July Sephora Play Unboxing

Mommylicious

The July Sephora Play Box is here! It always comes on the same day on the month and I appreciate that consistency. Since I have not been disappointed by any of the previous Sephora Play boxes, I always find myself looking forward to this one more than Ipsy, which is more of a hit or miss. 
Want to know more about Play by Sephora? Find it here. 

It is almost the middle of Summer, so it comes as no surprise what the July Sephora Play box has been themed on. The theme of the July Sephora Play box is Effortless Summer. It is all about the sunny standouts and warm weather essentials. All the products this month are for giving a chic look on the haute long days. 

The little pouch in the July Sephora Play box is freakishly cute with a pink popcicle. It just screams Summer. 

Getting on the products of the July Sephora Play box:

BeautyBlender Blotterazzi

This catches my attention first, being so pink and big. It is a reusable cushion blotter for absorbing all the facial oils without disturbing makeup. What?? Is it for real? It is a revolutionary item by BeautyBlender and I was not aware such a product existed. It has the shape of the BeautyBlender, just flat. It has been designed to reach even the hardest of corners on the face. It has to be used dry and cleaned weekly. Super useful for a person with oily face like me. In the Blotterazzi goes in my purse to help me sail through a long haute day.

Ouai Wave Spray

It is a hairspray, by the brand Ouai, for adding volume to the hair and moisturizing it. It can be used on wet or dry hair. It has a fresh lemon-y scent. I am not a fan of these kind of hairsprays because I have frizzy and curly hair which have been straightened. So, no curls to enhance, really. This is one big disadvantage of beauty boxes not being customized based on the profile of the subscribers.

Sun Rescue Deep Cleanser By First Aid Beauty

It is a gel facial cleanser with Red Clay for removing excess oil. Anything with clay is straight up my alley. I love products like this, travel size packs of cleansers. These are super handy for travelling as the regular facial cleansers are always so big and heavy. What I love about this cleanser is it almost doubles up as a mini mask when used without water. This cleanser instantly leaves the skin feeling clean and devoid of impurities. 

Soleil Matte Bronzer by Too Faced

This is a Too Faced Matte bronzer in the shade Chocolate and made with cocoa powder, which accounts for the yummy chocolaty scent. It is very light-weight and gives a natural look. As much as I am excited to have received a Too Faced product, I am sad that it is a bronzer. Bronzing is that one thing I do not like, need and do. Hence I never invest in bronzers. But since I have received this sample I will give it a shot, or just use it as an eyeshadow!

    

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

As always, I was saving the best for last. Yes, it is THE Smashbox Photo Finish Primer that social media is gaga over, and rightly so. I am glad Smashbox decided to send out a sample of an already popular product. I am a huge fan of Smashbox. Everything I have tried so far has impressed me a lot. And much like the other Smashbox products, this primer has blown me away. It mattifies the skin and controls shine; it minimizes the look of pores and locks in the makeup. Now, this has become my favorite face primer too. Try it to believe it.

Citrine by Nest Fragrances

The bonus perfume! It is always exciting to receive perfume samples. And you can never have too many perfume samples especially in the summer. This month has Citrine by Nest Fragrances. I have not heard about this brand before, but the scent has my attention. How do I describe it? It is flowery. It is citrusy. It is made from Lotus extracts and it smells really nice. I love all things citrusy so this is perfect for me in the Summer. 



Overall, this is the first Sephora Play Box that has disappointed me a little with the hair spray and the bronzer. These two type of products do not work for me, personally, and I will not find any use out of them. It can work for others, not me. However, the inclusion of the Smashbox Photo Finish Face Primer has compensated for all the other disappointments. I am so happy with it. I love the Blotterazzi as well. The perfume in the July Sephora Play is also great. So, although there are 2 misses, the hits outnumbered them.

Read more about the products in the May Sephora Play box and June Sephora Play box.  

