Unboxing Beauty

Ugh, I finally received my Sephora Play! box early in the month ~ I’ve had it for a week now ~ and I can barely muster up enough energy to write this unboxing. But I will unbox it.  This month is a failure for me.  The products are great ~ however, most are just not for oily skin.  Because of this, I won’t be swatching most of the box. What is Sephora Play!?  Play! is a monthly subscription box that is $10.00 a month + any taxes and it looks like your subscription will be counted towards your Beauty Insider points as well

What will be in Play!  A monthly box of deluxe samples, along with an exclusive PLAY! BOOK — packed with helpful advice — and a PLAY! PASS to redeem in store for a free one-on-one learning session with a beauty expert. The six product samples in your PLAY! by SEPHORA box are from the same prestige brands we carry in store and online, and they are sized to use multiple times.  For a limited time, show your current PLAY! PASS when purchasing items in store to receive 50 bonus points each month.

Click here to sign up now

March 2017:  The Shine Is Now

This month’s Sephora Play! theme is “The Glow Is Now“, focusing on neutral make-up and blurring skincare ~ “Meet The Gleam Team: Glow your own way; from high-wattage shimmer to a natural gleam, this month mixes it up with advanced formulas that redefine shine. Discover new ways to create that  luxurious, lustrous look with glotions, complexion-illuminating shades and more breakthroughs for  unparalleled radiance”

Box Revealed!

Informational Card

You still get a card for 50 extra points the next time you shop at a Sephora store (not online ~ I wish they would change that)   Sephora did other different box variations.

Cotton bag with “Glow Your Own Way”, which is a play on the amazing Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” and quite frankly, that song sums up how I feel about this month’s box!

 

Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! Cream-to-Powder Highlighter This is a luminous champagne shade and it is cream to powder.   I should explain why I dislike most cream products on my face ~ I have oily skin and I use a matte foundation and a setting powder.  Using a cream product on top of that looks funny and messes up my makeup.  I don’t do a dab on the tip of my nose because I don’t need to showcase my wide nose.  So, yeah, even if it does go to powder, it starts out cream.  So, no and this is a strobe cream, btw.   Sample Size 2.5 g RV $8.00

Description:  Benefit’s bestselling highlighter turns up the wattage with a delicate, champagne glow and soft-focus effect. Its smooth application and luminous sheen switches on the “wow” factor for any complexion. Apply it to cheeks and browbones, then then sculpt the complexion with the soft-glow blender to achieve the perfect gleam.

Ingredients: hydrogenated polyisobutene, mica, ethylhexyl palmitate, polyethylene, titanium dioxide (CI 77891), soybean glycerides, silica, dimethicone, trimethylsiloxysilicate, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter) unsaponifiables, iron oxides (CI 77492), iron oxides (CI 77491), iron oxides (CI  77499), lecithin, tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, glyceryl stearate, glyceryl oleate, citric acid    

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink  Again, oily skin = oily eyelids.  Plus I have so many nice powders in a golden shades that I would not want to try a cream stick  ~ this would have to be a very unique color that I never tried before for me to want to use it.  Most cream products just slide off and fade off my eyelids, so it has to be a product and color that is worth the extra priming steps that I would take.  So, again, nope.  This is supposed to be a shimmering pink peach.  Sample Size .03 oz  RV $18.00

Description: Shade, define, smoke up, and highlight your eyes with this do-it-all eyeshadow formula. It glides onto lids tug-free, then dries down to a flexible, waterproof finish that stays put all day. Choose from subtle to eye-opening shades that last for up to eight hours without creasing, flaking, or fading.

GlamGlow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer in Nude Glow  I am really disappointed with Sephora ~ GlamGlow also has an illuminating moisturizer FOR OILY SKIN ~ Volcasmic Matte Glow Moisturizer:

This pressed, luxurious moisturizer transforms skin with nourishment and moisture for a supple, matte glow. Volcanic minerals act like microscopic sponges to help soak up oil—making skin instantly smooth, but never shiny. The water balm formula delivers optimal hydration and, if used in the morning, provides a prepped, even canvas for flawless makeup application.

