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, a PLAY! BOOK of tips and tricks, and a PLAY! PASS to redeem in-store or online for 50 Beauty Insider points for just $10 + FREE shipping.
Sephora curates several variations of their PLAY! boxes each month and matches you with the version that best fits the preferences you set in your profile. (You'll fill out your profile when you signing up—you can also update your profile at any time). The variation I received this month is the box ending in #021. 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.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About PLAY! by Sephora
The Subscription Box: PLAY! by Sephora
The Cost: $10 + FREE shipping
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: US
July 2019 PLAY! by Sephora #021 Review
Each PLAY! box comes with an info sheet that provides the theme of the box and detailed product info. It also includes your PLAY! PASS, which gives you 50 extra reward points if you use it in-store or online. You can also bring your PLAY! PASS to any store and redeem it for tutorials and tips from a Sephora consultant.
Each month, your samples are tucked inside a recyclable pouch. This one is incredible for travel—it's so much more chic than a kitchen zipper bag!
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Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter in Champagne Pop, 0.04 oz - Estimated Value $6.24 (Buy a full-size 0.25 oz version for $39.00 OR a mini 0.085 oz here for $22.00)
I truly love highlighters and I am still not sick of them. I could easily never receive another highlighter in my entire life and never run out, yet I still enjoy getting them. I also really like this brand, and I have played with a few of their highlighters before in-store. While I liked the soft golden glow of this one, I personally prefer a smaller sparkle particle. (Say that three times fast!) This is likely because I have larger pores and highlighters like this often settle into them, adding texture to my skin that I don't love. I know this is completely subjective, but something about this formula felt more like a metallic eyeshadow than a highlighter, at least on my face. The upside is that it actually makes a fantastic shadow that is wearable day or night.
Tone-wise, the warm shade was perfect without being brassy or too golden.
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Bite Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Glacé, 0.03 oz - Estimated Value $14.40 (Buy a full-size 0.05 oz version for $24.00)
I am also a bit Bite Beauty fan, mostly because of their amazing Agave Lip Mask in Lavender (it HAS to be the lavender). This shade was easy to love, a dirty mauve that is pretty much perfect for fall. The pencil tip makes application a breeze and I appreciate that it is a twist-up since I never have a sharpener around when I need one. Although this is described as a matte formula, it was delightfully satin on my lips, which I much prefer. It also looks totally gorgeous under a high shine gloss!
A very "Megan" color.
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Korres Greek Yogurt Foaming Cream Cleanser, 20 ml - Estimated Value $3.47 (Buy a full-size 150 ml version for $26.00 OR a mini 75 ml for $16.00)
I have sampled this product before and I really like it. It is such a creamy formula that is cleansing while hydrating. It doesn't smell at all like yogurt (thankfully!) but has a clean, creamy scent. I have a long weekend trip coming up and this couldn't have arrived at a better time.
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Kiehl’s Ginger Leaf & Hibiscus Firming Mask, 0.5 fl oz - Estimated Value $7.94 (Buy a full-size 3.4 oz version for $54.00)
My inner lazy girl loves a mask I don't have to wash off immediately (or... ever?). My skin really seems to love this stuff, immediately looking much smoother after I applied it and looking downright dewy the next morning. Though the instructions say to wash this mask off when you wake up, I didn't because I was running late and I often find myself ignoring directions because I don't like being told what to do. (This quirk manifests itself in weird ways sometimes.) Instead of washing it off I just spritzed my face with a toner, applied my makeup, and went on my merry way. It smells a little herbal with something floral in there too, but much more in a chamomile sort of way than a rose or jasmine way.
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Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Triple Detox Shampoo, 30 ml - Estimated Value $5.25 (Buy a full-size 160 ml version for $28.00)
I haven't had as much luck with this brand as I would like, especially since people adore it. I feel I need to explain that I only shampoo once every 3 or so days, so I need my shampoos to really deep clean my roots or else it is oil city on day 2. I immediately thought I might have more luck with this shampoo since it is a detox formula and filled with charcoal. I was right! My roots were left squeaky clean and the scent of this stuff is fabulous.
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Prada Candy, 1.5 ml - Estimated Value $2.33 (Buy a full-size 80 ml version for $124.00)
I know a ton of people find this perfume too sweet and if I was just looking at the main notes, I'd agree with them. Perfumes are always out to surprise and when I sampled this scent a few years ago I was shocked at how much I liked it. It is true that the main notes are basically fancy dessert ingredients: brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla. But there is this heavy (and rather sexy) spice happening somewhere in there that grabs me after I let it dry on my skin for 5 or so minutes. I will admit that I have never actually bought this scent because there is always something weirder or more "indie" that ends up claiming my $$$ but I am happy to have this little sample for myself.
Verdict: This month's PLAY! by Sephora box has an estimated value of $39.63, and is likely one of my favorites yet. There really wasn't a dud in this box, though I will be using the BECCA highlighter as a shadow instead of on my cheekbones. The skincare samples were both excellent and I am really thrilled to have them right before my mini summer vacation. I finally found a shampoo from Living Proof that I like, though now I might have to buy an actual bottle... they got me! The lipstick was just my type, though I might reserve it for fall, and the perfume is one I already know and love.
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:
- Becca Highlighter $1.57
- Bite Lip Color $3.63
- Korres Cleanser $0.88
- Khiel's Mask $2.00
- Living Proof Shampoo $1.32
- Prada Candy Perfume $0.59
Alternatively, each of the 6 samples has an average cost of $1.67.
Check out all of our PLAY! by Sephora reviews, our best beauty boxes, and all of our reviews of cheap subscription boxes for other similarly priced boxes!
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What do you think about my PLAY! by Sephora box? Which variation did you get?
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