Sephora Sun Safety Kit 2018 Review

See the 2019 Sephora Sun Safety Kit, and all 2019 Sephora Promotions, Sales, GWP, Deals, Promo Codes, and Events.

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I’m here to bring you my Sephora Sun Safety Kit 2018 review. Sephora usually tempts me when it puts out a new Favorites Set. These sets retail for a lot less than the value of the items inside. As long as the items you plan on keeping exceed the value of the price you pay for the set, it is a good deal. This is one of my favorite ways to sample new items, and I like the sets even more when they have some full-sized items inside. While paying for samples is something I do often with subscription boxes, I limit how often I pay for samples in sets. The mystery of subscription boxes and desire to get things I would never purchase prevails in that case. When a set only has samples and costs over $20, I am less likely to purchase it. Paying for samples is not always a bad thing, especially when sets have items you really want to try, and you have not been able to get them for free or as a GWP.

The Sun Safety Kit is usually my favorite of the kits Sephora puts out. It retails for $36 and has an estimated value of $161 (which I dispute below). I’ve purchased one every year since 2013 so this is my sixth one. Sephora donates $20 from every kit to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and $5 (up to $200,000) to The Skin Cancer Foundation. My Dad had skin cancer so I approve of these causes. I also use a lot of sunscreen to hopefully avoid getting skin cancer myself. Even if all the companies donate the products (and I am not sure they do), this is not really a money-maker for Sephora. By the time they pay all the costs associated with selling the product, it is probably a wash. This is more about raising money for a good cause than making money. It also gives consumers a chance to try some new things. If they should fall in love with something, then real money can exchange hands in the future.

There are 16 products inside. One is full-sized, one is travel sized, one has 3 single wipes, and the rest are deluxe samples. Some samples are more generous than others. At $36 for the set, you are paying $2.25 per item. Every item has a value that exceeds that so they all pull their own weight.

For those who can only use certain sunscreens, product information (which includes: ingredients, directions, tips, and warnings) for each item is on the packaging. As with most Sun Safety kits, there is a mixture of chemical sunscreen, physical sunscreen, tanning, lip balm, and makeup. For those like me who like to try a little of everything, this is an excellent kit. While it is more limited for those who only use certain products, they could always gift or donate the items they would not use.

The full-size 1.7 oz Lancome BIENFAIT UV SPF 50+ Super Fluid Facial Sunscreen retails for $40. This sunscreen alone more than covers the cost of the bag. It is also a sunscreen that I happen to love. I love that it is thin and spreads easily. There is no white cast, and it has a slightly dewy finish (that is mostly matte). You will not look shiny as you will with most body sun screen. Layering makeup over this will not cause any pilling, because it sits beautifully on the skin. My skin never burns when I wear this. Though it is not a moisturizer, it feels great and seems to add moisture to my dry skin (which is unusual for a completely matte sunscreen). Because it is thin, it does not clog my pores or give me acne either. Expires Sept 2019.

The 3.4oz Supergoop! Super Power Sunscreen Mousse SPF 50 retails for $19. This is the travel size. This is a lightweight whip. I have not tried it yet, but I love lightweight sunscreens under makeup. They tend to sit a lot nicer under makeup than the thicker ones. Expires March 2019.

The 1.01oz AMOREPACIFIC Resort Collection Sun Protection Mist is worth $12.68. This is almost 40% of the full-size so it is a very generous sample. I love the mist on this and it smells incredible. While you could wear this on makeup free days, I think this is an excellent way to reapply sunscreen on top of makeup. Let’s just hope it does not burn my eyes as other mists with sunscreen tend to. Expires September 2019.

The 0.17oz COOLA Rōsilliance™ Organic BB+ Cream SPF 30 in Light/Medium is worth $5.89. I’ve enjoyed most of the Cool products I’ve tried (other than the setting spray which burns my eyes and strangely says that you should not spray it on the face). I have high hopes for this product, because I love BB creams. They are great for when I want a little coverage but do not want to take the time to apply makeup. Expires December 2019.

