The testing program for the Sephora Play! Subscription Boxes has begun! First off, I want to thank my friend Amanda for the photos. Due to some issue with emails not going through, I still have not gotten a box. The Rouge Concierge is supposedly “working” on the problem, but we shall see. (I will update if they fix it.) So, Amanda was kind enough to take the time to send me some pics! (Keep in mind, the opinions I’m expressing are my own, not hers!)
The first thing I noticed was the really cute packaging- it has the trademark black and white stripes, along with the same shredded packing that most of the 500-point Beauty Insider rewards come with. Adorable! I also noticed that the box contained six items, whereas most subscription boxes in the same price range contain only five.
Amanda’s box contained the following:
GlamGlow SuperCleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser, 1 oz. deluxe size;
Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil, 1 oz. deluxe size;
Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon, 1 oz. deluxe size;
Sephora Lip Stain in Peony, deluxe size;
Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Cream, 0.25 oz. deluxe size; and
Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Eau de Parfum, carded sample vial.
Upon examination, I noticed that five of the six items were all point perks, or 100-point Beauty Insider rewards, at some point. I’m pretty sure a couple of these were also available as a free gift with purchase, or even without purchase. Additionally, anyone can walk into a Sephora at any time and get a free sample vial of fragrance.
The bottom line? I am no longer impressed that the Sephora box contains six items, since the fragrance sample doesn’t really count. That’s almost insulting- I know a lot of beauty box subscribers are irked by carded fragrance samples. I have received FULL-SIZED products in $10 subscription boxes on many occasions, including: lipstick, an actual BeautyBlender (!), eyeliner, hand cream, etc. I have even gotten eyeshadow palettes! If Sephora wants to compete with the other major subscription boxes, they are going to have to step up their game. I wouldn’t be so “hard” on them, but I know others will expect more, too. After all, they ARE Sephora, or in the words of MUA Jenna, the “Holy Mecca of the Beauty World.” Because of this, people have higher expectations.
That being said, there were a couple “gems” in this box. I would have loved the GlamGlow cleanser and the Marc Jacobs eyeliner. Also, none of the products were terrible; they just weren’t that impressive. Combine that with the fact that this was Sephora’s first box sent out, there IS hope for them. Only time will tell!
All photos courtesy of Amanda A.
