Boxwalla’s First Beauty Box!

I feel very honored to feature this first ever Beauty Box that was sent to me by Boxwalla. Boxwalla is a bimonthly subscription box service that features beauty, food, book and film boxes. If you want to change which box you get in a particular month, you can do that. February you can have beauty, and April you can have food! Their beauty boxes focus on non-toxic beauty products, and although the December box is now gone, I have been informed that there might be couple left if you want to inquire. But, the good news is, each of these products is available for individual purchase.

I was so happy to see the Hurraw Lip Balm inside the December box. I have long been curious to try them as they are raved about across the interwebs. The Moon Balm is scented with vanilla and Peru Balsam (yum!) and is 100% natural, as are all of Hurraw’s lip balms. Unlike my holy grail, Dr. Hauschka’s Lip Care Stick, the Hurraw Moon Balm is not as glossy, so I wouldn’t use it over lipstick for added shine. Instead, I would use it under lipstick to give some added moisture as it’s really hydrating and feels good on the lips. These balms are also vegan, so that opens up the door for those who don’t want beeswax in their products. They also have a huge range of flavors, so this will not be my last Hurraw!

My next favorite from this box are the bar soaps from Aunt Nancy’s. The Christmas Spice bar smells of cloves and cinnamon and the lather is creamy and luxurious. So creamy in fact, that I have used it to shave my legs and it works great. If you don’t like fragranced soaps or have sensitive skin, then give the Carrot and Goat Milk a go. I am so thankful that this box introduced me to this crafter of handmade soaps that are very reasonably priced.

Lilikoi Living’s Bamboo Buff Facewash has featured ingredients of bamboo, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and passion fruit (lilikoi), which is loaded with the antioxidant lycopene to combat damage from free radicals and UV exposure. It also has raspberry to increase skin elasticity, and chamomile to soothe dry skin. All of Lilikoi Living’s ingredients are 100% natural, including fragrance. And speaking of fragrance, this exfoliating wash smells of fresh passionfruit, but it’s very mild. As for the exfoliating, crushed bamboo takes care of that in an effective yet mild lather. This wash does leave my face with that “squeaky clean” feeling, but it’s not irritating or drying. I don’t think I would opt for this on a daily basis, but it’s great after a workout, or a particularly long day. I think this would be a great daily cleanser for those with oiler skins.

The Aura candle is very nice, has good throw but takes a while to fill the room with its scent so it’s not overpowering. It’s also very affordable in an increasingly expensive candle market, and this one is hand-poured. The Grounded scent is perfect for a fig scent lover, who also wants a touch of wood in the mix. Aura candles are soy based and most of them are phthalate free, including Grounded  and any Aura candle that Boxwalla will include. To note, Aura does not make any natural claims on their website, so I like that too, no greenwashing going on with this company.

The only item from this box that I won’t use is the Soap & Paper Factory hand cream, which is too bad because that box is so darn cute! The ingredient list on the box includes “fragrance” which is not denoted as natural. Yet, on the website it says the cream has natural and essential oil based fragrance that is phthalate free. It’s a little confusing, and I didn’t really like the scent anyway as the vanilla smelled synthetic. But, I figure in any box there’s going to be one miss.

Overall, I am very impressed with Boxwalla’s inaugural box, and recommend their subscription service. I would like to mention that the box itself is carefully crafted from tree-free handmade paper. A small company in Rajasthan, India, makes the paper for Boxwalla, from cotton scraps, using the traditional art of paper-making that involves 9 steps and takes several weeks. The handmade paper is then meticulously fashioned into the boxes that you see in the above pictures. The whole process is completely child labor free and employs 63 local villagers and 20 skilled artisans whose families have been making paper for generations. From the founder, “We love supporting socially and environmentally conscious businesses such as these : They craft beautiful products while preserving traditional crafts and skills that would otherwise be completely lost. I am excited to see what they have in store for their next one, which comes out in February.”

Boxwalla’s Beauty Box is $49.95, and available at their website.

Disclosure: This beauty box was sent to me by Boxwalla for review. Opinions are my own, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.