The 0.24oz Clinique Pep-Start Moisturizer SPF 20 is worth $4.16. I love moisturizers with SPF for days when I will only be outside for a few minutes. This is a great two-in-one step that provides sun protection. A moisturizer that promises deep hydration and sun protection seems perfect for me. Hopefully, it is as nice as it sounds. No expiration date listed.

The 0.33oz Dr. Jart+ Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30 is worth $11.88. This is 3/4 of the trial size the brand sells for $18 so it is another very generous sample. I am unsure why I have not tried this sooner. It is a color correcting moisturizer with SPF. Those are three things I really want with my red, sensitive, easily burning skin. Expires December 2020.

There are 3 individual wipes of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Pad Self-Tanner for Face. They are 0.07oz each and worth $1.90 per wipe. That makes the trio worth $5.70. I’ve used these in the past and am a huge fan. With the ingredients of the Alpha Beta Peels (which I also love), they also impart color. Those peels usually remove color from other self tanners so this is a great way to get self tanned while applying color to your face. No expiration date listed.

The 0.oz Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte™ Physical Daily Defense SPF 30 is worth $9. This is 1/4 of the full-size so it is another decent sized sample. It is a tinted physical sunscreen. I have not tried it yet, but the reviews seem pretty mixed. We’ll see where I stand. Expires November 2019.

The 0.34oz Farmacy Green Screen Daily Environmental Protector Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 is worth $7.20. This mineral sunscreen from the natural brand has very good reviews. It is an anti-aging sunscreen, which I appreciate. Expires January 2020.

The 0.07oz Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15 in Rose is worth $11.20. This lip balm is almost half of the full-size one. I am in love with all the fresh lip balms. Rose is one of my favorites, because it is very subtle but still provides color to my lips. They moisturize extremely well, feel great on my lips, and last a long time. If I apply some before bed, it is usually still on my lips when I wake up. That is the true test of a long-wearing lip balm. Although this is a great lip balm with sunscreen, I obviously use it indoors as well. There is not a lot of need to SPF on my lips when I am sleeping. No expiration date listed.

The 0.17oz Murad Invisiblur™ Perfecting Shield SPF 30 PA+++ is worth $11.05. This primer gives my skin a very matte, smooth base. Makeup sits so beautifully on top of this, and I love that it gives me sunscreen and primer in one step. My skin never burns with this either. It is the best SPF primer I’ve tried. Expires December 2019.

The 0.5oz Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Lotion SPF 30 is worth $12.35. This is another moisturizer I love to apply when I am making quick trips outside. Having sunscreen and moisturizer in one step saves a lot of time. It is a moderately thick moisturizer so my skin usually feels hydrated (although I have not used it in the winter, which is the real test of how hydrating a moisturizer is). Expires December 2020.

The 0.25oz philosophy Ultimate Miracle Worker Multi-Rejuvenating Cream SPF 30 is worth $14. This is half of the trial size the brand sells so it is a generous sample. This is a moisturizer, sunscreen, and anti-aging product in one. That means it has a lot of work to do. I look forward to seeing how well it does each. Expires August 2019.

The 0.34oz REN Evercalm™ Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask is worth $7.60. I cannot recall seeing a mask in one of these sets before, but I love the new addition. There was an after sun cream by Coola, which is somewhat similar. This rescue mask gets rinsed off like a regular mask though. It should reduce redness, irritation, itchiness, and inflammation. This sounds like a great way to recover from either a long day in the sun or after a sunburn. No expiration date listed.

The 0.23oz Shiseido Wetforce Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 50+ for Face/Body is worth $2.79. I have a love/hate relationship with some Shiseido sunscreens. They usually protect very well, but they leave a white cast that I cannot seem to rub into my skin. Reviews of this product make it seem like it is different from the others so we shall see. This particular one becomes more effective when it is wet. That is really interesting, and it makes it the best one in this kit for swimming. No expiration date listed.

