February Sephora Play! Box

February's theme for Sephora's subscription box was The Soft Side. The products came in a dusty rose colored satin bag. I was super excited to get the NARS mini, as I'd been eyeing the product for a while. Other than that, the products this month were somewhat lackluster.

Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in Milkshake - I honestly don't know what the box curators were thinking with this one, this shade doesn't look good on ANYONE and it came in everyone's box. I tried it even though I knew I wouldn't like the shade. On me, it was fairly sheer but still put a lighter tone on my lips. The gloss had a light, minty scent. The "injection" part kicked in after about two minutes, and it was pretty intense - definitely not for anyone who hates that tingly feeling. I got a decent "bee stung" lip out of it that lasted for 20-30 minutes. The gloss itself felt heavy on my lips, and was strongly scented. I personally wouldn't go out of my way for this shade, but the plumping wasn't too bad. The mini gloss is 0.03 oz, and a full size is $22 for 0.14 oz

Origins GinZing Refreshing eye cream - I don't mind eye cream minis because it keeps me from having to buy a full size eye cream. This cream from Origins claims to be a brightening cream, and it is brightening due to the face that the cream itself is super shimmery. I didn't like how this looked under eye makeup, and there's no need for a shimmery nighttime eye cream, so I won't be purchasing a full size of this when I'm done with the mini. The mini tube is 0.17 oz, with a full size at $30 for 0.5 oz.

Clinique Pep-Start Hydroblur Moisturizer - This product felt more like a pore blurring primer than a moisturizer. It was very silicone-y, and didn't provide much hydration to my skin. I didn't like how heavy this sat on my skin either. Definitely a miss for me. The sample size is 0.24 oz, and there are two sizes available for purchase - 0.5 oz for $9.50, and 1.7 oz for $29.50.

Sephora Lashcraft mascara - I never mind mascara samples, because they need to be tossed so often for sanitary reasons. This mascara claims to lengthen and add volume, but I found that it did some lengthening, a lot of really good lash separation, but not much volumizing with one coat. I was able to do two coats with minimal clumping, which yielded much nicer results than a single coat.. The brush wasn't a massive pine tree brush, and I was able to navigate my small corner lashes with it. I don't know if I'd go out of my way to purchase, as there are formulas I like more, but I had no complaints about this mascara. The mini tube is 0.094 oz, and there are two sizes available for purchase - travel size at 0.169 oz for $7, and 0.33 oz for $12. (The prices for Sephora products are very good value, as my drugstore mascaras range from $4-$9.)

NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound - This was the product I was super excited to get this month! I had been eyeing these for a while, and had heard good things. The Velvet Lip Glide is not quite a gloss, but not a liquid lipstick - it had good color payoff but didn't dry down. I was hoping for a bit more longevity, and this was prone to transfer as it never really dried. I'm not sure if I want a full size, but I'm definitely going to keep wearing this one. I just wish it had blown me out of the water right away! The mini lip glide is 0.07 oz, and a full size is 0.2 oz for $26.

Marc Jacobs Decadence - This month's perfume sample is a bit disappointing, because it was previously available in a promo code from late last year. I don't exactly hate the scent - it's fruity with a bit of spice to it, and not overly floral. I don't need to buy it, because I have two sample vials now! The sample is 0.04 oz, and a rollerball is $29 for 0.33 oz. (There are also 1 oz, 1.7 oz, and 3.4 oz bottles, too!)

May Sephora Play! Box

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. 

The last product is a deluxe mini of the Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial. The mask has wild rose oil and "super C," a stabilized vitamin C. I haven't tried this yet, since I tried out the Maskmizer and didn't want to overload my skin with new goodies. The product page on Sephora states that after 14 days of use, skin will be more radiant with an even tone. Hopefully, my skin likes it! The mask sample is 0.34 oz, with a smaller full size product at $48.

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?