Monday, May 7, 2018

April 2018 Play! by Sephora Review



 

Play! by Sephora is a monthly subscription that provides members with 5 samples plus a fragrance bonus (sometimes it's a single use foil packet of some sort) of hair care, skincare, and makeup for $10 a month plus tax. The samples tend to be on the smaller size but the caveat is that sampled products can easily be found in store or online at sephora.com and usually they are higher end brands with the occasional Sephora Collection thrown in, which is still pretty good quality. Each box also includes tips and tricks, product information and 50 beauty insider points that can be redeemed in store with purchase. I have yet to redeem any in store because the local Sephora has a cast member whose makeup is godawful and she manages to have time to help me every time I go in.


Sephora won my heart this month with the plethora of skincare and even some of the makeup. This month's theme was Insta-beauty which I could not relate to. (I'm too self conscious to post many non-personal photos on Instagram, which I'm strongly considering making my current account entirely private and starting one for the blog if I see an increase in traffic, otherwise there's really no point. I really don't want to come off as vain as I actually am, let people dig a little to find that out about me.) The one cool thing about the theme: the box info poster included a flat lay so I got a bit lazy with the photos this month! 
Thanks for making my job easier, Sephora!
April's items included:

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Ultra-Light Moisturizer 

I liked this moisturizer but other than the brand name there was really nothing special about it. I found it to be hydrating without being overwhelming for my combination-leaning-oily skin. It’s definitely lightweight enough to work as a daytime moisturizer. The cost of the full sized bottle (4.7oz) isn't too extravagant at $25 but I'm so loaded with moisturizers and cleansers right now that I could cancel all of my subscriptions right now and still be good through late October.


Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate

Treatment/serum? Yes please! Oh my god, this stuff smells amazing, like a fresh orange peel. It applies smoothly and is non-greasy.* I absolutely love the texture of the formula and the finish it gives my face. I also like that very subtle warming sensation upon application that I’ve come to associate with anything containing Vitamin C. So far I like any Kiehl’s products I’ve encountered though; I haven’t had any reactions and found them to be great for combo/oily skin. I’m sure that opinion will change over time.



*My one concern with this serum (moisturizer?) is the texture (yes, I am aware that I already raved about this exact thing). It is so hydrating that I cannot add certain types of moisturizers on top of this without looking like a Deep South bikini-clad oil wrestler in a kiddie pool. But without the hot body, with considerably lower self-esteem, a much smaller cash flow (bikini wrestling has to pay better than microbiology tech), and no kiddie pool. The trials of apartment dwelling.


Dr.Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Peel
A second wrinkle treatment?! Absolutely! I refuse to think of this as a waste. Let's pretend it's preventative. At least Sephora was kind enough to send two pads for use. These two pads exceeded the value of the box, I might add. Two treatments is not enough to see a difference in wrinkles (which I’m lacking) and skin texture (which I have a lot of), but I can note that while the pads smell very astringent, I loved that I could see whatever dead skin cells and excess dirt were removed from my face, neck and décolleté present on each pad.


I shouldn’t pass judgment on people who make beauty and skincare a priority in their finances but I have to right now. Who in hell... and please, let me know so I can fall into your industry and make that kind of income, but who in hell would pay $88 for 16 pads? Especially if the pads should be used daily. 



Make Up Forever Ultra HD Perfector Skin Tint Foundation SPF 25  
A combination of this single product and tons of skincare made this box for me. Let's be honest, it was mostly this product. Finally, Sephora, freaking finally! A shade that more or less matches my skin tone. I received the shade #8 Golden Peach (shades range from #3 to #12). I could spring for #9 Golden Beige or #10 Golden Honey at darkest, I think, but at least #8 is workable for me. The coverage is extremely sheer, which is perfect for me. I love being able to see skin through a base and really I prefer to use it to even out tone a bit, not cover everything. I was even told that my skin looked wonderful that day, like it had a soft finish to it but not overdone. Unsolicited, I swear! I intend to do a FOTD coming up using only April subscription box items and no substitutions, so if it looks incomplete, there's your answer as to why.


SPL gloss in indirect sunlight
SPL gloss in direct sunlight
Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Ultra Cushion Lip Gloss in the shade SPL
This gloss is a sheer, sickening bubblegum pink with iridescent glitter. It looks like it belongs in a middle school pencil case or Caboodle, surrounded by Lisa Frank stickers. On its own it's a little too juvenile for me but it does add a nice pop of sparkle on top of any deep nude liner. The color screams summer, if my summer was full of Barbie pool floats, but that's just me.


Elizabethand James Nirvana Bourbon
This perfume had a surprisingly mature scent, which caught me off guard when I paired the scent with the name Elizabeth and James, the Olsen Twins' fragrance line. Not that I expect them to only make items scented like Lip Smackers but considering how relatively young they are, a fragrance with notes of peony, muguet, tender musk just sort of caught me off guard. I think I can mostly smell the tender musk. Others around me have described the scent as smelling like powdery florals and old lady, two scents that I genuinely love, but I was only able to smell old lady in a power suit with an old leather briefcase. I don't know how else I can describe it. The spritzer on this little guy is also very aggressive. One spray is more than enough to smell like a corporate lawyer. My apologies to any corporate lawyers out there.

Man, did I love this month's Sephora box. At $27.30, the $10.88 (with tax) investment was worth it, especially considering how long the Kiehl's and Philosophy samples will last me. Not to mention the perfect tinted moisturizer with SPF by way of Make Up Forever. In fact, I'm going to cut this uncomfortably short and go stalk sephora.com only to talk myself out of buying items until I blow through my foundation stash here.

*drops mic*
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