If there is an afterlife and it has Internet access, then my mom is about to be either really amused or really annoyed when she finds out it’s her fault I’m a skincare fanatic who can’t sleep if I don’t at least remove my makeup and moisturize every night and cleanse and wear sunscreen in the morning. I still remember exactly what products she used in her evening skincare routine from when I was a little kid of five or six or seven, all the way back in the Stone Age: Pond’s cold cream, Clinique yellow bar soap in the green plastic case (double cleansing in the mid-80s!), and either Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion or the classic pink Olay moisturizer to finish.

Over the years, other products from the likes of Estee Lauder and Merle Norman spent time in her massive, room-spanning vanity, but the foundational elements of her routine never changed. Now, over twenty years after she passed away, I still think of her every time I pick up my lotions and potions. So when Jen at Beautibi sent me a few of her newly curated boxes to consider for a big Mother’s Day SNS Saturday giveaway, I chose to give away the box I would have picked for my mom (and that I do pick for me, because I am a mom, too, apparently). Check out the Miracles in May Box with me!

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The products featured in this post were provided by Beautibi.

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Since my recent great experience with a Beautibi box had me confident in Jen’s curation abilities (translation: reasonably sure I wouldn’t end up with a cabinet full of duds, which is something that I really don’t need right now considering how long overdue a full Konmari-ing of my current skincare stash already is), I agreed to accept three boxes to check out for the giveaway: Hydration Up!, Day to Night Spa Set, and this one, Miracles in May. All three boxes have their strong points (and I’ll be posting unboxings and lots of reviews out of them in the near and probably far future), but for me, Miracles in May just fits. Its contents present some solid skincare in sophisticated packaging and with the Beautibi trademark sense of fun.

(Unicorn confetti.)

Like the Hydration Up! and Day to Night Spa boxes, Miracles in May exclusively features indie K-beauty brand Thankyou Farmer (TYF), which claims to be “the most basic cosmetic which you’re looking for,” according to a Beautibi box insert. I disagree, but I also think we may be working from a different definition of “basic.” The Miracles in May Box is so named because it contains products from TYF’s Miracle Age Repair anti-aging skincare line. Also probably because it’ll be a damn miracle if Jen still has any of these boxes in stock by the start of May tomorrow. Last time I reviewed a Beautibi box, it was out of stock before I typed the first word. But one has been reserved for our giveaway, so I know at least one person will get to try Miracles in May based on this review!

Box contents: Miracles in May includes three full-sized products, all from the same line: the Miracle Age Repair Toner, Serum, and Emulsion. It also contains a box of five Miracle Age Repair Cotton Masks.

Best suited for:  Normal, combo, and moderately dry skin with aging concerns. Dry and very dry skin may require additional moisturizing steps.

Unsuitable for: People with sensitivities to saccharomyces ferment, fragrance, citrus oils and extracts, other botanical ingredients, fragrance, fatty alcohols, silicones, silicone derivatives, or anything else in the products’ ingredients lists.

What to expect: A set of anti-aging products with complementary scents and textures; overlapping key ingredients for enhanced effectiveness; some temporary firming, smoothing, and mild brightening effects; and possible long-term pigmentation fading and antioxidant capabilities.

Beautibi Miracles in May Box Review

Please note that the first impressions I’m giving below are not full reviews. Some of the products only came in stock at Beautibi very recently, giving her no way to send them to me in advance. Instead of staggering product introductions like I usually would, I YOLOed the entire line into my routine at once solely to evaluate user experience qualities like fragrance, consistency, and finish. I’ll be isolating and retesting some of the products the standard way to write full reviews later on. For now, these are my initial thoughts and a review of the box based on my criteria of what makes a good K-beauty box.

