Hello all!

It’s been a little while since I’ve done a beauty subscription box review. If you’ve been following this blog since December, then you may know that I used to write monthly Birchbox subscription reviews. I cancelled my subscription to Birchbox in January, hoping to use up some of the products I already had. If you’re someone like me who has way too many samples cluttering their drawers, I’d strongly recommend doing this. It was nice to purge my drawers of the products that had been in there for too long.

After finishing up several of my old samples, I decided to jump back on the beauty subscription trend. I thought that I would test out a different popular beauty subscription: Sephora Play. If you’d like to read about my experience Birchbox, I did a cumulative post back in February.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Sephora Play is Sephora’s beauty subscription service. Like most boxes of this nature, you fill out a questionnaire to give them an idea of your beauty needs and preferences, and then they send you a bag of five samples (plus a perfume) curated to your questionnaire responses. The cost of this service is ten dollars, though, if you want to be technical, I believe that I paid an extra eighty cents for shipping.

One thing that makes Sephora Play unique in comparison to the dozens of other beauty subscriptions out there is that comes with bonus perks. Firstly, each box contains a pass worth fifty Sephora Beauty Insider points. This means if you take it into your local Sephora within the month and purchase any full-size item, your beauty insider account is credited fifty points. I think this is a really awesome perk. As a frequent customer of Sephora, I love the idea of being able to earn something back.

Also, this pass allows you to get a free one-on-one beauty session with a Sephora employee. I haven’t done this yet, but I think it’s nice to have that available. Subscriber meet ups occur at local Sephoras as well, which (to the extent of my knowledge) consist of learning different tips and tricks about the month’s products. You’re permitted to bring a friend to these meet ups, which is a fun idea if you’re looking for a way to kill time on the weekend.

When you open your Sephora Play box, you’ll find your beauty products in a cute little drawstring bag along with a sheet containing product information. The product info sheet shares not only basic descriptions of the items, but tips on application and links to videos that show the best ways to use them. These videos are pretty useful, especially if you receive an item that you aren’t sure how to use, or when to use. In my opinion, it’s a very cool feature.

After reading about these little additional perks, I was impressed by Sephora Play before I even opened my box. Sephora Play gives subscribers more than just a bag full of samples. The Beauty Insider points, videos, store meet ups, and tutorials definitely set it apart from similar services. Birchbox doesn’t offer nearly as many perks.

Each month’s Sephora Play bag has a theme. For March, it was “The Gleam Team,” which was supposed to be about products that shine or glow. I think the theme carried nicely through the items that I received.

Because I was feeling productive, I went ahead and did the math to get the value of each sample. I can’t promise that I’ll do this again given that math is the worst (a fact and definitely not an opinion).

Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer (Sample value – $6.92, 0.24 oz)

A shimmery moisturizer that you apply to skin before foundation that works to blur, highlight, and rejuvenate skin. It has a nice, silky texture and a subtle and sweet smell. The scent kind of reminds me of a creamsicle.

Benefit Watt’s Up! Cream-to-Powder Highlighter (Sample value – $7.27, 0.08 oz)

Watt’s Up! has been a favorite of mine since the highlighter craze began. It’s long-lasting, easy to apply, and has an incredibly beautiful finish. I love using this product to accentuate my cupid’s bow and cheekbones.

Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast (Sample value – $15, 3.0 oz)

A convenient spray that is perfect for both straight and wavy hair. A few sprays of this product gives hair instant volume and texture. I found the smell to be a little overpowering (just like very potent hairspray), but I was very impressed by the effects.

Josie Maran Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm (Sample value – $7.20, 0.1 oz)

Applied to skin either to give it a radiant glow and moisturized texture. I really enjoyed using this product, especially on days where I didn’t apply any makeup. It makes skin look and feel refreshed.

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink (ounces not listed)

This is such a pretty, shimmery shade of gold and it contains what I believe to be pink undertones. The color seriously matches everything. Shadow sticks are life-savers on days where doing a full face of makeup is virtually impossible. I love swiping a bit on my eyelids and heading out the door.

Chloe Fleur de Parfum (Sample value – $2.47, 0.04 oz)

I’ve said this before, but I’m not a perfume person. Most of them irritate my eyes, throat, and nose. This fragrance emits the strong scent of roses. It’s very perfume-y if that makes sense.

Overall, I’m very pleased with Sephora Play. Not including the Bobbi Brown shadow stick, which I couldn’t seem to find the ounces of, the value of this bag is $38.86. Given that it only costs $10 and comes with several other perks, I’d say it is a great deal. I’ll be excited to see what the April bag brings.

Have you tried Sephora Play before? 

Sincerely,

Paige

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