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Play! by Sephora #361 Subscription Box Review – August 2018

Haley Faye
ByHaley FayeAug 21, 2018 | 15 comments

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 box

Play! by Sephora
3.8 overall rating
564 Ratings | 55 Reviews

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! 

FYI - The box variation I received this month is box ending in #361. 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.

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 bag

Every month they include all of the samples in a mini bag with a different design.

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 all items

About Play! by Sephora

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.

Play! by Sephora August 2018 #361 Review

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 info sheet theme

Each box comes with a foldable info sheet. The front always has a design related to the theme (all about treating your skin well with skincare and natural ingredients), and the Play! Pass.

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 play pass

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.

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 info sheet products

The opposite side of the info sheet has pictures of each item and details about what they are, how to use them, and why they think you’ll love them.

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 amika

Amika Velveteen Dream Smoothing Shampoo, 10 ml each - Estimated Value $0.67 (buy a 10 oz bottle for $20)

Amika Velveteen Dream Smoothing Conditioner, 10 ml each - Estimated Value $0.67 (buy a 10 oz bottle for $20)

I've tried Amika hair products, but mostly just styling products; I've never tried any shampoo & conditioner from them. These samples worked well, and my hair was definitely soft, smooth, and it smelled amazing. I have very straight, fine hair, so I don't generally have issues with frizz or a real need for smoothing products, but I enjoyed using these regardless.

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 Moroccan oil

Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray, .7 oz - Estimated Value $4.81 (Buy 1.6 oz for $11 or 5.4 oz for $28)

I use dry shampoo all the time, so I'm always happy to get more in subscription boxes. This one is fantastic! It gives my hair a great amount of grip and volume. That says a LOT because my hair is so straight and fine that, without product (and especially when I let it air dry) it's so silky that clips and hair ties often just slip out. I'm a big fan of this new discovery!

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 leneige

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask, .3 fl oz - Estimated Value $3.26 (buy 2.3 oz for $25)

This mask is meant to work for all skin types, and since my skin is dry I definitely am glad to try a hydrating sleeping mask! It definitely did the trick and I woke up feeling fresh-faced and moisturized.

(Fun Fact: Did you know that oily skin can also just be dry skin in disguise? If your skin is parched from lack of moisturizing or from over washing, your skin is being dried out and is trying to create more oil to hydrate itself. If you have oily skin and wash multiple times a day, or avoid moisturizing because you're worried about adding moisture to oily skin, try cutting back washing to just night time, or morning and night, and always moisturize afterward. It may take a day or two for adjustment, but your skin might even out to being less oily!)

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 ciate 1

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 ciate 2

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 ciate 3

Ciate Glow-To Highlighter in Moondust, 1.5g - Estimated Value $9.60 (buy 5g for $32)

I'm familiar with Ciate but I've only ever used their nail polish and a lip product or two, so a complexion item is new to me. All in all, I'm happy with it. It didn't blow me away, and at times it seemed like it was almost glittery instead of just shimmery, but it does work very well. I also appreciate that the shade is one that works on my fair skin. You can see this on my face later in the review.

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 nars eyeshadow primer

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, .09 oz - Estimated Value $9 (buy .26 oz for $26)

This is my favorite eyeshadow primer! I find this primer works really well, and I like the application better than squeezing it from a tube and getting the product on my fingers before applying to my lids. Love!

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 grande lips 1

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 Grande list 2

Grande Cosmetics GrandeLIPS Hydrating Lip Plumper, .05 oz - Estimated Value $16.07 (Buy a .084 oz for $27. The full-size is listed as .05 oz. on Sephora's site, but this is a website error that they are fixing)

I'm really not the target audience for lip plumping products, because it's not something I have personal concerns with myself. That being said, this product was comfortable on my lips and I actually liked how it looked as just a gloss. After leaving it on for several minutes, I didn't notice a big difference, but it also claims to have long-term effects, and that would obviously take time.

Sephora Play Augustbox 361 applied 1

Here, I'm wearing the highlighter, eyeshadow primer (which you can't see, obviously,) and I had used the lip plumper while I was doing my face before applying lip color.

Verdict: This month's Play! by Sephora box has an estimated value of $44.08. I think that’s great for a $10 beauty box! Especially because the box will always include high-end brands. I love trying new things from brands I love and I trust Sephora’s curation of brands and products, as well. I'm also happy to have received 6 samples and no perfume this month. 

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive next month's samples, curated based on your Play! Profile. Get email alerts for monthly spoilers!

