Play! by Sephora is a monthly subscription box that brings only the best and exclusive Sephora beauty and makeup samples. The subscription costs $10 per month, and you’ll get 5 deluxe beauty products, playlists, a fragrance bonus item, plus coupons you can use when you visit in-store.
Everything arrived packed in a bag, preventing items from rolling around in the box.
This card, attached to the fold out information poster, is a PLAY! Pass. Don’t throw that baby out! It gets you 50 extra Beauty Insider points with a purchase from the box (in-store only). Your subscription also entitles you to PLAY! Date meetups if your store participates. I’ll have to visit one of my local area stores and see if the meetup is as fun as it looks. ?
The December theme is The Partygoers, featuring night out necessities!
The fold out poster shows a list of all the items included in this box plus product/brand trivia and beauty tips. You can access all of the information and also watch the videos right on the Sephora site or use the app to scan the sheet for more info!
Everything in my box! My variation was box 816. Here’s some variant items from other boxes!
Cream Lip Stain – Always Red | Sephora Collection ($3.64): This is described as a matte bold classic red… I can’t disagree. I am not sure why this is called a lip stain. It is a long-wear cream formula lipstick goes on smoothly. I didn’t notice any dryness with this formula (which is sometimes an issue with matte lip colors). I am a fan of Sephora brand products – they are good quality at a good price.
Even though this is a small sample, you will get several wears out of it!
Step 1 Equalizer Smoothing Primer | Make Up For Ever ($6.07): Make Up For Ever has a range of primers targeted for various skin concerns from color correcting to texture concerns. They actually suggest that you mix & match formulas to create a custom product. I received the smoothing primer which is aimed at reducing the appearance of large pores and fine lines. This primer has a silky finish with mattifying qualities. It is extremely lightweight, and I didn’t feel it on my skin.
Detox Dry Shampoo | Drybar ($3.37): I’ve seen lots of positive reviews of Drybar’s dry shampoos and conditioners, but I couldn’t justify spending the money for a product that would only be used sparingly (the humidity here really limits the number of days I can wear my curly hair straight). So, I was very happy to see this in my box! This dry shampoo has a very fine mist and didn’t need to be rubbed into my hair as directed on the bottle. The scent was a bonus for me – it is a clean, soapy fragrance. No one will know that you didn’t use a traditional shampoo. ?
Nirvana Rose Perfume | Elizabeth & James ($5.56): This is a pricey little sample. Its saving grace is that it has a spray nozzle. The scent is described as “a seductive floral blend embodying the heart of a dark rose with notes of rose de mai, geranium, and vetiver for a sultry, refined scent with intrigue.” While I am not a fan of rose, I do like vetiver and was torn by this fragrance. The rose is most noticeable when first applied, but it mellows out to let the slightly masculine vetiver come through. Personally, I can’t decide one way or another if this is for me but felt it was better as an evening fragrance.
Hypnôse Drama Instant Full Body Volume Mascara | Lancôme ($18.33): This is a deluxe sample (full size is 6mL) and most definitely the high-value item this month. To compare pricing, this sample is slightly less than a full-size tube of my regular mascara, Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes. The formula promises to boost volume for dramatic lashes in a single swipe of the unique S-shaped brush. The brush shape was interesting, but I didn’t notice much of a difference from the curves on my other wands.
Here’s a look at my eye before and after applying the mascara. Sorry about the color difference in the two pictures, but I forgot how/where I was standing in the bathroom to match the lighting. Anyhow, you can see that my lashes are more defined and noticeable with the mascara – 2 coats. There is also more volume. However, this wasn’t enough to get me to switch brands. I still like my regular mascara better.
Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray ($3.94): Setting spray is the hairspray equivalent for your face; it ensures that your look stays in place. I’ll admit that I have used hairspray to set my makeup before. Hey, desperate times and all that. I’ve used Urban Decay before too and like their formula. It doesn’t leave a sticky residue and actually works.
Here I am after using the products in my PLAY! box. I am wearing MUFE primer, Honest Beauty tinted moisturizer, Julep gel eyeliner, Lancôme mascara, Nars blush, and Sephora lip stain. Everything is set with the Urban Decay setting spray.
I calculated the value of this month’s box around $41. Not bad for a $10 subscription. I was happy with 4 of the 6 items I received (not in love with the mascara and perfume). I am SO going to purchase the lip stain; the color looked good and the formula wasn’t drying. And, I will make sure to use my PLAY! pass to score 50 extra Beauty Insider points with my purchase. I can see why this subscription has a wait list and can’t wait for next month’s delivery!
Are you a Sephora Play subscriber? What did you think of the box this month?
Comments
That box sucked.