The 0.23oz tarte Tarteguard 30 Vegan Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 is worth $4.33. I’ve heard that non-chemical sunscreens are better for people whose eyes burn when chemical sunscreens get in them. Sadly, this still burns when it gets into my eyes. It does protect my skin from burning and feels nice on. Expires November 2020.

Some of these products are staples to the Sun Safety Kit. The fresh lip balm, Peter Thomas Roth moisturizer, tarte sunscreen, and Murad primer make it into almost every kit. This is great for people who like the products. They are all great to me so I never mind receiving duplicates. It is nice that there are always new products each year to go along with what those staples. There are brands that are staples to the bag but the products offered in the bag vary. Those are: Shisedio, Supergoop!, Coola, and St. Tropez. It is the first time in a while St. Tropez did not have an offering, but I have a feeling it will return next year for those who missed it this year.

According to my calculations, this kit is worth $178.83 before you even add the value of the bag it comes in. The bag is cute and large so it definitely has value. This is way over Sephora’s $161 estimate so I ran the numbers twice. I am not sure how Sephora is so off, but I stand by my numbers. It is always better when you get more than the advertised value than less. My personal value is $178.83, because I will try to use everything in this set. The value in this bag is incredible and anyone who loves to experiment with sunscreens or give money to a good cause would probably enjoy this set. It is an incredible deal and a bag I will happily purchase every year.

There are some items I may gift if I cannot get to them on time. Between the sunscreen that expires in less than a year and all the sunscreens I already have in my collection, that is a possibility. I never use the expiration date as a hard end. Manufacturers usually list the expiration date as three years from its production date. Many still work past the expiration date. If the product still looks and smells fine up to six months past the listed date, I still use it. Granted, I would not use an expired sunscreen on a beach or water park day, but I would use it for errands around town. That is preferable to tossing a perfectly good product because it “expired.” If you choose to use sunscreen past the expiration date, do so with caution. It is a personal decision so feel free to toss it if you are uncomfortable taking the risk.

I used the promo code HOLYGRAIL for a 0.14oz Tatcha The Silk Canvas Face Primer and a 0.17oz Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream. That promo code gives two products from four choices with a $35 purchase. The other two are a 0.5oz Kate Somerville Cold Cream Cleanser and a 0.13oz Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Exfoliating Moisturizer. It is a multi use code so anyone wanting all four items could place two orders and receive two on each. Although I do want all four items, the discount starts Friday. I’d rather have the percentage off for upcoming orders.

These are both items I’ve wanted to try so this promo code was wonderful for me. So far, I’ve only seen positive reviews for the eye cream. I’ve heard mixed reviews for the Tatcha primer.

Once I try this, I will come back and let you know which side of the fence I stand on.

One thing is clear. Tatcha has some of the most beautiful packaging in the beauty industry. Even the samples are beautiful. Some high-end brands use cheap sample containers, but even Tatcha samples are fancy. This lid has a ceramic feel.

The samples I received with this order were: a 0.34oz Christophe Robin Gentle Reconstructive Cleansing Milk, a 0.34oz Christophe Robin Instant Nourishing Conditioner, a single use sample of the Cover FX High Impact Shimmer shades in Moonstone, Soleil, and Amethyst, and a 0.03oz Giorgio Armani fluid sheer shade 2. Two of these are the samples I ordered, which is pretty good for a Sephora order.

What are your thoughts on the Sephora Sun Safety Kit? Let me know below. Sephora does not inform any Beauty Insider of all promotions. It does list a great deal of them on its Beauty Offers page, but I list some it does not on my Sephora Deals Page. Between the ones it lists and the ones I list, you can catch most of them. Subscribe to emails to get targeted offers. If you’re spending over $25 online, there is always a promo code that you can apply. Most major events run on a set schedule, which is why I track them. See all Sephora articles. Read Tips For Getting the Best Deal When Shopping Sephora. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

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