Sephora recently (as in...within the last year) started a subscription box called Sephora Play! This is actually my third box, but the first I'm getting around to reviewing. I must say, this box has been the best so far. My first box included an empty sample container so I could go to a store and ask for a sample. Really? I can do that without paying $10 a month, thanks. But anyway, onto the May Play! box!
The theme of this month's box was "The Forces of Nature," emphasizing products with plant based or organic ingredients. Bite Beauty is known for using food grade ingredients in their lip products, and Tarte's tagline is "high performance naturals." I was so excited to open the box and see the mini Bite lipstick and the Tarte lip liner, I have a soft spot for lip products. To me, including a fragrance sample is a bit of a cop out for Sephora, as you can always add fragrance minis to your order via their three free samples.
The mini Bite lipstick is from their new Amuse Bouche line, in the shade Kimchi - a vibrant cool toned pink. The name is a bit misleading, when I think Kimchi I think the bright orange of the actual food, but pink is cool, too. I haven't worn it, but it swatched wonderfully. The lipstick has a citrus scent that fades quickly, like the other lipsticks in the line. The mini comes in at 0.05 oz, with a full size at 0.15 oz.
Tarte put out a whole slew of new lip products earlier this year, including lip liners. The mini liner in Latergram (ugh, no, all of the new names for everything are the absolute worst) is a neutral mauve. When swatching, the tip broke off, so that was disappointing. It applied relatively smoothly to the lips, with a tiny bit of dragging. Neutral lip liners are always welcome, but I don't know if I'll go out of my way for a full size. The mini is 0.001 oz, with the full size being 0.01 oz.
The Origins sample is a three for one - I'll always take more goodies! The main sample is their Maskimizer - a mask primer. I feel that primers are getting ridiculous, and a mask primer is really pushing it. The Maskimizer fits the theme with the feature ingredient being red algae extract. After looking at the ingredients, the first two are water and alcohol, so it doesn't seem like a super special product. I paired it with the included Clear Improvement mask sample, and it didn't really seem to enhance my masking experience. The charcoal based Clear Improvement mask left my pores looking smaller, though! The Maskmizer mini is 0.05 oz, and a full size is 3.2 oz. The mask samples (Clear Improvements and Drink Up) are enough for one application each.
Briogeo is a new brand to me, as I've never heard of them, let alone use their products. Don't Despair, Repair! is a deep conditioning mask that is "six free," meaning there are no parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, DEA (diethanolamine), or artificial dyes. The conditioner lists the use of rosehip and argan oils, biotin, and algae extract to revitalize your hair. I used this after my clarifying shampoo and left it in for a little more than five minutes. It rinsed out easily, and didn't leave any residue. I let my hair air dry, and it felt very soft and silky. The tube is 1 oz, which is actually sold at Sephora for $9! That's the majority of my box price right there, so I'm pretty happy about that.
I'm not really a sucker for the "natural ingredients" labeling, since cyanide is technically a "natural ingredient" because it occurs in nature and we aren't falling all over ourselves to put that into things. I do appreciate a well curated beauty box with large samples and my favorite lipstick brand, though! Do you subscribe to the Sephora box? Are you digging it?
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