June Sephora Play Unboxing

Mommylicious

After the highly impressive May Sephora Play box, I just could not wait for my second box to arrive. For some weird reason both my Play boxes arrived on Saturday mornings! Just gives me another reason to love Saturday more. What better way to jump into the Father's day weekend than with new makeup. All the details on Sephora Play you want is right here. 

The theme for June Sephora Play is The Minimalist. It is all about the nudes and the naturals. The line that Sephora is playing on this month is 'less is more'. The products included are for giving a low-key summer look, with an easygoing appeal.

Jumping straight into the box:

Bumble and Bumble Don't Blow it Creme

This (H)air Styler creme is for adding volume  and enhancing the texture of your hair. If you want to skip blow-drying your hair, this creme will help you achieve great looking air-dried style. All you got to do is apply this creme on wet, towel-dried hair. No rinsing needed. Spare your hair the heat and the hassel. My hair felt very soft and hydrated indeed and my flyaways (always an issue) were in control. It saved me a lot of time as a new mom, yet get styled hair. 

BareMinerals BareSkin Bronzer

This is a liquid bronzer that can be worn on its own or over foundation. It is pretty sheer to give a natural sun-kissed look. The bottle looks really tiny but you only have to use a couple of drops. Works well on all skin tones. It is a fun product for the summer. You can use it with your moisturizer. You can use this bronzer to contour your face. You can even add a tinge of color to your arms and legs by mixing the bronzer with your body lotion. One little bottle, yet so many uses! 

They're Real! Mascara from Benefit Cosmetics

This is one of Benefit's best selling mascaras. This mascara both lengthens and volumizes. The bristles are really fine which helps in reaching even the smallest lashes. It has a special wand which can be used vertically to push the lashes upward and out with the domed tip. Applying 2 coats is recommended for that fake-looking-but-real lashes. I love this mascara already. It did not clump up or smudge after wearing it through the long summer day. I wore it to the beach, followed by dinner and the mascara stayed put. Love these mini sample sized mascaras for on-the-go. 

Becca Backlight Priming Filter

This is a shimmering makeup primer for blurring out the imprefections. You can use it after moisturizing your face. Use it as a primer and follow it up with makeup or if you are in a rush and need no such coverage, just wear the primer alone. What I noticed is that this primer did make my skin look brighter. Just use a tiny bit, and it will do the trick. You can even use it to prime your eyes and lips. Primers are the most talked-about and trendy product now and Becca has done a great job here. 

Tarteguard Suncreen Lotion

This Broad Spectrum SPF 30 suncreen lotion from Tarte is the most useful product for the summery days ahead. What is the difference between the Tarteguard and the other sunblocks you ask? Well, the Tarteguard is a mineral suncreen that uses zinc oxide along with titanium dioxide to create a sun barrier for the skin. It is free of chemicals and has antioxidants. I decided to give it a try on my day out at the beach and I quite liked it. It does not leave the skin looking ghoushlishly white. Of course it is a little whitish due to the presence of Zinc Oxide but it does not show on the skin. It is not greasy or sticky. It has a very mild but pleasant scent. My makeup sat pretty well on it through the day. A big thumbs up, so far.

Florence from Tocca

This is a bonus little perfume sample which Sephora just throws in for fun. This month the Eau de Perfum is called Florence by Tocca Beauty. My smell test tells me it is nice. I am yet to use it. Florence is all about old-world Paris. It has Violet petals, Italian bergamot (don't know what that is!!), Blue Iris and all those fancy ingredients that gives it a feminine and sofisticated fragrance. I did receive a different sample of Tocca perfume before from Birchbox and I had loved that. That makes me quite fond of Tocca perfumes. Great choice Sephora.  


Overall, a great box. The June Sephora Play box is all about the big names from the cosmetic world; from Becca to Tarte to Benefit and BareMinerals. The only brand which was new to me is Bumble and Bumble. But I am impressed with the Bumble and Bumble hair creme. I love it when an entire box is full of makeup products. I am thankful to Sephora for not including skincare products, which I like picking out myself. All the products are very useful and I have already started using them. A very summer-friendly box I must say. 


