r/AusSkincare Oct 15 '25

Product Review I bought the w cosmetics spring mystery box so you don’t have to

Price: $69 What was in it: - Abib airy sunstick - Beauty of Joseon aqua fresh sunscreen - Beauty of Joseon rice + probiotics sunscreen - Cosrx aloe soothing sun cream - Skin1004 hyalu cica sunstick - Tocobo cotton soft sunstick - JMsolution selfie vital rosehip mask - Beauty of Joseon cica calming mask - Frudia my orchard squeeze mask(?) peach

I mean…I guess that’s the loophole they found with the sunscreens they couldn’t sell as sunscreen.

From what I can tell, the products seem to be definitely worth more than that, based on w cos pricing (cannot confirm though as they’ve pulled the product listings from their site). Even comparing to my fave Lila Beauty, which often has way lower prices, it definitely totalled to much more than what I spent.

Even though it’s all sunscreen and I think I had different expectations, I can’t complain too much since in the end it was still great value.

I guess it is to be expected that a product like this is more to get rid of stock, and needless to say I’m still glad it is something I will get use out of, or can easily give to friends and family. Also I was a bit suspect on the ‘Try Me!’ stickers on all of them but I realised that it was just to cover up the SPF and PA claims 😂 the products are untouched and sealed!

185 Upvotes

73 comments sorted by

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83

u/Limp_Year2020 Oct 15 '25

Why do they say try me? Are they testers?

49

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

LMAO i was concerned about this at first too, but see the end of my post for the reasoning. Don't worry, they are all sealed. If I was being nitpicky sunsticks aren't sealed (but they never are) since everything was taken out of their boxes, but you can obviously tell if those have been used imo.

2

u/Tea_inthegoodroom Oct 15 '25

I thought this too 😂

30

u/myungsooismine Oct 15 '25

Oo saw these today at w cosmetics and was wondering what's inside!! Smart way to get rid of their old sunscreen stock

14

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25 edited Oct 15 '25

yes definitely! was hoping this would be helpful for people who were curious but didn’t wanna waste money on something they didn’t want, but you can’t really go wrong with korean sunscreens!

eta: although i do wonder if they all contain the same thing, or if there is variation 🤔

25

u/vhmvd Oct 15 '25

Honestly, I’d buy. I love all these sunscreens

9

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

I’ve heard so many good things about these ones - I’ve only tried the tocobo sunstick out of all of these, so i’m glad to have an excuse to now!

9

u/Suspicious-Foot1713 Oct 15 '25

Did you buy this online? I can’t find it

12

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

I got it in store - I’m not sure if they’re available at every store though…might just be what my local store decided to do about the sunscreen debacle

8

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '25

[deleted]

9

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

I wouldn’t say it was a huge deal, but if you’ve been to wcos recently you may have noticed that there were no sunscreens in stock (also none on their online store) - it seems the conclusion was that the TGA cracked down on these so the k and jbeauty sunscreens can’t be advertised as SPF products since they’re not tested by Aus standards, which appears to be supported by the stickers on the products i received stuck in a very intentional way

3

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '25

[deleted]

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

No worries, and I totally agree! they're still pretty easily accessible on various online stores, thankfully; on an everyday basis I usually don't see the sun much so Korean sunscreens are way easier for everyday use.

6

u/tlai34 Oct 15 '25

Are they full size products?

2

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

yes, all full size! i was surprised about this

6

u/catmumkesby Oct 16 '25

I got the same but different! Isntree Hyaluronic acid watery sun gel and isntree hyaluronic acid natural sun cream. Cosrx Aloe 54.2 aqua tone up sunscreen. BoJ relief sun rice + probiotics (which I already have tried and liked) and tocobo bio watery primer plus. Plus the same 3 masks.

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 16 '25

interesting to hear! makes sense that they're all sunscreens based on my speculations, good to see some variety too though

1

u/catmumkesby Oct 17 '25

Tbu, I'm so mad I bought it. I got home and realized that my skin1004 centella serum is nearly all gone. If I'd purchased online, it was a gwp 😭

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 17 '25

no!! unfortunate :(

3

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '25

[deleted]

3

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

I had heard this about their green cica one! This cotton soft one is decent (albeit I haven't tried any other sunsticks), but my goodness the smell is horrendous to me. Might try this version at some point

3

u/HYCL2012 Oct 16 '25

I popped into my local, this was in their box. Thanks for the heads up!

2

u/HYCL2012 Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 17 '25

I really wanted new sunscreen sticks for summer and happy to have gotten both BOJ sunscreens to compare. Such a good deal for $69.

