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 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 signing up—you can also update your profile at any time). The variation I received this month is the box ending in #249. 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/month + FREE shipping
The Products: Five deluxe samples plus a fragrance sample and a PLAY! BOOK of tips and tricks.
Ships to: The US
December 2019 PLAY! by Sephora #249 Review
Each PLAY! box comes with an info sheet that provides the theme of the box and detailed product info.
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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Smashbox Super Fan Mascara - Buy a full-size 10 ml for $21.00
I don't know that I have tried this mascara before, and I am always open to finding a new favorite. This one is quite nice! It has a brush that reminds me a little of one of my faves, BadGal Bang, but with a fuller middle. It worked really well too, coating my lashes with a deep black shade and giving them length. I liked it!
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Wander Beauty Lip Retreat Oil in 'Skinny Dip', 3 ml - Estimated Value $6.60 (Buy a full-size 10 ml version for $22.00)
I really like this stuff. It is a perfect sheer nude that adds just a little extra something to my natural lip color. It also is super glossy and makes my lips look even fuller, kind of like a faux injection sort of vibe without the tingle or burning of products that also are meant to give that effect. The downside is that it is more than a little messy, though the full size has a doe foot applicator instead of a squeeze application.
It has a sheer but nude look.
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OUAI Body Crème, 1 oz - Estimated Value $5.07 (Buy a full-size 7.5 oz for $38.00)
When the spoilers came out for this month, this was legit the only item I just HAD to have. I have had my fingers crossed ever since and I was thrilled to see it in my box. I am an OUAI fanatic. I really love this brand. Their formulas work beautifully, smell fantastic, and the packaging is to die for. That is like the Megan trifecta. Recently they released a body wash and this body cream, and I have been dying to try it. It has a new scent called Syibuya which smells really familiar somehow, like an ex-boyfriend whose cologne I used to steal, but better. It is a blend of musk, citrus, spices, and petals and I am obsessed with it. The formula itself absorbs beautifully and leaves skin so soft! This is absolutely going in my Sephora shopping cart.
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Dr. Brant No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel, 3 g - Estimated Value $8.40 (Buy a full-size 15 g for $42.00)
I wish I could say I liked this stuff, but texturally, it had some issues, at least for me. It is a really thick and heavy gel which was difficult to apply without feeling like I was pulling on my undereye skin, even after warming it between my fingers. I did finish application with delicate patting motions which helped. I didn't notice a difference and the texture became weirdly sandy, and did not work in combination with my other normal products.
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fresh Rose Deep Hydration Moisturizer, 7 ml - Estimated Value $5.88 (Buy a full-size 50 ml version for $42.00)
Yay!! Another favorite brand. I love anything by fresh. Their formulas always make my skin really happy, and they always feel luxurious. This gel-cream rose mask was a dream! It is a nice medium weight while still packing tons of moisture, making it great for day or night. I loved wearing this under my makeup because my skin looked somehow extra dewy. It has time-release "hydropatches" which really did work to keep my skin supple all day. This is another item I have added to my cart. Thank goodness for a little extra holiday cash.
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amika 3D Volume Thickening Shampoo, 10 ml - Estimated Value $0.85 (Buy a full-size 236 ml for $20.00)
amika 3D Volume Thickening Conditioner, 10 ml - Estimated Value $0.85 (Buy a full-size 236 ml for $20.00)
When I saw this I knew I wouldn't even get to use it because this is Will's favorite hair brand. He goes to an old fashioned barber who complimented his hair's health after he started using this amika conditioner regularly, so now he is an amika lifer. He also has thinning hair, so I thought he might like the 3D volume aspect. Truth be told I didn't notice a huge difference in volume, but his hair felt clean and looked glossy and healthy. He seemed to love it, but I expected as much.
Verdict: This month's PLAY! by Sephora box has an estimated value of $27.65 without calculating in the Smashbox mascara, since I couldn't figure out what size was actually sent in our box. This is actually on the lower end for this sub, but I am over the moon with nearly everything included so I don't even care. I wanted that OUAI cream so bad and I am obsessed with anything from fresh. The Wander lip oil was another hit, as was the Smashbox mascara. amika is always welcome in my shower. What's not to love? The beauty of Play! is that I always seem to get samples of the newest products from brands I already know and love. I feel like that is the trade-off for the sometimes smaller sample sizes, but I will take it since I never have repeats and there is always some hype-worthy product inside this totally affordable box.
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, 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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