If you want to know what was in the May Sephora Play box, you can get it here.

If you want a Sephora Play Review in general, you will find it here. 

Want to know about other beauty subscription boxes? Find it here. 

Interested in mommy stuff? Find it here. 

May Sephora Play Unboxing

Mommylicious

A nine month wait to get my hands on the highly-coveted and much-awaited Sephora Play box in May. Sephora Play is a sample beauty subscription box. They don't send full-sized products. It works for me as I get to try before I buy. It is easier to use up small sample-sized products than be stuck with huge containers of products I dislike. I like getting well known high-end brands. So, I am hoping Play! just might be the subscription service I was waiting for all my life.

Let's see if it was worth it. I am going to jump straight into the products from the box. However, if you interested in a detailed review of the Play box, you can get it here.

 

The theme of May 2016 is The Forces Of Nature. The selection of products are natural and high performing. The products came in a cute little white satchel which says 'Let's beauty together'. Inspiring. It is all about Spring cleaning your beauty. 

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask

It is an intensive treatment to restore hydration and bring back luster to the hair. It is free of parabens and sulfates, silicones etc. making it natural. You have to use it after shampooing your hair and leave it there for about 10 minutes and rinse it off. It is to be used once a week. The 1oz tube I received will last me about 4 washes. This mask is not something that you use for a day and feel how soft your hair is; it has to be used for a few times to see how effectively it reduces breakage and damage. I have used Briogeo products before through other subscription services and they have impressed me every time. 
Sample value - $9
The full size retails for $9.

Korres Wild Rose Sleeping Facial

It is a lightweight overnight facial treatment that melts into the skin. It has wild rose oil that moisturizes and brightens the skin. It is good for all skin types. It helps with dullness and uneven skin tone. I used it after my nighttime routine and I really liked the way my skin felt in the morning. It is a pretty decent sized sample. I have combination skin and it did not break me out. I really liked the smell. It is not at heavy and does not leave the face too greasy. And a small amount goes a long way.  
Sample value - $12.09
The full size retails for $19. 

Tarte Tartiest Lip Crayon

This is a primer cum lip liner by Tarte. It is a twist-up and has a tapered tip to contour the lips. It is creamy and glides easily. It is hydrating and is free of parabens. The shade is Latergram and is a very pretty dirty rose color. A very useful product indeed. This is a sample size. This has a matte finish and it comes in 10 other shades. 
Sample value - $1.80
The full size retails for $18. 

Origins Maskimizer

This comes in 3 parts - there is a hydrating mist for priming the skin before applying the masks, and two types of masks. There is a purifying charcoal mask and an overnight moisturizing mask. I love the packaging. The primer mist comes in a little bottle like a perfume sample and the masks come in foils. It is a great idea to package the primer in this manner. I love Origins masks and they work very well for my skin. I love these two masks as well. I am a little obsessed with face masks lately, and the Origins Maskimizer has come to me at the right time. 
Sample - $1.86
The full size primer retails for $22. 

Amuse Bouche Lipstick by Bite Beauty

I was saving the best for last. I am so excited to have received the Amuse Bouche Lipstick. I have three of them already and I just love them. These lipsticks have an amazing formula and fresh citrus-y scent. These are so pigmented and hydrating. These are (hands down) one of the best lipsticks I have ever used. Sephora has selected the shade Kimchi and it is a bright summer-y pink. The shade is a little too bright for my choice, but it is summer and I am in the mood for some Kimchi. You can read my full review of the Amuse Bouche Lipsticks here. 
Sample - $8.67
The full size retails for $26. 

