Buying Affordable Asian Beauty Products Online | Yamibuy Review + Haul
It seems even when I create a content calendar for myself to follow, I like to make things harder for myself by making last minute changes. But what can I say, my Yamibuy order came in yesterday afternoon and I was too excited not to post about it! Plus they currently have a sale going on which ends on the 28th so my impulsiveness is totally justified. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
As a newbie to the world of Asian beauty, I'm in awe at the immense number of online shops out there. It seems like a new one is popping up each week! Since I've placed a few orders at various retailers over the past month, I thought I would do reviews on my experience with each retailer. Hopefully over time this can turn into a helpful, little seriesthat also lets me rationalize purchasing a too many things from too many places.
They also currently have a 12% off promo on all beauty products with the code "Fall88." Which seems to be over :( If you have a student email address you can still get 10% off by following the directions on this page!
Basics
Yamibuy a California based company focused on selling Asian goods in the US (no international shipping atm.) Not only do they sell beauty products but they also sell medicine, baby products, snacks and some really creepy looking sex toys.
Pricing
I'm not familiar with every single product in the Yamibuy beauty sections but from what I saw, I would say they have competitive pricing. Personally I only bought masks and all those were cheaper than most of the other online retailers I checked out. For example I bought two Tea Tree Leaders masks, plus got one free, plus got 12% off which lowered the price from $2 per mask to $1.17 per mask. Most places that sell individual Leaders masks sell them for $2.50+. At Ulta they're $5 a pop!
In addition, Yamibuy also offer free shipping on orders over $35 and I just made the cut-off with a $35.82 order.
Shipping
I placed my order on the 17th, it shipped on the 18th via UPS Ground, and it arrived on my doorstep on the 24th. All in all the whole process took a week and I'm impressed!
As far my thoughts on the actual physical shipping, they could have gone with a bigger box but nothing was damaged so I'm okay with it. They also bubble wrapped the jelly masks to assure they were safe. One thing I noticed they didn't include was an invoice. This isn't a huge issue since I don't plan on returning anything and everything in my order arrived safely but it's something I would have liked to have just in case.
Selection
What prompted me to Yamibuy in the first place was their collection of Annie's Way jelly masks (which I'll talk about further down.) But once I got there I was super impressed with their overall selection. Not only do they have a variety of Korean beauty products and sheet masks, but they also carry Japanese and Taiwanese beauty brands! Some of the most popular ones I recognized were Annie's Way, My Beauty Diary, My Scheming, Lovemore, and Naruko.
Samples
From my perusal of r/AsianBeauty, it seems that most online Asian beauty retailers are notorious for their generous samples. Unfortunately my Yamibuy order did not come with any samples but I can't say I minded because I'm honestly overloaded with samples.
Now onto the good stuff...
Here's what I bought!
Annie's Way Aloe Anti-Acne Jelly Mask (250 mL) x 2
Exp: ??? (I'm sleuthing it out) Price paid: $6.82/ mask; also available via amazon with prime shipping and yesstyle
This was the product that led me to Yamibuy in the first place. It's a wash off jelly face mask that's supposed to hydrate your skin but also help soothe acne. My skin has been very dehydrated lately but I still have a bunch of skin texture issues so I'm happy to find a product that addresses both problems.
At the time I bought this they were having a BOGO offer so I got two for the price of one. After I use it a couple times, I hope to review it here on le blog and do a giveaway with the other one!
Annie's Way Snail Repairing Jelly Mask (40 mL)
Exp: 10/12/2017 Price paid: $2.20; also available via beautibi
Annie's Way Arbutin + Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Jelly Mask (40 mL)
Exp: 10/12/2017 Price paid: $2.20
These are two variations of the full size jelly masks I bought which I bought because I'm curious to see if I get varied results from different "flavors" of the line. (Side note: the 40 mL version of the aloe mask has a picture of a Hermione inspired character! So cute!)
I can't read Chinese characters (thank you to a lovely redittor for the head's up!)Taiwanese (or whatever language I'm assuming is Taiwanese) but one of the few lines of English on the Snail Repairing mask says "come on bad boy" multiple times and I love it. What better packaging is there than a flying old lady dressed in fancy clothes saying "come on bad boy."
Leaders Insolution TeaTree Relaxing Renewal Mask x 3
Exp: 03/01/2017 Price paid: $1.17/ mask; also available via amazon in 10 pack & singles via ulta
Leaders Insolution AC Clear Treatment Mask x 3
Exp: 03/01/2017 Price paid: $1.17/ mask; also available via amazon in 10 pack & singles via ulta
From all the sheet masks I've tried so far (which isn't many), Leaders Insolution have been my favorite. They're soaked in generous amounts of essence and sit nice and flat on my face. While they each have a host of claims, I bought them because I hope they aid calming down my acne and smoothing the overall texture of my face.
