Sunday, January 24, 2016

Sephora Play! January 2016 Review

Sephora launched a monthly subscription box last year, and there's currently a wait list for invitations to subscribe.  Play! costs $10/month, plus tax where available.  My total is $10.83/month and I pay for this subscription.

 


January 2016 is the fifth box since the subscription began.  The theme is "No Appointment Necessary."  So far, my boxes have contained 6 samples.  Mostly there have not been variations on the products sent out.  Let's take a look at what I've received, shall we?




Each box has a nice info booklet that is several pages long and talks quite a bit about the products in the box.  It also has a Play! pass in the back designed for you to take to your local store and learn new tips/techniques about the products in the box.  Also, if you make a purchase and have the card with you, you'll get an extra 50 Beauty Insider points.  Personally, I have not tried this yet.




First up - Living Proof Prime Style Extender Spray deluxe sample 15 mL/0.5 fl oz  $2.94 value
Full size $20 for 3.4 oz bottle
The product description says this is a weightless spray that helps hairstyles last twice as long.  You're supposed to spray it on your damp hair before you style.  I have naturally wavy hair, and I usually spray in It's a 10, comb it through, and let the waves air dry.  I used the same technique for this product.  While I like the results, I hardly believe that this sample bottle contained much product.  I barely used much on my shoulder length hair before it started spurting out like the container was empty.  When I opened it and shined a flashlight inside, there's maybe a small film of product left at the bottom on the container.  Maybe I got a bum sample?  I also don't feel like this extended my particular hair style method.  Moving on...



Dr. Brandt Needles No More 0.085 oz/2.5 g  $15.13 value
This product is supposed to temporarily relax wrinkles and blur expression lines.  It's suggested to try this on the forehead, crow's feet, cheeks, and between brows before moisturizing.  I've received this sample previously in a BeautyFix box and I gave it to my mom to try.  I don't really have prominent wrinkles yet, so I'll probably pass this one along.  



Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight in 01 Hefty Highlight 0.12 oz/3.6 g  $12.57 value
Highlighting and contouring is still wildly popular in beauty magazines, so no surprise that we're receiving a highlighter!  I noticed several reviews online said this was difficult to blend, but I didn't find that to be the case.  I'm MAC NC15 (aka so pale!) and this works well for me.  I like the stick!  Plus it's slightly over half of the full size version.  



Sephora Rose Ultra Moisturizing & Brightening Eye Mask 1 pair  $5.00 value
Sheet masks are also very popular right now, so including an eye mask is something I enjoy.  Subscribers will receive either Rose, Honey, Lotus, or Green Tea.  Each has different beneficial properties.  I have so many sheet masks from subscription boxes, that I don't know if I'll ever actually need to purchase any!



Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel 3 each of Step 1 and 2 treatments  $9.60 value
This at-home peel is full of potent ingredients including retinol, resveritrol, salicylic acid, green tea, and others.  Step 1 is a surface refiner that you apply to clean, dry skin and wait two minutes before applying Step 2, which is a deeper treatment.  This product is vegan, cruelty free, and paraben and phthalate free.  My skin is kind of sensitive from other face products I've tried lately, so I'm saving this for a little later.  



And last but not least, Tocca Isabel pefume sample 0.05 fl oz/1.5 mL  $2.00 value
A classic floral with Spanish rose, bergamot, and Mediterranean orange with leather and vetiver.  Sigh - I love Tocca!  Isabel isn't my favorite, but I don't have this one in my collection so I'm happy to add it.  One thing I see about the Play! box is that each of the 3 boxes I've received contained a perfume sample.  I know a lot of people don't care for perfumes in their subscription boxes, so I think it's important to note that.  However, the perfumes they've sent are generally well liked, included Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf and now Tocca.  

Total Play! January value: $47.24.  I think that's really good for $10.83!
Number of Items: 6
Full size: 1
Deluxe size: 4
Categories: Haircare (1)  Skincare (3)  Makeup (1)  Perfume (1)
Brands:  Living Proof, Dr. Brandt, Clinique, Sephora, Dr Dennis Gross, Tocca

I've been kind of underwhelmed with my Play! boxes so far.  I think if you subscribe to Birchbox, Ipsy, or multiple beauty boxes in one month for any period of time, you're bound to have product burn-out.  I would recommend Sephora Play! if you are new to subscription beauty boxes, or if you're tired of other beauty boxes at similar price points and want to try something different.  Also of note is that several of the items in the boxes have been or currently are 100 point Beauty Insider rewards, or part of the 500 point rewards.  I feel like they should be completely separate and not do that, since I'm paying for Play! and the point rewards are free.

Of course, the waitlist is problematic!  If you are interested, send me a message with your email because Sephora has been asking current subscribers for referrals to "send that friend to the top of the waitlist."  

I'll probably continue to subscribe for another two or three boxes, but if I'm not wowed I'll likely cancel due to product overlap and overload.  

What do you think about Sephora Play!?  Have you been invited off the waitlist yet?  How long did it take?

Until my mailman stops again,
Emily

1 comment: