Play! by Sephora October 2016 | The Cool Cut

purchased affiliate links

It’s time to take a peek inside my Sephora Play October 2016 box, appropriately themed “The Cool Cut”. This month our samples were selected among the most buzz-worthy and hyped up products from Sephora that many influencers are loving right now. Alright, without further ado let’s see those new formulas, under the radar brands, and unique makeup that made The Cool Cut!

HOW IT WORKS:

For $10/month Play! by Sephora subscribers receive a box of 5-6 carefully curated beauty samples of best-selling products as well as rising stars, chosen around a monthly theme. Click here to subscribe, and don’t forget to use Ebates for 4% cashback!

CONTENTS:

1 // Too Cool For School Egg Mellow Cream – Kbeauty is so hot right now, and I couldn’t be happier! As a fan of Korean [and Asian in general] beauty products, seeing them pop up in mass retailers could only mean one thing: more and more brands will be interested in bringing business to the US. This collagen-infused moisturizer made my skin feel very comfortable, and the texture is perfect: not too sticky, and not too oily – just right. It does have one con worth mentioning – strong fragrance of rich egg custard can be a little cloying if you are scent sensitive like me. Not all artificial scents trigger my migraines, but this one did 🙁

2 // Skin Inc. Pure Revival Peel – First of all I would like to remind you guys that I absolutely adore the moisturizing sleeping mask and the custom serums from this brand. I love these so much, I often mentioned them in my favorites lists in the past. The brand is known for their low-maintenance high-performance formulas that are gentle and super effective [and fragrance-free!]. This gentle peel helped exfoliate the dead skin cells on my face and really brightened my complexion.

3 // Verb Leave-In Mist is the epitome of French chic. It gives the hair the kind of lived-in look that could only be achieved by using the right products. The formula is designed to moisturize, detangle, and protect from heat styling damage. The texture is very serum-y, if you know what I mean; it kind of looks like a watered down hair conditioner and smells like one, too. I only sprayed it on my dry ends and avoided getting any on the roots, because my hair is very fine and flat. It worked really well like that, I think I might even splurge on a full-sized bottle.

4 // Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick – The popularity of matte lipsticks is not fading anytime soon, even though metallic lips and high-gloss lippies a-la 90’s have been popping up a lot more in magazines and on fashion runways lately. Matte finish is the perfect accent to Fall/Winter season when glossy finishes look a little out of place. I am really loving this trend, and trying new matte lippies is totally something I’m interested in. The color I received – Driver’s Seat – is the kind of toned down terracotta that looks amazing in the fall when the leaves start changing color. The shade is neutral enough to look good on all undertones, making it universally flattering.

5 // Nudestix Intense Matte Lip + Cheek Pencil – Another brand that I’ve been dying to try is Nudestix. I just heard so many great things about them from my blogger friends that I can’t believe I still haven’t bought anything. Remember what I said about French girl chic a couple paragraphs up? This is another thing I can totally see inside the cosmetic bag of your typical Parisienne. I am obsessed with this pencil, you guys! It’s super pigmented and works really well on lips and cheeks. One con though: I am super lazy when it comes to sharpening my pencils, so I wish this sample came in a twist-up packaging instead. The color – Belle – is a great YLBB shade that can suit a wide range of complexions, and the formula is not super drying despite being matte. Overall, another winner 😉

6 // Tom Ford Orchid Soleil – I can’t think of any It Girls that haven’t professed their love for Tom Ford’s Orchid fragrances. Personally, I am partial to his Black Orchid, and I don’t really care for the other ones. Orchid Soleil is just not my type of scent, it’s like they took my favorite Black Orchid and diluted it with Chanel #5 [I must be the only person in the world who doesn’t like it], but fragrances are so YMMV that you can just ignore this review.

BOTTOM LINE:

Well, aside from the fragrance, I pretty much liked everything else in the box. I think Sephora Play October 2016 selection is absolutely fantastic, and I definitely found several new products that I would like to add to my stash in full size. Holidays are coming up, so I look forward to the opportunity to get everything on my wishlist while maximizing the discounts.

Have you tried any of these products? What was the last thing you added to your wishlist? Let me know in the comments below!

---