Play! by Sephora ::: July 2016

Another month, another Play by Sephora! I really loved the June box and (read my review here). I was very eagerly waiting for this month’s box as well! However, I am not too happy about this month’s!

This box is actually very good in terms of value; Blotterazi is almost a full-size product [the one in Sephora is with 2 sponges, a mirrored case is $20]. Ouai hair spray sample and the cleanser is also of pretty decent size! However, personally  I am not 100% happy with the products themselves. I have a fear that I am going to sound like a “Negative Nancy” today! By the way, this box came with two versions – for oily and dry skin! I got the one for dry skin!

BeautyBlender Blotterazzi: Not going to lie, this was the product that I was most excited for. It sounds like a gimmicky product and I could not think about spending $20 on it. I used it and I am not yet sure if I like it or not. I like my blotting papers enough and I don’t have any desire to change it :-) My main concern with this is the storage. They sent it a plastic-flimsy packaging which is not all ideal especially as these products live inside purses for a long time. Secondly, the shape is so different that I don’t know if I will be able to find a DIY storage system for it. That means, if I like the product, I have to buy the whole $20 set just for the container;  I don’t want to have to do that! I guess, I don’t like that “marketing” aspect attached with it.

Ouai Wave Spray: Aha! Another relatively new product! This is a brand by Celebrity Hair Stylist Jen Atkins! This stuff smells amazing. I have shared before that I am not someone who enjoys trying out different hair products! I have thick, almost coarse Asian hair and a lot of the time most of the hair products does not perform as they claim! This was nice! I already have enough waves to my hair so I don’t know if it did anything to my hair for achieving that “undone” look but I definitely like the finished look. 

Benefit Cosmetics “Dew the Hoola” Soft Matte Liquid Bronzer: This is a new-er product and I was very excited to try it. With the overwhelming amount of beauty products launching every day along with my limited budget, I have to pick and choose which products to buy and review! But I am glad that I got to try this and not spend my hard earned money on the full-size product.Unfortunately this did not impress me! It smells incredible, has a thick but creamy consistency and blends very well. However, very sadly I have to say that this is a TERRIBLE SHADE for a bronzer! Color is such an important aspect in any makeup product, especially for bronzer shades; there is not much of a margin for error. It should not be too red or too orange or too grey. It has to have that exact warmth to the shade that gives that sun-kissed look. However, this bronzer actually looked like a foundation for medium skin-tone with a STRONG YELLOW undertone! I am not able to use it alone as a bronzer. I have worn it 2-3 times and every time I have mixed it with Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drop in Candlelight (reviewed here) to make it wearable!

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer: This is a product that has been on the market for a long time now, I may have a few sample packets lying here and there in my house; obviously it does not make dance with thrill! This time I finally tried and I like it. It is a silicone-y primer and decent one at that. Even though it could not completely minimize and smooth the pore-“heavy” areas of my face - it gave me a smooth base and my makeup did last for the whole day! It is a tiny-size tube but will be more than enough for a week’s use.  

 First Aid Face Cleanser: Another product I may already have but did not get the chance to try it yet! I heard so much about this brand especially about how good this brand is for dry skin. But I did not like their moisturizers; it was not hydrating enough! I am not really thrilled about it, but who knows I may end up LOVING it!

Nest Fragrances “Citrine”:  Very summery citrus fresh smell. I like it!

Over all, it is a very decent box! The products are definitely worth more than 10$; I personally did not like half of the product so there’s that! Let’s see what month has in store!

Love,

~Arrru