Sephora Play! Beauty Remedy Edition
Sephora released TWO limited edition luxury Play bags in October. The theme was, "The Beauty Remedy Edition" and the email blurb read, "Indulge in modern luxury with state-of-the-art formulas and breakthrough ingredients that are sure to cure beauty bag boredom." There were two bags (Edition I and II), each listed for $20, in very limited quantities, and made available to VIB Rouge members. I chose the Edition II because it had three makeup samples and Edition I only had two. I resisted the urge to get both. The urge was strong, let me tell you.
In the end, it didn't matter which one I ordered because there was a shipping mix up and I received Edition I instead of II. Not the end of the world, obviously, but I figured I would call Sephora just to let them know. I also got to dial the private Rouge hotline for the first time, which was exciting. No waiting on a phone queue for 20 minutes listening to a recorded message about how my call is important to a soulless mega-corporation. I got an human instantly on the line.
The gentleman who answered the Rouge hotline was already way ahead of me. Apparently everyone got the wrong box. He apologized profusely, even though I wasn't upset in the slightest, just confused. He refunded my money (wow?) and told me I could keep the box (double wow). He apologized three more times and thanked me for my understanding. This was astoundingly good customer service. I am very happy to be a Rouge member. I told them as much when I took the post-call survey. Anyway, on to the box!
La Mer
Moisturizing Soft Creme | $85-$315
This showed up in the first luxury Play box back in June, so it’s kind of a drag to get another one. I mean, I’ll use it up, but duplicating a sample when you’re only on the third iteration of a new service seems like a stupid move. I won’t re-review it, but you can find my original review here.
SK-II
R.N.A. Power Eye Cream Radical New Age | $135
In the last luxury box, I got a SK-II essence. I didn’t try it out since it seemed more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. And I have a solid skincare routine in place that I’m hesitant to disrupt. But I feel bad for not testing it, so I gave their eye cream a try. I dabbed and patted a bit around my eyes in the evening after washing my face. It’s a nice, thick cream. Goes on smooth. Absorbs well. Isn’t tacky or greasy. There’s a faint scent but it’s not really identifiable and fades immediately after application. And that’s about it. It moisturized well. My eye skin felt hydrated. But it usually does when I put a moisturizer there, so that’s not really stand out feature.
The package claims it creates “visible firmness around the eyes while enhancing natural skin surface renewal.” I cannot tell any difference whatsoever in the firmness of my eyes. My skin looks the same as it ever does. Considering this price point, I want to see something happen. Anything. Show me where my money’s going. Because as it stands, the only benefit this seems be the psychological “pampering” aspect of putting on an eye cream. Which maybe is the value. But I think I can achieve that effect at a fraction of the cost.
TATCHA
The Silk Cream | $120
Alright, a brand I’ve never tried! That’s always interesting and fun. Being a newcomer to the brand, I decided to look them up before diving in, to get a feel for what their angle is. Everyone has an angle. I create angles as an Art Director in marketing.
“For over 300 years, Japan’s geisha have been held in awe for their enduring wisdom and breathtakingly beautiful, porcelain skin. Perfected through centuries, it’s widely believed that their beauty secrets were passed down from one generation of geisha to the next by word of mouth alone. TATCHA rediscovered these coveted daily regimes in a 200-year-old manuscript. In homage to these icons of Eastern beauty, a proprietary process was developed with scientists, scholars, and geisha themselves, involving the very best green teas, Okinawa red algae, and rice bran. The secrets of the geisha live on in TATCHA.”
Well…a few thoughts. I wonder if a beauty line based on Geisha practices should maybe come from Geisha’s themselves and not a tourist who stumbled onto it and saw dollar signs. Which also leads me to wonder if people are buying this because of science, or if they’re buying into a luxury form of exoticism. Either way it makes for interesting thinking. But on to the cream...
It’s a gel-cream hybrid, a middle weight product for those who aren’t parched like a desert or shiny like an oil slick. It goes on smooth and silky, much like the kimonos referenced in the marketing copy. There’s a hint of lemon and a dash of sea salt to the fragrance. I expected cherry blossom or green tea, but that would have been too on the nose. Anyway the smell is subtle and disappears with minutes. No greasy residue. My skin was smooth and soft to the touch. It felt moisturized. And that’s about it. No firmer skin, suppleness, or diminished fine lines. Just good moisture.
