THROUGH the dropper so I'd just wipe off enough OFF the dropper to put on my face. And then I felt like a total grease ball. I can't even use it up because it feels so gross and my skin hates it. (CF)

Burt's Bees Cleansing Oil: I really like cleansing oils so I thought I'd give BB's version a shot. It's...okay. Smells a little weird and doesn't do a great job but it's fine. I actually didn't finish this yet but I put the remaining product in a travel bottle. (CF)

Nip + Fab Glycolic Cleansing Pads: I got a sample pack of these years ago when I was still getting the Walmart box. And I really liked them so I got this full size at the drug store. Turned out they didn't really do that much for my skin. But I like the travel friendly pre-soaked pads (as opposed to a bottle) even though these felt kind of dry. Maybe that's why they didn't seem to do much. I'd be willing to try them again, though, in case I got a bad batch. (CF)

Manyo Factory Herb Green Cleansing Oil: I'm pretty sure this sample was what started my love of cleansing oils. This stuff was great. Smelled good and did a great job of removing makeup, especially after the heavy stuff I use for convention appearances! It's another Korean brand so I don't know if they're cruelty free.

First Aid Beauty Hydrating Serum (not sure why I didn't put this with the previous stuff): I've used a couple products from this brand before and while I did like them, I don't feel the brand is so superb to be worth the higher price tag. I did really enjoy this, though. (CF)