PLAY! by Sephora (February 2017)

The Lowdown:
"For $10 a month, uncover the most sought-after products around with a monthly subscription box of prestige, trial-size samples curated by Sephora experts. Each month you'll get five deluxe beauty samples, plus a beauty bonus, all in a collectible bag! Inside every beauty box you'll receive a Play! PASS you can bring in store and redeem for 50 bonus Beauty Insider points, plus a free one-on-one tutorial that is all about you. With PLAY! by Sephora, you'll also be eligible to attend Play! DATES, which are subscriber-only events that give you and a friend the opportunity to come in store and play with products that complement the ones you got in your subscription box. Lastly, up your beauty game with exclusive video how-to's, tutorials and tons of tips on how to use the products you get in new and fun ways."

What It Is:
At Sephora, they love that feeling when you find a new beauty product, give it a try, and wonder how you ever lived without it. That’s why they created PLAY! by SEPHORA, a beauty box filled with five stellar samples, delivered right to your door.

Here’s how it works:
Each month they curate a selection of new and best-selling products they’re most excited about, from makeup to hair care to skincare to fragrance. Then, using the answers in your PLAY! Profile, they determine which version is best for you. Next stop, your place, where you can experiment, play, and find your personal favorites.

Every month Sephora also includes a flyer that offers important details and informative tips and tidbits about the products included.

February 2017's theme is The Soft Side. Here's what's in this month's box:

CLINIQUE Pep-Start Hydroblur Moisturizer (0.24oz, ~$4.16) - A lightweight, oil-free moisturizer-meets-primer instantly blurs imperfections while providing all-day hydration for a silky, soft-focus finish.

THRILLING ME SOFTLY: Wear it alone for a natural yet picture-perfect look or make it the first step in your makeup routine. This innovative moisturizer and primer combo is all you need to get a super soft, hydrated, and shine-free complexion.

ORIGINS GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream (0.17oz, $10.54) - A luminous eye cream infused with coffee beans, ginseng and magnolia extract to visibly brighten and depuff the undereye area.

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS: Coffee beans energize tired skin with antioxidants and caffeine. Ginseng root contains anti-aging and skin healing benefits. Magnolia extract corrects redness and reduces inflammation.

TOO FACED Lip Injection Glossy in Milkshake (0.03oz, ~$4.71) - Sheer-tinted gloss uses a botanical-infused formula to visibly plump lips instantly while also hydrating and softening over time. For voluminous lips that still look natural and soft, Too Faced Injection Glossy is an effective plumper that is infused with avocado and jojoba oil for super soft, silky lips and just a hint of pink-nude hue.

PRO TIP: The effects of this lip gloss are known to build over time, so try using it consistently for 30 days and see if you notice an improvement in the softness of your lips.

BITE BEAUTY Multistick in Cashew (0.07oz, ~$9.88) - Creamy, all-natural and multipurpose blending stick can be used on eyes, cheeks and lips for a buildable look that feels weightless.

THRILLING ME SOFTLY: This is the ultimate do-it-all formula for a sweet, stop-it-I'm-blushing effect. The Bite Beauty Multistick is made with natural ingredients (they're actually food-grade). It blends like a cream but wears like a weightless powder for an understated, romantic look.

SEPHORA COLLECTION LashCraft Length & Volume Mascara (0.094oz, ~$2.78) - A jet-black volumizing mascara with an innovative flat paddle-shaped wand to lengthen and lift lashes. When taking off, no need to scrub or tug. Just splash water and the pigment dissolves.

THRILLING ME SOFTLY: This mascara is truly one-of-a-kind. Its flat wand lifts lashes, while its glossy black pigment creates drama. Plus, the nylon-infused formula keeps lashes soft and clump-free with no smudging in sight.

TOM FORD Neroli Portofino (0.05oz, $7.25) - Vibrant and evocative, this scent channels the Italian Riviera with its sparkling citrus oils and floral notes. Top note is Italian bergamot. Middle notes are lemon and lavender. Base note is neroli.

ABOUT THE BRAND: Tom Ford is an American designer and the founder of the eponymous fashion label best known for its sophisticated, glamorous designs. The brand is famous for its alluring, seductive fragrances, and Neroli Portofino captures the essence of the Italian Riviera, from its cool breezes to its lush foliage.
                                                                                                                                                 

I first tried out the Clinique Pep-Start Hydroblur Moisturizer. The ingredients are promising - shea butter, St. Paul's Wort and algae extracts, and caffeine (which a lot of people don't like, but nothing stimulates, brightens, and provides long-term results for my face than caffeine) - and has no scent. However, I am not fond of it at all. In my opinion, it's too thick, takes forever to absorb, is sticky, and has not shown any real signs of helping my skin, unlike my go-to moisturizers.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream... What can I say? Except that it is one of those go-to moisturizers I just mentioned using regularly. Like, every day unless I'm testing something out. And as I said before, I attribute that directly to the caffeine from the coffee beans, although it also has a lot of other beneficial ingredients like ginseng and one of my all-time favorite skincare product components... jojoba! The 0.5oz full-size container of this eye cream is $31 and worth every penny. I also adore the GinZeng moisturizer so check that out.

The Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy (shown to the left ⇐ over a nude lip color) is AH-mazing! I have wanted to try one of the lip injection products forever, especially because Too Faced is one of my favorite cosmetics brands. It's very moisturizing. The glossiness is out-of-this world. But while it does provide a plumping effect, the tingling is a bit too strong.

The Bite Beauty Multistick is so versatile. I do not care for it on my lips (as seen to the right ➔). The formula tugs, is not flattering without a gloss or balm coating, and was very drying. Having said that, I somewhat liked it for my eyes when I used my finger to put it on. But I LOVED IT as a blush. The pigmentation was perfect and it blended beautifully. Below ⇲ (the very bottom photo) I created an entire look using only the items in this box, and this multistick on my eyes, cheeks, and under the lip plumper.

I can't say that I'm a fan of the Sephora Collection Lashcraft Mascara. It provides some length, and doesn't so much clump, but rather made my lashes stick together instead of separating them.

Ohmigosh!!! Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino is ridiculously awesome in every way! They could have sent this to me on its lonesome and I would have been totally fine. It's a wonder to me... the combination of bergamot, lemon, lavender, and neroli smells just like honeysuckle, which is my favorite scent in the whole wide world! I will be saving up to buy the 1.7oz full-size bottle of this perfume spray. And it costs $230. I've never paid more than $80 for a fragrance. This is even worth the $595 8.4oz decanter but I will never have that much money to spend at once for perfume. My husband would pull a Henry the VIII'th on me. It's fabulous, just a bouquet of pure delight.

It was super nice that I could create a whole look with just the products in this month's box. I love how the colors work so well together, and I can certainly appreciate the hues being on the neutral side and not pinky, because rose-colored cosmetics do not go with teeth that have suffered years of abuse by coffee, tea, and cigarettes (I quit smoking in 2013 so stop judging me! 😜) You can see how the multistick works so lovely as a blush and can probably be used as a highlighter for those who know how to use makeup. I have no talent. These items come together so effortlessly that even a beauty-challenged person like me can't mess up. In fact, this may be my new regular makeup routine.

This February 2017 PLAY! by Sephora box has a total value of $39.32. Even without a hair care product, this is one of my favorite months of the all of the more affordable beauty box subscriptions. I cannot wait to see what I get in March!