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.
This is the new monthly bag design going forward. It is a reusable zip-top bag that is 100% recyclable. I like that you can get a hint of the products inside.
And check out the fun quote on the back. Selfie high-five!
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 Next-Gen Beauty. Products selected represent innovations in beauty. We’re so fashion forward! Plus, 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 tips on selecting natural ingredients to help with your beauty needs. You can access all of the information and also watch videos right on the Sephora site or use the app for more info!
Here’s my September box reveal. I received variation was 756. Click here to see variant items in other boxes.
Peter Thomas Roth | Hungarian Thermal Water Mineral-Rich Atomic Heat Mask ($2.90): This mask uses Hungarian Thermal Water, which is rich in minerals, to nourish and hydrate skin. It also contains Kaolin clay to draw out impurities and a botanical blend to replenish and improve skin’s texture. To use, apply a thin layer of the mask to dry skin and let set for 3 minutes. Then massage in a small amount of water to activate the heat properties and open pores, allowing the clay to draw out more impurities. After the flash of heat, rinse off to reveal more youthful looking skin. There’s so much going on with this mask, it’s a little mind boggling. Regardless, I like the result.
boscia | Cactus Water Moisturizer ($12.54): A new favorite for me. This gel moisturizer is extremely lightweight and absorbs quickly into skin. It did not promote oil production in my T-zone, so my makeup did not melt away after a few hours. As someone with oily skin, I’m always excited by a product that doesn’t cause me to look like an oil slick has landed on my face. The formula is not sticky, and I was able to move into my makeup routine without having to wait long since it dried quickly and without residue.
Key ingredients in this moisturizer are Queen of the Night Cactus Succulent (rejuvenates skin, nourishes and rebounds dry skin, and imparts intense moisturizing and conditioning to skin), South African Resurrection Plant Infusion (reduces redness, improves texture, provides barrier reinforcement, revitalizes, and rehydrates), Aloe Vera Flower Extract (comforts dry, sensitive skin and restores skin moisture after sun exposure and other harsh environmental elements). What you won’t find in the gel formula are sulfates, parabens, oil, silicone, formaldehydes, phthalates, mineral oil, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban.
Too Faced | Hangover Replenishing Face Primer ($4.03): I laughed a little when I saw this primer. I had gotten this before and liked it so much that I took my sister’s full-sized tube from her (it’s OK, we have different skin types, it didn’t work for her, and she always sneaks stuff from my Play! box). This primer is infused with coconut water, which is chocked full of probiotics, and other revitalizing ingredients to boost skin’s radiance, hydration, and elasticity while locking down your makeup look. I’ll even wear this on days when I’m going bare-faced. It takes my skin from blah to dewy.
So, just in case you didn’t believe me when I said I use this… Here’s my tube next to the new sample I received. ?
Marc Jacobs Beauty | Shameless Youthful-Look 24H Foundation SPF 25 in Deep Y500 ($10.06): This foundation is formulated with SPF in the pigment, so there’s no flashback in photos! It also provides lightweight, oil-free, buildable, 24-hour coverage. Bonus, this does not contain parabens, formaldehydes, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, or triclocarban.
My color match according to Sephora is Tan Y480, making this a few shades darker than my skin tone. However, since it was Marc Jacobs, I had to try it anyway! I think I could pull this shade of better during the peak of summer when I’m a bit more tan. Anyway, I found the formula to be a bit more watery than my regular foundation. On the plus side, the coverage held up for the day, and I didn’t notice much oxidizing.
Sephora Collection | LashCraft Big Volume Mascara in Black ($5.60): This is a highly pigmented, volumizing mascara that uses jojoba to condition lashes while allowing you to build intensity.
As someone with puny lashes, I’m always excited to get mascaras that will beef up my lashes (I’m not a fake lash wearer… I tried, but can’t). The large brush allows more product to get to the base of your lashes. More coats of mascara = more volume. This came out of the tube a little thick but did not clump when applied.
Tom Ford | Black Orchid Eau de Parfum ($3.21): Oh, hello old friend! I’ve worn this fragrance before and really liked it. For me, it is more of an evening/going out scent rather than a daytime/work scent. It’s a bit more intense and does have good staying power. This has fruity-floral top notes of Ylang Ylang, Black Currant, Black Truffle, and Fresh Bergamot. The floral-spicy middle notes are Black Orchid, Black Plum, and Lotus. Finally, this finishes with woodsy base notes of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Amber, Vetiver, and Dark Chocolate.
I’m horrible at smiling in selfies, so I thought I give you a fully made fierce face. Maybe I misunderstood Tyra and Ru’s definition of fierce?!? LOL! In this pic, I’ve used everything in this month’s Play! except the mask. Let me tell you, it took some work to get the foundation to look more like my natural tone. I worked the concealer, I baked, and I highlighted into space.
My September Play! by Sephora box was a total win for me, even with the off shade on the foundation. This restored my faith in my subscription after last month’s so-so assortment. Overall, the products had a total retail value around $38. More than half of that came from 2 items, so I would like to see some more value from some of the other items. Considering the box is $10, I’m not upset though. Did you have any favorites this month? Leave a comment below to let me know your thoughts.
Are you a Sephora Play subscriber? What did you think of the box this month?
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