My November 2018 Play Samples
Sephora sent my November Play! box pretty early this month, but I’ve been busy so it’s taken me some time to get my shit together and write this post. I did manage to film an unboxing video the day after my box arrived, so please check it out if you’re so inclined:
Sephora is jumping straight into the holiday season with this month’s theme, “Merry and Bright.” Holiday parties are on the horizon (though I personally have zero on my calendar so far), so these samples are intended to help you prepare. Party time, excellent!
This month I received one hair care sample, two makeup samples, two skin care samples, and a fragrance sample:
The Hair Care
It’s been at least a couple months since I received a hair care sample (fine by me!). This time around I got Moroccanoil Protect & Prevent Spray (full-size, $30). I’m always wary of hair products with oil in them (this one contains argan oil) due to my extremely fine hair. However, this is a leave-in conditioner, not a straight up hair oil. And I actually do use leave-in conditioner sometimes. This particular product prevents fading and brassiness from color treatment, sun, and pollutants. I don’t color my hair so this isn’t necessarily the hair care product for me. This spray does leave my hair feeling soft—I’ll give it that. I really only need one spritz; any more than that weighs my hair down. The scent is a little floral and powdery, which I don’t love. I’ll probably use this sample up but won’t buy it full sized.
The Skin Care
My next sample is one I’ve received before, Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (full-size, $26.50). This is actually the second time this year that I’ve gotten this eye cream in my box—Sephora sent me one in January and I took it with me to Grand Cayman. The eye cream was fine but nothing too exciting. I’ll put it in my travel bag for my Thanksgiving trip to LA.
I was very excited about my other skin care sample this month: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream (full-size, $48). Skin care Instagrammer @offdutydiary raves about this cream and I’ve seen others sing its praises too. I was thrilled to get a sample of this cream because my skin dries out more and more every winter. Ceramidin Cream claims to boost moisture and improve flakiness and fine lines. Sign me right the hell up! I’ve used this as my night cream for several nights in a row and I’ve been waking up with my skin looking pretty damn good. Because Sephora threw Rouge and VIB members a surprise 20% off code this weekend, I went ahead and used it to order a full sized tube of Ceramidin Cream. 😀
The Makeup
The first makeup sample this month is Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Microfinishing Loose Powder (full-size, $36). This invisible powder reduces shine and blurs imperfections. It’s a very fine powder, which is nice, because I feel like some powders just sit on the skin and exaggerate texture. I’m not in need of another finishing powder right now, but this sample is a good one to throw in my makeup bag for travel.
My other makeup sample this month is Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick in Pink Tea (full-size, $14). I’ve definitely warmed up to liquid lipsticks; the formulas have improved and many of them are not terribly drying. This lipstick is more of a straight up matte lip than a stain, so the name feels like a misnomer. I was a little unsure about this shade; the right nude is very hard to find.
Here’s a swatch of the lip cream on my arm. The color looked promising:
And here’s a photo of me wearing the lip cream. The color looks SO MUCH better on me in this photo than it does in person. IRL it’s too browny-mauve—it’s really not a good shade for me. The formula itself feels pretty good; it’s nondrying and doesn’t make me go running for a lip balm. However, the color did crack on my lips fairly quickly. For that reason I wouldn’t buy one of these full sized.
The fragrance sample this month is Tory Burch Just Like Heaven (full-size, $108). I spritzed it during my unboxing video and it promptly ended up wafting into my mouth. Mmm, fragrance particles. The scent didn’t turn me off immediately, but I didn’t love it either. I spritzed it on my arm and didn’t end up liking it at all. It reminded me of something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Maybe some kind of fragrance from my childhood? I don’t know… but it’s in the trash now.
In Summary
I’d call my November box a mixed bag. Duplicate samples are always a bit of a letdown, but the Ceramidin cream made up for that. The makeup samples weren’t too exciting this month, and the hair care sample is okay but it’s not quite right for my hair type. The samples didn’t feel particularly on theme, either. Holiday parties usually call for shimmer or glitter and bright lips, but my box contained none of the above. It wasn’t the worst box ever, but I’ve definitely received better.
How was your November Play! by Sephora box?
Read my previous Play! by Sephora posts here.
What is Play! by Sephora?
Play! by Sephora is a $10 per month beauty subscription that includes five deluxe samples. The product samples are curated based on your Sephora beauty profile (hair color, eye color, skin tone, skin type, skin and hair concerns, etc.). And of course, you can purchase full-sized versions of any samples from Sephora and earn VIB points if you’re a part of the Beauty Insider program—which I highly recommend signing up for. This subscription also offers a “Play! Date” each month, which allows you and a friend to attend an in-store event to learn how to use the products in that month’s box (RSVP is required). Click here for more information on the subscription.