Atelier Cologne 

Each month Sephora includes a perfume sample in the Play box along with the 5 samples. The perfume is a bonus item and does not count towards a product from the box. It is a fun little extra. And that is just great! I love sampling expensive perfumes before I actually invest that kind of money in it. So, this month it is Orange Sanguine by Atelier. It is orange-y, it is refreshing and it is summer-y. I love citrusy scents and this is just awesome. 
Sample - $1.82
The full size retails for $70. 

Total value of the box is $35.24 . For $10, it is a steal. Overall, I am more than happy with the May Sephora Play! box. High-end brands, check. Products that excite me, check. Products that I will use, check. Sephora did a great job of product selection as they fit my needs, and match my skin tone and taste.

I can only say that it has been worth the wait. 

Sephora Play Review

Mommylicious

So I finally got off the Sephora Play waitlist and received my first box this month. Every person who was on the Sephora Play waitlist seems to have got the box in May, so I am guessing Sephora just made Play available nationwide. And thank god for that! I have been waiting for Sephora Play since I first heard about it. Who wasn't? When Sephora decided to jump on the monthly subscription box bandwagon, everybody went cray cray (crazy, silly!). And it is just for $10. My expectations sky-rocketed and I could not wait to get it. When I got the mail saying I was off the waitlist I was beyond happy.

You can go to Sephora's website and register for Play. No bonus points for referral. It costs $10 plus tax each month. The box usually ships around the third week of the month. If you are too curious to wait that long to see the contents of the Sephora Play box, you can keep an eye on Sephora's social media accounts. Sephora keeps releasing little sneak peaks about the current month's box. I like to keep it a surprise and be awed when I open the box. 

Sephora Play has a few pros and cons. 

There are reasons why I love Sephora Play. Firstly, Sephora, being an already established brand, does not need further promotion. So they do not play dirty in getting attention from it's subscribers. Like a few other monthly subscription services you will not have to sell your social media soul and promote the brands or Sephora on your social media accounts. Or worse still, give access to your social media accounts for getting off the waitlist. Yes, that's exactly what Ipsy did. 

Secondly, Sephora Play always sends out products with a brand value. You will know almost all the brands that you will get through Play. It is not like Ipsy or Birchbox or Lip Monthly where they try to promote upcoming brands and let subscribers sample something completely new. Brand recognition matters to me. Sephora Play will give you high-end brands to sample. While Ipsy or Birchbox might include one high-end brand if you are lucky that month. 

Thirdly, every subscriber gets the same box with the same contents. Yes, Sephora has a quiz wherein you tell then your shade preferences and all that. But they do not customize the box, which I love. I get kind of jealous when I find out that other subscribers got stuff that I would have liked in my Ipsy bag. 

Lastly, what makes me happy is that if I like a product from Sephora Play then I can walk into the store and purchase that immediately. I can even test out the other shades before purchasing. With Ipsy and Birchbox you have order the products online from their store and not all the products are available all the time. Like if I want to purchase a product that I received 2 months back, I will not find it on the Ipsy website anymore. Very frustrating I have to say. 

What I dislike about Sephora Play is their point system. Like the other subscription services where you can review a product and get points for it, Play has no such opportunity. I have redeemeed points from my Ipsy and Birchbox for products from their online store. I mean it is great because it is practically free. But with Sephora Play they include a card where you can get an additional 50 Beauty Insider points with any purchase. Which means you will have to purchase something in order to get those points and it is just spending extra money when you really do not need to. I only wish that Sephora works out a better system eventually. 

The other little complaint I have with Sephora Play is that it comes in a box, like a cardboard box. Of course you can use it for storing stuffs and home decor, but it is just a cardboard box at the end of the day. With Ipsy, you get an actual bag which you can use to carry makeup or even gift others. I have all my bags and find them super useful. The bags are actually of pretty good quality and lasts for ages. So, for $10 it is like an additional product, if I may say so. But the little satchel that Sephora Play gave in the box is a little useless. 

Anyway, overall I am happy with Sephora and the products they have been sending out. 

Stay tuned for my May Sephora Play unboxing.