I mean, I put in my profile oily skin and yet a product that would have giving me “glow” without shiny was not added.  Really bullshit here, Sephora.  Both of these products were new and Volcasmic would have been a great choice to add for those who did not have dry or normal skin.   Sample Size .24 oz RV $6.92

Description: A hydrating, super-charged cream with iridescent illuminating pearl particles to blur, reflect, and enhance your complexion for an instant luminous finish. Solutions for: Dryness and Dullness and uneven texture. GLOWSTARTER™ Mega Illuminating Moisturizer is formulated with vitamins, botanicals, hyaluronic acid, and TEAOXI™ golden root technology that instantly floods skin with hydration for healthy-looking radiance. The ultimate quick fix with super-powered botanicals in a soft cream texture, it delivers a rush of hyaluronic acid, plus vitamins and green tea for energized and moisturized skin. Added illuminating pearl particles help make you look instantly more radiant, blurring and reflecting light, so that all lighting is good lighting. Skin-moisture balance is restored by a combination of emollients including jojoba oil, shea butter, and ceramides, while a special skin-conditioning lipid complex is designed to help infuse skin with optimal nourishment for a luminous finish.  Made without parabens, sulfates, phthalates

• TEAOXI™ Golden Root: Brightens and boosts skin clarity with flavonoids.
• Ultra-fine Hyaluronic Acid: Quenches thirsty skin with a surge of hydration, plumping skin with younger-looking volume and fullness.
• Lipid Complex (Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter, and Ceramides): Restores skin moisture and fortifies the skin’s barrier against environmental aggressors and pollutants.

Ingredients: Water, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Distearate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Trisiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cholesterol, Steareth-10, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Ceramide Ng, Isohexadecane, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Sucrose, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Linoleic Acid, Panthenol, Fragrance (Parfum), Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Disodium Edta, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Blue 1 (Ci 42090), Red 4 (Ci 14700), Red 33 (Ci 17200), Yellow 5 (Ci 19140).

Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast Oh Effing Finally!  A product I will use ~ this won the Best of Beauty Award in 2016 Allure.   I have straight, fine and limp hair (oily too!) so this will give it some lift and volume.  I don’t care for the shampoos/conditioners from Living Proof, but the hair style products are awesome. This is made without parabens and sulfates.  This is a nice size too, at 3 oz.  Travel Size  3 oz RV $15.00

Description: A spray to give hair instant volume and texture that’s almost as light as air for big, lasting results. Creates instant volume and fullness on dry hair. Adds texture. Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast is a volume and texture spray that contains patent-pending expandable, textured aero-spheres called ETAS. They’re lighter and bigger than industry standard ingredients, so they deliver big volume and texture on your hair without weighing it down or creating a sticky after-feel. Shake to activate the formula.

Description: Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Alcohol Denat., VP/VA Copolymer, VA/Crotonates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Water, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Zeolite, Butane, Fragrance, Ethylcellulose, Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Benzophenone-3, Acrylates Copolymer, Magnesium Carbonate, Glycyrrhizic Acid, Magnesium Hydroxide, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Citral, Limonene.

Chloé Fleur de Parfum  This has a rose scent to it, so I cannot use it.  I am happy that the perfume samples are just an “extra’ that Sephora adds to our bag and isn’t really part of the theme.   I save a lot of perfume samples and give them to my mother ~ she LOVES getting them!  Sample 1.2 mL RV $3.00

Description:  This unique floral composition plunges into an infusion of rose petals. Fresh notes of verbena softened by freesia unveil a tender rose heart enlightened by cherry blossoms and warmed with soft woods for a soft and feminine signature. 

Notes: Lemon Essence, Absolute Verbena, Freesia, Rose, Cherry Blossom, White Cedar Essence, Bitter Almond, Amber.  Style: Feminine. Soft. Luminous.

