This is a review of a limited edition luxury sample box called Play! Luxe by Sephora. Subscribers of Sephora's monthly cosmetic subscription box were offered first notice of this box, so I was finally able to order one since I'm a subscriber. I was never able to snag previous luxury boxes from Sephora because they were first offered to customers who spend the most (Rouge), then VIB, then Beauty Insiders. Since I'm only a Beauty Insider, I always missed out. This one costs $25 which is $5 more than the previous boxes. Its retail value is $110.00. It works out to $4.16 per sample compared to the regular $10 Play! box which has samples for only $1.66 each. Included in this edition, Volume 1 was the following:
- SK-II - R.N.A. Power Face Cream, made in Japan, .08 fl. oz., $6.81 retail value, full size costs $230.00!
- Atelier Cologne - Iris Rebelle Cologne Absolue, made in France, .14 fl. oz. $11.90 retail value, full size costs $85.00
- Giorgio Armani - Eyes to Kill Mascara, made in France, .06 fl. oz., $5.81 retail value, full size costs $32.00
- La Mer - The Eye Concentrate, made in Canada, .1 oz., $43.00 retail value, full size costs $215.00!
- Yves Saint Laurent - Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain in 1 Rouge Tatouage, made in France, .10 fl. oz., $18.00 retail value, full size costs $36.00
- Guerlain - L'Or Radiance Primer, made in France, .16 fl. oz., $11.84 retail value, full size costs $74.00
- Cosmetic Bag, $12.64 approximate retail value
So the best retail value samples are the Yves Saint Laurent Lip Stain coming in at $18.00 and the La Mer Eye Concentrate for $43.00. The other samples range from $5.81 to $11.90 which isn't impressive. The smallest sample is the Giorgia Armani mascara coming in at only .06 fl. ounces. followed by the SK-II Face Cream at only .08 fl. oz. My favorite brand is Guerlain, so my favorite product is the primer that has flakes of pure 24-carat gold. I did a quick application without adding makeup and it was very cooling though it leaves a bit of stickiness with lots of moisture. Have you tried this product before? I'd love to hear what you thought of it. I look forward to applying makeup over it tomorrow to see how well it works. My least favorite product is the Yves Saint Laurent lipstick due to the red color. I don't wear red lipstick because I don't think it looks very good on me, it seems to make my narrow lips look even more narrow which certainly isn't flattering! I really like the applicator since it allows you to carefully line the lips. It goes on quickly and dries within a couple of minutes to a matte finish. It doesn't feel dry on the lips and it has staying power. I would like to try this in a different color, though at $36.00 it's doubtful I will buy it. I have received so many samples from the brand Atelier, so I'm not excited about receiving yet another perfume sample from them. Though this one I like much more than previous ones. It's a powdery floral blend with notes of orange flower, absolue, black pepper, white musk accord, Gaiac wood and Moroccan iris. Before reading what its notes are, I tried to figure out what they were. The first thing that came to mind was the black pepper though I thought it couldn't be since it's a strange scent to have in a perfume. Then I thought how strange it was that I enjoyed that scent in a perfume! Now looking at the list of notes, I also can smell the Gaiac wood and the musk. Normally I don't like musky scents, but this one is enjoyable. It's a very unusual scent that I'm enjoying, but not one I would spend $85.00 for. I will give the Giorgio Armani mascara a try tomorrow. It's hard to find a mascara that doesn't flake in the severe humid hot weather. Can you recommend one? I'm excited to try the La Mer Eye Concentrate and the SK-II Face Cream. I haven't tried either of those brands before. The pink metallic cosmetic bag has two small pockets for holding small to medium sized brushes and a large pocket to hold cosmetics. It's very pretty.
This Luxe sample box is a bit of a disappointment compared to previous ones especially since this one costs $5 more. The regular Play! box in the past has had a retail value up to $58, so this box should only cost twice as much. I'd be less disappointed if they hadn't raised the price. Since the only brand I've purchased before is Guerlain, it will be fun to try these expensive brands for the first time.
Check out my Play! by Sephora Pinterest Board to see what I have received in my previous twenty-six boxes. Also, check out my Subscription Box Pinterest Board to see what other boxes I've subscribed to over the years. Don't forget to follow this blog via Facebook, so you don't miss any of my future posts.
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