Monday, June 20, 2016
Happy first day of Summer, everyone! I missed reviewing last month's Play! by Sephora box (it just didn't tickle me enough to really share) but I thought I'd go ahead and show y'all what was in this month's. 

This month's theme is: The Minimalists | Next-level nudes and no-maintenance naturals: this month, we're paring it down for understated style that proves sometimes less really is more. Get a low-key look for summer with a game-changing hair cream, refreshingly lightweight sunscreen and more must-haves for creating an easygoing appeal.

PS. I'm loving that they changed their packaging inside a little. Starting last month, they put your samples in a little cotton bag. Too cute!

What's in the box?

  • Bumble and Bumble Don't Blow It - an innovative creme that adds body and enhances fine-to-medium hair textures for a laid-back, air-dried style. I haven't used this yet but I'm pretty sure it's a "do-everything" type of creme. I can't wait to try this out and see how it works with thinner hair types.
  • Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Mascara - Benefit's bestselling mascara that lengthens, volumizes and coats the smallest lashes with a specially designed brush. Ah, this used to be my absolute favorite mascara (until Roller Lash came out!). I highly recommend this mascara to anyone who is looking for a great mascara that lengthens and gives a lot of oomph!
  • tarte Tarteguard 30 Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF30 - an antioxidant-infused, non-chemical SPF30 sunscreen that moisturizes and protects without leaving a sticky feel. I can't remember who was talking about this a few weeks ago but I was so intrigued and what do you know? It's in this month's box! I absolutely love that this doesn't smell like a sunscreen like at all. 
  • BareMinerals bareSkin Bronzer - a blendable, lightweight liquid bronzer that can be worn alone or over foundation to give a sheer, natural-looking touch of sun, Another funny coincidence! I had this sitting in my Sephora.com cart for a while now and couldn't pull the trigger for the longest time. I swatched it but haven't fully used it yet. It seems like it's very comparable Perricone MD Bronzer No Bronzer.
  • BECCA Backlight Priming Filter - a shimmering makeup primer that acts like a soft-focus filer to blur imperfections and give skin an effortless, luminous look. Seriously. I'm pretty sure they peeked into my online cart because this, too, has been sitting in there for a longgggg time. I like that this sample can be used more than once as they recommend using only a small amount of product to use. 
  • TOCCA Beauty 'Florence' Perfume - a timeless and romantic scent that conjures up a long-ago Paris with a blend of bergamot, violet petals and blonde wood. I'm pretty sure that this box always has a perfume sample in it. Not that I mind as I love trying out different perfumes. This one is actually right up my alley as it's soft and feminine without being too in-your-face.
Overall: Honestly, I'm on the fence about the Play! by Sephora box. They're great boxes in that the samples are almost always a brand I know or have heard of. But that's it. For $10 a month, you're getting five samples that seem like the leftover samples you get with any Sephora order. To compare, for the same amount per month from Ipsy, you can get a cute makeup bag + some full size products mixed with samples. I'm torn!