Play! by Sephora July 2016 Review

Play! by Sephora – is a beauty subscription box curated by Sephora! They send a five deluxe samples and a fragrance sample each month. This is an excellent way to build up your inventory, collect travel size products for your travel bag, and to try out different brands before investing in a full size purchase. The items should be products that are currently trending. You can also find out more about the products by using PLAY! BOOK with the Sephora To Go app. This is the only subscription box I know of that distributes information this way. If you are thinking about this subscription, just get on the waitlist because the wait can take forever! You will also receive a card that you can bring to any store for a free tutorial and 50 Bonus Beauty Insider points.

Cost: $10

How Often: Monthly

Ships To: United States (lower 48) via USPS

Each month you receive a drawstring bag. I have yet to figure out what purpose this serves. I think this could easily be skipped and not missed one bit by any subscribers. The theme this month is "Effortless Summer". There were two different box versions sent out.

First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser With Red Clay – $4. First Aid Beauty is one of my favorite brands so I'm always thrilled to receive it. This is a deep cleanser that is supposed to be good for blemishes. It is safe for sensitive skin. I will be using this today, and I anticipate using every drop.

 

Beauty Blender Blotterazzi – $10. This has one cushion and one cleansing packet. This is made from the same material as the full size Beauty Blenders. This is designed to be used for touch ups on the go, and you use this instead of traditional blotting papers. I can see this being useful when travelling.

Citrine from NEST Fragrances – vial sample. The dewy softness of lotus flower and freesia are set against sparkling citrus notes and hints of precious woods. I would be ok if they would stop including fragrance samples in the boxes. Sigh. But they insist on having one each time. Every. Single. Month.

 Ouai Haircare Wave Spray – $8.84. This is a spray for your hair for the beachy waves look. What is unique about this brand it's a very light formula and does not make your hair have the crunchy dryness. K has already called this.

Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzer - $6.86.  I really love the Too Faced brand. I'm not overly thrilled to receive yet another bronzer this summer, but I do like that a Too Faced product was included.

Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing –  $8. This is a perfecting primer that reduces the appearance of imperfections and pores for up to 8 hours. I don't know if anything can work as well as miracle blur, but I'm willing to give this a shot.
This month has an approximate retail value of $37.70, not including the fragrance vial. I think this month has been my favorite box yet, although I'm still not overly wowed. I think I would have been if the Too Faced product had been something other than a bronzer. But a bronzer does seem like a good fit for a summer box. Either way, the curation of skincare, makeup, hair, and tools (blotterazzi) was an impressive mix!
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