Real talk – so it’s been a while. I have been SLACKING on posting my beauty subscription box reveals. I just never seem to have more than a minute to dedicate to anything lately. However, I’m finally getting a moment to regroup and post everything I haven’t in months. Without further ado, here’s a recap of my April, May, June, and July Play! by Sephora boxes.

I wasn’t crazy for this box. None of the products jumped out at me, but every item was from a well recognized brand, so I appreciated that. Whenever I get a box, I think, what would I have chosen for myself? What would I pay top dollar for? The two that came the closest were the Fresh face mask and the IT Cosmetics powder (which I ended up LOVING).

Product Breakdown:

1. Makeup Forever Ultra HD Perfector Skin Tint Foundation SPF 25 in Shade #6 – I was disappointed by getting yet another tinted moisturizer. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I just don’t like BB creams, skin tints, or anything of the sort. Synthetic SPF makes me break out and these products are always the wrong undertone for me.
2. Urban Decay Hi-Fi Shine Ultra Cushion Lipgloss in SPL –  This killed me. Urban Decay? ✔️ Lipgloss? ✔️ Tacky color? ✖️ If it weren’t for the fact that this lipgloss was bubble gum pink with icy blue sparkles, this could have been a great product.
3. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Poreless Finish Airbrush Pressed Powder – I LOVE getting products like this in my boxes because I don’t invest in them often enough. This is a holy grail item I never knew I needed until trying it. This powder is amazing. It’s lightweight, colorless, and instantly sets your makeup, mattifies your skin, creates a soft velvety finish, and doesn’t clog your pores or feel heavy. It’s the perfect powder to live in your handbag because it’s compact, pressed, and easy to apply.
4. Peter Thomas Roth Skin to Die For No-Filter Mattifying Primer & Complexion Perfector – Whenever I get a product from Peter Thomas Roth I’m mollified because it’s such a luxury skincare brand. My skin breaks out when I use primers but I’ll keep it as a “to-try” product for the future.
5. Fresh Lotus Face Mask – Fresh is #goals when it comes to skincare and face masks fascinate me. This actually smells really weird (kind of like seaweed) but I’m not writing it off just because of that. I’ll report back in the future!
6. This Month’s Bonus – Miu Miu L’eau Rosee: I dislike getting perfume testers so this month’s bonus was lackluster for me personally.

Final Verdict: Because of the IT Cosmetics pressed powder, April’s box is being rated an A+. Without it, it probably would have been a C+/B-.

This was one of my most boring Play! by Sephora boxes to date. Absolutely no color, very minimal products, nothing to really write home about. I like that the Kat Von D Trooper eyeliner was included and I can always use a good mascara but elsewise, the box was underwhelming.

Product Breakdown:

1. Buxom Lash Mascara – I’ve gotten into the habit of not touching my boxes until I’ve photographed them so yes, I haven’t tried this yet. I know! But I’m always looking for the next best mascara so don’t you worry, this will not go wasted.
2. Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper – This is one of those cult liquid eyeliners that I’ve heard praised again and again. I’m awful at doing winged eyeliner so I’m really hoping this will give me the precision and stability to make the process a bit easier.
3. Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer – Again, I don’t like primers, which is really a shame because Hourglass is a great high end makeup brand. But since I have it on-hand, I might try this. Typically my skin reacts badly to the silicone in primers, the texture becomes slippery and my skin just gets irritated and inflamed, not to mention my foundation doesn’t look or last any better than without. I’ve tried cult favorites and never struck success yet.
4. Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet – Hmmm Caudalie. A moisturizing sorbet, eh? “Like a cool drink for thirsty skin, this lightweight natural gel-cream uses hydrating organic grape water, calming chamomile, and antioxidant rich grape seed polyphenols to replenish moisture and soothe event the most sensitive skin.” This actually sounds pretty good.
5. OUAI Wave Spray – OUAI is celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin’s hairline and usually I can’t do hair products, but a wave spray sounds pretty simple to use. Because of the brand and the product, I’m semi-enthused.
6. This Month’s Bonus – Atelier Cologne Clementine California: Another perfume tester. Schmeh.

Final Verdict: Like the last box, I’m going to give this a C+/B-. It wasn’t horrible, but I’ve decided to be more critical in my reviews because as consumers, we deserve to like what we’re sold.

