Hey a (kinda) timely post for once! This edition of Sephora Play! came in a few weeks ago with a theme, “Beauty, Set, Go,” which they say is a selection of, “super effective, ultra-hydrating skin care, makeup, and hair care to detox and refuel your beauty routine.” Ehh, I’d say it’s a big miss on the theme here outside of maybe two items. If you’re looking to “detox” (which IMHO is one of those goofy buzzwords – you detox every time you breathe or sweat, products can’t do it for you), why would you use products that are tested on animals or hair products that contain loads of chemicals instead of natural ingredients? I had hoped for a more cruelty free and vegan/natural set of products, but no such luck. The bag this time is white nylon with mesh on the back and reads, “Sweat is Just Another Way to Glow.” Cute! I like that they’re switching up the bags now.
- AmorePacific Color Control Cushion Compact – 1.05 oz / $60 – (Product is .1 oz, value of $5.71 by volume) I don’t use foundation a whole lot, but I have tried this product before. It’s.. okay. Neither color really works well on my skin, and I have no need for SPF 50 in my foundation since I tend to only use foundation in the evenings for special occasions and not as an everyday thing. It bothers me A LOT that a chemical blocker is added to most foundations and creams anymore since I’d rather it be a choice than a mandate. I don’t need SPF at night! The sample size here is also a matter of a gripe – once the pouch is opened, there’s no way to give it a quick test and then use it later since it doesn’t re-seal.
- Ouai Treatment Masque – 2.4 oz / $32 – (Product is .5 oz, value of $6.67 by volume) Another super heavily perfumed product from OUAI that I can’t use on my hair since I don’t use silicones on my hair. There are some really quality ingredients in there, but they’re ruined by the silicones and a really curious ingredient, “Chlorphenesin,” which Wikipedia lists as a muscle relaxant that can cause allergic contact sensitivity. Not putting that anywhere near my dry scalp, no thanks. It does beg the question though, is Ouai the new Harvey Prince of Sephora boxes? There have been two products from this company that I haven’t been able to use on my hair and found to be overly perfumed. Not a fan, Sephora, not a fan.
- Clinique Almost Lipstick – .07 oz / $17 – (Product is .04 oz, value of $9.71) It’s supposed to be a universally flattering color and does go on rather sheer so that you can build a deeper color if you want. I found it to be way too dark for my tastes (I prefer berry and red colors) and it tipped a little too far into an icky black/brown on my lips, even with just one swipe. The formula is nice though, moisturizing yet still light, I’m just not into the color.
- Tarte FRXXXTION Stick Exfoliating Cleanser – 1 oz / $22 – (Product is .22 oz, value of $4.84 by volume) This is a neat way to apply an exfoliating cleanser! I like the idea that it’s in a tube as a solid gel, but you still have to work it into your skin with your fingers, so it’s not like it keeps your hands from getting messy. The exfoliation is like a very fine dust instead of a coarse sugar scrub, so it’s gentle, but not too gentle. You can still feel the grit working away at your skin as you work it around your skin. I’m not sure I’d buy it since I prefer scrubs that are more coarse (dry skin, so it needs a heavy exfoliation), but it’s a neat idea, and I’m glad I got to try this!
- Farmacy Honey Potion – 4.1 oz / $56 – (Product is .32 oz, value of $4.37 by volume) I have to admit that this is the product I’m most interested in out of the box. I’m a beekeeper, so a honey potion mask? YES PLEASE. The ingredient list shows they use a whole bunch of bee products from Honey to Propolis and even Royal Jelly in addition to herbs and vitamins. I haven’t yet tried this, but I use honey as the carrier for powdered clay masks all the time, so I know this is going to be right up my alley.
- Tory Burch Love Relentlessly – 1.7 oz / $86 – (Product is .05 oz, value of $2.53 by volume) It’s.. okay. It’s not something I’d buy for myself, but it’s not a mess of florals, so I’ll at least end up using this sample. It comes out just a little bit too cotton candy sweet for my liking – I’d have preferred the sandalwood to deepen it and make it a little richer, but it’s just not happening for me.
Overall the value of the box comes out to $33.83 which is a great value when you consider it only costs me $10.60 including tax per month. I guess this one was a bit of a disappointment this time around since the hair masque and lipstick are huge misses for me and the two items I do like, the Tarte exfoliator and Farmacy mask just barely squeak out to cover the cost. I know, I’m more of a cruelty free makeup maven, so this isn’t quite a good fit, but for only $10 a month, I really enjoy getting the samples, even if they’re sometimes misses. I still get to try things I wouldn’t normally try, so that’s a win for me!