TofuCrate Subscription Box Review – June 2016

TofuCrate is a monthly subscription box focusing on Asian beauty and skincare, ranging from Korean to Japanese to Chinese beauty trends. You can expect new and exciting products at your door every month.  All products are hand-picked from the best of the best, and several are not available readily in the U.S.!  Choose between 3 plans:  Mini Crate (3-5 products), Junior Crate (5-7 products), and Senior Crate (7-10 products).  Each box also contains bonus samples for you to test or share.  Plans start at $15 per month, but there are discounts for extended plan terms.  Subscribe by the 25th to get the current month’s box.  This is a review of the Senior Crate.

You are greeted with “Hello” when you open the box.  I recognize Korean (2nd from top).  I think the other languages are Chinese and Japanese.

As a new subscriber, I received a personalized thank you for joining TofuCrate.

Hey Summer!

Xing here, founder of TC.  Thanks for joining the family!  🙂  Hope you have fun w/ all your new products, & let us know your thoughts!

<3, TofuCrate

The information card contains a description of each item and its retail value.  There was also a card with some pretty sunflowers – this is going in my office to bring the outside in.

There’s so much in the box that it broke the outer sticker and the inner tissue paper.

The June TofuCrate!

Wonder Essence Blueberry Serum ($2.00-$5.00):  TC has this listed as $12.95.  While the price varied greatly across sites for this serum, none had it listed that high.  This contains fruit extracts, hyaluronic acid, and collagen to moisturize and improve skin.  You can add a few drops to your foundation to lighten it for the summer weather.

RYO Damage Care Shampoo ($12.99):  This shampoo featuring naturally fermented Jeju camellia oil, nourishes hair from the inside while providing a a shiny coat outside that protects hair from external elements.  This shampoo left my hair feeling conditioned and soft.  It had a very perfumey fragrance, but I was willing to overlook that.  I wish that I would have received the matching conditioner.

Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream_EX ($5.50):  This is a moisturizing cream for normal to dry skin.  It uses olive squalane and glasswort extracts to reinforce skin’s natural moisture barrier, providing 24 hour hydration.  My sister tends to suffer from dry patches on her face, so I will be passing this on to her.

A’Pieu Sweet Banana Hand Cream ($7.00):  Sorry, the link I found has this at more than double TC’s cost.  This lotion has a strong sweet banana scent.  I like bananas, so this doesn’t bother me.  The formula is very rich and does take a while to absorb.  However, once it absorbed, my hands felt soft for hours.

Etude House Baking Powder BB Deep Cleansing Foam ($2.00):  TC has this listed for $5.00, but on a price per milliliter basis, it is closer to the price I listed.  This is formulated with baking powder to deep cleanse pores for better makeup and residue removal.  Like most K-beauty cleansing foams I’ve used, a little goes a long way with this.  It has a rich lather, and the grit from the baking powder provides mild exfoliation while you wash.

Inner Kalia Collagen Modeling Pack ($1.87):  This is another item that I couldn’t find at the same price as TC.  These modeling masks have an interesting texture and remind me of silicone when dry.  This one provides a boost of collagen to help improve skin’s texture and elasticity.  To use, put powder and a cup of water into a bowl with the ratio of 1:0.8 and mix evenly and quickly.

Illi Hanbang Mugwort  Calming Mask ($1.68):  This calming mask with mugwort extract helps to soothe irritated skin.  It also contains ginseng and is a great end of day revitalizer.Rolanjona Milk & Bamboo Vinegar Peeling Feet Mask ($2.69):  The link I used has this at a higher price than TC, but I couldn’t find this at their price.  One of the treatments for smelly feet that I know of is a vinegar soak.  This foot mask uses bamboo vinegar to help reduce odor and soften skin.  The milk extracts help to nourish and moisturize dry skin.  This works similar to Baby Foot masks – after 2 weeks, dead skin should have sloughed off leaving behind sandal ready feet.

*BONUS* Samples:

• Skinfood Gold Kiwi Emulsion – Uses gold kiwis to restore and renew your skin, while providing moisture and whitening results.
• Skinfood Royal Honey Emulsion – A treatment emulsion with royal black honey and royal jelly extracts that moisturizes and transforms skin into a nice honey-glazed complexion.
• A’Pieu Start Up Pore Primer – Make pores invisible like using a ‘blur shot’ expression.  Silky Softness Effect forms thin layer coat to even out skin texture.

I felt this box was a nice introduction to TofuCrate for me.  I calculated the value at nearly $39, while TC had it closer to $55.  As I’ve said in other Asian beauty reviews, the prices for products vary greatly across the web and there will be variances depending on where you shop.  I liked that TofuCrate had a good variety of products, covering me from head to toe (literally).  The Etude House foaming cleanser is my favorite item this month.  What was yours?  Leave a comment below and let me know.

On a Side Note:  Before trying any Asian cosmetic subscription, expect that most information on the package will be in the native language.  That said, more and more brands are including directions/ingredients in English, and information can also be found in English on the majority of brands’ websites (you may have to choose a brand’s global or US site).  Secondly, a large number of products focus on brightening or whitening the skin.  As a person of color, I have not seen my skin color change.  Instead, I’ve experienced that my skin tone gets evened out after prolonged use.  However, your results may be different.  And lastly, many products contain ingredients which are animal-derived, so these may not be an option if you are vegan.  You can also check out cosDNA.com to see if the ingredients for the product are listed there.

Visit TofuCrate to subscribe or find out more!