If you haven't had a chance to order the Sephora Monthly Play Beauty Box, here is a peak at the contents of the March 2017 box. The theme for this box is "the shine is now" which hints at the products being included in this box. Each month Sephora sends out it's Sephora Play box in a well constructed box that protects the contents very well. They also package the items in a cute bag that varies in fabric and sometimes color each month. I love getting these bags each month because I found that they are great for storing my travelers notebooks and protecting them from dust.
Additonally, Sephora includes a product sheet that informs the reader what each product is and some tips for using the product. It also includes a bonus point card that applies an additional 50 Beauty Insider points with my next purchase.
The first item in the box is a .24 ounce Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer sample. I am a huge Glamglow fan and love all of their face masks, so I am excited to try out this new product from their line. The Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer is supposed to boost the look of dry skin and dull skin by moisturizing the skin with botanicals and giving the skin a boost visually with the light reflecting formula. The packaging suggests applying it directly to the face and wearing it alone or under makeup. I am still recovering from Bronchitis so my skin is really dry at the moment. So when I tried it, I found that for me I still needed to apply moisturizer first and then layer this product on top of it. The Glowstarter sample gave my skin a nice subtle healthy glow. I find that I do not like how some highlighting products look heavy over my make up. So I decided to use just a tiny amount of the product on top of my makeup base over my cheek bone area to see how well that would work. I am happy to say that it gave me a really nice light highlight that was not obvious. Highlighters tend to give a bit of flashback in photos which are shot with flash. So I decided to test the Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer to see how much flashback it would give me. I found that is had enough flash back that I would not recommend using it if you are heading out to an indoor or night event where you will be photographed using flash. Otherwise, it is fabulous for regular day or evening use.
The next product is a .08 oz sample of "Watts Up" by the Benefit cosmetics company in San Francisco, California. The Watts Up sample is a solid high lighter than can be used to highlight and define facial features. I love that it is a solid stick which makes it easy to use and take on the go. Now this product provides a much more dramatic highlight. Depending on the look you are trying to achieve, this product is pretty versatile. I used it just under my eyebrow, over my check area and around the outside area of my eye duck to high light those areas. It worked very well. Again, this product does have a lot of flashback so if you are going to be photographed using a flash, be very careful on the application of the product because it can affect how the finished photo will look. I recommend taking a test photo using the flash on your cell to check and see if your application is just right for the look you are trying to achieve.
The third product is by Josie Maran and is a .1 oz sample of the Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm. Once again, my skin is really dry right now so this sample could not have come at a better time. I layered it over my moisturizer and my skin quickly absorbed it. The Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm is a primer that gives a really subtle glow to the skin. Like all the Jose Maran products that I use, the Surreal Skin Balm is free of parabens, sulfates and phthalates. The product itself is not oily nor sticky. I dislike primers that leave my skin sticky or make my makeup base start to pill up. I also was impressed that a little of this product goes a long way. Since I applied it before my makeup base, I did not find that this product had any flashback issues for me. The full size is .5 ounces and sold at Sephora for $36. At first I thought that was a bit steep for the amount of product you get in the jar. However, once I started to use it, I realized that a little of this product goes a long way.
The fourth product is a .06 oz sample of Urban Decay's Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I was first introduced to the Urban Decay's Original Primer Potion product when I took a makeup artistry class at my local community college. The instructor swore by this product and used it on all of the brides she put make up on. This primer is sticky which helps adhere powder shadows to the eye lid. It also works well with cream eyeshadow. I have found the use of this primer makes a difference when I apply makeup on someone who needs to have it stay on for 7 to 10 hours. It is a great product. Personally, I have been using it for years and have yet to encounter a product that works as well as the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion does. Urban Decay also offers a long wearing anti aging primer potion that works well with dry skin. I use that one when I go to the desert to give my eye lid a bit of a boost. The .16 oz tube of the Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion sells for $12 at Sephora.
The fifth Product is a .57 oz bottle of Verb Ghost Oil which is a hair oil that helps smooth down frizzy hair and give it a nice shine. It has moringa seed oil to moisturize the hair so it can be detangled easier. It did a really good job of smoothing my hair and controlling the fly away hair issues I usually face. I also really liked the fresh clean scent that this oil had. I have tried other brands in the past that had a really strong scent and/or were sticky. I have pretty thick hair and shy away from sticky hair oils. This product immediatly soaked into my hair quickly and did not leave a sticky film. It was really easy for me to brush my hair and finish styling it. Also, the price on this product is really reasonable too. Sephora sells the 2 oz bottle for $14. The .57 oz bottle in this kit is really a good size sample for me to be able figure out if I will purchase it in the future.
The sixth product is a vial of Clementine from the Atelier Colonge collection. I am not a huge fan of perfumes, since my work and school discourage the use of it (allergen reasons) for the sake of clients and fellow students. Thus I don't often have the opportunity to use it. However, I have to say that I enjoy citrus base scents because they tend to be lighter. This is a nice scent this is not overwhelming and a little goes a long way. So even this little vial will last quite a while. According to the website this perfume has:
- Top Notes of Clementine, mandarin, and juniper berries,
- Middle Notes of Star anise, Sichuan Pepper, and basil
- Base Notes of Vetiver, sandalwood, and cypress
The cost of the monthly Sephora Play box is $10 which includes shipping. The deluxe size of the 5 samples in this box provide enough product for me to try them out and see if they work for me before I commit to a full size product. They are also perfectly sized for travel, so I enjoy it when I get products that I already use.
Note: This is not a sponsored post. I paid for the box with my own funds.
