The theme for the April box was the “FACEts of Spring”. The focus is all on facial products to help your skin adjust to the new season. And being that the weather has changed, I do need to adjust my current skincare routine.

In this box, all of these brands and products were new-to-me.

Here’s what was in the box – SPOILER:

 

 

Garden of Wisdom Blue Mallow Hyaluronic Acid Serum (full size, $13.70 value) – GoW is a natural skincare line based in Arizona. They also are a supplier of DIY ingredients. This is a water based moisture serum with no fragrance. The hyaluronic acid is bio-sourced. On the skin, it feels like water while providing moisture. I really like it. It layers nicely under creams, lotions and oils. It’s not sticky like many other hyaluronic serums that I’ve tried. I think all skin types could use this one.

Garden of Wisdom Pineapple Red Wine Exfoliating Gel Mask (deluxe travel size, 1.3 oz jar, $8.50-ish value?) – This is a water based mask with a gel-like texture that sort of reminds me of aspic. It smells delightful. It has a natural, tart fruity fragrance that smells like pineapple and red berry jam. I want to eat it. Many fruit acid products slightly “burn” my skin. This one didn’t at all and left my skin feeling smooth. I actually see myself purchasing this and the Hyaluronic Serum in the future. Boxwalla says this brand is for “the skincare nerd” and yes, they are. I’m impressed.

Garden of Wisdom Healing Lip Balm (sample, $2 ish?) – It’s an unscented natural lip balm with a thicker (less slippy) texture. It’s thicker but it’s not clumpy. This is a must try balm if you like thicker, no-shine formulas that feel smooth and don’t need reapplied every 7 minutes. It actually layers wonderfully under many lipsticks that I wear. FYI – It contains beeswax and honey so it’s not vegan.

 

 

Wonderland Organics Soothe Serum (full size 1/ oz bottle, $39.99 value) – Wonderland Organics is a San Diego based natural skincare line. This is an oil serum that is a mix of various plant oils. It says it’s a serum but it can be worn as a moisturizer because it’s rather nourishing. All the ingredients were really speaking to me until I got to the lavender. I don’t like to use lavender oil on my face as it seems to make my face red. The serum smells like lavender too. It’s a shame because it’s a nice feeling oil. I’m currently using it as a cuticle oil.

Axiology Natural Lipstick in Reflection (full size, $28)  – Axiology is a brand of organic, natural lip products based in Oregon. This is a vegan, cruelty-free lipstick in amazing packaging (from box to tube, it’s perfect). If you pre-ordered, you could choose the shade you wanted! I liked many of the options but went with the purple shade, Reflection. In the tube it looks like a really edgy, bright purple. It’s much more subtle. This is like if your lips were stained by blackberries. It’s a sheer blackberry with a glossy/moist finish. It’s so fresh and natural looking. This lipstick smells strongly of orange oil, which I worry about for my sensitive lips. My lips just can not do citrus or mint. (Sweet orange oil is the last ingredient listed so I’m actually surprised by how fragrant it is). Honestly, I’m torn on this product. I love the packaging and the color is really flattering. I’m torn on the wear (it needs reapplied frequently if you want it to look “fresh”). However, the wear isn’t a deal breaker for me. I don’t mind reapplying product and this one wears off evenly, like a fresh stain. My biggest beef is fragrance/flavor. If these were scent-free, I’d probably buy other shades.

Total: $92-ish. I may be off by a few dollars.

With this box, I wasn’t as lucky as I was in February. But, honestly, I just really lucked up in February. I’ll probably never again have a subscription box like that!

With the third box, here’s my thoughts on Boxwalla Beauty:

PROS:

• Boxwalla is great at introducing me to new brands.
• Boxwalla has a nice variety of brands. These usually don’t show up in other subscription services.
• Boxwalla supports quality, small indie brands.
• I really liked that they allowed  you to pick out the lipstick shade. In the past with subscription services, I wish this was an option. I quit Birchbox because I was sick of black eyeliner and pastel nail polishes. This sort of customization is a game changer!
• The packaging and shipping is always top notch.
• I like that they boxes come every other month so I’m not accumulating too many products.
• The value of the products retails for more than you pay for.

CONS:

• Skincare is always iffy because many of us are set in a routine if we are already into beauty products. Overall, I really liked most of the skincare offered. But, as you can tell, it’s a gamble. If you’re into beauty products, you know what works for you or doesn’t. Being that this box was so skincare heavy, it was a gamble. For example, 3/4 worked for me.
• This is not just with Boxwalla, but when you get a subscription service, you are always risking getting products you won’t use either because of preference or ingredients or whatever. This box had two duds for me because of essential oils. Like I said, this isn’t just an issue with Boxwalla. This is an issue with all subscription services. The pro/con is the same – the surprise.

I’d say the Cons apply to ALL  beauty box services, not just Boxwalla. In 2016, you know if you are the sort of person that likes taking a gamble on a beauty box or not. For me, I feel like it’s worth it. I will use all the products, maybe not as they were intended but they will get used.

Slightly off topic, I know many people that are really into subscription boxes set the unloved items aside for trades or for gifts. This isn’t a bad idea because the value of items usually are more than what you paid.

Boxwalla Beauty Boxes are available every two months and retail for $49.95 at Boxwalla. This also includes shipping.

Also, with the beauty box, all products are cruelty-free; however, most products are not vegan. Most products are natural or natural-ish. I’m not an expert in the arena of cruelty-free and/or natural beauty products, nor does my blog primarily focus on these. I don’t mind synthetic fragrances, beeswax, etc. in my products so I’m happy with this box. Saying that, so far the boxes have contained products that are not vegan or contain synthetic scents.

*What is Boxwalla? Boxwalla is a box subscription service. Or you can buy them one-time. What makes Boxwalla different than a lot of other services is that there are four themes or interests: Beauty, Book, Food and Film. The boxes are available every two months and you can choose which type of box you’d like.

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*Subscription box provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Product pics are mine except for the first pic which is from Boxwalla.