Sephora Play! December 2017
Sephora Play! December 2017
Box Variant #593
This month's foldout is actually interesting and worth a read. The infographics provide a fascinating insight into the beauty box subscription service model. Like 32% of lip stick samples were in a berry shade.
Smashbox
Cover Shots Eye Shadow Duo - Golden Hour | $29
Finally, an eyeshadow! In nearly three years of subscribing to Sephora Play, I’ve only ever received three eyeshadows. The first was a Smashbox duo just like this one, in a warm nude. I love it to death and frequently travel with it, so I was thrilled to finally get another one. This duo comes from the Golden Hour palette, which is a steal at $29. The two shades specifically are Turned On and Psyched. Turned On is a soft peachy pink shade with a satin finish. Pigmentation is relatively good, I’ve rate it as medium. Psyched is a terra-cotta shade with a shimmer formula. It’s definitely more sheer and needs layering to build up pigmentation. And with this particular shade, there is considerable shimmer fallout. Be prepared to clean up under your eyes or hold a tissue under during application.
But, together they do create a gorgeous, soft and easy eye look (photos below). I tossed this compact right into my travel bag for the holidays. It’s definitely going into regular rotation and I’ll probably spring for one of the many Cover Shots palettes on my next Sephora trip. They’re of great quality, solid value, and super fun to travel around with.
Laura Mercier
Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Au Natural | $29
I own a few of these already and I love them. They are the perfect on-the-go shadows when you don’t have time to for elaborate looks. In fact, they are my favorite one-and-done product. Swipe on (no brush needed) and blur the edges with your fingertips. That’s it! Stupid easy. The formula is soft and creamy, very pigmented, and effortless to apply. Worn over a primer, they won’t crease. And they will stay for days on end. Seriously, the arm swatch I made for this blog lasted through a shower and partially into the next day.
Caviar sticks are worth every penny. They are ideal for those who like to hit the snooze button twice, for those who don’t have time for layers and blending, and those who might need to do their makeup on the train or airport bathroom without aid of brushes or large, fragile palettes. The sample in this box arrived in shade Au Natural, a matte pinky nude. It’s a welcome addition to my collection.
IT Cosmetics
Confidence In a Cream™ Transforming Moisturizing Super Cream | $48
Another jar of moisturizer with a ton of sciencey sounding marketing. This one hypes, “Developed with plastic surgeons…” Uh, no. I would generally like to avoid scalpel-wielding plastic surgeons. I don’t want their recommendations, either for a moisturizer or a caught-in-a-windtunnel facelift. But, the hilarity doesn’t stop there folks. This cream boasts, “proprietary anti-aging armour rejuvenating concentrate™” that is “activated upon contact.” In other words, this cream works by putting it on your face.
This jar contains a lot of bullshit. The 233 word ingredient list is staggering, and includes a lot of harsh citrus oils that can irritate or damage skin, as well as silicone. While there are a few beneficial antioxidants and peptides, they’re buried under a load of alcohol and fragrant essential oils. The result is a thick, chemical-scented cream that leaves your skin tacky for half an hour and faintly smelling of orange house cleaner for the remainder of the day. Hard pass on this one.
Clinique
Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen | $21
I didn’t even know Clinique made a liquid liner and a decent one at that. So this was a nice surprise. This liner is a tapered brush tip (not felt tip, which I hate). The formula is fluid and slightly watery, although shaking a bit before use might alleviate that. It initially applied thin (as you can see in the photo below, bottom line), so I made a couple passes over it until I achieved a nice, black line (top line).
Some liquid liners dry so quickly that attempts to layer it often removes the product. Not so with this pen, you can build up the pigment as thick as you wish. It does dry down satin (not matte) and once set, does not budge. It wore well for around eight hours.A pretty decent liner overall, and certainly one I’ll put to use. Although for me, the best is still Kat Von D’s Tattoo Liner. No need to build up color and a super black formula that goes down smooth as satin.
DryBar
Triple Sec 3-in-1 | $26
I like DryBar. I’ve never experienced their salon blow outs, but they make some decent products that smell nice. This spray (which I’ve sampled before) is a good multi-tasker for those who want a simplified routine or don’t like a lot of bathroom clutter. It’s a dry shampoo, for when you want to get up and out of the house without all the labor involved in showering, shampooing, conditioning, drying, and styling your hair. It’s also a volumizer, for those of us who have fine hair that just can’t even. And it gives a bit of artful texture if you’re going for some tousled beach waves.
I like to use it on weekends when I need to go run errands, but don’t have the two hours prep time needed for a bombshell hair day. Just fall out of bed, fill my body with coffee, flip my head upside down, spray this stuff everywhere, wait a bit, flip back up, then tease with fingers and clip into a messy bun. Viola. Ready to go. Mike is also a fan, although he doesn’t realize it, as it reduces the amount of bathroom time I spend when he’s already dressed and waiting by the door. Because his hair is 1” long and always looks amazing. Final pro tip: Sephora sells mini $13 cans of this you can travel with or try out without the full price tag commitment.
Dior
Miss Dior - The New Eau de Parfum | $75-$130
Dior reformulates and re-releases Miss Dior every year. Why? I have no idea, maybe they just like rebooting the franchise. The original Miss Dior debuted in 1947. It was lovely and complex. Part of the appeal was the lush, earthy oak moss character (now restricted in the industry due to increasing allergic reactions). But there was also a delicate layering of herbals, florals, musks, and resins to create a gorgeous, well-rounded perfume worthy of the name of a fashion icon.
The current release (September 2017) is a cheap fruit basket delivered in cellophane wrapping, with a grocery store bouquet of roses. The opening is fruity to the nth. Sweet orange, Mandarin orange, blood orange, lemon, and bergamot. I can't tell if they're trying to make a perfume or an overpriced brunch mimosa. Pink pepper tries to add a soft, dry spice but it's overshadowed by the brassy citrus. Then, a double helping of rose gets added to the mix, Grasse and damask to be precise. These feel tame alongside the fruit, and in absence of a musk which would lend it a more sexy vibe. There’s also a strange, cold metallic ring to it all, that makes it feel like wearing a chemical cleaning product. Jasmine leaf, rosewood, and patchouli round out the bottom for a disappointingly bland send off.
Gone are the vibrant green notes of the original. The lushness. The crisp herbals. The warmth of amber. The sensuality of musks. The new Miss Dior feels cold and empty. Like a fake smile at a party where you’re trying to convince everyone you’re having the time of your life but inside you know it’s all a lie and you’re just floating around disengaged and on cruise control until it becomes socially acceptable to make your quiet departure. Here's hoping for a return to form one day.
Overall, a pretty fabulous box. I'll use everything but the face cream (which I might just massage on my feet). Here's a complete look with the Smashbox duo and the Clinique pen. Additional products: NARS blush in Orgasm. Milani Amore Matte Lip Cream in Beloved. Mascara is L'Oreal Lash Paradise. Highlighter is Heavens from an old Kat Von D True Romance eye shadow palette. No foundation. No filters.