Josie Maran Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm in Etheric  Now, I was interested in this product as it is like a primer and luminizer in one ~ it is supposed to help minimize pores.   It is made with argan oil, which is Josie’s signature ingredient that rocketed her to fame, and will help with pores, uneven skin tone and finish.  Now, opening up this sample, wow ~ such a little tiny bit in here! However, Sephora states you only need a dime size amount to cover your full face and you should warm it up in your hands first. It is a icy white color that looks to have pinkish and gold highlights in it. When I apply it to my skin, and blend out a little bit, you can see it is opalescent and quite pretty.  However, once it is blended properly, all I can tell is it is a little brighter ~  maybe a bit pinker… I didn’t really notice anything going on with my pores either.  However, I did find a GREAT use for this ~ under my eyes.  This stuff is great for helping brighten up my under-eye circles.  Give it a try!  Even if you have a darker skin tone, this will just brighten and it doesn’t really ADD color.    This is made without parabens, sulfates, phthalates  Sample Size .1 oz RV $7.20

Description: The first ever anti aging skin care finisher and makeup primer in one. This creamy, whipped, lightweight formula finishes both your skin care and makeup routine for a smooth, long-lasting, radiant glow. Makeup glides on seamlessly while the subtle glow awakens the complexion and softly sculpts the face with luminous light. It’s formulated with natural anti aging powerhouse ingredients that instantly hydrate, plump, and smooth for beautiful, smooth skin. Tips and tricks: a little goes a long way—all you need is a dime-sized amount for your full face. Warm product with fingers and gently pat the finishing balm onto skin. Use as the last step of your skin care routine to boost radiance and elasticity, and as the first step of makeup to smooth and prime. You can also use on top of makeup or throughout the day to for a soft-focus glow.

• 100% Pure Argan Oil: Hydrates and nourishes skin.
• Shea Butter: Smooths and conditions skin.
• Niacianamide PC (Vitamin B3): Multifunctional antiaging ingredient that boosts skin elasticity, enhances barrier function, and revive skin’s healthy tone and texture.
• Caprylyl Methicone: Plumps and smooths skin .

Ingredients: Water**, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Methicone, Glycerin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicne/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)**, Disodium EDTA, Gluconolactone, Isohexadecane, Lecithin, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Titanium Dioxide, Mica cosDNA analysis  *Organic. **Natural  (okay, water has to be marked NATURAL??!)

So, as you can tell, only 2 of the products in this box I will use ~ the Dry Volume Spray (yeah!!) and the unexpected find in Josie Maran’s Surreal Skin ~ it is great for my under eye area ~ it moisturizes and brightens, so win-win there.  But the rest of the items ~ nope.  I will put them in a giveaway as they are nice products, just not for me.  For those who think I don’t like a nice highlighter or glow, or are like me with oily skin and prefer a powder, I totally recommend these two products

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette  This was a spurge for me, as it isn’t cheap, but I have had this for a year now and it is still going strong.  This gives my face a nice glow without over doing it ~ I just swirl them all together, but you can use them individually.  You can also purchase the Ambient Lightening series in singles, if you want different shades.  The palette has 3 shades and is $62.00 whereas the individual compacts are $46.00

Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator in Gilded Honey Want a bit more bling? I love this highlighter from Laura Geller. I just have the mini sizes as I never will hit pan with this blingy highlighter ~ it will last  me a long time. Laura Geller also makes less intense shades as well, but I haven’t tried them yet.  I love how buttery smooth this powder is.  $22.10

I will probably go to my Sephora store and pick up a sample of GlamGlow’s Volcasmic Matte Glow Moisturizer as you can ask for a sample of just about anything in their stores.  However, I do feel that it should have come in my box as it is a glow product for oily skin. I paid $10.00 + sales tax (so it was still under $10.50 or something like that) and I received a retail value of  over $65.00 which is over 6 times what I paid for it. Sigh.  And I only will use two products ~ but those two products are worth $22.00, so I did get more than what I paid for here.   These boxes do contribute to Sephora’s points system, so every month, an additional 10 points, plus there is always a 50 point card in each box ~ just go down to a Sephora store and redeem.

Did you get this month’s Sephora Play! Box?  What did you think of it and what was your favorite item?

 [ descriptions in italics from sephora’s product page ]

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