The August Bowalla Beauty box features brand Heart of Gold. I have to admit I had never heard of the Heart of Gold brand prior to trying this subscription box. That's one of the things I love about Boxwalla is trying a brand that's new to me. Heart of Gold was created by Ally Draizin an herbalist, aethetician & massage therapist. The August box has a theme The Secret Symphony of Skincare. There is three multitasking items in this box that all perform in harmony together or stand on their own separately.
The Sea Change Cleansing Balm is a butter like cleansing balm that emulsifies into a cleansing milk and rinses clean. This has moringa & meadowfoam oils, sal & shea butter plus fennel, grapefruit & roman chamomile essential oils. I love the light fresh scent this has. This rich buttery balm melts into the skin removing all traces of makeup and SPF. Massage this into dry skin then rinse away with water. I found this rinsed off well leaving my skin super soft and hydrated. You can remove any hint of leftover oil residue with a toner (if desired). This can also double as a hydrating mask. You can easily apply this then get in the shower and steam it off ten minutes later. This was a quick favorite for me. I love how nourishing this is while the chamomile soothes and calms.
Brand Tips
Sea change a great hydrating mask- apply a thick layer to clean skin, leave on 30 minutes (or overnight) and remove with a warm compress. it's also a perfect massage medium- apply a peanut-sized amount and use your favorite tool (gua sha, roller, hands), then rinse off and follow your regular routine.
Ingredients
Sal butter, organic shea butter, meadowfoam seed oil, organic virgin moringa oil, di-PPG myreth-10 adipate, glyceryl stearate & cetearyl alcohol & sodium stearoyl lactylate, organic castor oil, essential oils of fennel seed, grapefruit peel & roman chamomile
The Sweet Briar Hydrating Nectar is a creamy gel serum with a base of aloe and rosewater. This looks like a really hydrating creamy serum but it's actually lighter than it looks. I loved the lightweight hydration from this. In addition to the soothing and calming base of aloe & rosewater this has blackcurrant, juneberry & wild rose which work on inflammation and redness, meadowfoam nourishes while remaining light, birch sugar hydrates while naturally occurring sugar d-ribose energizes by helping increase cellular metabolism. This was easy to layer in any routine, it's lightweight and adds a nice hydrating cushion. I love how it sinks in easily and is never heavy or sticky. This was probably my favorite of the three items (I am a serum junkie after all).
Ingredients
rose hydrolat, distilled water, organic aloe vera juice, leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate & lactobacillus & coconut extract, meadowfoam seed oil, xylitol, organic sunflower lecithin, extracts of rosa canina (wild rose), ligustrum vulgare (wild privet), ribes nigrum (black currant) & sorbus domestica (juneberry), d-ribose, bergamot (bergapten-free) essential oil, apothecary rose absolute, xanthan gum, gum arabic, potassium sorbate.
This box has a new debut for the brand that's exclusive to Boxwalla (for now)-The Modern Love Gommage Gel. This jelly gel mask doubles as both a leave on hydrating mask and an exfoliating gommage. It has a nice slippery pudding gel texture and a green mossy color. As a leave on mask I found this cooling and refreshing, kind of invigorating overall, this was my favorite way was to use this mask. I'm not a gommage mask fan in general. Something about the little pieces as they fall of just is not for me. A huge part of the enjoyment of skincare is the texture. I'm not into masks that resemble dead skin falling off (it's a nurse thing for me, memories). I did try this both ways. As a leave on hydrating mask you apply a medium sized layer and remove with a cloth 5-15 minutes later. It never dries down fully and has a nice cooling, hydrating effect. I find it very rejuvenating and renewing.
To use as a gommage you need to apply a really thin layer and wait 30 seconds - one minute. This starts to get tacky then you rub and do the whole gommage thing. You still have to use a cloth to remove the leftover product. I have to admit I've only tried the more watery gommage gels never one as sticky and gel like as this one gets. It doesn’t gommage that well for me. This mask has a nice jasmine meets herbal scent. It's got antibacterial colloidal silver & manuka honey, antioxidant rich matcha, purifying tulsi, english holly & enzymatic fig. I will continue to use mine as a leave on treatment mask. I liked its rejuvenating feel.
Brand Tips
as a hydrating mask: scoop out a small amount with a clean implement, and apply an even layer to clean, damp skin. rinse or use a warm compress to remove after 5-15 minutes. avoid eye area. follow with toner, serum, oilserum (or balm).
as a gommage: scoop out a small amount with a clean implement, and apply a thin layer to clean, dry skin. avoid eye area. immediately, with dry fingers, begin to massage in gentle circles until the texture starts changes from slippery to tacky. now start to massage with outward brushing movements, using a firm pressure. modern love will begin to loosen and fall away. continue massaging until residue stops gathering under your fingertips. use a warm compress to remove any residue follow with toner, serum, oilserum (or balm).
Ingredients
aqueous extracts of ocimum sanctum (tulsi), ilex aquifolium (english holly), ficus carica (fig) & camellia sinensis (matcha), colloidal silver, leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate & lactobacillus & cocos nucifera (coconut), leptospermum scoparium mel (manuka honey), ceratonia siliqua (carob), citrus paradisi (grapefruit) essential oil, potassium sorbate, jasmine absolute, citrus bergamia (bergapten-free bergamot) essential oil.
As always I love the informative card that comes with the Boxwalla Beauty boxes:
This August box has a value of $180 for $49.95 and you have until August 10th to subscribe HERE.
*Box was gifted by Boxwalla but all thoughts are my own.