I am ready to play!
 |
| from the Sephora website |
I haven’t done beauty boxes in a while because I find them hard to customize and get right for everyone. I’m sure they have gotten better and more sophisticated since I quit my Birchbox subscription years ago (they just piled up and I never seemed to have time to open them). When Sephora sent me an email inviting me to join their subscription service, I couldn’t resist!
I did check the website for previews beforehand, but it wasn’t giving me much until it actually shipped. I am excited about the samples included in April’s box!
I have been wanting to try Sunday Riley’s Good Genes for some time and am happy to see this highly-raved-about cream in the box, especially since I have been after it. Good Genes is an “all-in-one Lactic Acid Treatment” that’s supposed to exfoliate, brighten, and clarify for “immediate, smooth radiance.” As excited as I am about Good Genes, I am currently testing a lactic acid serum with similar ingredients, so this will have to wait until I’m done with that. But just as a hint, my skin seems to be really enjoying lactic acid! So I’m even more eager to try and compare Good Genes to the product I am using now! The only unexciting part about Good Genes is its retail price, $105.00 for 1 oz. Folks seem to love it though, so there must be something.
Also included in the box is a sample Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien. I really like Nars Cruella, the velvet matte version of this lip pencil included as a birthday gift for Beauty Insiders last year. Rikugien is described as a rose pink and I’d like to imagine it’s the name of a beautiful, bad-ass, sword-wielding anime character. π Turns out, it’s a beautiful garden in Tokyo. I’m ok with that.
Milk Makeup is relatively new on the scene and recently I tried two of their lip colors and was pretty impressed by them. So naturally, I am curious about their addition to the Sephora Play! box with their Sunshine Oil. The oil can be used on the face and body for moisture and brightness. Now because I have oily skin, and also because this appears to contain fragrance, I probably won’t be using this on my face, but will definitely try it on my body. It doesn’t currently have many reviews, but the ones it does have are all positive. At $38.00 retail for 0.5 oz., I’m hoping it turns me into a soft, golden goddess.
I’m pretty cynical about eye creams and this is how I will likely approach Clinique’s Pep Start, included in the box this month. It’s described as an “instant brightening and hydrating eye cream” that’s designed to fight the look of fatigue and support “natural collagen preserves.” As with Good Genes, I am currently testing out a different eye cream, but will definitely keep this one in mind once I’ve made up my mind about the other one. I’m down to try anything that might help with my eye bags!
It wouldn’t be an inclusive beauty box without a perfume sample, right? Derek Lam 10 Crosby’s 2am Kiss, is included as a sample in the box this month. The fragrance is described as a “Salty caramel wrapped in a rich crystalized amber.” I’m skeptical about that description, as I’m not a huge fan of amber anything, but willing to keep an open mind.
Lastly, I must say how pleased I am that Sephora includes something from its own brand (seems to be a recurring theme). I think the Sephora Collection is highly underrated and they make really good products people should pay more attention to. For this box, they included the Sephora Collection Colorful Cheek Ink Gel in Peony. I’m not a huge blush person, but I do love trying blushes that aren’t powder-based! I really like their Airbrush blush and am very excited to try this gel formula. If I like it enough, I might just pick up Water Lily, a bright pink which I suspect will suit me better as far a color payoff and intensity. But that is me jumping to conclusions; I can only wait and see what Peony has in store for me!
I am scheduled to receive my box by Thursday so the countdown begins!
*This post includes affiliate links
-XX
