Sephora Play! November 2017

Sephora Play November 2017
Box Variant #973

I love the coloring book design this month! And the bag. I wish it came with markers though. Maybe I'll color it in using beauty box subscription samples I don't plan to wear...

Sephora Collection
Ultra Shine Lip Gel in Perfect Nude | $12

Well folks, it’s a lip gloss. As basic as it comes. It’s…uh…glossy. On the thick side of consistency. A tiny bit sticky but not overwhelmingly so. Semi-sheer. No glitter or shimmer. On my pigmented lips, this nude shade doesn’t really show much color. I just get a slight enhancement of my natural berry lip color. Which is fine if you’re looking for a nude gloss. I’m sure the more vibrant shades in the collection have more color payoff. But I’m not a big gloss wearer, I have a few (especially digging the Fenty Gloss Bomb) and I feel like my gloss needs are set for now. But hey, this is cheap and decent if you are looking for something shiny.

Burberry
My Burberry Blush | $29-$120

Opening is pink grapefruit. Tart. Acidic. Mouth watering. [looks at notes] Actually it’s not grapefruit, but lemon and pomegranate, which my nose can’t separate. Definitely getting a granny smith apple crispness from this, which is delicious. And geranium, which is not a note I’d normally be able to pick out BUT I have a Mrs. Meyers geranium kitchen soap and it smells exactly like that. Slight chemical vibe from time to time but nothing too distracting. The dry down is soft rose. The jasmine is faint, nearly undetectable.

Overall, Blush reminds me of a pleasant drugstore shampoo. Garnier Fructis-esque? It’s summery and citrusy, with fleeting whisps of airy flowers. It’s easy on the nose with a low profile. It would make a very office friendly fragrance. Lasts for around 5-6 hours. Notes: Lemon, pomegranate, rose, green apple, geranium, jasmine, wisteria.

Origins
Clear Improvement® Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores | $27

This is a mask for combo/oily skin types that helps to unclog pores and clear complexions. My skin is on the normal side and my pores are pretty clean. My skin is clear as a bell right now. I don’t have need of this at all. So…I swapped it. My coworker who gets Sephora Play! brought her box in and we negotiated a trade. I handed over my Origins mask and she swapped for a small vial of Moroccanoil Treatment.

My fine hair loves oils and this one was no exception. Moroccanoil is a rich, thick argan oil that you can apply to towel-dried hair. This one was lovely to massage through my strands. Slight nutty scent but nothing overpowering. I kinda liked it. And where my face doesn’t like silicones, my hair loves them. A bit of oil and a comb slips right through. No tangles whatsoever. Blast it with the hair dryer and boom: shiny happy hair. Soft. Silky. No frizz.

Right now I’m hooked on the Beauty Protector oil from Birchbox ($28 for 4 oz), but since it’s the only thing I ever order from them and can’t get it in stores, this Moroccanoil sample might be just the brand to switch teams for. At $34 a bottle (1.7 oz) it’s a little more pricey but the ease of acquiring it, especially with a coupon or sale, along with the quality makes it a viable option for me.

Perricone MD
H2 Elemental Energy Hydrating Cloud Cream | $80

This is the first moisturizer sample I’ve received that’s actually impressing. It’s a gel-cream hybrid, which means it’s ideal for normal skin, as well as slightly dry or slightly oily/combo skin. As the name suggests, it does feel weightless like a cloud. The texture is almost fluffy when you dip into the product. Applying it is a dream. It smoothes out instantly and it absorbs within seconds. Not minutes. Seconds. Less than ten. Boom, right into the skin. It has a matte finish and skin feels silky to the touch. Zero fragrance.

I love it. I can’t tell if it’s re-energizing my skin but I can tell that it’s hydrating it. I wore it on on my hands for a full day at the office in the dry, heated, moisture-sapped air and it kept them super soft for hours on end. I really like this stuff. The one downside for me is that it has a lot of dimethicone in it. If it weren’t for the ONE silicone ingredient, I might be up for buying a jar of it. If your skin isn’t sensitive to cones, and you are in the market for a luxury moisturizer, this is fantastic stuff.

IGK
Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm | $29

I already did my brief rant on IGK’s tasteless product names, so I won’t retread that. This leave-in conditioner product performs similarly to their shampoo and conditioner. It’s a thick balm you can apply after washing and towel drying, for added moisture. It’s winter and Static City has it’s first official visitor, so this is the first thing I grabbed out of my box to try. I scrunched in through my hair after a shower and gave it all a gentle blow out. The resulting hair is soft. Not quite shiny as the packaging suggests, but no static and no frizz. Slight coconut scent upon application but it faded quickly and I can’t discern it after drying. I actually think it’s just a fancied up, squeezable form of coconut oil which you can buy from the grocery store at three times the size, for less than ten bucks. And which I’d recommend doing instead of buying this for $30.

Marc Jacobs Beauty
Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara | $28

This mascara does some things right but some things horribly. To start, it gives okay volume. Not amazing but better than most. The bristle-style brush gives decent separation. No clumps or spider leg lashes. No smudging either, which is excellent. But after a few hours, Velvet Noir begins to flake off. Half way into my day there was little black specks on my cheeks and under my lids. And my eyes were all kinds of itchy. I managed to make it to the end of my work day before desperately grabbing the makeup wipes and washing my lashes clean. Then I raced home and flushed my eyes out under the faucet. So, yes to the volume and but no to the lasting power. This one’s a skip for me, and a toss right into the garbage bin.