I do wish that they had later expiration dates but I can work with 4 months.
Leaders Insolution Vita Brightening Renewal Mask x 3
Exp: 04/23/2017 Price paid: $1.17/ mask; also available via amazon in 10 pack & singles
Leaders Insolution Illuminating Treatment Mask x 3
Exp: 01/21/2018 Price paid: $1.17/ mask; also available via amazon in 10 pack & singles
Since Yamibuy had a buy 2 get 1 free deal going on with Leaders masks, I decided to give their Vita Brightening and Illuminating masks a try. The second worst part of acne are the scars that it leaves behind which never. seem. to go. away. why. I've been slowly adding actives and serums to my routine to aid with said scarring, but sheet masks are a great way to see temporary but instant results.
Again, like the TeaTree and AC Clear mask, I do wish the Vita Brightening mask had a later expiration date but I mask enough to finish them by the end of next April.
AM Piggy Head Ali Shan Green Tea Purifying Mask
Exp: 02/23/2019 Price paid: $0.88; also available via beautibi
AM Piggy Head Sun Moon Lake Black Tea Instant Repairing Mask
Exp: 03/22/2019 Price paid: $0.88; also available via beautibi
I don't know much about these AM sheet masks but the creepy yet cute "piggy heads" on the packaging drew me in. I've also never tried any Taiwanese sheet masks so curiosity had me add these to my cart. Plus I was just under the $35 free threshold and these pulled me over.
SNP Gentle Girl Mask Pack- No.2 Lover Boy
Exp: 04/26/2018 Price paid: $1.93; also available via amazon in 10 pack
This mask has a mustache on it and that's why I bought it. The end.
As you can tell, I'm not the most rational consumer and packaging easily pulls me in, especially when a product is only a dollar or two. (Bonus: when you search for this mask on the Yamibuy website that's when you'll be disturbed by some weird sex toys.)
While you can't get this specific mask at Ulta, Ulta does sell a whole bunch of super cute SNP animal masks. They've got an otter, a panda, a cat, and a few more here.
And that's all I bought! Even though it was a lot stuff, it was a pretty good deal for $35. It averaged out to $1.82 per item which is a steal!
What are your favorite stores to buy Asian beauty products?
PSA: If you're interested in Leaders masks, they're currently on Hautelook until the end of the week! The 7 wonders sets are a great deal since they're hard to find on sale at Ulta. Also, Hautelook ships to Canada and Australia!
As a newbie to the world of Asian beauty, I'm in awe at the immense number of online shops out there. It seems like a new one is popping up each week! Since I've placed a few orders at various retailers over the past month, I thought I would do reviews on my experience with each retailer. Hopefully over time this can turn into a helpful, little series
Basics
Yamibuy a California based company focused on selling Asian goods in the US (no international shipping atm.) Not only do they sell beauty products but they also sell medicine, baby products, snacks and some really creepy looking sex toys.
Pricing
I'm not familiar with every single product in the Yamibuy beauty sections but from what I saw, I would say they have competitive pricing. Personally I only bought masks and all those were cheaper than most of the other online retailers I checked out. For example I bought two Tea Tree Leaders masks, plus got one free, plus got 12% off which lowered the price from $2 per mask to $1.17 per mask. Most places that sell individual Leaders masks sell them for $2.50+. At Ulta they're $5 a pop!
In addition, Yamibuy also offer free shipping on orders over $35 and I just made the cut-off with a $35.82 order.
Shipping
I placed my order on the 17th, it shipped on the 18th via UPS Ground, and it arrived on my doorstep on the 24th. All in all the whole process took a week and I'm impressed!
As far my thoughts on the actual physical shipping, they could have gone with a bigger box but nothing was damaged so I'm okay with it. They also bubble wrapped the jelly masks to assure they were safe. One thing I noticed they didn't include was an invoice. This isn't a huge issue since I don't plan on returning anything and everything in my order arrived safely but it's something I would have liked to have just in case.
Selection
What prompted me to Yamibuy in the first place was their collection of Annie's Way jelly masks (which I'll talk about further down.) But once I got there I was super impressed with their overall selection. Not only do they have a variety of Korean beauty products and sheet masks, but they also carry Japanese and Taiwanese beauty brands! Some of the most popular ones I recognized were Annie's Way, My Beauty Diary, My Scheming, Lovemore, and Naruko.
