An Introduction to Sephora Play!

Today there is so much competition when it comes to beauty subscription boxes. Before there were mainly two competitors: The Trendsetter, Birchbox and The Wannabe, ipsy. But now there's a new opponent in this competition. Let me introduce you to Play! by Sephora.

Just like ipsy and Birchbox, Sephora's Play! box includes five skin care, makeup, or hair care samples plus a bonus fragrance sample all for $10 a month. All the samples come in a cute draw string collectible bag that goes with each month’s theme.

Now for those of you that are wondering if I left ipsy because I got off the waitlist for Sephora's play box, that is 100% correct. Once Sephora announced they were creating their own beauty subscription service, I was fully committed. Unlike ipsy, Sephora gives me samples of the brands I love and want to try. By some chance I don't know the brand, I already trust it because it is backed by Sephora. When I would receive an unknown brand from ipsy I was always hesitant to try it, especially if they did not have their own website and were only sold on Amazon.

Something that Play! offers that the other subscription services do not offer is the Play! Pass. With the Play! Pass you can redeem it in store for 50 bonus Beauty Insider points when you make a purchase and it also includes a free one on one tutorial with one of Sephora's Beauty Experts. The passes do expire after 30 days, it is normally good until the end of the following month. I have yet to use the Play! Pass to redeem my one on one tutorial, but I plan on using that sometime in the future!

Also in the Play! box you will find the Play! Book. It includes tips, tricks, how-tos, and beauty advice for the products in the box. The Play! Book introduces you to each product and helps you get the most out of them.

Let's get down to this Play! Box for November 2016. The theme was "Best In Glow" so all products were focused on radiating your beauty. What all these products have in common is that they will enhance your look with a natural shine. Even the little draw string bag came with a cute little design that showed off a cartoon woman getting ready to pamper herself to a spa day.

Now let's get to the good stuff! Inside this Play! Box were the following products:

• Cover FX Illuminating Primer
• Sephora Collection Ultra Shine Lip Gel in Pin Up Pink
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Rose Gold
• Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet
• Glamglow Thirstymud™ Hydrating Treatment
• Maison Margiela ’Replica’ Lipstick On

The Cover FX Illuminating Primer is a glow inducing and silicone free primer that does indeed give your skin a nice glow. However if you use a too much primer in one setting it can make your face look a little oily, so it is important to remember that a little goes a long way. This primer is not irritable at all so it is good for sensitive skin.

I'm not a huge lip gloss fan but when it comes to subscription boxes, I can't escape lip glosses. The Sephora Collection Ultra Shine Lip Gel in Pin Up Pink is a sheer gloss that comes in a hot pink tint. Since it is very sheer, you only get little bit of color. But it does add a nice shine to your lips.

The best item in this Play! Box had to be the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Rose Gold, hands down. The rose gold shade was gorgeous and added a strong shimmer to your eyes. What's so great about this eye crayon is that it glides on so smoothly and it lasts all day.

One of the most needed products for the winter time is moisturizer. So when I saw the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet in the Play! Box, I was really excited to try it out. This moisturizer is a light gel cream that hydrates and softens your skin. Once you apply the cream to your face it makes your skin feel smooth and strong. This moisturizer is really gentle and did not cause any irritation, so it's a thumbs up for those of you with sensitive skin!

The Glamglow Thirstymud™ Hydrating Treatment was the most high end beauty product, well besides the perfume sample. The mask itself is amazing, it smells really good and it really soothes your skin. Plus it will absorb right into your skin, so there is really no need to rinse off after. It makes a great overnight mask. The only downside of this product is the price, the full size version of the product is $69 and you only receive 1.7 oz. I will definitely be cherishing this sample.

Lastly but certainly not least, there is the perfume sample, Maison Margiela ’Replica’ Lipstick On. Getting a perfume sample is something I really love about the Sephora Play! Box. Trying out new perfumes is always fun! The Maison Margiela ’Replica’ Lipstick On is a sophisticated floral scent that smells really good.

For my first Sephora Play! box, I was really impressed. I received a lot of brands that I like and some that I really have been dying to try! So far, Play! has made a lasting impression on me and I would give this box 4 out of 5 stars. I can't wait to see what else Play! has in store!

Until tomorrow.