For Friday, I’ve got one of my favorite budget boxes: Play by Sephora. At only $10 a month, they send a fun assortment of beauty items under a monthly theme.
September’s theme was “The Unbasic Basics” – An Anything But Ordinary Assortment. Sephora described this as “Sharpen your eyeliner and swipe on some lipstick: go back to beauty school this September with a selection of hair, makeup and skincare must-haves that always make the grade. Be a straight-A student with an above-average eyeliner, reimagined moisturizer, and other next-level necessities to become the building blocks for your beauty routine.”
Sephora Collection Rouge Shine Lipstick in Love Spell (Full Size: $12.50)
Description: “Deep glossy shine meets a go-to shade of pink in this creamy, moisturizing lipstick.”
Verdict: Hit!
I’m always on the hunt for the perfect everyday pink lipstick so I was happy to try out a new shade. This lipstick felt quite nice going on and has excellent shine.
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper (Full Size: $20.00)
Description: “Waterpoof brush-tip liquid liner glides on to reveal precise, bold strokes of highly pigmented color.”
Verdict: A favorite
This is one of my holy grail products. I keep trying out other liquid liners and none are as easy to apply as Kat Von D’s. It also has awesome staying power—definitely worth the splurge and since mine is getting a bit low, I was psyched to get a new one.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel (Full Size: $22.00)
Description: “Lightweight, flexible hold gel sets, defines and keeps brows in place for a polished look that stays all day.”
Verdict: Love!
Anastasia Beverly Hills is one of the go to brands of eyebrow products. Julep got me hooked on using clear eyebrow gel to set my brows and I’m excited to try out another brand and see how they compare.
Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation (.5 oz: $14.00)
Description: “Light, silky and oil-free, this moisturizer melts into skin to help soften, brighten and even skin tone.”
Verdict: Like/Gift
This product sounds lovely, and this is an excellent brand but I have so much skincare stockpiled I’m not sure if I’ll use this myself or tuck it into someone else’s gift.
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfector
(Full Size: $28.00)
Description: “Get a full week of softness and sine with this long-lasting, weightless perfecting solution that keeps your hair looking its best.”
Verdict: Gift
I love trying out new hair masks and treatments but I still have a full size of this from a long ago Nina Garcia Quaterly box. I’m going to gift this to a friend I think will enjoy it.
This Month’s Perfume Pick:
Atelier Cologne Sud Magnolia (1 oz $85.00)
Description: “A refreshing floral blend that balances delicate notes of magnolia with layers of wood and citrus.”
Verdict: A little too strong
Atelier is one of the few perfume brands that I can typically wear but this one didn’t work. For me, the musk and floral overpowered the citrus notes, but I do think it would appeal to a lot of other subscribers.
OVERALL
Verdict: Hit!
With tax, I paid $10.70 for this box and I feel like with just the liner, lipstick and gel I got my money’s worth. I will use all of those products regularly. The remaining items will make nice little stocking stuffers for friends.
What brand is your favorite “Unbasic” basic?
THE BACKSTORY
Each month Play by Sephora, will send you 5 deluxe samples handpicked from their shelves (plus a fragrance bonus) – all in a collectible bag.
Cost: $10 per month (plus any applicable tax)
Bonus: Each month you’ll get an included card that you can bring to Sephora for an extra 50 bonus points for any Purchase. These points are part of Sephora’s VIB program and can be traded in for an assortment of samples.
Lisa Preziosi 