Play! by Sephora is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription. Each month they send you six samples, a PLAY! BOOK of tips and tricks, and a PLAY! PASS for in-store learning.
I used to work at Sephora so I naturally couldn’t resist this subscription!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Every month they include all of the samples in a mini bag with a different design. Normally they use an illustrated drawstring bag, but I’m loving this month’s bag! It’s a flexible plastic cast that snaps shut! It feels super sturdy, too – this would be great for keeping important odds and ends separately in your beach tote or purse.
FYI - The box variation I received this month is box ending in #264. To find out which box you’re receiving at the beginning of each month, follow these instructions:
“If you log in through a browser, not the app, and go to my account > account details > online orders and open the play! Order Details, you can see the “item number” next to the image.”
The Subscription Box: Play! by Sephora
The Cost: $10
The Products: Five deluxe samples plus a fragrance sample, a PLAY! BOOK of tips and tricks, and a PLAY! PASS for in-store learning.
Ships to: U.S.
Check out all of our Play! by Sephora reviews and all of our reviews of Cheap Subscription Boxes for other similarly priced boxes!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Each box comes with a Play! Pass, which is a card you can use at Sephora (in-store) to get 50 extra rewards points, and you can also get one-on-one tutorials and tips of products from a Sephora consultant.
I do have to mention, you can walk in and get shown any tips and even a “mini makeover” at the Beauty Studio (which is where a consultant will do a small demo on you like a certain eye look, how to do your brows, how to contour, matching you with a foundation, etc. and teach you what they’re doing) anytime – with or without a Play pass! So, if you don’t have this subscription (or can’t get off the waitlist), you can still go to your local Sephora and try out all the products featured, or any other products.
This month’s theme is “The Rising Stars” and the info booklet shares 7 things you didn’t know you can do at Sephora. Here’s what they are:
- Show your Play! Pass to get a one-on-one tutorial from a beauty advisor (Haley’s note: you can do this anytime, actually, with or without a Play! Pass)
- Get matched with Color IQ and scientifically determine the precise color matches for your skin tone. (Haley’s note: This is actually super cool and if you want help getting foundation matched, be sure to ask about this if the Beauty Advisor doesn’t offer it, which they should. Also, ask what your code is after they scan you – write down your 4-digit skin tone code and you can type it into Sephora.com and find all the foundation formulas that match you best while shopping online!)
- Ask a beauty advisor for free samples of just about any product for you! (Haley’s Note: Even perfume! They can make custom little spray samples. There’s a way to make a sample out of almost anything.)
- Attend a Play! Date to learn more about this month’s products, and bring a friend!
- Check out new, cool brands featured under the “Scouted by Sephora” signs.
- Stop by the Skincare/Beauty Studio for a complimentary mini-facial (Haley’s Note: This is also a skincare consultation – it’s just like a makeup tutorial but for skincare. The beauty advisor should ask you about your skin type and needs and then recommend products while showing you how they work/feel!)
- Redeem your Play! Passes with any purchase for 50 more bonus Beauty Insider points, which you can exchange for more deluxe samples.
Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt – 1.35 fl oz, Value $9.50
I’ve never used a hair/scalp scrub before! This is a detoxifying shampoo with sea salt to cleanse and soothe oily and sensitive scalps while also delivering hydration. This is definitely an interesting and innovative product. Applying it felt a little awkward, but once I added some more warm water it lathered up and became much more shampoo-like. I followed with my usual conditioner and my hair feels very silky and has a little extra volume, I think! I’m definitely curious to see how this does with a couple more uses. It might be a little intense on your hair/scalp for daily use but using it in a rotation would probably work well.
The texture is almost like a face or hand scrub! At first, I didn’t even realize it was for hair.
Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser – 1 oz, Value $10.71
I’m always thrilled to get any product from Sunday Riley! This is called a “clay cleanser” but really, the texture is much more fluid and light than I was expecting from that name. This is a natural, pore-perfecting, deep cleanser. This felt gentle and left my face feeling fresh and clean. Because of how gentle this is, I bet using something like a Clarisonic with it would really up its cleansing powers if you want a little more oomph.
TreStique Highlight & Perfect Multipurpose Stick – .05 oz?, Value $8?
(no weight listed – I’m guessing some here) I have to admit, I didn’t realize TreStique was a brand Sephora carried; it must be new. I’ve only seen it in Ipsy before. Regardless, I like this highlighting stick! Stick formulas are convenient and fast, and this one gives a nice shimmer without being glittery.
NudeStix Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Greystone – Value $9?
(Again, no weight listed.) I love NudeStix! This lip pencil has great pigmentation and goes on creamy but has great staying power! It’s a three-in-one lip color, stain, and liner. This “Greystone” shade is a greige, which is trendy, but also a polarizing shade. Some will love it and some will hate it. Even so, I think most subscribers will appreciate not receiving yet another red or bright pink this month. I like it, but I’m more likely to wear brighter/lighter shades for this Spring and Summer season. Swatched below.
Grande Cosmetics GrandeLIPS Hydrating Lip Plumper – sample size, Value $4?
This hydrating lip plumper is meant to be used in a “regimen” routine in order to help your lips look fuller long-term. You can apply it throughout the day but it also suggests to apply before bed at night.
You’ll supposedly see max results by using twice daily for 30 days. I have only used this for the last couple, but I can’t say that I notice a big difference so far. I also don’t tend to have problems with how full my lips are or aren’t, so I may not be noticing any subtle changes? For an “instant lip plumper with long-term benefits,” I didn’t see any plumping I could tell in 3-5 minutes as it claims. Maybe it gets better with use, though. I’m just not the target customer for this product.
Also good to know: this stuff didn’t burn or tingle my lips at all.
Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walkhttp://bit.ly/2q3PBVS – sample vial
Wow, I actually really love this perfume! It’s meant to smell like a summery walk on the beach. It just smells so fresh and perfect for Summer for me. Notes include bergamot, pink pepper, ylang ylang, coconut milk, heliotrope, musk, cedarwood, and benzoin.
It’s sweet without being a specifically sweet fragrance, and it played well with my body chemistry. I went online to order a rollerball, but this perfume is completely sold out on Sephora.com except in candle form, which is tempting. A lot of people this month must have loved in their Play! box and I went to order too late!
Here’s swatches of the highlighter stick and the NudeStix lip pencil.
Here’s how the Nudestix pencil and the TreStique highliter look on. I think the highlighter does a good job at not being over the top, so I may play with it and even use it a little more than I did here throughout the summer. I love the NudeStix lip pencil! The formula is creamy, has great staying power, and excellent pigmentation.
Verdict: All in all, I really liked my May Play! by Sephora box! Aside from the lip plumper, everything was a new discovery for me that I ended up really liking and I know I’ll use. I love getting Sunday Riley and I am always extra excited when I love the perfume sample enough to want to buy it. The value this month adds up to around $41, with my guesses on a couple values. Even if I’m being generous and it’s a little less, I am still really happy with what I got for a $10 box! Definitely a win for me.
What do you think about Play! by Sephora? What box variation did you get?
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