Hi everyone!
It’s almost the end of March and I have a review for the Play! by Sephora box. In case you haven’t heard, this is a monthly $10 curated subscription box featuring samples of different brands available at Sephora. You also get a bag with your products inside that display cute catchy phrases.
The theme for this month was The Gleam Team, featuring products with “high-wattage shimmer to a natural gleam that redefine shine.” If you’re anything like me and you’ve visited the Sephora website recently, you’ll see that highlighting products are trending, making this bag a perfect fit.
Let’s take a look at how these products performed.
Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! Cream to Powder Highlighter
This easy to apply cream-to-powder highlighter “dials up the radiance to any complexion”. The twist up format makes it perfect for on the go. I received this product a few years ago as part of the free Sephora birthday gift (I think?). It’s a champagne tinged highlighter that blends in nicely to skin but while I do like it, it’s not an absolute must have for me.
Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink
Super creamy and waterproof, Bobbi Brown’s eyeshadow stick is a shimmering peach pink shade that can be worn on the browbones and inner corners of your eyes for a hint of brilliance. It’s also said to be crease and flake-fee wear. Guys, they’re not joking when they say shimmering. This product doesn’t just have a sheen, it has full on shimmer particles that are visible a mile away. And that’s really not a bad thing with this type of product, especially if you want to brighten up your eyes. It’s a gorgeous shade and with a great primer, does not budge.
Top to Bottom: Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter and Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Stick Golden Pink
GlamGlow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer in Nude Glow
A two-in-one moisturizer and luminzer that hydrates, blurs, and enhances any complexion with a lit-from-within finish. It can be worn alone or layered under foundation. The first thing that stood out with this product is the scent. It has a very strong sweet scent that I personally don’t mind and I can’t smell it after I put it on. I tried using it as a stand alone product, but it’s way too sheer to cover up my redness. It works well under makeup and does give a beautiful glow, but $49 for the full-size is a bit steep and I have other similar products that do a similar job just fine.
Josie Maran Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm
This makeup and skincare hybrid has a whipped formula that gives skin a, “soft-focus luminosity whether you use it as a primer or for a finishing touch.” I’ll admit when I first saw this product, I was hesitant to try it out as I have combination skin and the consistency appeared thick and heavy. As soon as I dabbed a bit on my finger, it had a silky texture and wasn’t thick like I had anticipated. Unfortunately, this didn’t do much in terms of providing a glow factor. Whether I wore foundation over it or applied it on top of my cheeekbones, the sheen disappeared as if I had not applied anything on.
Top to Bottom: GlamGlow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer in Nude Glow and Josie Maran Surreal Skin Argan Finishing Balm
Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast
Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast is a weightless spray that delivers, “long-lasting volume and texture for thicker, fuller-looking hair that is silky soft.” The spray can also double as a style refresher, thanks to an oil controlling blend of ultra-lightweight powders that absorb dirt and impurities. I have naturally curly hair that needs no extra volume thank you very much. However, when I straighten my hair, it usually looses some of the volume so products like this come in handy. I prefer to use this as a style refresher as it does a good job at absorbing oil and imparts a nice clean scent.
Chloe Fluer de Parfum
I was pretty happy to see a fragrance from Chloe as at first glance I thought it was Love Story. To my dismay, as soon as I spritzed it, I realized my mistake. This fragrance is a floral blend with notes of absolute verbena, freesia, rose, cherry blossom, bitter almond and amber. The dominant note here is rose and while I do love that scent, this was just way too overpowering for me when mixed with the other scents.
Overall, this was another great box from Sephora. I can’t wait for next month. 🙂
What are your favorite products to get your glow on or are you over the highlighting trend?
