Sephora Play! May 2019 Review – Beauty BFFs Subscription Box

It’s time for my Sephora Play May 2019 review. Play! by Sephora is a subscription box that offers five deluxe beauty samples and a bonus foil packet or perfume vial for $10 a month plus tax. Shipping is free. Only items sold at Sephora come inside the Play! box so most items are from well-known, high-end brands. While Sephora does carry a few low-end and luxury brands, they do not really appear in the subscription boxes. 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 to Beauty Insiders, 12.5 points to VIB members, and 15 points to VIB Rouge members. This Play! box also applies $10 toward your purchase minimum to maintain your Beauty Insider status. Visit my Sephora page for descriptions on points and status. The $10 charge processes immediately for new subscribers and from the 1st through the 4th for succeeding months. Boxes usually ship from the 11th through the 15th.

Annual Play by Sephora Review

This article covers my May 2019 Sephora Play Box review, but you can see a synopsis of a year of Play! by Sephora Box reviews vs a year of Birchbox reviews. Every year, I review my $10 boxes against each other, so I can declare the annual winner. This is also helpful for those who would like to see a year of reviews for either box in one place. Birchbox did raise its prices for select members, but it is still $10 for me. For those who are not ACES on the $10 plan, I will consider that when I do the annual comparison for 2019.

About the Play! by Sephora Subscription

You can view contents on one box at a time accessing the links through your Sephora order history. There are times when I can see all my Sephora history from that link and other times where it cuts older orders off. The past boxes link does give complete details on the last six boxes.

Boxes get customized based on your profile. Make sure you update your Play! Profile, because it does not use the Sephora profile for this box. There is not a lot of variety in the boxes, but there is enough to justify updating your profile. If you received a box that does not suit you, update your profile. You can continue to play with your settings until you are happy with what you’re receiving. If no adjustments help, cancel your subscription. You can view 6 samples that were available this month through shop the products link. My Sephora Play May 2019 review is from box version is 2205029.

Sephora Play May 2019 Box Theme

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 May 2019 Sephora Play box is Beauty BFFs. This wants us to step into spring with tips and tricks that are perfect for this season’s budding beauty.

Getting More from Your Play! By Sephora Box

Each box comes with a Play! Pass. The Play! Pass is 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.

Using promo code PLAYMAY19 online with a $20 purchase will also award 50-points. That code from the April 2019 Sephora Play Box is valid from 05/15/19 through 06/30/19. Getting 50-points for an online order is not ideal unless you have free shipping and are only spending $20 or really have no interest in any of the active promo codes. At $25 spent, there are always a number of promo codes you qualify for. Considering it takes 100-points to redeem one perk and the perks are usually about the same as the free product in a promo code, you’d pass on a promo worth 100-points to redeem the promo code for 50-points.

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 thick ziplock bag. You can reuse these bags. It is usually a red bag. This is the first time it was purple.

My May 2019 Sephora Play Box Review

The 0.1oz Benefit Cosmetics BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara is worth $9.29. This is a very volumunous mascara that gives borderline spider lashes and clumps with only a single coat. For people like me who prefer separated, defined lashes, this is not the best mascara. I will not keep this duplicate. See my review of this mascara and pictures of me wearing it.

The 0.07oz Lancome CILS BOOSTER XL Super-Enhancing Mascara Base is worth $6.50. I really love this mascara primer. It helps build volume without contributing to clumps. As I’ve given away a lot of this lately, there is a chance I might keep this duplicate.

The 0.17oz Kora Organics Noni Glow Face Oil is worth $11.45. I have dry skin, so I like trying out new oils. It was nice to see this sample.

The 0.84oz Sol de Janeiro Coco Cabana Cream retails for $10 when it is sold in this size. While I do not like the fragrance as much as I like the original one, I think the kettle corn scent is nice. It is the most hydrating formula from the line, so I think this is the only one I’d use in the winter. I did not notice glitter when I was out in the sun like I do with the other two. If it is in there, it is less perceptible.

The 0.67oz Moroccanoil Protect & Prevent Spray is worth $5.12. My hair is dry and gets tangled easily. I have not tried this specific leave-in yet, but I will keep this duplicate if I like it once I finally try it.

The 0.05oz Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne is worth $3.40. This is a duplicate to my collection, but I may keep it. I love the fragrance blends of Ambrette Seeds, Sea Salt, and Sage. It is described as a fresh aquatic scent, and I think that is the perfect way to explain it.

Was the May 2019 Sephora Play Box Worth it?

The May 2019 Sephora Play box has a $45.76 value. This brings the average box value for the year to $38.58. My personal value is at least $21.45, because I will definitely keep the two items that are new to my collection. I’ve already used and reviewed (above) one. Only the mascara is an item I definitely will not keep. All others are up in the air. For the new Sol de Janeiro product alone, this box was worth it. I has been going back and forth on whether I was going to buy it at full-price or try to wait for a sale. Trying it here was perfect, because I know I will prefer the original in the warmer months and this one in the colder months. Getting all the other items, including a new oil to try, only make this better. I am happy with this box.

What are your thoughts on my May 2019 Play! by Sephora Box review? 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. Sign up for Sephora 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 Play! articles. Read Tips For Getting the Best Deal When Shopping Sephora. Subscribe to the blog to get updates on all posts. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

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