Thankyou Farmer Miracle Age Repair Cotton Mask x5

We might as well get this one out of the way. I love sheet masks, can’t get enough of them, use them every day, like to have a variety, and initially was most excited about this part of the set. The TYF sheet masks turned out to be the weakest items in the box for me. While the essence is plentiful and the masks last a good hour on my face before drying up, and while the masks smell amazing in a warm, fruity-floral way and brighten and moisturize my skin nicely, with some bonus subtle firming for about 12 hours or so after use, the cotton sheets are not great. I’m not a fan of such thick masks. I find they sit more loosely on the face compared to microfiber, silk, or even good-quality thin pulp masks. This leads to more tenting and fit problems and less of the essence being force-fed into my skin than I’d get with a clingier material. I won’t be kicking the rest of these masks out of bed, though, since the effects are so good. I may also already be down to 3 out of the original 5.

These masks have saccharomyces ferment as their first ingredient and, like the rest of the line, also contain niacinamide and a huge variety of mostly anti-inflammatory and antioxidant botanical extracts. They also use seemingly every fragrant citrus oil in existence, which some people will find problematic. In my experience, these oils are troubling in theory but have never given me issues with photosensitivity or irritation in practice, since they’re typically used in tiny amounts and mostly for fragrance purposes.

Thankyou Farmer Miracle Age Repair Cotton Mask ingredients: Saccharomyces ferment, glycerin, butylene glycol, niacinamide, piper methysticum leaf/root/stem extract, dioscorea japonica root extract, phellinus linteus anthemis nobilis flower oil, arctium lappa root extract, calendula officinalis flower extract, portulaca oleracea extract, pueraria thunbergiana root extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, paeonia lactiflora root extract, cnidium officinale root extract, soluble collagen, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hydrogenated lecithin, citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel oil, sodium hyaluronate, citrus limon (lemon) peel oil, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, citrus aurantifolia (lime) oil, pelargonium graveolens flower oil, ribes nigrum (black currant) seed oil, rose flower oil, cedrus atlantica bark oil, illicium verum (anise) fruit/seed oil, cananga odorata flower oil, cymbopogon nardus (citronella) oil, eugenia caryophyllus (clove) leaf oil, anthemis nobilis flower oil, jasminium officinale (jasmine) oil, santalum album (sandalwood) oil, ferula galbaniflua (galbanum) resin oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, water, 1,2-hexanediol, polysorbate 60, coceth-7, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, PPG-1-PEG-9 lauryl glycol ether, diphenyl dimethicone, triethylhexanoin, betaine, carbomer, tromethamine, xanthan gum, steareth-21, ethylhexylglycerin, sodium polyacrylate, adenosine, polyglyceryl-10 myristate, cetyl alcohol, steareth-2, isohexadecane, disodium EDTA, stearic acid, polyquaternium-51, glycosyl trehalose, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, raffinose, biosaccharide gum-1, pentylene glycol, PEG-30 dipolyhydroxystearate, panthenol, lecithin, tocopheryl acetate, folic acid, ceramide 3, cholesterol, glyceryl polymethacrylate, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, phenoxyethanol

CosDNA analysis

Thankyou Farmer Miracle Age Repair Toner

Now that the mild disappointment of the sheet masks is out of the way, I can talk about happier things! Let’s start with this toner.

Like the Banila Co Miss Flower & Mr Honey Toner that I’ve been using for several months now, the Miracle Age Repair Toner is a milky, nourishing-type toner. Unlike many lighter hydrating or softening toners, which help prepare skin for subsequent products but don’t add much moisture themselves, a toner like the Miracle Age Repair version is meant to boost skin’s fatty barrier right at the beginning of the skincare routine, when it is most receptive to absorbing product. I find it super helpful for my skin, since my barrier is always a little compromised from tretinoin use. The prettily (and not overpoweringly) fragranced liquid comes in a pump bottle that helps to control the amount of product dispensed better than regular shaker bottles and that protects the product from contamination and premature degradation. This is a toner that I think will be more beneficial if patted on with palms rather than swiped over skin with a cotton pad, since it’s replenishing rather than cleansing.

