Today we’re talking beauty subscription boxes again.

More specifically, we’re talking Sephora Play.

I did a post like this ages ago when I was subscribed to Birchbox. And in that post, I talked about all the things that I liked and disliked about the service. I’ve had a subscription to Sephora Play for a while now, I figured it was time to do it again.

I separated my thoughts into somewhat of a pros and cons list because I figured it would make things more organized. Also, because who doesn’t love pros and cons lists?

The Pros

To me, what makes Sephora Play stand out in comparison to other beauty subscription boxes is that all of the samples you receive are from high-end brands. One of the biggest reasons why I decided to cancel my subscription to Birchbox was because I felt like I was only receiving drugstore products. I’ve got nothing against drugstore brands. But if I’m going to spend $10 a month on a subscription service, I’d rather get items from more expensive brands. More bang for your buck, right?

With Sephora Play, you’re guaranteed to receive products from high-end brands. This is great because you get to try out products that you might not otherwise buy, especially in skincare. I’ve gotten to test out some interesting products from brands like GlamGlow and Origins that I would not have ever thought to purchase. I got a sample of Moroccan oil at one point, too. Which was cool, considering I had always viewed Moroccan oil as one of those unattainably expensive products that I’d never have the chance to try.

I could go on and on about all the cool products I’ve gotten to sample because of Sephora Play, but I think you get the gist.

Another pro to Sephora Play is the way that fragrances are dealt. Instead of having a perfume sample count as one of your 5 beauty products, it comes in addition to them. This is perfect if you’re not a big perfume person like me because you aren’t shorted a sample.

Lastly, I’ve grown to really love the bags that come with each installment of Sephora Play. What’s awesome about these bags is that you can use them for many different purposes. I like to use them to store my makeup whenever I travel, and they work out really nicely.

sephora play flatlay — From: “A Look Into My Flatlay Process”

The Cons

Now for the cons. I’ve got to be honest here and say that as far as cons go, I don’t have many that are specific to this subscription service. The only thing that irritates me about Sephora Play is that the boxes don’t come at the same time every month. Sometimes they show up really early. Sometimes they show up really late. I can never get a feel for when to expect one to arrive. It’s always a mystery when I head out to my mailbox…

Other than that, the only issues that I had with the service were problems inherent to any beauty box. There were a few times when I received products that I’ve already owned or tested. That’s kind of the biggest downer when it comes to these services: you never know when you’re going to get something that you’ve gotten before. There were also a few times when I received products that I wasn’t particularly interested in. But again, that’s more of a flaw to beauty boxes in general than to Sephora Play specifically.

So in conclusion, I’ve had a pretty positive experience with Sephora Play. If someone were to ask me what beauty box I recommend, this would definitely be the one. The products have been great. And there has yet to be a month when I felt like it didn’t live up to my expectations.