Play! by Sephora – August 2017

I was really happy with my Sephora Play box this month until Lauren told me what she got in hers – now Sephora and I are fighting.

Lauren’s Note: The bag in this month’s Play! by Sephora box says “Makeup Geek” on it, and the owner of the brand Makeup Geek was NOT IMPRESSED– she actually called out Sephora about it on Twitter, reminding them that they even follow her on Instagram, so they know about her brand. Copyright infringement??? MAKEUP DRAMAAAAAA! 

Play! by Sephora

Price: $10/month

Box Type: Beauty products, 5-6 deluxe samples

Why you’ll love it: High end brands (no drugstore products here), new and interesting products in deluxe sample sizes, plus a cute little bag each month! It’s a great mix of makeup and skincare.

How to Subscribe: Click here! 

Check out what was in the Play! by Sephora box this month and why Sephora owes me an apology:

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (full-size $45): I was super excited to get a sample of this in my Play box this month – that is, until Lauren told me she got a deluxe sample of the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick in hers! I love that foundation and it’s so darn expensive that I am so jealous of the folks who got it this month! Oh well, c’est la vie. Bum Bum Cream ain’t too shabby, so I will just have to be glad to try it! This cream is famous worldwide at this point, but it’s pretty pricy. It’s not your typical body cream though, this stuff is known to smooth, tighten, and firm the surface of your skin with guarana extract. Apparently it works – this stuff has a lot of buzz around it! (Lauren: I was so jealous about THIS because I’ve always wanted to try it!)

BeautyBlender Micro Mini Sponge ($18 for a 2-pack): I have been eyeing this teeny tiny beauty blender for so long! Each one is $9, which is practically the cost of the entire box itself. The sponge itself is very tiny (about an inch wide?) but when you get it wet it doubles in size, making it perfect for concealing and blending out small areas of the face. I love my regular size beauty blender, so this is a great addition to my makeup collection!

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo ($12 for this size or $22 for full-size): I love love love it when sample boxes send us samples that are so big that they can hardly be called samples – this one, for instance, is sold for $12 on sephora.com! I have been impressed with every single product I have tried from Living Proof, and their dry shampoo is among my favorites (it’s just too expensive so I use Batiste on the regular). It makes your hair look so clean and not at all powdery, which is important for me because I have dark hair.

Too Faced Mascara Melt Off Cleansing Oil (full-size $17): I didn’t realize this product existed and I’m so glad to have gotten it! Waterproof mascara has always given me trouble. You have to scrub so hard (even with makeup remover) and it irritates my skin and eyes. This cleansing oil comes with a mascara wand that you simply brush on to lashes directly and it melts away even stubborn waterproof mascara. HOW GENIUS IS THIS. I got this waterproof mascara from Popsugar Must Have last month, so I will definitely be giving this a whirl!

Kot Von D Lock-It Concealer Creme (full-size $25): Props to Sephora for sending me the lightest color in this line – it’s light enough for me to actually use as concealer! I’m very fair, so typically samples are a bit too dark for me to actually use, but this one is the right shade. The reviews on this are slightly mixed, with the majority liking it. I have been using the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer and Tarte Shape Tape lately, so it’ll have to be a pretty rockin’ concealer to get me to switch. TBD? (Lauren: I’m so jealous, I’ve always wanted to try this!)

Kat Von D Eau de Parfum Duo in Saint and Sinner (full-size $22-$85 each): Meh. I’m not that into either of these perfumes. I find it so impossible to describe scents, so I will let sephora.com do the talking:
Saint: Classic Floral; Vanilla, Musk, Jasmine
Sinner: Warm & Spicy; Cool Spices; Patchouli, Wood, Cinnamon
I’m going to be honest, they smell really similar to me. I kept sniffing both vials and could tell they were different, but not that different. The descriptions certainly sound like completely different perfumes, but if you sprayed one I wouldn’t be able to tell which it was. Honestly, I didn’t care for either of them. Both are similar to other perfumes, but just not as good. Sorry, Kat Von D, this was a miss for me! At least it was a duo sample instead of just one little vial!

Final Rating: A

Despite not getting the Hourglass foundation, I still really like this box a lot. The BeautyBlender and the Living Proof dry shampoo were worth over $20 alone, and the box only costs $10! I liked everything in it except for the perfume, but scents are so subjective and I view perfume samples as a little bonus item anyway. All in all, this was a pretty solid box!

xo,

Jill

PS- Lauren: I might review my box as well since we got different things this month! 

I bought this box, all opinions are my own.
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