Thankyou Farmer Miracle Age Repair Toner ingredients: Water, caprylic/capric triglyceride, butylene glycol, dimethicone, glycerin, niacinamide, betaine, dioscorea japonica root extract, phellinus linteus extract, arctium lappa root extract, piper methysticum leaf/root/stem extract, portulaca oleracea extract, pueraria thunbergiana root extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, paeonia lactiflora root extract, cnidium officinale root extract, soluble collagen, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hydrogenated lecithin, sodium hyaluronate, argania spinosa kernel oil, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, squalane, 1,2-hexanediol, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, polysorbate 60, lauryl glucoside, xanthan gum, ethylhexylglycerin, polyglyceryl-2 dipolyhydroxystearate, polyquaternium-51, glycosyl trehalose, adenosine, sodium laureth sulfate, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, raffinose, biosaccharide gum-1, bisabolol (LOL), lecithin, panthenol, dicaprylyl carbonate, sucrose distearate, ceramide 3, folic acid, cholesterol, tromethamine, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, fragrance, phenoxyethanol

CosDNA analysis

Thankyou Farmer Miracle Age Repair Serum

I haven’t seen many other serums like the Miracle Age Repair Serum. Actually, I got confused when I went to pump out my first dose of it (the entire line comes packaged in those nice sanitary convenient pump bottles–thoughtful), because instead of being a gel or liquidy serum like most that I’ve used, the Miracle Age Repair Serum is a cream-type serum with a pleasing smoothness, like super finely blended lotion. I’m sure there are other cream serums out there, but this may be the first one I’ve ever tried. It’s definitely the first one I’ll remember. I’ve been using it as the last serum step in my routines so that its richness won’t slow down absorption of watery products that should go on beforehand, and I’m finding it really enjoyable due to the consistency and the soft, feminine scent. The collagen in this step (and the next one) give some temporary but nice instant firming, which as you may have noticed from recent reviews is becoming pretty important to me. I’m not exactly losing firmness so much as I am losing my mind over losing firmness, but anyway, I appreciate all the extra help I can get.

Thankyou Farmer Miracle Age Repair Serum ingredients: Water, glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, niacinamide, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, pentylene glycol, polysorbate 20, methylpropanediol, sodium polyacrylate, dioscorea japonica root extract, piper methysticum leaf/root/stem extract, phellinus linteus extract, arctium lappa root extract, portulaca oleracea extract, pueraria thunbergiana root extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, paeonia lactiflora root extract, cnidium officinale root extract, soluble collagen, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hydrogenated lecithin, sodium hyaluronate, argania spinosa kernel oil, cyclopentasiloxane, 1,2-hexanediol, cetearyl alcohol, hydroxyethyl acrylates/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate crosspolymer, squalane, ethylhexylglycerin, dimethcone crosspolymer, dimethicone, xanthan gum, polysorbate 60, polyquaternium-51, glycosyl trehalose, adenosine, laureth-4, tetrasodium EDTA, laureth-23, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, raffinose, biosaccharide gum-1, bisbolol (LOL), lecithin, butylene glycol, panthenol, dicaprylyl carbonate, sucrose distearate, ceramide 3, folic acid, cholesterol, tromethamine, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, fragrance, Cl 15985, Cl 19140

CosDNA analysis

Thankyou Farmer Miracle Age Repair Emulsion

I wasn’t expecting the Miracle Age Repair Emulsion to end up being my favorite item in this set. Since its theme is anti-aging and its products all contain barrier-supporting ingredients most suited to dry and dehydrated skin, I’d thought a cream would be a better fit and was bummed that one wasn’t included. (Also, I love creams.) Jen had told me, however, that she’s obsessed with this emulsion and that it’s like nothing else she’s ever tried, and after checking out a squirt the second I got the bottle out of the box, I totally agree.

