Sephora has started releasing special editions of their Play! boxes to VIB Rouge customers. This is the second such box, and so far, I haven’t been able to detect any sort of pattern around timing. I’m not sure how often they will continue to offer these boxes but you can count on me to keep on buying them!
If you missed it, you can check out my review of the first special edition Play! box here.
Price: $20/box but not a recurring subscription
Box Type: This is a special edition version of the regular Play! by Sephora boxes, that includes deluxe samples from luxury brands. At this time, these boxes are only offered to VIB Rouge members.
Why you’ll love it: Ummmm, did you see it’s all LUXURY products that come from Sephora? This is the most high-end of the high-end.
How to Subscribe: Click here to subscribe to the regular monthly box! And click here to view all of our Play! by Sephora box reviews.
I’ll be honest with you – half the reason I purchased this box was because of this holo bag. I think Christine has turned me into a full-on holo-sexual. I am obsessed. (Of course, I liked holo prior to watching her videos but she takes the holo love to the next level.)
But seriously, that bag is gorgeous. This isn’t any of that duo-chrome bullshit that is pretending to be holo. This is legit holo.
Instead of a booklet like last time, they made a little collection of cards to describe each product. They are supposed to work a little like tarot cards, as each card has a “PLAY! Fortune” and “Words of Wisdom.” They say to lay out the cards without reading them, pick three of them, and then they represent your past, present and future. I didn’t do that because we all know that all makeup is my future. I am practically clairvoyant.
And here are all the products that came in the box! I’ll describe them in more detail below.
Dior Diorshow Mascara in Black ($28.50): I haven’t used Diorshow in so long! I think I used it in my early 20’s because I remember my bestie Brooke would use it and when we would meet at her house once a week for TV and wine, I would play with her makeup before we went out. I haven’t had a chance to try it on again yet, so I am interested to see what I think about it these days.The only thing I will say is that I hate mascara samples that are in tubes like this one. It’s not a twist-off wand like a normal mascara – instead, you just pull it straight out. There isn’t really a good place to wipe off the excess product, and so the container gets really dirty really fast, which makes everything it touches get dirty really fast as well.
Tom Ford Lip Color in Indian Rose ($54): Of course I love this lipstick and of course it’s $54. That is an insane price for a lipstick, y’all. But I have been dying to try this formula. Even before I knew I was getting a Tom Ford lipstick in a box, I emailed Sephora to ask if Tom Ford lipsticks contained castor oil. You know, JUST IN CASE A TOM FORD LIPSTICK FELL INTO MY SHOPPING CART OR SOMETHING. I was pleased to learn that it didn’t contain any castor oil at all. The formula is gorgeous – like a typical regular lipstick with a satin finish. I’m so over the matte trend so I’m excited to see the resurgence of real lipsticks again! However, I’m not sure I will ever fork over $54 for one lipstick.
The color is so pretty, though, and it looks really pretty with my skin tone. Honestly, I think this would suit many skin tones! And I bet I will actually use the entire little tube.
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer ($54): I have gone back and forth with this primer over the years. I’ve had a lot of samples like this one and at one point, I owned a full-size version. There are some days when my skin really likes this stuff and other days when it looks terrible. But honestly, this is a good product to have on hand – for those good days. 🙂
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb ($30-$215): I was really glad when this box only contained one fragrance sample, unlike the last one where there were two. I do like trying different scents but because fragrances are so personal, I would rather have more skincare/makeup than multiple fragrance samples. I was hoping that the packaging of the perfume was like the Tom Ford one last time – like a little rollerball. The packaging seemed promising, as you can see from the picture of all the products! But instead, it’s more like a regular sample but with a lid! Which is genius in its own right. Those little fragrance samples would be great to travel with or throw in a purse if you didn’t have to worry about it leaking everywhere! But onto the product itself. I was actually excited to receive this one because even though I feel like I have smelled this in the past and it didn’t make an impression, Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb is Matt’s favorite cologne. I thought maybe we could be scent friends!
V&R describe it like this:
An explosion of flowers, Flowerbomb opens with subtle traces of bergamot and mandarin, leading to a heart of an exquisite floral explosion, comprised of sambac jasmine, freesia, centifolia rose, and osmanthus. Deep amber, woody, and patchouli notes combine with warm vanilla and praline notes to complete a truly addictive fragrance.
Again, this fragrance didn’t make a huge impression on me. Because it’s so floral, it does remind me of spring, so I might hold onto it for Spring 2018!
AMOREPACIFIC Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Crème ($150-$275): When I was talking to Jill about this box, we were talking about how we weren’t sure how they would get the value so high again without including a La Mer product. Well, here we are. This shit ain’t cheap, y’all. Plus, it looks really nice, especially as we are moving into the colder months. I think this looks like a really great moisturizer for nighttime, as it seems like it might be a little too much for me personally to wear under makeup during the day. I don’t have a lot of experience with the AMOREPACIFIC brand but I know Jill has talked about how it is a really good brand – probably one of the first K-Beauty brands to come over to the states, along with brands like Dr. Jart+. I’m really interested to see how this moisturizer performs on my skin and if it’s going to become a new favorite.
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence ($90-$290): Now I SPECIFICALLY remember Jill talking about this essence before in her All About Essences blog. (Click here to read that one if you missed it!) I know it’s not her favorite one and it’s expensive, so it’s not one that she recommends. I know she said it wasn’t bad, but there were formulas she liked better that are cheaper. However, I would like to use this for awhile and see how my skin reacts to it. I’m not regularly using an essence in my routine anymore so I would like to get back into it. I am curious to see how my skin will feel after using the whole little bottle!
Final Grade: A
I think Sephora included a great variety of luxury skincare and makeup products this time around, and I am particularly impressed with the presentation – the holo bag and the product “tarot” cards. This box was definitely thoughtfully put together and I think that while it’s double the cost of a regular Play! box, it definitely had a high value, considering the esspensive price tag on all of these products.
This is one of those rare occasions where I am going to use everything from a box! I am particularly excited about the Tom Ford lipstick, the AMOREPACIFIC moisturizer and the SK-II essence.
As a reminder, this version of the Play! box isn’t part of a subscription and it’s currently only offered to VIB Rouge members. However, click here if you are interested in learning more about the monthly box!
Purchased; All opinions are my own
Post contains affiliate links
laurenelectro
A self-proclaimed beauty junkie/hoarder with a serious Sephora problem. This blog is a total rationalization of that problem. Everything is TOTALLY fine. Her free time is a mixed combination of making fun of reality TV with her husband, hanging out with cats and finally trying to figure out how to do her hair.