March 2018 Sephora Play! Unboxing

Receiving beauty subscription boxes in the mail is like getting presents at Christmas for me. So of course I had to add another subscription, Play! by Sephora. For $10 a month, this box includes a beauty bag and 5 samples (of items that you can purchase full size at Sephora), a beauty bonus, an in-store pass for 50 Beauty Insider points, invite to Sephora Play! Day where you can go in-store and play with your products, and lastly online how-tos.  

***My own personal photos that I took of the items in the box have mysteriously disappeared! I don't like to upload photos of used items unless they make it into a monthly favorites post, so all pictures of March's Play! box are from Sephora.com. 

The first item is Bobbi Brown's Illuminating Moisture Balm. Full size runs for $68. Festival Season makeup looks are typically dewy, so this moisturizer is a good base to prep the skin. For my combination-oily skin, this is a no-go for my T-zone. It turned me into an oil slick there. But it works amazingly well on the rest of my face (cheeks, sides of forehead, jawline). I would use moisturizers like this under a mattifying foundation to avoid looking flat matte. I would highly recommend if your skin is normal to dry, and warn you to proceed with caution if you are combo-oily. 

The next item I absolutely fell in love with - Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black. The full size liner retails for $22. I've heard a lot of rave reviews about this eyeliner, so I was excited to see this was in the box! It definitely lives up to the hype. This little guy is so pigmented and perfectly inky. I can get a wing sharp enough to cut you, and because of the felt tip - it's easy to achieve. What's also great, is the waterproof formula makes the liner stay put. No smudging or running, even after long wear time. Perfect for any outdoor festivals, or just warm weather in general. I highly recommend this eye liner if you're looking to try something new.

Another item in this month's box was IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm. This I am definitely repurchasing as soon as I run out of the sample. I've only used this twice after washing my hair, but it makes the BIGGEST difference. It claims to work for every hair type. My hair is naturally curly and coarse so if it works on my hair, I'm sure it would work on pretty much everyone else's too. The balm also has claims of adding dramatic softness and shine, and I completely agree. I don't remember the last time my hair felt so silky. The full size tube runs for $29, and I believe it is worth every penny. This is my favorite find from the box so far.

The next product is SUPERGOOP! Defense Refresh Setting Mist Broad Spectrum SPF 50, which retails for $28. I have mixed feelings about this product simply because the spray nozzle arrived broken. At first I thought that the mist was coming out a bit too strong, a stream rather than a mist. So that turned me off. After another use, the nozzle completely separated from the spring inside. Being that this mist claims to control oil, I was looking forward to testing that out. I don't have any old setting spray bottles to pour this in, so I might just pick up one from the dollar store. But from what I could feel when I was trying to fix the nozzle, the formula seems almost greasy. I wish I had a better review but that's what happens when products arrived broken. 

Sephora Play! also includes a bonus item each month. This time it is a sample of Amika Soulfood Nourishing Mask. The full size tub is $28. My hair needs a lot more product than this, especially considering this is a deep conditioning mask. So I have mixed feelings on this product as well because I wasn't able to put it to the test the way I would prefer. It's a blessing and a curse getting sample sizes. You might luck out and fall in love with something, but if there's not enough product, or it's defective in how it dispenses, you aren't able to give it the love it deserves. 

Overall I am pleased with Play! by Sephora and will stay subscribed. I signed up for this one with the thought of being able to test out more skin/haircare products compared to Ipsy or Boxycharm. And for the most part, this subscription is serving that purpose. If it doesn't work out, there are other boxes to try, but for now Play! stays.