Another month, another box! I've been getting Sephora's Play! beauty box for a few months now, but I started reviewing them with my May box. Sephora used to ship out the boxes near the end of the month after billing on the 4th or so, but the last couple of months they've shipped out a bit earlier. I received mine on June 17th!
This month's theme is "The Minimalists," focusing on emphasizing "less is more." For the start of summer, it's definitely better to wear less than have more makeup melt off your face in the humidity! I'm actually excited about a couple of this month's products, and disappointed by a couple of others.
I might as well start with what I was super excited about - the Becca Backlight Priming Filter! This primer came out a few months ago, and I hadn't bought it right away because a) I have five hundred primers already and b) it didn't look like it would work with my oily skin. I already mix some Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors into my foundation, so I figured I could wait and get a sample later. I was super excited to see this cute deluxe sample in the Play! bag! This primer claims to "help blur perfections and impart a radiant glow." The primer was pretty thin, and applied smoothly with my fingers to prepped skin. However, it was super glowy. I put on a sheer coverage foundation (MAC Face and Body) and it definitely was still very lit from within. After I set with powder (Laura Mercier Translucent) the primer and foundation looked more like skin. Throughout the day I didn't get overly oily, which was a surprise! I did make sure to use powder to set and then used Urban Decay De Slick spray, so those may have helped as well. I definitely don't see the need to mix highlighter into my foundation if I'll be using this. The deluxe mini was 0.2 oz, and a full size is $38 for 1 oz.
I have a ride or die sunscreen already, but I'm glad Sephora included the Tarteguard sunscreen with this month's box. I have a feeling there are quite a few people out there who don't use a daily sunscreen, or rely on the SPF in their face products, which is not enough. But I digress. The Tarte mini is super cute, though I had to pump the bottle about 500 times to get the product to come out. The sunscreen is lightly scented, with a light consistency. It applied smoothly. I waited fifteen minutes before applying makeup, but it didn't seem to have sunken in all the way. This sunscreen, unlike my daily one, is a physical sunscreen. It's also only SPF 30. MY makeup still applied well over it, but I don't see myself buying a full size, especially because it's more expensive than the sunscreen I use now. The included mini is 0.23 oz, while a mini is $14 for 0.4 oz, and a full size is $32 for 1.7 oz. (For reference, I can get two full size bottles of my Biore sunscreen on Amazon for about $16.)
I'm going to admit it, I'm not super educated on hair products. I don't know how to do my hair super nicely, and I have to wash it constantly due to working out daily. So the bumble and bumble Don't Blow It styling cream may or may not be wasted on me. I put it in my hair and then, you know, didn't blow dry it, and my hair feels nice. There's a bit of texture, a little more volume if I air dried with no product, but nothing spectacular. The mini tube is 0.5 oz, while a 2 oz bottle is $12.
As I've said before, I feel perfume minis are a bit of a cop out, since the vials are the same size you get when you get free samples with your Sephora order. This month's mini is Tocca Florence, which I've had samples of before. It's an inoffensive white floral - nothing to write home about, really. I suppose it fits with the minimalist theme of being something you could wear whenever or anywhere, since it isn't exactly a noteworthy scent. A full size is $68 for 1.7 oz.
I'm not big on bronzer. The bareMinerals bareSkin Sheer Sun Serum Bronzer is basically what I don't look for in bronzer - it's shimmery! The information packet says you can use it as a contour - it's too warm for me to use as a contour. I used it to contour anyway, and it blended very easily into my foundation to keep it from being too overwhelming. A little bit of this goes a long way, I must say, which is nice. Still, it isn't really a product for me. A full 1 oz of the serum bronzer is $28.
We've arrived at the big disappointment of the month. Benefit They're Real mascara is a polarizing product on makeup forums - some love it, others hate it. I'm in the latter group. I don't like the brush, it feels like I'm taking a medieval mace to my eyes. The formula causes my lashes to clump together. The mascara claims to create volume and lengthen, and I only get volume. It's difficult to remove if you don't use an oil based cleanser - I use a makeup wipe to take my makeup off before I work out, and it did nothing for this. I can see why it would be included in a summer box, as it won't run or wear off in the heat, but I am just not a fan. The mini is 0.1 oz, with a full size running $24 for 0.3 oz.
So that's it for the June Play! box! I'm excited about continuing to use the Becca primer, and I will definitely use the Tarte sunscreen as a light body sunscreen til it runs out. I can also see myself finishing the bumble and bumble hair cream as well, since it's nice to air dry and have some product in that won't weigh my hair down. I will probably throw the mascara mini away, not going to lie.
Did you get the Play! box? What did you think?
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