I feel like us gals in Minnesota are the last people to get their Sephora Play! boxes each month…it takes even longer than when I was in Montana. Either way, my box finally arrived this week and I tore into that thing like a rabid animal. I love Sephora Play!, even though last month was not my most awesome of months.

Usual spiel: Sephora Play! costs $10 a month, there’s no shipping charge, and you get five deluxe samples from Sephora, plus a perfume sample. Side note: there’s no affiliate links for Play!, so you can click on the link below without apprehension! One of my things for this year is to be super transparent about affiliates and sponsorships…not that I wasn’t before, but it’s something I really want to focus on.

This month’s theme is “The Soft Side” and comes in a romantic soft pink bag. They were really channeling natural beauty and romantic looks…would have been great to have by Valentine’s Day, but whatever. I posted about what I actually wore on Valentine’s Day last Monday, so that should give you an ideal of the beauty involved.

In my box this month:

Clinique Moisturizer Pep-Start HydroBlur

I am loving the number of moisturizers that I get in these boxes. I know that not everyone is into that, but I find it so helpful to be able to try these higher-end brands. So far, Sephora has gotten me hooked on so many new brands. I already love Clinique (they make my holy grail foundation), and I was happy to try this out. It doesn’t feel oily, and makes my skin feel more matte. I have generally dry skin, but a few oily spots, like around my nose. That all said…it’s not blurring anything, at least not more than any other moisturizers. So…take that with a grain of salt.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

This is what I’m talking about when I say that Sephora is hooking me on new brands. I have really wanted to try the Origins GinZing eye cream, but the $30 price tag really threw me off. After using it, I feel like it’s a good product. I’m slowly working my way through my stash of eye creams, so I won’t be buying any more, but it’s good to know that this one is a winner. I haven’t really worn this at night, but I love it in the morning. I am frequently rushing off to work (because of my 45-minute commute) and it wakes up my eyes and makes me feel more like me almost immediately.

Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in Milkshake

I usually don’t go for the lip plumping products. I have naturally full lips, so it’s just not something that I feel self-conscious about. I also have the memory of buying the plumping mint lipgloss from Bath and Body Works when I was in middle school and it burning so badly. Does anyone else remember that? Because I do. Burning, tingling, bad. Do they still sell it? Anyway. I figured that I would give this a shot, because it could not be as bad as I was expecting. The promotional materials with it say to expect some tingling, and it certainly does. Good news: my lips did plump up a ton. Bad news: that “tingling” isn’t going away for several hours, even after you’ve taken the lipgloss off. For me, it’s not worth the pain, but if you’re always on the hunt for a lip plumper, this is worth the try.

Sephora Collection Lashcraft Length & Volume Mascara

First off: this sample is dumb tiny. I understand NARS being kind of stingy, but Sephora? This is your own brand! You can afford to give me a sample that’s not made for ants. It made it hard to control, and I wasn’t happy. Now that’s off my chest, I’m not super enthused by the shape of the brush. It’s a funky flat paddle. I found it hard to use and it didn’t provide me a lot of length or volume. It also smudged a fair amount. This was the only thing in the box that I thought was a solid pass.

NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound

I was so excited to get this! Some other boxes received the Bite Beauty MultiStick in Cashew, which I’ve already tried, so I was happy to get something new. This thing is tiny. Tiniest little baby lipstick I’ve had in a while. I love the color and the formula. Given, it’s not an out-there color…I have lots of other rosy pinks, but the formula is nice. It’s not a matte lipstick that dries down, so if that’s what you’re after, you’re out of luck. It’s more like a cream lipstick or gloss. It’s highly pigmented color, but it will transfer off.

Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence Perfume

The perfumes are always hit and miss, but because they’re essentially a “freebie”, I don’t really care. This time, I found that Marc Jacobs is walking the fine line between lightly floral and springtime and old-lady-nursing-home. I like it, but it is intensely floral, if that’s something you’re interested in.

Compared to last month, this month was a huge winner. I didn’t think anything was particularly unusual or innovative, but they were all things that I will use. The total value of this box was $34.27, and it cost $10. If you’re interested in trying out a Sephora Play! box, you can check it out here.

What’s your favorite new product from a beauty box?