Banila co. Memebox review

Beauty boxes are hit-and-miss. But when there is a track record, or when most reviews say something similar, it is best to ignore gut feelings. As I ought to have done.
You know of my irrevocable love for Memebox, the Korean beauty box that ships worldwide. They have regular Global Edition boxes, which rock. They have Superboxes with full-sized products and themed boxes (hair, oily skin, makeup) which are also awesome. But they also have brand-only boxes, where all products are from a particular brand only. I had seen reviews of the Etude House box and the Face Shop Box. To say that both were below-par would be an understatement. So when the Banila co. box was put up for sale, I should have avoided it like a sensible girl and stuck to regular boxes. But that is just what I did not do. Banila co. is a Korean beauty brand launched in 2005 and is best known for the Prime Primer and Clean it Zero makeup remover.

Here is what I got in my Banila co. box from Memebox.

Product card, as usual:

I didn't like that the retail prices of the products had not been mentioned on the product card. This is a first for Memebox. Please click on the photos to enlarge them.
Inside:

1. Friday Night Highlighter
2. It Radiant CC Cream sample set
3. Marbling Eyeshadow in Gold Brown
4. The Great Love Extra Bold Eyeliner in Brown
5. Intense Care Moisture Balm

Four full-sized products, and I am complaining, you say? Wait till you see each of those.
The Friday Night Highlighter's packaging reminds me of the Benefit blush/bronzer/powder boxes. That is the only thing I like about this product.

Just take a look at that ridiculous thing! I haven't even swatched it but, based on the thick, silvery swatches I have seen elsewhere, I know I will look just like Edward Cullen in the sun. While I admit I did go through a phase of rash youthful crush on said vampire during my student days - long forgotten - I certainly do not want to look like him! The photos are true to colour for once; I will put it up for sale once my back feels better.

It Radiant CC Cream, Melting Pact and Brightening Cream sample set has a sample compact and a CC cream in the wrong shade, and a brightening cream which I won't touch. I am aware that Korean CC/BB cream shades will not suit me. That is fine; if only I could salvage one thing from this box.

The Marbling Eyeshadow in Gold Brown comes in packaging that reminds me of the-brand-I-do-not-like-because-it-won't-work-for-me-and-all-the-overkill-and-hype (even if you send me hate-mail for admitting it). This is a light golden eyeshadow. It is not as pigmented as even Bourjois eyeshadows, and that is saying something. It is also way too glittery for my tastes. Not a fan; will sell.

The Great Love Extra Bold Eyeliner in Brown is neither extra bold nor plain bold, just a medium brown. I fail to see how you can possibly get a thin - or even normal - line with this eyeliner without hacking off half the product to get a pointy end, but what do I know? There is a smudger at the other end, but you can smudge this with a fingertip, or even by breathing on it; it spreads out that easily.

 

The Intense Care Moisture Balm in Soft Peach is so soft a peach that it probably won't show up unless you are NC15 or transparent, or both. I'll swatch it on white paper once I am back on my feet.

When I twisted the bullet up all the way, it was broken and the top portion fell out. I emailed Memebox right then and haven't heard from them since. And this was last week. Two more emails have been sent. I suppose they think I hacked it off with a saw out of sheer boredom?

Bottom Line
So I ended up paying all that money for one broken lip balm (whose tint does not show up on my lips) and one brown eye pencil, of which I already have around three or four. Meh! Double-meh! Triple-meh!
The lesson here is very clear. Regular, Global Edition Memeboxes are awesome, as you can see from the unboxing posts of box 9, box 8, box 5 and box 4 on this blog. Themed Memeboxes are also good, such as the makeup-special Superbox here. And, Lucky Boxes are also really good, as you can see here.
But the brand-only boxes suck. This is their third brand-only box with really unimpressive products. They could do so much better and include the iconic products each brand is known for (Etude House lip tints, Wonder Pore 7-in-1, hand cream...). I will not be ordering brand-only boxes from Memebox again. However...
In a moment of brain-melt, I have ordered the Tony Moly special Memebox. I will be spending the days until the box arrives in a state of apprehension mingled with guilt.
You can check out previous Memeboxes here; they are all brilliant! You can subscribe at us.memebox.com - please sign this petition to get them to resume shipping to all countries.
My international makeup giveaway ends tomorrow!