Sephora Play! October 2016 Subscription Box Review- The Cool Cut (1850072)

See recent Sephora Play articles.

Sephora Play! is a subscription box that offers six beauty samples for $10 a month plus tax, shipping included. The charge posts from the 1st through the 4th, and the boxes start shipping around the middle of the month. Spots are limited, but you can place your name on the waiting list if they’re unavailable when you check. This gives one more sample than the standard $10 box offers, because it considers the monthly fragrance as a bonus item. Only items sold at Sephora come inside the box, so it only includes well-known mid to high range items. There is not a traditional rewards program with this box, so you cannot get points for referring friends or writing reviews. It does award 10 Beauty Insider points and applies $10 toward your purchase minimum to maintain your Beauty Insider status. Visit my Sephora page for descriptions on points and status.

Items populate in your Beauty Bag around the middle of the month, so you can usually see them before they arrive. Boxes get customized based on your profile. Make sure you update your Play! Profile, because they do not use the Sephora profile for this box. There are four varieties of boxes based on customization. If you received a box that does not suit you, update your profile. You can adjust your settings more as Play adds more options of customized boxes. A history of all products Sephora sampled since the program launched in September 2015 is available through the shop the products link. There are twelve items listed for October 2016, because there are items that repeat across the four boxes. My box is version 1850072, which is the one I would have picked if given a choice. The customization is working for me.

Each box comes with a Play! Book. This is a booklet that unfolds into a large sheet of photo paper to show info about all the items inside the box.

It also goes over the theme for the box and shows how the products tie into the theme. The theme for October is The Cool Cut. This information not easily available on the website, so it is helpful.

Each box comes with a Play! Pass. The Play! Pass is only valid in store though the end of the following month. It is redeemable with any purchase (even items not received in the box) for 50 Beauty Insider points. Only one 50 point pass is valid per day, so using two in a single trip will not work. These points may take up to 24 hours to apply. You can also use the Play! Pass for a one-on-one consolation with a beauty expert.

It takes 100 points to receive a deluxe perk, but online orders $25 and over can use a promo code, which is usually deluxe perk. While this is wonderful for those trips you have to make in store or when you are spending less than $25, it will generally be a better deal to order online and redeem a deluxe perk.

Items come inside a collectible makeup bag. The design is different each month. This is a small drawstring thick cotton bag that is very cute but not practical for holding makeup.

The 0.68oz Farmacy Skin Dew Hydrating Essence Mist & Setting Spray is worth $9.07. This is an essence, mist, and setting spray in one. I’ve learned that multi use products typically work better one way over the other. I will try this all three ways and finish it the way I like most. Hopefully, it is able to do at least one well, because targeted products are usually ideal. The brand is hot, so I hope this product lives up to the brand’s hype.

The 0.1oz The Estée Edit Flash Photo Gloss is worth $7.41. This is a completely clear gloss. It has cool blue micro-pearls to make your smile look more white. That is kind of neat. Once I wear this, I will in edit a review and a picture.

The swatch was a little sticky, and I really dislike sticky gloss. Hopefully, I can bear it on my lips, because I will not wear it if it is too sticky, even knowing my smile will look brighter.

The 0.17oz Erborian Bamboo Crème Frappée Skin Reviving Fresh Gel is worth $4.30. Gel moisturizers are not usually dry skin friendly, so this is the item I was most surprised by in this box. I’ve wanted to try something from this brand, so I will gladly try this. My play profile lists my skin as dry, so this product may actually work on dry skin. We’ll see.

There is no label on the Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in Driver’s Seat, so I am unsure what size this is. My guess (based on comparing it to similar lip products is 0.05oz). If that is correct, this sample is worth $9.23. I will edit this if I ever figure out the size is actually different.

This warm pink has some beige-orange tint. Once I wear this, I will in edit a review and a picture.

The 1.7oz Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed Oil is worth $14.49. This hair mask is for all hair types, so it could work for anyone. I have frizzy hair, and I always want my masks to reduce frizz. It is a very expensive mask, so I cannot see myself buying this unless it is out of this world incredible. There is a mask I love, that is less than half this price for about the same size.

The 0.04oz Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris is worth $3.41. I always use the smallest size to calculate value, because it is the cheapest buy-in. This scent is one I wanted to try based on the notes: Strawberry, Raspberry, Bergamot, Calone, Pear, Orange Flower, Jasmin Sambac, White Peony, Datura, Patchouli, White Musk, Ambrox, Cedarwood, and Crystal Moss. It got substituted from my Sephora order, so I am glad I got it here.

The box has a $47.91 value. My personal value is also $47.91, because I will try everything. These are all new products, and items I really want to try. This has a higher value than the last box. Once items from the current box populate, sneak peeks for the next month become available. The Best In Glow is the theme for November.

If you have any questions I did not cover, please visit the FAQ section. I will answer any posted here if I know the answer. When spots open up on the wait list, they go quickly. Act as fast as possible once you receive the email confirming your spot. The middle of the month is when most people will successfully grab a spot. They send more invitations than spots they have available, so ignore the countdown saying you have more time. Sephora does not inform a single Beauty Insider of all deal details. Certain offers are targeted and others have different purchase minimums based on the code. Remember to check New Offers and/or Recycled Offers before placing an online order for items you loved from the box. Visit my Sephora! Play Page for more information and other box reviews.

See all Sephora Play! articles. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

Disclosure: Affiliate Links