
Beauty Junkie?
Me too.
And I would like to be a popular Youtube beauty guru and be sent things to try out… but alas, I am a poor graduate student and most things must come out of my pocket. Or go out of my way to Sephora just to grab samples in a little plastic jar.
Sephora Play! Is a $10/month (+ tax) subscription box that usually has a wait list to join.. you get 5 deluxe beauty samples a month of things they sell, and 1 fragrance sample every single month you’re subscribed. You’re only committed to the month you pay for, but they automatically charge your credit card if you don’t unsubscribe.
I personally love having a little surprise every month… and for once I got the box pretty early so I thought I would write up a quick post to share my thoughts!
Please keep in mind these are my opinions! I have VERY sensitive, oily, acne-prone skin… so there’s my bias!
Let’s get the fragrance over with (What I’m always least excited for)
(Pictures are with good quality so please zoom [Ctrl & scroll up] OR [Ctrl & +] so read descriptions if desired)
MIU MIU: L’eau Bleue (Fragrance)
This kinda smelled like fancy soap… with lavender… Not a huge fan but it’s just the perfume sample so MEH
Sephora Collection: Waterproof Eye make up remover
“Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Butylene Glycol, Dipotassium Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Maltodextrin, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Poloxamer 184, Hydroxycetyl Hydroxyethyl Dimonium Chloride, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, CI 61570 (Green 5), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), Apigenin, Oleanolic Acid, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, BHT.”
I kinda like this bottle because it’s adorable… you get 25mL which is half the size of the smallest travel size of the product… so it sits at a value of $3.75. It does have a silicone as the 2nd ingredient so I will be ONLY using this on my eyes to avoid severe break outs on the rest of my face.
Smashbox: Iconic Photo Finish Foundation Primer
Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trisiloxane, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Extract, Propylene Glycol, Water, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Cola Acuminata (Kola) Seed Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
I feel like subscription boxes and samples REALLY want me to like this primer… but I REALLY don’t. Nothing against Smashbox. They’re known for their primers. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th… etc ingredients are ALL silicones… and for those of us with a silicone sensitivity it’s a no-go. I’ve also heard that the Monistat Chafing Gel is a good dupe for it (high silicone content). This primer does make my skin look very matte, very evened out but… my face hates silicones guys! It sits at a value of $8.00, again half the size of the trial size available at Sephora.
Make up For Ever: Aqua XL Pencil Waterproof Eyeliner
Holy smokes this liner isn’t playing around. It’s pitch black, matte, and super creamy. I tried to rub it off my hand after the swatch and it WOULDN’T BUDGE. Super excited to try this on my waterline. Coming in at 1/4 size of the full size, this sits at a value of $5.25
Peter Thomas Roth: Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Yeast Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide EOS, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide NS, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Sodium PCA, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Saccharide Isomerate, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Methyl Gluceth-20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Cholesterol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Behenic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Ceteareth-25, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Mica.
This product is currently SOLD OUT at sephora and full size is $52.00… Woof. Like most moisturizers, it has Dimethicone & Cyclopentasiloxane (Silicones) in the formula.. but it is the 4&5th ingredient so I think I can use this product. (Usually if a silicone is the 2nd or 3rd ingredient it will clog my pores if I use it during the day time.. night time I can get away with pretty much anything). It does have fancy expensive ingredients like Ceramide and Hyaluronic acid, so HOPEFULLY my skin will like this one. Please. Please. Please. This item sits at 0.25fl, bringing it to a value of $6.92
Philosophy: Made Simple Face Cleanser
I remember in high school I really liked philosphy things. And this product has great reviews on Sephora… I dunno I’m always kinda MEH about cleansers. Maybe because I already have my holy grail so I don’t get as excited but I will definitely test this out. It looks like there are some good oils in here to prevent complete dry out of the skin… but sulfate is the 3rd ingredient incase anyone is keeping track of that. (I don’t have a sensitivity to sulfate but who knows?) Sitting at 1/3 of the smallest sample size at Sephora this product is worth $3.66.
Overall the total value of the box (not counting fragrance) was:
$27.58, not bad for a $10 box!
I had 3 things I was very excited about:
$15.92, still more than I paid!
1 thing I was neutral about, but still could use:
$3.66
And 1 thing I already tried and disliked:
$8.00
What did you think of this months Sephora Play! Box? Would you subscribe. Honestly if you’re a Sephora brat, I highly recommend it!
******FULL DISCLOSURE: This are my personal experiences and thoughts. I am not being paid by the brand or the company to review this product or talk about any claims. This product was not sent to me. I have no affiliation or monetary gain at stake for rating this product highly or poorly.*******