Contents:

  • BOJ Relief Sun
  • BOJ Relief Sun Aqua Fresh
  • Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream
  • Cosrx Aloe 54.2 Aqua Tone UP Sunscreen
  • Abib Airy Sunstick
  • BOJ Matte Sun stick

And the 3 sheet masks

Total value of sunscreens if bought separately from the cheapest k beauty retailer online, not including the sheet masks, is $93.74.

Of course each different retailer have free delivery minimums and discount codes. And W Cosmetics would have retailed them for more.

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 17 '25

No worries, thanks for sharing yours as well!

2

u/WittyKittyCookie Oct 15 '25

I wonder if everybody box will be the same

3

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

yes i am so curious hahahaah i hope someone else here buys it and can confirm...

1

u/xxiammaixx Oct 18 '25

Nope, my one had different products (all sunscreen as well!)

2

u/Knittingtaco Oct 15 '25

I have used and loved almost all those sunscreens (cosrx aloe is do underrated imo) but I would have maybe been a bit disappointed to receive them because they’re kinda old news to me. I do love a good mystery box because ooh dopamine but they’re rarely as exciting as I had wished

3

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

i completely agree!! i feel like this is a sign for me to stop the overconsumption, but i'm glad they're at least great sunscreens that will definitely be well used.

2

u/Knittingtaco Oct 16 '25

Reigning in spending is so hard! I think that I often shop just for the mood boost and tackling that is just ugh. Having said that, a bunch of sunscreen never goes astray!

2

u/Nesstopia9 Oct 15 '25

Thank you for this! Hope there's some at the store near my work tomorrow.

4

u/Nesstopia9 Oct 16 '25

For those who are curious, I got a box from George St Sydney. Mine came with: * I'm From Rice Sunscreen * Tocobo Cica Cooling Sun Stick and Sun Serum * Abib Sunstick * Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun and the Aqua Fresh version * 3 face masks https://i.imgur.com/Va1vc6D.jpeg

Mine came with random try me stickers all over it too, I realised it was to cover up the SPF rating on the packaging.

2

u/Plastic_Lunch2996 Oct 16 '25

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering what was inside. I’m glad I held off as it’s pretty much a box of sunscreen and I already have a product I’m happy with in that area. Good way of clearing that stock and getting some return for them.

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 16 '25

totally, and i just bought a bunch of sunscreen for myself, so i'll be passing a few of these to friends and family hahaha

1

u/Plastic_Lunch2996 Oct 17 '25

It would be ok if it didn’t expire so quickly. They have a House of K Beauty now for $45 worth $180. Again sounds tempting but worried it’ll have more sunscreen

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 17 '25

Yes I agree! Difficult to use all this sunscreen, especially with some I already love, unless I give them away.

2

u/tlai34 Oct 17 '25

Here's my box - seems like at least 10+ boxes remaining in World Square.

https://imgur.com/t4ZjaQf

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 17 '25

Thanks for sharing!!

2

u/xxiammaixx Oct 18 '25

Thanks for inspiring me to get one today! Pretty happy with what I got!

2

u/tofu_duckk Oct 18 '25

wow what a lovely selection!! glad i could help c:

1

u/xxiammaixx Oct 18 '25

Thank you!! So excited to try them all hehe :)

2

u/coldcases Oct 19 '25

This thread made me want to try it out, and Pacific Werribee Store still had more than 10 left!

I got the same product as the main poster, very happy with the purchase.

2

u/maplebaconpancak3 Oct 19 '25

Thank you for posting about this! I went to the Burwood NSW store today and they had plenty pf boxes left. Here’s what I got:

1

u/FantasticConfusion49 Oct 15 '25

yep exactly what you said 😩

1

u/Free_Indication_1044 Oct 16 '25

Thank you for this post!! I just got mine at Eastwood (NSW). I don’t remember seeing any at Macquarie Center yesterday, so PSA for anyone in Sydney!

Can’t really comment on the content yet as I haven’t opened mine.

2

u/tofu_duckk Oct 16 '25

no worries! i’d also be super grateful if you could share if the contents of yours were the same or different when you do get around to opening it c:

8

u/Free_Indication_1044 Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25

Oooh mine is slightly different than yours!!

  • Abib Quick Sunstick
  • Tocobo Cica Cooling Sun Stick
  • Tocobo Cica Calming Sun Serum
  • I’m from Rice Sunscreen
  • BoJ Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice + B5 Sunscreen
  • BoJ Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics Sunscreen
  • JMsolution SOS Ampoule Hyaluronic Mask
  • BoJ Centella Asiatica Calming Mask
  • Bombee Illumination Honey Mask Pro

3

u/tofu_duckk Oct 16 '25

ooohh very interesting, some similarities, but clearly all the variety in sunscreen stock hahaha

2

u/Us__kids__know Oct 16 '25

I got EXACTLY the same product as you - even the exact same sheet masks! Bit annoyed that the I’m From sunscreen has fragrance added to it. Why would they do that when their other products don’t?