Value Breakdown: At $10 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:

  • Amika: $.30
  • Moroccanoil: $1.09
  • Laneige: $.74
  • Ciate: $2.18
  • NARS: $2.04
  • Grande Lips: $3.65

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!x

What do you think about my Play! by Sephora box? Which variation did you get?

Starting at $10.00
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PLAY! by Sephora is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. Each month, Sephora sends you a mix of six samples (including cosmetics, haircare, skincare, fragrances, and other beauty products) personalized to match your preferences and a PLAY! BOOK of tips and tricks.
Haley Faye
Haley Faye
Haley Faye first discovered the wonderful world of subscription boxes in 2012 and began writing for MSA in 2014. Over the years, she has found many subscriptions to love. Now a mom of three, her favorite boxes are ones that dress her kids, help her get organized, feed her family, send her snacks, and offer educational fun for her children.

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15 comments

mj

September spoilers?

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missann

I got a Laneige (sp?) sleeping mask for lips from another sub (Allure) and I love it! Their others products I’ve gotten did not impress me for the price at all but this one is a winner and I’ve been wanting more lip products besides gloss or lipsticks or balms.

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SP

I also received this box, and I too received the exact same highlighter in my Ipsy this month. While I am happy I received the eyeshadow primer, and like the sleep mask despite the fact it’s not exciting (I’ve gotten it in multiple subs over the years), overall I mostly have major FOMO, as I was hoping for another particular version- as always, I didn’t get the box I wanted. However, this review definitely makes me less bitter, and I’m not saying it’s a BAD box, just not sure how much more monthly FOMO I can take. It’s to the extent I think I’m going to cancel.

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Haley Faye

SP – I have to admit, I was sad not to get a variation with the pink MUFE lipstick. I love their formula! Box variations are a blessing and a curse, right?

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Beccah

Are you on the swap site? You can have mine! I have gotten the same color 5 times in the last 2 years from Play!

Jamie

Dang,this is the box I wanted to get. They sent me 346 instead 🙁

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Lane

I received the Anastasia clear brow gel, and it has a super strong chemical smell to it. I just resubbed to Sephora Play! after a few months off, and I wasn’t super wowed by my box, but I’ll give it a few more months to see if it gets better.

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Renee

I’d love to see Sephora give us the option of choosing either a hair care product OR a perfume sample. I signed up in July because Play was the only box doing perfume samples each month. Now in both July and August, there have been NO perfume samples at all…so I will be cancelling and going to another sub if this continues.

The main problem is that 95 percent of these hair products will not work on my hair, nor would they work for many WOC. I’d be fine with getting unusable hair products occasionally if I were still getting a perfume sample that I WILL use. In this box I actually got TWO hair products! 🙁

Sephora, if you’re going to include hair products, please consider options other than hair products for white, blonde women. At least a perfume sample will work with any skin tone or hair type. I’m not even going to start with the highlighter this month, which is WAY too pale for anyone who doesn’t have white, ivory skin.

I’m having a hard time believing that Sephora even cares about having customers who are not 100 percent Caucasian. Too much hassle to include other ethnicities, I guess.

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Jraewebb

I got the ciate highlighter in my ipsy bag and in this box. I was not happy! Out of several items I could’ve gotten as samples this month between the two subs I got two of the same product! So disappointing:(

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B

I got that sample in Ipsy too but not Play. I wasn’t impressed either. It immediately went in my Project Beauty donation stash with the “ denim
Blue” Ofra eyeshadow sample I got too.

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Kris

I got the Ofra denim blue eyeshadow and the Ciate highlighter in my bag as well and was not impressed. I do not and will not wear blue eyeshadow…that’s why I specifically choose to receive neutral colored eyeshadow on my profile I also agree that the highlighter appeared glittery and that’s not a look that I want. I wish that I would have received the NARS eyeshadow primer, as it’s my favorite. Oh well…maybe next month.

Katie

Favorite makeup reviewer ever, plus box twins. Sad no mufe but everything was decent. I wore that lip plumper for a few days and no my lips are chapped. So strange and not sure of there is a connection.

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Haley Faye

Katie, that made my day! Thank you so much. Also, I was also bummed to not get MUFE. I was loving that pink shade they sent out!

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Amber M

I don’t care for the packaging the highlighter came in and I agree it’s almost too glittery. I do like it overall though. It’s pretty.

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theworldofdale

What a fun, informative review – thanks! Agreed on the perfume sample – I actually canceled Play! a few months ago and that was one of the reasons.

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