Much like the other two creams, I’ll use this up but not shell out for a full size. I do think, like the other samples, the value is the visuals and rituals behind using the cream. Tatcha Silk Cream is sold in a delicate white apple-shaped jar. The lid holds a tiny golden spoon that you lift to scoop out a pearl-sized drop of cream. And you smooth it over your face while reading about how Geisha draped themselves in over twelve yards of exquisite kimono silk everyday to soften their skin. Whether or not it works as advertised is immaterial. You’re already lost in the fantasy (much like your cash).
Atelier Cologne
Santal Carmin | $250
OH HELL YESSSSSSS!!!!! [commence victory dance around the living room] Okay, confession time. I’ve gone to Sephora twice a year, for many years now, to get free samples of this perfume. I’m in love with it but it’s so damn expensive I keep putting off buying it. Thus, the samples. It’s one of my all-time favorites and one of my go-to Fall/Winter fragrances. To me it smells like toasted marshmallows over a campfire with a whisper of caramel. It’s so warm and lovely and cozy. You just want to spray it on and wrap yourself up in it like a blanket.
One day I will be loaded with cash and I will stroll into Atelier Cologne to purchase a full bottle of this. But thankfully Sephora has sent me this travel spray to tide me over until I can afford to do so. Or maybe they were just getting tired of that one weird lady asking for another free sample of Santal Carmin. Notes, for the fragrance nerds: Bergamot, Limette, Saffon, Sandalwood, Gaiac Wood, White Musk, Papyrus, Cedarwood, Vanilla.
Giorgio Armani Beauty
Ecstasy Shine Lipstick in Four Hundred Red | $38
I admit I don’t explore the Armani beauty line much. I never hear about it and rarely see anyone use it. So I’m glad to get a sample and push myself out of my usual routine. From what I can tell, Giorgio Armani appears to market a little towards the older crowd. All of the makeup products lean towards the moisturizing side (which mature skin often needs) and there’s no glittery highlighters or brilliant eyeshadows. Everything is skewed towards the natural and the classic ends of the spectrum. So that’s why you won’t see a lot of 24-year olds raving about it on Instagram.
Giorgio Armani Beauty Ecstasy Shine Lipstick in 400
That said, this lipstick/lip balm hybrid is pretty wonderful. The color payoff is intense. The shine is very wet looking. Like a classic Corvette pulling out of the car wash. And the formula is like wearing butter on your lips. It’s SO soft. Maybe it’s the dry winter air or maybe I’m just part of that “older crowd” with mature skin, but this stuff feels wonderful to wear. It’s glossy and slippery, and you just want to rub your lips together over and over. Because it’s cream-based, it’s not going to be kiss proof. It’ll need wiping off your coffee mug after every sip. But your lips won’t start peeling after a few hours, so I think that’s a fair trade off. You can control how you apply it too. You can do a thin layer and blot for a sheer-er look or you can layer it on for deep color (the swatches here are three passes each). So, I consider this a win. If you’re looking for a hydrating lipstick that doesn’t feel like lipstick and won’t dry you out, this is gonna be your jam.
Givenchy
Le Rouge Perfecto Beautifying Lip Balm | $36
I got so excited to try all the things in my box that I didn’t read the description for this and just slapped it right on. Two seconds later my lips are on fire and I’m tearing open the card packet to figure out why. Turns out it’s supposed to do that. It’s one of those lip plumpers. (The stinging died down after a few minutes) Most lip plumpers don’t seem to do anything noticeable. They either tingle, sting, taste of mint, or feel icy on the skin. Sometimes they leave my lips flaking off from chemical burns (looking at you, Buxom Lip Polish). But never do they actually plump. Which is fine by me, I’m not into that bee-stung look. But they should have follow through on claims.
Givenchy’s Le Rouge Perfecto works much the same as Dior’s Addict Lip Maximizer. The key difference is that Le Rouge Perfecto is a solid lipstick formula and Lip Maximizer is a thick, liquid gloss. Both tingle and shine and lie to you about plumping. And they both have gorgeous luxury packaging that attempts to justify the high price tag. With Givenchy, you’re paying for the pink genuine leather casing. It is very pretty, I must admit. But I don’t really need it in my life. Thanks for the burn though.
Marketing Materials
While not as cool a concept as the tarot cards from the last luxury box, these product cards do contain useful information such as the size and amount you're supposed to apply and what time of day it should fall into in your routine. And the pink soft-sided box with the netting inside is particularly useful. I can absolutely find a use for this, unlike all the cloth bags from regular Play! boxes which get tossed into the Goodwill bin. Overall, a great buy even considering the shipping mix-up. To me, the $20 I would have spent (had I not been refunded) was worth it alone for the mini fragrance.