1

u/xxiammaixx Oct 18 '25

I got a box today and have the exact same contents! Twinning haha!

2

u/corgiboba Oct 16 '25

I love the instant dopamine of opening a mystery box, but thank you for taking the hit for us!

Did the products have an expiry date on them? Or is that on the cardboard packaging which was removed?

2

u/tofu_duckk Oct 16 '25

me too, until the dopamine fades away and i have to confront the reality of my bank account hahahah - the sunsticks all had expiry dates printed on the bottom, and the sunscreens all had them embossed on the sealed end with the ridges. the expiry dates were all 2027-2028, so plenty of time for me and others to use them up!

1

u/Remarkable-Host-610 Oct 16 '25

ooo try the boj aqua sunscreen! i love it sm, im on my second tube rn :D

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 16 '25

yesss i've heard so many good things!!

1

u/HYCL2012 Oct 16 '25

Oh I was wanting some new sunscreens, what are the expiry dates on yours? I know not every store/box will be identical, but just to get an idea. Pls and thank you.

2

u/tofu_duckk Oct 16 '25

mine were all 2027/2028, which I felt was pretty standard. I don't think there would be too much variation since the situation just happened pretty recently!

1

u/HYCL2012 Oct 16 '25

Good to know, thank you! I'm always paranoid they (brands/companies) will sneak in some that expire next year.

1

u/lordofthesquids Oct 16 '25

I'm out of the loop, can these sunscreens not be sold in Australia any more?

3

u/chungdokja Oct 17 '25

They’ve never been compliant. The TGA is just cracking down because of how widespread it’s getting.

Basically if rhe formula’s main function is UV protection and it’s over SPF 15 , it’s a therapeutic sunscreen and has to be TGA-listed.

2

u/tofu_duckk Oct 17 '25

I'm not too up to date, but AFAIK the TGA has said that these sunscreens are not allowed to be sold as sunscreen due to the filters not having been tested for Aus standards and/or not meeting Aus regulations. I would guess that that means they can be sold as a cosmetic, but cannot be advertised as an SPF product, hence why they've been sticking the stickers all over them.

2

u/chungdokja Oct 17 '25

Sticker might stop a marketing claim, but it doesn’t make the product compliant with Australian law.

TGA regulation of sunscreens is based on the intended use and formulation, not just the label.

So hiding or covering the SPF claim doesn’t change the fact that the product is still a primary sunscreen formulation.

I’d say that’s why they are putting them in these boxes. They move the stock without attracting more attention

2

u/tofu_duckk Oct 17 '25

Yes I agree, I think it’s certainly a ‘loophole’ to try and avoid some consequences

1

u/tlai34 Oct 18 '25

I think it's just a English labelling issue. See the other thread https://www.reddit.com/r/AusSkincare/comments/1n5gdr1/no_more_sunscreen_at_w_cosmetics/

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 18 '25

ohh thanks for clarifying!!

1

u/Summerknight92 Oct 17 '25

I don’t currently have any sunscreens and wanted to test some out. Have heard good things about the skin1004 but would this good to test some out for cheaper or not really worth it? I work inside every day and don’t go in the sun v much so I think these would be adequate even with the tga guideline as people have said above. Or should I just go with my Lila cart and get the skin1004

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 17 '25

I wouldn’t say this box excited me a lot, but you can have a look at this discussion to see what others got as well and see if any of the products interest you. I personally love the skin1004 hyalu cica so if that interests you i’d say go for it! Just think about what finish and textures you like to guide your selection.

1

u/Summerknight92 Oct 17 '25

I’m just after something that doesn’t break me out haha I don’t even really know what texture etc I’m after tbh which is why I thought maybe trying a few would be good. Decisions hmmm

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 18 '25

that’s valid!! hopefully you find something that suits you, i can’t really help too much with recs since my skin is not too sensitive or breakout prone towards products

1

u/Ravenled Oct 25 '25

The store was not allowed to sell me this box despite having it :(

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 25 '25

whatt how come?

1

u/Ravenled Oct 25 '25

they didn’t say! I’m guessing because of this reddit thread? haha.

1

u/tofu_duckk Oct 25 '25

whoops… 😅😅😅

1

u/Blackberry12121 Oct 15 '25

Help please! Does anyone know how W cosmetics compares to Lila beauty?

9

u/tofu_duckk Oct 15 '25

Lila is almost always cheaper, I get most of my kbeauty from there. I tend to prefer it over wcos, but I do enjoy walking around in a physical shop as well