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, a beauty bonus, a fragrance bonus, playlists, plus coupons you can use when you visit in-store.
Everything arrives packed in a bag, preventing items from rolling around in the box. Sephora is feeling the summer heat with this bag. I, however, am now stuck with Buster Poindexter in my head…
Don’t forget about your Play! Pass. 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. You can also get a complimentary mini-makeover too.
This month’s theme is Summer Nights. The products in our Play! by Sephora curation are centered around keeping you looking and feeling fresh throughout the season. Living in Florida, I need all the help I can get between the heat and the humidity. And, don’t forget to check out The Beauty Insider Community. Create a profile and start joining the discussion!
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 videos right on the Sephora site or use the app for more info!
These are the products I got to kick off my summer. My variation was box 629. Click here to see variant items in other boxes!
Lancôme | DÉFINICILS High Definition Mascara – Black ($13.00): The bristles on the wand are arranged in a hedgehog pattern to prevent clumping while coating lashes from root to tip. The formula is designed to give a natural look while lengthening and defining lashes. I liked this mascara. The coverage was good, and I did see some length improvement in my lashes. However, compared to the Marc Jacobs mascara I received last month, this doesn’t give me the same WOW factor. Also, considering that this month’s theme is geared toward summer looks, I would have preferred a waterproof formula – that way I wouldn’t have to worry about sweating it off (or the dreaded raccoon eyes).
Too Faced | Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Matte Lipstick – Queen B ($10.50): Queen B is described as a matte soft mauve. For me, the color was a bit bolder/brighter than I would normally wear. It took a minute to get used to it, but in the end, I did like the way it looked. The doe foot applicator made it easy to outline my lips and apply the color. The formula goes on like a gloss, but dries to an opaque, matte finish. It also contains a no-sting plumper, moisturizing avocado oil and Vitamin E, and hyaluronic filling spheres to smooth lip lines.
Here’s a swatch of Queen B. Maybe I should wear this for my August Béyonce and Jay-Z concert. LOL! This did have a slight amount of transfer, but it was VERY minimal.
Living Proof | No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream ($4.75/$7.00): So, I have 2 prices listed because it differs depending on whether you use the 4 oz. or 8 oz. size to determine the cost per ounce. All I can say is that if you decide to buy this, go bigger. It’s the better value. This styler sort of doubles as a leave-in conditioner in that it conditions hair and protects against heat styling. The formula is supposed to provide a weightless humidity barrier on the hair.
I’ve tried this before and found that, alone, it did not work on my 3B curls (Allure has an easy guide to determine your curl type), even after blow drying and flat ironing. I did have better results when I used this with Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day shampoo and conditioner. On the upside, at least it left my hair smelling good.
Clinique | Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips ($4.64): This gentle makeup remover glides over skin (no tugging) to easily remove long-wearing makeup, including waterproof mascara. It is free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. The non-stinging, non-irritating formula is also safe for contact lens wearers.
The bi-phase formula needs to be shaken to create an emulsion for effective cleaning. As someone who prefers waterproof mascaras, I can vouch for the effectiveness of this remover. It took off my mascara, which had a primer underneath, without me having to rub my eyes more than a couple of swipes.
Tatcha | The Silk Canvas Face Primer ($10.40): I don’t even know where to begin with this primer. First, it’s a multi-tasker; it works as a filler to reduce the look of fine lines and imperfections, it provides a protective barrier between makeup and skin, silk powder minimizes excess shine, and it contains anti-pollution ingredients. Next, the primer’s pink and gold pearls work to even out skin tone for a healthy look. Then, this contains a trinity of superfoods (green tea, rice, and algae) to restore skin’s youthful radiance. Plus, every Tatcha purchase supports girls’ education around the world. And lastly, this is a Clean at Sephora product (formulated without several harmful ingredients). Whew!
This is a cream-to-powder formula and you’ll need to scrape it out of the container. Use a small amount – a little really goes a long way. I have a love/hate relationship with primer, in that I want to love it, but most hate my skin. This one has been good at keeping my makeup in place and is not negatively reacting with my daily foundation. I haven’t tried it with my full glam, heavy duty foundation yet, so I’ll have to give an update if I remember.
Maison Margiela | REPLICA Music Festival ($1.89): The REPLICA collection was created to evoke scents from specific places, times, and memories. Music Festival is inspired by the most iconic of outdoor festivals, Woodstock (1969). This fragrance has a top note of Cannabis Accord, middle note of Patchouli Essence, and base note of Leather Accord. I was surprised by how much I liked this since I normally detest patchouli. Initially, this is intense, but the scent mellows out (no pun intended) into nice woodsy and spicy notes. I felt it was a good scent for a night out.
Music Festival is an earthy and woody fragrance that recalls the hypnotic daydream of Woodstock on a sun-drenched summer day, exuding rich and heady notes of cannabis, Incense oil and leather accord. Lying amongst an endless verdant landscape of greens and fresh buds, you feel the brightness of sunshine and a red apple accord overcome your senses. Vibrations of sound and throbbing melodies push you deeper into a trance of peace as a spirituous rush of tobacco and incense accord heightens your senses and free your mind. Day breaks into night, but the trail of earthy cedarwood and leather scents flow through the evening summer breeze, eternalizing your state of nirvana.
This month’s Play! by Sephora had a retail value over $45. While there was a good mix of makeup items, I’m not sure if they are all truly summer weather items. The makeup remover made me happy because after washing my face, there were no leftover transfers on my towel. Usually, I have another set of lashes staring back at me. The primer is a little hard to get out of the sample, but so far has been great to use. The biggest shock for me – finding that I liked a scent that captured elements of some of the 420-friendly kids I grew up with. LOL!
Are you a Sephora Play subscriber? What did you think of the box this month?
Comments
Tatcha | The Silk Canvas Face Primer I am wondering if this face primer is a pink or orange after application ?