I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been frustrated with Sephora lately or if it was just that this box was kind of disappointing, but I’ve been considering cancelling my subscription. I do have just… boxes of samples I need to use up anyway, so it might be good to take a little break, and just buy the occasional ad hoc box? I’m still not sure if I’ll cancel, but I’ll let you know.
Price: $10/month
Box Type: Beauty products, 5-6 deluxe samples
Why you’ll love it: Ummmm, did you see it’s all fun products that come from Sephora? Some boxes will send you random products from brands you’ve never heard of before but Play! by Sephora will only send you brands from their own store – basically all high end fun things you are excited to try! Here’s a breakdown of the benefits:
- The awesome products, of course.
- The $10 you spend earns you Beauty Insider points if you are already part of their rewards program. (I’m VIB Rouge because I clearly have A Problem buying makeup.)
- Each month you will also receive a card that you can bring into Sephora that will earn you 50 additional bonus points on your purchase!
How to Subscribe: Click here!
I honestly don’t pay too much attention to the Sephora insert, other than as a reference when I’m writing this blog and don’t have every product in front of me. However, I have to admit that this one was pretty cute.
And here’s everything we got this month. I’m honestly less than impressed, let’s put it that way. However, that might be due to my own makeup preferences and current stash, so I’ll go through my reasoning.
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo ($25): I have tried this dry shampoo several times over the years, as I’m pretty sure I used to get it in Birchbox. It just doesn’t do what I need a dry shampoo to do for me. I need a dry shampoo to add a bit of grit to give me some volume. This dry shampoo doesn’t do that for me. I don’t think it’s necessarily making anything worse, but for me, it’s almost like I sprayed nothing in my hair. I tried this out again when I got the box, just to see if my opinion had changed. And I had to go over it with my other dry shampoo because my hair still seemed kind of greasy. I’m just not a fan. However, it does smell good, and the packaging is cute. I wish it worked for me.
Grande Cosmetics HydraPlump Semi-Matte Liquid Lipstick in Desert Peak ($25): Y’all. This BURNS. I guess I didn’t realize that they made plumping liquid lipsticks that are like those lip glosses of yore that basically give your lips a reaction so they will swell a bit. It felt sort of like I was chewing Big Red and just held it up to my lips. Like, not a TERRIBLE burn where I ran to rub it off, but it was sort of like, “Wow, this is uncomfortable, how long is this going to last?” I’m not sure if I have the fortitude to wear this again.
Erborian CC Crème High Definition Radiance Face Cream Skin Perfector in Clair ($44): I recently got this in a Sephora PLAY! SMARTS box, where I learned even the lightest shade is too dark for me. I’m going to donate this.
Juliette Has A Gun “Not A Perfume” ($135): This is one of those perfumes that makes me go… “Meh.” It didn’t smell bad necessarily, but I wasn’t like, “holy hell, I need to buy the full-size version immediately.” I was like, “Well, that was fine.” Though the perfume is kind of interesting because it literally has one note, called cetalox. (Whatever that is.) Description from Sephora is below. However, I really enjoy the branding and name of this brand. It reminds me of Miranda Lambert and the Pistol Annies for some reason. Maybe it’s the gun reference?
This minimalist, fresh, and clean fragrance is hypoallergenic and ideal for those who don’t normally wear perfume. It is composed of a single note, called cetalox, which is usually used in perfumery as a base note. Here it plays the lead role for a fragrance that will easily satisfy the most difficult tastes, and particularly those preferring discretion over complexity.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($38): This is the one product in the box that I’m mildly feeling positive about. Though I say “mildly” because I have received this many, many times. I will never run out of Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. I should have given out all of these little jars I have for Halloween. Maybe I will give them away at parties when people come over to my house. I use so little setting powder that it will take me the rest of my life to go through the setting powders I have, and I just bought the Too Faced Peach Perfect Mattifying Setting Powder ($33) recently because I wanted to try an alternative to the Laura Mercier. I think the Too Faced is the slightest bit peachier, whereas the Laura Mercier is more white. I have been enjoying the Too Faced more, but I can rest easy knowing that I have more Laura Mercier powder in case I ever need it. However, it does do a good job of mattifying without getting too cake-y. I do think it might be a bit too dry to bake with though, however, I don’t do that. #old
Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream ($26.50): I used to use this eye cream, but at this point, I think of it as an eye cream I might recommend to someone in their late teens (never too early to start using eye cream!) or early 20’s, as I feel like I need an eye cream that does more for me. However, this does wear well under makeup, and isn’t a bad product. I’ve just graduated, ya know?
Final Grade: C
The mix of products in the November PLAY! by Sephora was nice, and a decent value, I just didn’t really care for/won’t use most of them. Which doesn’t make even a $10 box worth the value when the only thing that you’ll use is something you already have a ton of. Obviously, that is the luck of the subscription box draw, as everyone has different needs and preferences. While I do think that PLAY! is a great box overall, I’m still not sure if it’s something I am going to continue with in 2019. I might do OK with just the Allure Beauty Box, but TBD.
Do you still get the PLAY! by Sephora box? Are you still happy with it? Let me know!
Purchased; All opinions are my own
Post contains affiliate links.