PLAY! by Sephora is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. Each month, Sephora sends you a mix of six samples (including cosmetics, haircare, skincare, fragrances, and other beauty products) personalized to match your preferences, a PLAY! BOOK of tips and tricks, and a PLAY! PASS to redeem in-store or online for 50 Beauty Insider points for just $10 + FREE shipping.
Sephora curates several variations of their PLAY! boxes each month and matches you with the version that best fits the preferences you set in your profile. (You'll fill out your profile when you signing up—you can also update your profile at any time). The variation I received this month is the box ending in #972. To find out which box you’re receiving at the beginning of each month, follow these instructions:
If you log in through a browser, not the app, and go to my account > account details > online orders and open the play! Order Details, you can see the “item number” next to the image.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About PLAY! by Sephora
The Subscription Box: PLAY! by Sephora
The Cost: $10 + FREE shipping
The Products: Five deluxe samples plus a fragrance sample, a PLAY! BOOK of tips and tricks, and a PLAY! PASS for in-store learning.
Ships to: US
May 2019 PLAY! by Sephora #972 "Beauty BFFs" Review
Each PLAY! box comes with an info sheet that provides the theme of the box and detailed product info. It also includes your PLAY! PASS, which gives you 50 extra reward points if you use it in-store or online. You can also bring your PLAY! PASS to any store and redeem it for tutorials and tips from a Sephora consultant.
Each month, your samples are tucked inside a recyclable pouch. This one is incredible for travel—it's so much chicer than a kitchen zipper bag!
Benefit BADgal BANG! Mascara, 0.1 oz - Estimated Value $8.33 (Buy a full-size 0.3 oz version for $25.00 here)
Benefit's original BADgal Lash mascara is one of my favorites, because it coats my lashes like crazy, adding volume, and length. This formula promises even more impact. The main difference I noticed is that this mascara wand features a silicone-type brush, where the original BADgal Lash used traditional bristles. BADgal BANG! did give me tons of volume and length! It is also said to last 36 hours, but I did not test that claim—I cannot imagine sleeping in mascara, and though I love you all, I am not staying up for 36 hours. This mascara is actually one of the most dramatic formulas I have ever applied. Does it beat out the original? For me, no, but I tend to like a little more of a natural look. If you adore big, bold, in-your-face lashes, give BADgal BANG! a try.
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Lancôme CILS BOOSTER XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base, 0.07 fl oz - Estimated Value $9.58 (Buy a full-size 0.19 oz version for $26.00 here)
I have yet to find a lash primer that I like and that works well, so I was less than enthused about this product. There is good news and bad news here. The good news is that this mascara base absolutely added length to my lashes. The bad news is that it turned my mascara into a clumpy mess. My lashes stuck together and were difficult to separate, and I wound up with that spidery look most of us try to avoid.
Left, BANG! Mascara over Lancome Primer. Right, BANG! Mascara without primer.
I hope you all enjoy this extremely-close-up-and-not-awkward-at-all picture. I cropped out my nostrils so you didn't have to look up into my brain.
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KORA Organics Noni Glow Face Oil, 0.17 fl oz - Estimated Value $11.45 (Buy a full-size 1.01 fl oz version for $68.00 here)
Yaaaas, a face oil I haven't tried! This formula contains noni extract, which I had to Google. Apparently, noni is a type of plant/seed that is really great for reducing inflammation. This blend also has rosehip and pomegranate oils, which promise tons of antioxidants for your skin and more glow factor. I put a few drops of this in my palms and rubbed them together, then gently patted the oil onto my face. I like to use oils like this before my nightly moisturizer, so I wake up glowing. Fun fact: This brand was founded by model Miranda Kerr.
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Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Deep Diva Cleansing Gel, 0.25 fl oz - Estimated Value $1.25 (Buy a full-size 5 oz version for $25.00 here)
I always like Tarte skincare items because they work well and the packaging is adorable. Like most of the products in the Rainforest of the Sea line, this formula contains marine extracts, which I personally find very calming on my redness-prone skin. This cleanser worked great, removing my makeup without stripping my skin. It smells very clean.
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dpHUE ACV Hair Rinse, 1 fl oz - Estimated Value $5.00 (Buy a full-size 3 oz version for $15.00 here)
Do you like smelling like apple cider vinegar? No? Great! This stuff does smell like ACV, though it rinses out, which is a blessing for us all. This treatment is intended for when your roots are feeling gross and held down by hair product to gently cleanse all the gunk away. It was very gentle on my scalp and left my roots looking extra shiny.
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Viktor & Rolf Magic Salty Flower, 0.04 oz - Estimated Value $2.32 (Buy a full-size 2.5 oz version for $145.00 here)
V&R's Flowerbomb is one of my favorite perfumes. I was really excited to try out this new perfume, because I love a great blend of salty, marine fragrances and flowers. This one was a bit of a dud for me, though, as the sea influence was basically non-existent on my skin. All I could really smell was a strong Frangipani scent. I was hoping for something a little more complex. I think I will stick to Flowerbomb.
Verdict: This month's PLAY! by Sephora box has an estimated value of $37.93, which is a pretty good value from a $10 box. I really loved the mascara and face oil, though the cleanser was also great! I feel like my hair needed a scalp cleanse, and the apple cider vinegar formula was gentle and effective. The lash primer and perfume sample were both rather "meh" to me, but the rest of the box certainly made up for those items falling flat. This was a great box for revisiting old brand faves and discovering a few new players I plan on keeping an eye on.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive next month's samples, curated based on your PLAY! PROFILE. Get email alerts for monthly spoilers!
Value Breakdown: At $10 for this box, here’s what you are paying approximately per item:
- Benefit BANG! Mascara $2.20
- Lancome Lash Primer $2.53
- KORA Face Oil $3.02
- Tarte Cleanser $0.33
- dpHUE Har Rinse $1.32
- Viktor&Rolf Perfume $0.61
Check out all of our PLAY! by Sephora reviews, our best beauty boxes, and all of our reviews of cheap subscription boxes for other similarly priced boxes!
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What do you think about my PLAY! by Sephora box? Which variation did you get?
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