June’s box was definitely a step in the right direction. It contained a good variety of products – makeup remover, mascara, lip product, moisturizer, and hair product, etc. From a beauty enthusiast’s standpoint, it provided me with more to try.

1. Milk Makeup Kush High Volume Mascara in Boom Black – I’m dubious about Milk Makeup, Glossier, the whole ‘no makeup’ makeup trend basically. Both are brands that verge on being more natural, and when it comes to lashes, I like anything but. We shall see.
2. Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips – Clinique is a brand that does it right when it comes to simple skincare that’s effective and gentle. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this makeup remover and this came in a pretty generous size.
3. Too Faced Melted Matte Liquified Long Wear Matte Lipstick in Queen B – YES, come through Too Faced and liquid lipstick. Woot! I love a good neutral lippie I can work with. I can see a lot of good combinations when pairing it with a deeper shade or lipliner.
4. Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb – NO you don’t Sephora! This product was in my September Play! by Sephora box and I am not falling for it. I knew there was a repeat somewhere. They also sent me a Belif Moisturizing Eye Balm in my February Play! by Sephora box. The product is nice but I’m just not a fan of repeats.
5. Alterna Haircare CAVIAR Anti-Aging Miracle Multiplying Volume Mist – I love voluminous hair. My whole routine is about faking a blowout with big bouncy curls. If my memory serves me correct I spritzed this in once and didn’t get the expected results, but I need to give it another spin.
6. This Month’s Bonus: Prada Candy Sugar Pop: Yet another perfume tester.

Final Verdict: I’m going to give June’s box a B+/A-. It exemplified what a good beauty box  should look like – something well rounded, not just skin and hair, or eyes and skin.

The first thing I noticed about July’s Play! by Sephora box – lipstick and blush! These are both in neutral shades and both by Tarte, two great things. I wish I could have been sent the color Exposed for the blush, but I’ll take what I can get. Here’s my thoughts.

1. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Paaarty – I just realized this blush was the same shade included in Sephora’s Happy Birthday gift set… that bothers me. It’s basically a repeat. Why? Couldn’t we get a different shade?
2. Tarte Color Splash Lipstick – Rainforest of the Sea Collection in Salt Lyfe – This product makes my heart sing. I’ve received lipsticks from Play! by Sephora before but they’ve never been such a “me” color. This little lipstick (which I will say is tiny in real life) is in such a beautiful rose pinky shade. The packaging is top notch and if it’s a Tarte product, generally, I’m excited for it.
3. Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer – I feel like this is the most user-friendly skincare I received this month – it’s basically a moisturizer, but with tons of good stuff. “A weightless, ultra-hydrating gel moisturizer infused with squalane and probiotic technology to help restore skin’s healthy-looking beauty and radiance.”
4. Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil – I have never heard of this product before but it’s by Korres and it seems very luxe. The description says it’s a “powerful brightening oil infused with real rose petals and boosted with Super Vitamin C, 1000 percent more stable than pure ascorbic acid, for glowing, radiant skin.” I can get onboard with that!
5. Algenist GENIUS Liquid Collagen – The full size of this products retails for $115! It has to be doing something right to be sold at that price point. Perhaps it has something to do with being liquid collagen. Sephora claims this is a “vegan, collagen-based formula to maintain skin’s youthful vitality.” We shall see.
6. This Month’s Bonus: Briogeo Rosarco Blow Dry Perfection Heat Protectant Creme: I think I’ve received at least half of my boxes with some sort of Briogeo product in it. But I’m glad that the monthly bonus wasn’t a fragrance tester.

Final Verdict: I’m going to give July’s box an A-. While I don’t love getting skincare products, I appreciated that my box included several luxury products. I also loved getting a Tarte lipstick in a super wearable shade. The blush was disappointing, though.

*Apologies that the It Cosmetics Powder isn’t shown – at the time of this post it was damaged and so I am going to buy a new one.

All the boxes overall: Even though a couple of the boxes disappointed me, for $43.56 ($10.89 each), I definitely got my money’s worth. What did you think of my haul? I’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments below, and which products you liked best. Thanks so much for checking out my blog, and hope to see you back here for the reveal of August’s box.