Beauteque October 2015 BB Bag Review & Unboxing!


Beauteque's BB Bags were one of my first subscriptions way back when I first started dabbling in the subscription box world. I got to see them start off, grow as a company and back when most kbeauty products weren't available in the US, Beauteque was my go-to for awesome Asian makeup and skincare products. Lately though, I've been pretty bummed out about their BB Bags. It seems to me like they're shipping them out later and later every month, and the quality and number of products in each bag is consistently tanking. Nevertheless, I thought I'd do this review anyway because I do like some of the things I received, and what kind of blogger would I be if I only talked about the good and ignored the bad?

image What is Beauteque? image
Beauteque Monthly is a monthly subscription service curated by the US-based Korean beauty website Beauteque. Every month, Beauteque sends out what is known as their BB Bag (Beauteque Beauty Bag) filled with super fun products from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, and the US! Beauteque is a perfect subscription service for anyone new to the world of kbeauty, as you get to try out a bunch of different products that you may not have come across before.


image How it Works image
Beauteque has options for either a 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, or 1-year subscription.
image A monthly subscription costs $24 per month.
image A 3-month subscription costs $24 per month.
image A 6-month subscription costs $23 per month.
image A 1-year subscription costs $22 per month.

All subscriptions are prepaid, and will auto-renew at the end of the cycle so that you won't ever miss out on a bag, in case you have a terrible memory like me. image

The great thing about Beauteque is that there is an option to customize your items! Beauteque routinely sends out emails to their subscribers on the 1st of every month, and you have until the 5th to choose your preference, or they will choose for you (for example, lipstick/eye shadow color, toner type, body wash scent, etc).

In every BB Bag, you can expect to receive 7 or more full-size products anywhere from lifestyle and jewelry to makeup and skincare. The bags range anywhere from $65-$85 in value, so you can usually expect to get your money's worth.

image Shipping Costs image
Beauteque ships to the US, Canada, and Europe.
 US shipping is $3.95 per month.
 Canada shipping is $5.95 per month.
 Europe shipping is $8.95 per month.

The theme this month is "Beauteque's Life of Luxury". This is what Beauteque had to say:
"Settle into a crisp, cool autumn with one of the most exquisite collections ever curated by Beauteque. Fragrant body lotion, invigorating facial wash, and a luxurious hand treatment are among the products you will delight upon finding in this beautiful bag. This BB Bag was designed with the deserving recipient in mind, you."



Info card detailing all of the products inside.

image SNP Cactus 90% Soothing Gel ($18) image

When I first saw this I thought it might be an aloe gel, but this one is actually made from cactus! I'm excited to use this, because my skin loves the few cactus products I've used, and the packaging is just so pretty! SNP is a pretty nice brand as far as I can tell (from my dabbling in their sheet masks, anyway), so I'm excited to see how this will work for me.

What Beauteque says:
"Achieve the ultimate moisturization with this gel. Product contains 90% Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem extract, which can hydrate, soothe, and firm skin. To use: Apply to face and body where skin is dry and sensitive.

image Secret Key Glam Romance Perfume Body Lotion ($20) & Angellooka Hand Mask ($6) image

Beauteque also included a tube of body lotion from Secret Key and a hand mask treatment from a company called Angellooka. To be honest, I'm kind of bummed to see a full sized lotion. I can never use these huge tubes of lotion fast enough, and I seem to keep getting more and more to the point where they're kind of piling up. This will probably go to my giveaway pile, as I don't really like the harsh, perfume-y smell anyway.

The hand mask, however, sounds really cool! I've never used a mask that warms up before, so I'm excited to try this one out!

What Beauteque says:
Secret Key Glam Romance Perfume Body Lotion: This body lotion is richly scented to not only hydrate and nourish skin but also leave it nicely perfumed. To use: Apply all over body after bathing.

Angellooka Hand Mask: The warm mask softens and comforts skin, heating upon application. The cold mask soothes and relaxes skin. Shea butter and sunflower seed oil are among the ingredients that improve skin texture. To use either mask: Apply mask gloves to clean hands and wait 15-20 minutes. Remove, but do not rinse hands. Massage any remaining essence into hands.

image Baviphat Urban Dollkiss Easy Looks Soft Lipstick ($11) image

Also included was an orange/almost burnt sienna colored lipstick from Baviphat/Urban Dollkiss. It seems to wear off rather quickly and isn't really all that flattering on me, so I'm a little sad. It's also pretty drying. 

Swatch!

What Beauteque says: This moisturizing lipstick, the essence to a luxurious life, comes in many different shades. To use: Apply from tube or by dabbing a lip brush into product, then stroke onto lips. Blot your lips once with a tissue.  

image Happy Bath Facial Yogurt Foam Cleanser ($12) & Beauteque Contour Brush ($12) image

The Happy Bath facial wash that I received was an "Herb Essence" scent. I'm a bit miffed that Beauteque included this with a $12 price tag when you can get this same exact face wash in Asia for about $3. I know imported products will cost a bit more, but 4 times the original price? This is also a discontinued line I believe, so it seems to me that Beauteque just got these for really cheap so as to cut costs. Now, I don't mind when subscription boxes add a few cheap extras into the mix, as long as the rest of the box makes up for it, but this just seems like bad business to send out such a cheap product and slap a $12 price tag on it. Not to mention the pH of this hovers around the 8.5 mark. I guess it'll be demoted to a brush cleanser or a body wash, because I don't need something with the pH of baking soda all over my face.

Speaking of brushes, Beauteque also included what they refer to as a contour brush, but what I think is more of a stippling brush. Either way, I like that they included a tool in this month's bag, but it just feels so cheap that I'm afraid it'll just fall apart when I use it.  At least it's purple?

What Beauteque says:
Happy Bath Facial Yogurt Foam Cleanser: This cleanser will help deep clean, refresh, and invigorate skin. It will not only remove makeup but also reduce inflammation. To use: Squeeze out a small amount from the tube, and rub in circular motions onto your face. Then wash off with lukewarm water.

Contour Brush: This metallic brush will add nice contours to your complexion. To use: Tap excess powder off the brush before applying product. Apply to the cheekbones and jaw by sweeping downward. To create the illusion of a slimmer nose, run thin strip of product down wither side of bridge of nose using the same techniques as above.

image Final Verdict image
The October Beauteque BB Bag cost me $24 and has a total combined value of $79, although the prices seem greatly exaggerated. Honestly? This bag was so weirdly curated, and it feels kind of rushed and sloppy. I like that there's a lot of brand variety, but there are so few items (Beauteque advertises sending 7 or more full size items) and the items that are included just aren't very good quality. The only things I'm looking forward to using are the hand mask and the SNP cactus gel. Maybe if they had included one more item, or let us choose the color of the lipstick or something I would have felt a little better about this box, but it seems that Beauteque is becoming less and less about the customer and more about cutting costs. Which is a shame, because Beauteque used to be one of my favorite subscriptions. Maybe I'm being too picky? What do you think?

If you'd like to sign up for a Beauteque BB Bag subscription, you can do so OVER HERE. Beauteque also has a main website where you can shop around for other kbeauty items and limited edition bags, and that can be found HERE.

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