The Boxwalla Beauty Box – The Curious Comforts of Skincare like things – August 2020

Where I got it

This is my 2nd Boxwalla Beauty box and the previous box was really impressive already (Monastery Made). The new brands that were introduced to me and the value of the boxes are really impressive. It certainly opens my eyes to the world of skincare! As usual, all Boxwalla boxes are invoiced and sent out every 2 months and they contain luxury skincare products that are plant-based and cruelty-free. These boxes are USD$49.95 (value of the box is USD$153) every 2 months plus shipping ($18.95).

My previous box was sent out on the month that they are released (April), but it got to me about a month later (May). I don’t understand why, but at first I put it down to Covid-19, but I get parcels from overseas during this time (from US and UK), and they are nowhere near this length of delay. Unfortunately, I didn’t even get my June box, which has probably gotten lost in transit. I contacted Boxwalla about it and they said they were going to contact the courier people to find out where it is and would issue me a refund, but that never happened. I know it’s not their fault and they are a small company so I won’t press on for them to issue me a refund. Oh well, I can’t be bothered.

Anyway, this parcel shipped from Boxwalla in mid-August, but it took almost a month for it to be delievered to me on 10/9/20! The total charge to my bank account was $103.95 at the current exchange rate. I am on the fence on ending my subscription because of the extremely slow shipping, but I think the value of these boxes are really good, but if I were to choose between Boxwalla and Mintd, I would go with Mintd Box. I will keep my subscription for the meantime and let’s see how things improve in the future.

What I got

For the month of August/September, the theme for the Beauty box from Boxwalla is The Curious Comforts of Skincare like things.  This box contains three skincare products which is worth $240.

Lovinah Dragon’s Blood BHA Cleansing Oil ($55 for 50ml): An emulsifying oil cleanser filled with antioxidant-rich oils like milk thistle, guava seed, lingonberry & more, as well as healing dragon’s blood extract, a stable ester of Vitamin C to counter free radical damage & double encapsulated salicylic acid to clear pores, extracts of antioxidant-rich lycopene & gromwell. So you can see how this cleanser more than just cleanses!

Ingredients: Silybum Marianum (Milk thistle) Seed Oil, Raphanus sativus (Radish) Seed Oil, Crambe Abyssinica, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Psidium Guajava Seed Oil, Cloudberry (Rubus Chamaemorus), Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Lingonberry) Seed Oil, Chokeberry (Aronia Melanocarpa) Seed Oil,  Momordica Cochinchinensis (Gac Seed) Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Polyglyceryl-3 Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Polyglyceryl-5 Oleate, Salicylic Acid, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lithospermum Erythrorhizon (Gromwell root extract),  Solanum Lycopersicum (Lycopene) Fruit Extract

Votary Super Seed Serum ($118 for 50ml): This water-based peptide serum is a lotion-like hydrating emulsion. It contains hyaluronic acid along with antioxidant-rich seed oils and both natural and bio-engineered peptides. It is filled with colloidal oatmeal, broccoli seed, camellia seed, chia seed, cloudberry seed, raspberry seed & pomegranate seed oils, along with green tea extract, firming & smoothing plukenetia volubilia seed oil (a natural peptide) & repairing carnosine (bio-engineered peptide). Formulated to boost the skin’s natural defenses and make it more resilient.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Seed Oil, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carnosine, Plukenetia Volubilis (Inca Peanut) Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis (Tea Plant) Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Benzyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone.

Votary Intense Night Oil ($67 for 15ml): This is a night treatment oil that combines plant seed oils & plant extracts with lab-made retinoid, to deliver firmer, smoother skin. It contains nourishing & smoothing plant oils like rosehip fruit oil, tomato seed oil & avocado oil, as well as firming acmella flower extract and Australian sandalwood extract that addresses fine lines & reduces redness. The retinoid used is the gentle yet effective Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, which stimulates collagen production & encourages the natural turnover of surface skin cells.

Ingredients: Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Fusanus Spicatus Kernel Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide , Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Spilanthes Acmella (Paracress) Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Flower Oil, Linalool+, Citral+, Citronellol+, Geraniol+, Eugenol+

How I find it

Lovinah Dragon’s Blood Cleansing Oil. Initially, I thought this was a serum instead of a cleansing oil because of its packaging and colour. I have never seen or used a red colored cleansing oil before so I was intrigued. Right off the bat, the frosted glass packaging is really something different to what I have been using or seeing. The gold cap reveals a gold-coloured pump as well. I like to give it a gentle shake before I pump any product out, because as you can see below, there seems to be a bit of separation with the formula. The cleansing oil comes out red – like blood – and it has a usual oil texture. I use approximately 3-4 pumps to give a good glide all over my skin. Once it is massaged into the skin, it no longer looks red.

Votary Super Seed Serum. I actually already have a bottle of this serum that I got from a friend of mine and I have been using it for 3 weeks now. I also know that this serum will be part of my Mintd box X Votary box in September so I will have 2 back-up bottles of this once I finish the one I am using. The Super Seer Serum is one of their latest launches to their Super Seed range. The Super Seed range is formulated for sensitive skin to nourish, calm and soothe irritated or sensitised skin. They are all (artificial) fragrance-free as well. The serum is a little off-white in colour and feels more like a lightweight cream in a pump bottle. It has a strong seedy scent from all the seed oils and extracts but I kind of like it. I like to use this on my off-days with Tretinoin to feed my skin with nutrients and soothe any irritation from Tretinoin.

Votary Intense Night Oil. This little bottle has a twist-top lid and a restrictor for the oil. The oil has a very pale yellow colour. This isn’t part of their Super Seed collection, hence the bottle doesn’t have that green tint. It contains rosehip oil and retinol so it is a nighttime product. You can use this before moisturiser, but for me the rosehip oil is moisturising enough so that I don’t need to use any moisturiser on top. The retinol in this formula is Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, it is also called Granactive Retinoid (remember The Ordinary?). It is relatively low in irritation and when combined with rosehip fruit oil, tomato seed oil & avocado oil, it soothes the skin and reduces redness.

Overall

Initially, I wasn’t really into the cleansing oil because it is really thick and doesn’t glide on the skin easily. I started experimenting with how I use it and I learned that I need at least 4-5 pumps to get this to glide over my skin easily. That being said, the bottle won’t last me very long so that makes it quite expensive to use. As for the Super Seed Serum, I really like it and I have been using this for at least 1 month before getting this box so I will definitely keep this one as a back-up. Lastly, the Intense Night Oil is quite nice and hydrating because it has rosehip oil. However, I am currently using Tretinoin second night so I probably won’t be able to fit this into my routine for a while.

Follow me on IG (@kittiemui) to watch me use these products in a skincare routine! It will be in my Boxwalla Tryon highlight.