SEPHORA PLAY JANUARY 2017 - REVIEW

Its time for Sephora Play Boxes again. Sorry for the delay in putting up the post. But it had been a busy weekend, and with the Oscars, I decided to let the dust settle down, and give a proper review , rather than rushing through a loosely worded, mediocre post. What a goof up it was yesterday at the Oscars ! Craziest Oscars ever, for sure.

Coming back to all things beauty, the January Spehora Play Box was themed around - " Beauty Set Go. " The Play bag was a mesh one, with the title, " Sweat is just another way to Glow." So I am assuming that fitness and beauty were the larger framework, around which they curated this month's box. I usually love the monthly pouches, and have been hoarding then. But somehow this month's box was the most unimpressive so far.

For those of you who are not aware with Sephora Play, let me tell you that its a monthly beauty subscription box from Sephora, which is priced at $10 , plus taxes.

The first product which I want to talk about is the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream. I had been hearing about this product from the last year or so, but had never thought of trying it. I dont like my Foundation or Base to be with SPF, as I hare flashback in Photos. And its no mystery that I get photographed a lot being a freelance journalist and a blogger. But I appreciate a good CC Cream, espexially when I am travelling or for  days when I know there will no flash photographs. Sephora messed up with my shade. They sent in a Medium, when I am a Light, they sent me a Fair. It has SPF 50 which is a broad spectrum coverage. I used my damp Beauty Blender to apply the product. Its got good coverage, and was quite good for day to day wear. The trick with this product is the blending. You have to spend some time, in blending this product with a damp sponge, or else it can look very cakey.

The second product I was excited about is Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. Its a sheer lip color with a glossy finish. I am not a fan of sheer formulas as such, but this was a wearable shade. It had reddish tint to it. One of those your lips but better shades. I only wish Sephora wold Up their Lip Game in their subscription box service. I am more of a make up junkie, and would love to see more lipcolors in the monthly boxes. Black Honey is an iconic shade created by Clinique in 1971, and it was good to see it in a new sheer formula.

The third product is the Tarte Frxxxtion Stick. I currently have a few Tarte products in rotation in my current skin care routine. Its an exfoliating gel cleanser in a unique twist up stick format. The solid gel transforms to a cleansing lather that gently sloughs away impurities. Its a good choice for post-gym showers, travelling or tiem crunched days in genral. This cleanser can alos be used as a mask by leaving it on the skin for 10 minutes. Its a good cleanser, but I didnt quite understand the exfoliating bit. Nothing overwhelming about this product.

Courtesy the Sephora Play boxes, I have used a few products from the Drunk Elephant Line .This time around it was Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream. Its vintage inspired, deeply moisturising face cream that brightens and visibly firms skin with a  rich yet whipped formula. I try to incorporate products which are anti ageing, in my skin care routine, and I quite liked this formula.

celebrity hair stylist Jen Atkins create the line Ouai (to be pronounced Way). I have used one of their texturising sprays, which had cone in a earlier Play box. All that I remember about the product taht it was beautifully perfumed. OUAI Treatment Masque, is a restorative hair mask for damaged hair. My hair is frizzy and dry and I have been coloring it for more than 16 years now. So I love a good restorative hair mask. Since my hair is long and its dry, I used up the mask at one application. That was a bummer. I like to use a product a few times at least, before I can decide whether I like it or not. The formula left my hair a lot hydrated and didnt make it greasy once I had washed it off. There are some hair products which weigh my hair down, as despite being dry and damaged, my hair is very fine.

Last but not the least, is the perfule sample. This month it was Tory Burch Love Relentlessly. I must say, I was in love with the Holiday 2016 ad from Tory Burch and was humming it all along. Coming back to the fragrance, it claimed to be unabashedly feminine and tender, with delicate notes of pink pepper, orris and patchouli. The fragrance is said to be inspired by the most romantic couple Tory Burch knows, her parents.

Overall, a good box in a few months. Sometimes there are more duds in box than loves, and January was a month, when the loves overshadowed the duds. Now the question is, which products, will I purchase in a full size. I guess I will opt for the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream, but have it in a shade which matches my skin tone, and not be in a shade which makes me look like an Oompa Loompa.

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