Sephora Play! December

While I was travelling (more on that coming in a few days), my Sephora Play! arrived for the month of December. This being my third Sephora Play! box, I was expecting another amazing bunch of goodies after two awesome months. As I mentioned last month, Sephora Play! is their subscription service, similar to Birchbox, Glossybox, Boxycharm, or Ipsy. There’s a waitlist, but they’re opening up spots all the time right now if you’re interested. It’s ten dollars, for five items plus a perfume sample. 

The bag that came with the samples this month is gorgeous. I love the black with the gold much more than the white bags from the previous months. I’ve also started using the bags for makeup storage, and they’ve been holding up really well even though they’re so thin. This month’s theme is “The Partygoers” and it, like last month, covers this theme fairly well. 

In This Box

• Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara (sample value: $15, full size: $30)
• Make Up for Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Smoothing Primer (sample value: $5.92, full size: $37)
• Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo (sample value: $5.26, full size: $23)
• Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (sample value: $3.88, full size: $31)
• Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain in Always Red (sample value: $3.64, full size: $14)
• Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon (sample value: $3.40, full size: $85)

Hits

It was hard to pick a favorite item this month. Everything seemed to have been well-curated to fit the theme, and every single product was of high quality. MY favorite was probably the Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara. I liked it because it looked natural, but also very glam. My eyelashes popped like crazy, and it stayed on for a full day. It’s lovely, and I’ll be using it for a while.

The Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo is a weird one. On the one hand, it gets to be in the hits category because it refreshes my hair unlike any dry shampoo I have ever had. That’s including the so-called holy grail of dry shampoos, Living Proof. This stuff is magic. It will add body and take away oiliness, but still be touchable. But on the other hand…it smells so bad. I can’t stand the scent. It’s very strong and unpleasant. So, I would give it a sniff in-store before taking it home.

Another hit was the Makeup For Ever Step 1 Primer. It had been on my list, but I hadn’t used it before. The smoothing version, which I received, is a nearly perfect dupe for Benefit’s Porefessional. It does a great job of smoothing out the pores on my nose and cheeks. I probably won’t use it on my whole face, but just on my problem areas. For the record, this is how I use all silicone-based primers. 

I also really like the UD All Nighter Setting Spray, but it wasn’t a new product to me. It’s excellent for a long day followed by a long night out. 

I was very surprised to love the Elizabeth and James perfume. I didn’t like the white or black versions, but this Bourbon is delightful. I thought it would smell strongly of alcohol, but it doesn’t at all. It’s main notes are vanilla, and a woody richness. If you’re near a Sephora or a Nordstrom, stop by and try it out.

Meh

My only “meh” this month is the Sephora Cream Lip Stain. And you know why? It’s because the sample is minuscule. Especially for a store’s own brand, this was kind of pitiful. The actual formula, including the color and the wear time, was perfect. I will definitely wear this, but based on the size, I’d say that it might only be two or three wears at the most. 

Misses

None. For serious. There was not a single miss in this box. I loved every one of the items I was sent. High praise right there. 

Summary

The total value of the samples included here was $37.10. That’s significantly lower than the previous two months. I think that this is entirely due to the size of the samples. Otherwise, I think that the products are good. I just wish that the samples (especially the lip stain) were a little larger.

If you’re interested in getting on the waitlist for your own Sephora Play!, you can click here. It’s not an affiliate link. :)