Play! by Sephora December 2018 Unboxing and First Impressions

Happy Friday, y’all! Today, I’ll be reviewing December’s Sephora Play! and thus finishing up all the subscription boxes of 2018! 🙌 You can find my review of November’s box here. Play! is Sephora’s subscription service that provides 5 beauty samples plus 1 fragrance sample for $10/month (plus local taxes).December’s theme was Cheers to Beauty and came with 6 products. As usual, it includes an insert with product descriptions/ directions and a Play! Pass, redeemable in Sephora stores and now online for 50 extra Beauty Insider points with any purchase.

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Deep Dive Gel Cleanser

A hardworking daily face cleanser that leaves skin soft and hydrated (insert). This cleanser smells amazing, like fresh oranges. While the citrus scent is very refreshing, the gel formula is too drying for my skintype so I will not be investing in a full sized.

Too Faced Primed and Peachy Cooling Matte Perfecting Primer

An effective primer that blus imperfections and brightens the complexion (insert). Again, it all comes down to the individual’s skintype, but this is a nice mattifying primer. It has the typical silicone texture that dispenses as a cream, but dries down to a powder on the skin. It does the job of filling in large pores around the nose and cheeks, creating a smoother canvas for foundation application. And yes, it smells like yummy peaches.

Trestique Lip Glaze in Paris Pink

A nurturing lip balm in a vivid pink shade with a soft shine finish (insert). A lip glaze describes this product perfectly. The formula reminds me a lot of the Clinique Chubby Sticks. It is not as opaque as a liquid lipstick, but gives lips a splash of color with a glossy finish. It is not longlasting or transfer-proof, but feels so comfortable on the lips and makes for a natural, effortless look.

Marajo Blow Out Styling Creme

A smoothing styling cream that protects hair from heat and damage (insert). This is a very generous sized sample, which I appreciate. However, I don’t blow dry my hair so I’ll be passing this along to a friend.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

A mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, and conditions lashes (insert). This mascara has the perfect sized brush that evenly distributes length and volume to your lashes. For not being waterproof, it has a drier formula so it holds a curl nicely. It’s one of my favorite mascaras ever, so I’m happy to add another backup to the collection.

Sunday Riley CEO Rapid Flash Brightening Serum

A highly-potent, fast-absorbing serum infused with 15 percent THD ascorbate (vitamin C) to fight the look of dullness, dark spots, and discolorations, while instantly increasing brightness, radiance, and luminosity (sephora.com). This was my first time testing the popular Sunday Riley brand, and I’m impressed! This is the most moisturizing Vitamin C serum I’ve tried to date. It is creamy, but absorbs quickly into the skin without any irritation. I’m not sure this sample will be enough to show dramatic results, but I like it enough to consider investing in a full sized.

Overall Rating: I was fairly satisfied with December’s Sephora Play! Bag so I’m giving it a rating of 8/10 stars. It’s not my favorite box to date, but they did finish the year strong with a generous and diverse selection. My favorite picks of the bunch are the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara and Sunday Riley Serum.

What are your thoughts on the Sephora Play! Bag? Which products were you most excited to test out?

XO,

Mary Dee

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