Sephora Play! March 2018
Sephora Play March 2018
Box Variant #364
Amika
Soulfood Nourishing Mask | $28
I don’t know what sea buckthorn berry is but I LOVE it. This is my holy grail of hair masks. I’ve purchased this stuff before, it’s that amazing. I discovered it years ago when I subbed to Birchbox, and from the moment I first used it, I was floored at how soft and shiny my hair became. It’s like conditioner on steroids. It transformed my dry hair into magically soft, shimmering unicorn hair. The kind you see models toss back in shampoo commercials.
I don’t know how or why or if a wizard makes it by the light of a full moon, but it just works. When I use this on the weekends, I can’t stop touching my hair. It’s unbelievably soft. And it smells freaking fantastic. I don’t say this often but I think it’s well worth the $28 price tag. A little goes a very long way. Thinking about restocking a tub when the Sephora spring sale starts.
Korres
Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cleanser | $26
This was almost a win for me. No silicones or citrus oils or drying alcohols. But there is fragrance and in a significant amount. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely smell. Very subtle and it does fade after a minute or two. If I didn’t have sensitive skin, I’d be all over this. It’s creamy, gentle, and very, very soothing. It also felt quite hydrating. Many cleansers can strip the skin dry and leave it tight afterwards, but this one won’t. It’s ideal for those with normal to dry skin. It’s just not ideal for fragrance-sensitive skin. I’ll use up the rest when cleansing sunscreen off my chest and shoulders, so this won’t go to waste. But it won’t be a purchase, I’m afraid.
Supergoop
Defense Refresh Setting Mist Broad Spectrum SPF 50 | $28.00
I’ve sampled this before. It’s a great idea of a product that fails on a few points. The largest being that a spray sunscreen isn’t going to provide you with adequate coverage or protection. You’re still going to get sunburned (as I found out testing it last year) and it won’t prevent harmful UV rays from reaching your skin and photoaging it. Sun is the single biggest cause of aging your face (aside from genetics) and of course, melanoma is fucking terrifying. So, sunscreen every day, folks.
As to the other claims of being a weightless mist that sets makeup, the full-sized spray can does that very well. Unfortunately the spray nozzle for this sample size does not. It comes out less of a fine mist and more of a wet, uneven spritz. Kinda like being spit on by a ghost. So, user beware. As to the controlling shine and oil, I don’t really have that issue so I can’t say.
Ingredients-wise, it’s highly problematic for sensitive skin. It’s got a high amount of denatured alcohol which can be super drying. And it’s got both peppermint and spearmint oil, which can irritate and inflame sensitive skin (it makes my face sting really bad). So for me, I’ll use this spray on less sensitive areas like the backs of my hands and tops of my feet (no sandal tan!) But as for buying it, hard pass.
Bobbi Brown
Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm | $68.00
Since my 2018 resolution was to not sample things that might harm my skin, I passed on testing this balm, even though it looked interesting. Ingredients-wise it has a few silicones and some irritating citrus oils. On the plus side, I liked the shea butter, the primrose oil, and the caffeine. So if you’re not sensitive to the former, then the latter might provide a wonderful moisturizing, illuminating effect. And at $68 a ounce, this one’s not for the budget conscious shopper. For me, it’s a pass. But I’ll offer it up to my coworkers and see if it’s a match for their skincare needs. At worst, it’s a fun little luxury they can sample.
Stila
Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black | $22.00
Stila’s liquid liner is felt tip, waterproof, perfectly black, and smudge-proof. All in all, a pretty great liner. It goes on easy, spreads fluidly, looks very black, and has a nice satin finish. It does “stay all da” as the name implies. So if you’re in the market for something like this, I do recommend checking it out.
Stila’s liner used to be my favorite liquid pen until I discovered Kat Von D’s Tattoo liner. I much prefer the KVD pen over Stila for two big reasons. One, it’s $2 cheaper. And two, Kat Von D’s liner is a brush tip which I feel lasts longer than Stila’s felt tip (which dries out quicker in my experience). It also feels softer on my eyelids when applying because there’s a bit of give to the bristles. The felt tip is somewhat rigid. But both perform identically when on the lid, lasting for 10-12 hours with no degradation. So it’s really a coin toss as to which you might like more.
IGK
Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm | $28.00
Deja vu? I got this four months ago. Now I’m getting it again for some reason. The review from November is here, if you’re interested. STOP WITH THE DUPES AND BRING BACK THE PERFUME SAMPLES.
