Sephora Play! February 2017 Unboxing

Purchased

February was a good month for me with Sephora Play, though I didn’t get my box until March 1. This wasn’t supposed to happen, mind you. My box had been shipped on February 14, but due to some shipping issues, it never arrived. I’m not sure if this is an ongoing thing with Sephora and whoever is shipping their boxes, but it’s the second time this has happened to me in under six months. Nevertheless, both times it’s happened, Sephora has been great about handling the problem. A few months back, they refunded me the cost of my box, though it did eventually arrive. This month, they simply shipped me a new one.

Since one can pretty much expect that something will happen eventually with a product being shipped to them, this is what makes the difference for me when it comes to customer service. To me, this was a good way to handle the issue, and I can at least say that I’ve dealt with their customer service and can give them a good review.

This month’s theme was “The Soft Side” and focused on a more natural look. Each month, you’ll get a unique draw string bag to hold the contents of your play box. I’ve really enjoyed the past few months being a little different from the usual white canvas.This month featured a soft satiny material. 

Each Sephora Play box also comes with a Play Pass card. If you take this into the store and use it with any purchase, you’ll get an additional 50 points for your Beauty Insider account. (And yes, the cost of your subscription also counts toward your Beauty Insider account.)

While you’re in the store, you can get help with any of the items included in your box, or try out something completely new. There’s also a monthly meetup, or “Play Date” event in stores where you can participate in tutorials and get freebies, but if you’re not close enough, Sephora Play’s website will offer up video tutorials and extra information on all of your monthly goodies.

CLINIQUE
Pep-Start HydroBlur Moisturizer Link

Sephora is going to spoil me by giving me two Clinique products back to back. Last month, I loved my tinted lip balm. This month, I get a daytime moisturizer. I’ve been giving it a try the past couple of days, and I think this has so far been my favorite option for during the day. It’s lightweight and nongreasy while at the same time incredibly hydrating– three things I definitely appreciate from something I’m wearing during the day. On top of that, it really seems to live up to the “blur” portion of its name. It’s not completely correcting, of course, but it does give a nice finish for a makeup-free day.

I’m a little bit disappointed that the sample is so small, though. I like to give me new skincare products a good two-week run and really try it out, but I have seen enough so far to tell me that I might just be purchasing a full size of this. I can definitely see myself using it as we get into the warmer months.

Origins
GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream Link

Ignore the dog hair. I’d been playing with Kato, and I didn’t notice it until after I’d already started editing. Kato makes an appearance in two of these, actually.

Since this is an eye product, I was able to start it at the same times as the moisturizer, and I really like this product as well. Like the moisturizer, I’ve been wearing it during the day, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I notice a bit of a cooling sensation when I put it on, and there’s some luminescence to it for brightening the are. It’s great for waking up the eyes. Also like the moisturizer, I could definitely see myself purchasing a full size once I’m done with this sample.

NARS
Velvet Lip Glide in “Bound” Link

Sephora included two lip products this month, and this is the first. This is a liquid lipstick, but not the kind that dries super matte. It’s actually pretty comfortable to wear and is nicely hydrating. The color, Bound, is great for a nude lip. I’ve worn it a couple of times now, and while I’ve touched up after eating, it’s otherwise lasted beautifully in between those.

Too Faced
Lip Injection Glossy in “Milkshake” Link

This is a lip plumping gloss. I’ve actually tried this product before when I received the clear version in an Ipsy bag. It’s not my favorite. As with many lip plumping products, the key ingredient is capsaicin– the stuff which makes chili peppers hot. I’m a fan of spicy foods, but the burn from the Too Faced Lip Injection products can be a little intense if I use it on my bare lips, and all for nothing, it seems. I’ve yet to notice any plumping. The color is pretty, though.

Here are some swatches of both lip products:

The Too Faced Lip Injection isn’t nearly as opaque as the picture makes it seem, and it does pair well with the NARS Velvet Lip Glide.

SEPHORA COLLECTION
LashCraft Length & Volume Mascara Link

Sephora has really started to sell me on their house collection through this box. So far, there’s been very little I’ve tried from them that I have disliked. This mascara wasn’t a blow-me-away hit, but it’s not bad. There are things I like and things I don’t so much hate as kinda found annoying. For $7-12, I could deal.

The formula is interesting. It’s supposed to wash away with just warm water. Obviously, this worried me because, with as many problems as I’ve had with mascara flaking away and landing under my eyes, I worried about the smear level on this one. Surprisingly, I didn’t get a single flake or smudge. I wouldn’t wear it to the pool, but it held up during every day weather much better than expected.

Just for kicks, I tested the claim that it would wash away with just warm water. First I tried a splash of cool water… Nothing. Warm water did get me a few smears and smudges but little else unless I really rubbed– something I’d like to avoid. So I wouldn’t toss your eye makeup remover just yet. (It did, by the way, come off really easily with some micellar water.)

There’s a good bit of lengthening and darkening with this formula, but I didn’t notice much in the way of volumizing. There wasn’t a lot of drama, so if that’s what you need, this probably isn’t the formula for you. The brush was also kind of annoying. The flat side is supposed to allow you to get really close to the roots, but after a few tries with it, I ended up just flipping to the longer bristles and going in like I normally would.

Marc Jacobs Fragrances
Divine Decadence Link

This month’s fragrance choice is another hit– which is nice after last month’s floral overload. It’s light and sweet with vanilla. I don’t know that I’d like it enough for a full size. For those who would get a full size, half the fun of getting a perfume is the cute bottle, and this one definitely has a cute bottle:

I’ve always got some choice words for subscription boxes that send out perfume samples; however, Sephora considers this more of a bonus on top of their regular five samples, so I’m okay with it. What’s more, I’ve really enjoyed the scents they’ve selected for me.

This month’s box was valued at around $33 retail. That’s pretty standard lately from Sephora, and since it’s three times what I paid for it, I’m happy. I’ll use everything here.

If you’d like to subscribe to Sephora Play, you can do that here. There is a waitlist for new subscribers, but it doesn’t seem to operate like a normal waitlist. You basically have to just wait for an opening (pretty frequent, these days) and then sign up. Don’t wait for an email. Just keep an eye on sites like My Subscription Addiction and r/BeautyBoxes and openings will be posted. Otherwise, I recommend creating a bookmark and checking it by attempting your email address a few times per day. You should eventually get in that way.