Comparison

[Anonymous]

I just joined today after asking friends which is the best beauty box to subscribe to and Sephora was the answer.  After reading posts in the community, I am starting to question my decision. I see many negative comments. I am looking for a subscription that encompasses all types of beauty samples each month, not just one genre of care. Am I going to be disappointed? My other option would be Ipsy. Any input is appreciated! 

[Anonymous]

JennFromTX- i love it! I’ve been getting it for about 6 months now, and I’ve never been disappointed. Everyone always comments about how little the products are, but you have to remember, they’re sending you highend products, which are wicked expensive if you get the full size. So they send you enough to try it out and see if you like it, that way you know what works for you and what doesn’t. As opposed to going into their store blind, buying something that’s full-size for $50 or more, and it not working for you. Not to mention, you get 50 beauty insider points every month too, you just have to buy something in order to activate it. So if you get a sample that you love, buy it and then activate your insider points when you go. Because if you save up your insider points, you can also earn (or buy) stuff with that too. I really do love it. And I love that they send us high end perfume too. It’s always fun to try different perfumes that I wouldn’t be able to afford. So I get to walk around smelling and looking like I actually have my life in order 😂😂 lol jk but still, it’s very well worth it, especially for only $10!!! Even if the stuff you’re getting is small, you get like 5 it 6 products in each box, that’s basically $2 for each thing which is welllllll worth it because like I said before, each product is at least $50 or more at full size. And if you don’t like it, oh could always cancel your subscription any time. But if you get a crappy box this month, I wouldn’t cancel right away. Wait a couple months, get a couple boxes, because each month is a give or take. So I recommend getting the box for at least 4 months, and then see whether or not you personally feel it’s worth it. I sure do!

[Anonymous]

You** not “oh” that was a type-o. I also forgot to mention that, while these products are small, they also last surprisingly a long time. I still have products from my very first box i received, that i STILL use! So they may be considered “samples” because they’re smaller than “travel size” but they are actually a little bigger than what i would personally consider a sample. If you walk into Sephora and get samples of stuff, usually the samples are in little pouches that you have to rip open and whatnot, that’s not anything like what we get. Idk... it’s hard to explain. But it’s just bigger than a sample, and smaller than a travel size. And it’s in the actually packaging, not pouches. Like, I got a Laura mercier loose powder, and it was in the same plastic can, or whatever you would call it, as the full size. It was literally so cute actually.

[celi]

Pros:This box definitely has a good variety of products from skincare, haircare, makeup, and perfume and all the brands are high end. Cons: the samples are SO TINY EVERY MONTH (i'm talking, not even travel sized products) and they primarily repeat brands (sephora, fresh, glamglow, anastasia) with the occasional "new" or "trending" brand and they do not sample tools (like makeup brushes). They do NOT curate samples specifically for you (one month i got a product for curly hair and i have strait hair and my style is classic/glam but they sent a purple lipstick). It was fun for a little while, but now that i see what boxes like Allure or ElleBox have, i just cant with this subscription anymore. 

[Anonymous]

@Anonymous Play! Is a decent beauty box. They send out all high end brands and a decent mix of skincare and makeup. Theoretically, if they sell it, you may get it in a play box. Here’s the not great part as far as I’ve seen. You may get a lot of one type of thing such as mascara. If you’re not picky about your mascara, that’s great. You’ll never have to buy another one. You also tend to see a lot from the same brands which is a good/bad thing depending on if you like the brand. For me, it’s the lack of personalization of the boxes that’s killer. My last box there was one product (a lipstick) that I’d use. Problem is, I have a drawer full of practically the same shade. The other products were not good for my skin type (which is Sahara desert dry in the winter). Sample sizes are often small, especially when compared to other boxes. And you’re not going to be getting any full sized items here. So just be aware of that. I’m not a brand snob (no disrespect to anyone who is) and honestly, I enjoy my Ipsy bag more. There’s a wider variety of products and honestly, the value of the bag tends to be higher than play. Give it a few months though to decide. I think sometimes these things are really hit or miss some months. You might find that play is exactly what you want. As for the items that aren’t for you, you can bring things to a local women’s shelter. They will take it gratefully. It’s much better than throwing things in the trash.

[Anonymous]

This was a GREAT, very helpful response. Thank you! I will see how I like it and decide if I want to switch or not. 🙂

[LaurieBT]

Hi @Anonymous,

If you'd like to take a look at products from past boxes to get a better feel for the PLAY! subscription, you can find previous month's boxes here. > http://seph.me/2y49MX2. I hope this helps!

- Laurie

[Beautyswitz]

Sephora play is definitely 100% better than Ipsy. You always get high end brands to try and it’s s mix of makeup, skincare, haircare, and they also include fragrance as a bonus sometimes. I would never go back to ipsy they include a lot of unknown brands.

[kaybaye]

Hey Beautyswitz, This is my third Sephora box, it’s just ok.... it’s nothing great. Honestly I get better samples from Ulta with a purchase that is free. Sephora has sent too much mascara and black eye liner, also way to much red lipstick. I am subscribed to Sephora, Ipsy and glossybox($20/per month) Ipsy is just ok.... it’s nothing magnificent. I really liked glossybox I got full sized high end products. Products Sephora doesn’t sell and products that true celebrities wear. I’m giving Sephora one or two more boxes and canceling same with Ipsy. It’s really not worth the hype. Yes it’s fun to get random stuff but when you keep getting the same it just sits in a drawer and is money down the drain. I would say honestly glossybox was by far the best. My husband has Birchbox for men shaving and thet box is just ok too... it’s the same kind of stuff. I’m kinda getting over the random boxes a month. But if you have kids loote crate is an awesome gift box my son loves it.