Samples
From my perusal of r/AsianBeauty, it seems that most online Asian beauty retailers are notorious for their generous samples. Unfortunately my Yamibuy order did not come with any samples but I can't say I minded because I'm honestly overloaded with samples.
Now onto the good stuff...
Here's what I bought!
Annie's Way Aloe Anti-Acne Jelly Mask (250 mL) x 2
Exp: ??? (I'm sleuthing it out) Price paid: $6.82/ mask; also available via amazon with prime shipping and yesstyle
This was the product that led me to Yamibuy in the first place. It's a wash off jelly face mask that's supposed to hydrate your skin but also help soothe acne. My skin has been very dehydrated lately but I still have a bunch of skin texture issues so I'm happy to find a product that addresses both problems.
At the time I bought this they were having a BOGO offer so I got two for the price of one. After I use it a couple times, I hope to review it here on le blog and do a giveaway with the other one!
Annie's Way Snail Repairing Jelly Mask (40 mL)
Exp: 10/12/2017 Price paid: $2.20; also available via beautibi
Annie's Way Arbutin + Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Jelly Mask (40 mL)
Exp: 10/12/2017 Price paid: $2.20
These are two variations of the full size jelly masks I bought which I bought because I'm curious to see if I get varied results from different "flavors" of the line. (Side note: the 40 mL version of the aloe mask has a picture of a Hermione inspired character! So cute!)
I can't read Chinese characters (thank you to a lovely redittor for the head's up!)
Leaders Insolution TeaTree Relaxing Renewal Mask x 3
Exp: 03/01/2017 Price paid: $1.17/ mask; also available via amazon in 10 pack & singles via ulta
Leaders Insolution AC Clear Treatment Mask x 3
Exp: 03/01/2017 Price paid: $1.17/ mask; also available via amazon in 10 pack & singles via ulta
From all the sheet masks I've tried so far (which isn't many), Leaders Insolution have been my favorite. They're soaked in generous amounts of essence and sit nice and flat on my face. While they each have a host of claims, I bought them because I hope they aid calming down my acne and smoothing the overall texture of my face.
I do wish that they had later expiration dates but I can work with 4 months.
Leaders Insolution Vita Brightening Renewal Mask x 3
Exp: 04/23/2017 Price paid: $1.17/ mask; also available via amazon in 10 pack & singles
Leaders Insolution Illuminating Treatment Mask x 3
Exp: 01/21/2018 Price paid: $1.17/ mask; also available via amazon in 10 pack & singles
Since Yamibuy had a buy 2 get 1 free deal going on with Leaders masks, I decided to give their Vita Brightening and Illuminating masks a try. The second worst part of acne are the scars that it leaves behind which never. seem. to go. away. why. I've been slowly adding actives and serums to my routine to aid with said scarring, but sheet masks are a great way to see temporary but instant results.
Again, like the TeaTree and AC Clear mask, I do wish the Vita Brightening mask had a later expiration date but I mask enough to finish them by the end of next April.
AM Piggy Head Ali Shan Green Tea Purifying Mask
Exp: 02/23/2019 Price paid: $0.88; also available via beautibi
AM Piggy Head Sun Moon Lake Black Tea Instant Repairing Mask
Exp: 03/22/2019 Price paid: $0.88; also available via beautibi
I don't know much about these AM sheet masks but the creepy yet cute "piggy heads" on the packaging drew me in. I've also never tried any Taiwanese sheet masks so curiosity had me add these to my cart. Plus I was just under the $35 free threshold and these pulled me over.
SNP Gentle Girl Mask Pack- No.2 Lover Boy
Exp: 04/26/2018 Price paid: $1.93; also available via amazon in 10 pack
This mask has a mustache on it and that's why I bought it. The end.
As you can tell, I'm not the most rational consumer and packaging easily pulls me in, especially when a product is only a dollar or two. (Bonus: when you search for this mask on the Yamibuy website that's when you'll be disturbed by some weird sex toys.)
While you can't get this specific mask at Ulta, Ulta does sell a whole bunch of super cute SNP animal masks. They've got an otter, a panda, a cat, and a few more here.
And that's all I bought! Even though it was a lot stuff, it was a pretty good deal for $35. It averaged out to $1.82 per item which is a steal!
What are your favorite stores to buy Asian beauty products?
PSA: If you're interested in Leaders masks, they're currently on Hautelook until the end of the week! The 7 wonders sets are a great deal since they're hard to find on sale at Ulta. Also, Hautelook ships to Canada and Australia!