Sephora Play June 2016
Never having jumped on the subscription box bandwagon, in May I signed up for Sephora Play! I received my first box in mid-June, and finally have time to talk about it what I got!
Tocca Florence
I’m highly picky about fragrances. When I realized this was a floral, I nearly tossed it out without popping the cap off the vial. I decided that wasn’t fair, so I removed the stopper and…was pleasantly surprised! For the first time since the Marc Jacobs Daisy line, I’ve found a pleasant floral. That said, I’m not going to rush out and buy a full sized, $68 bottle of Florence. I will enjoy this sample vial, but juggling several bottles of perfume is not for me. I would consider buying a rollerball. If you like subtle florals and are in the market, give this a shot.
Tarteguard
I’ve always thought that the packaging for Tarte’s sunscreen was cute, but I didn’t give the product much consideration. If I was going to drop $32 on a sunscreen, I’d probably go Shiseido, Clinique, or Murad…or I’d go with a BB Cream product. So far, I’ve used Tarteguard on my hands and forearms only – where it has done a good job. I was reluctant to introduce change to my routine so soon after finding a routine that my skin is responding well to (plus I <3 my Biore one!). Furthermore, the reviews this sunscreen has received have indicated a high incidence of breakouts in relation to use. Unfortunately it isn’t going anywhere near my face anytime soon. It DOES has a faint, pretty scent that I can’t place and none of that nasty, “sunscreen smell.” For what it’s worth, a fellow, makeup-obsessed friend swears by this stuff and reports that it doubles as a good primer.
bareMinerals bareSkin Sheer Sun
Listen, I barely use bronzer as is, so I haven’t given this a go all over my face. Once I end up self-tanning my face to the point where I need to adjust my foundation, the consistency of this product seems like it will mix in well. By itself, bareSkin Sheer Sun seems a little orange on my hand, so I’m not sure if it is going to be very flattering on most skin tones. It will probably work for me once worked in with foundation. At $28 for a full bottle, I would pass on this; their Faux Tan products are better.
benefit they’re Real!
This month’s box wasn’t my first rodeo with this mascara. I like they’re Real! and will gladly use it, but I don’t allocate my makeup budget for prestige mascara (this one is $24). Unless, that is, it’s a) on sale at an attractive price or b) there’s an extra-special occasion. I’m happy to have another tube regardless – and I would repurchase if I could get it on sale!
Becca Backlight Priming Filter
This is one of those products I never would have purchased on my own, but I’m glad I received. As a base, the Backlight Priming Filter did not makeup apply any better than my moisturizer or any primer. That said, it DID impart a subtle radiance that is quite pretty on its own. It’s just a sheen – no shimmer like the highlighters themselves. My forehead did seem a bit shiny after a few hours, but it was nothing a blot couldn’t correct. This may not be kind to those of you with truly oily skin though. It goes for $38 – I’m not sure that I’d repurchase a full-size simply for fear of not getting through it before it went bad, but I would consider a travel sized if they release one.
The Bottom Line – Was I Satisfied?
Definitely. I really enjoyed three out of five of the items I received, even if I wouldn’t necessarily shell out for full sized version of them. As far as the two misses in this month’s Sephora Play box? You’ll have that, and I’m still glad to have tried them.