It’s really weird, though. Really weird. The Miracle Age Repair Emulsion isn’t a runny lotion, like most emulsions. Instead, it’s a sort of soft gel-cream, somewhat translucent, and even more eerily smooth to the touch and on the face than the serum of the same line, thanks to lots of silicones. (The info card mentions a “pudding-like” texture. What kind of pudding are you guys eating, Jen and TYF???) Also thanks at least in part to the silicones, it isn’t particularly hydrating, nor does it sink in rapidly like many other similarly textured products do. Think of it as a siliconey moisturizer rather than a watery one. It’s more of a final or almost-final finisher that forms a weightless but unmistakable protective layer over skin, holding moisture in without greasiness and maintaining a smooth canvas for sunscreen and makeup. I don’t find this quite enough for my tretface as a final moisturizing step but love the way it feels paired with a light cream. The feel of it and its intoxicating but not headache-inducing fragrance, which I keep bringing up because I’m addicted to it, make the emulsion my surprise favorite of the box.

Thankyou Farmer Miracle Age Repair Emulsion ingredients: Water, glycerin, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, butylene glycol, glycereth-26, niacinamide, hydrogenated poly (C6-14 olefin), phellinus linteus extract, arctium lappa root extract, dioscorea japonica root extract, piper methysticum leaf/root/stem extract, portulaca oleracea extract, pueraria thunbergiana root extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, paeonia lactiflora root extract, cnidium officinale root extract, soluble collagen, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hydrogenated lecithin, sodium hyaluronate, argania spinosa kernel oil, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, C12-13 Pareth-23, divinyldimethicone/dimethicone copolymer, 1,2-hexanediol, dimethiconol, betaine, sodium polyacrylate, trideceth-6, PEG/PPG-18/18 dimethicone, glyceryl stearate, cetyl alcohol, polysorbate 60, C12-13 Pareth-3, PEG-75 stearate, ethylhexylglycerin, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, C12-14 Pareth-7, squalane, ceteth-20, steareth-20, adenosine, polyquaternium-51, glycosyl trehalose, bisabolol (LOL), hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, raffinose, biosaccharide gum-1, panthenol, xanthan gum, lecithin, dicaprylyl carbonate, sucrose distearate, ceramide 3, folic acid, cholesterol, tromethamine, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, fragrance, phenoxyethanol, Cl 19140

CosDNA analysis

Conclusion: I don’t find most beauty boxes compelling because most of the K-beauty varieties I’ve seen are either aimed at relative newcomers and offer brands and products that I’ve either tried already or have no interest in, or contain a bunch of random-seeming items with little sense of curation (in my opinion). Most of the time, I’d just rather hand-pick my own stuff piece by piece. My criteria for beauty boxes is that they surprise me with several unknown-to-me but immediately attractive items, all chosen to fit a cohesive overall theme. Boxes don’t have to be full of unicorn HGs (unicorn confetti is welcome though), but I should at least want to try out most of the products they contain.

Beautibi’s Miracles in May Box hits all those points and more. I didn’t originally mean to throw everything in the box on my face at once, but every one of the TYF Miracle Age Repair products was irresistible enough for me to make an exception to my usual process. All of the products give great sensory experience too, with no real duds in the bunch, just the slight disappointment of the sheet masks and my wish for a cream or other more moisturizing final step product. Fantastic. I’d be proud to give this box to my mom for Mother’s Day. Since I can’t, I’ll just enjoy mine and have fun giving you guys an opportunity to win one for you or yours!

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Where can I buy Beautibi Miracles in May Box?

If you don’t want to wait for the giveaway or run the risk of the box selling out and Jen not restocking, because she often doesn’t, the Miracles in May Box is currently $89 at Beautibi. If this will be your first time purchasing from Beautibi, you can use my referral link to get $5 off your first order.

Orrrrr, if you want to try to win the box, check out the rules and deadline here!

Do you think a box like this would be a good gift for Mother’s Day?