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I have to be honest. I don't frequent the latest makeup trends or keep up to date with them. This is why in the middle of 2017 year I've been purchasing beauty subscription boxes. I want to see what's new and what to spend my money on when buying full size products. Beauty subscriptions make that quest easier and convenient since it's delivered right to my mailbox.

Doing make up subscriptions for 5 months made me come to terms with a few things. I have grown to realize the makeup industry is drastically declining in consumer popularity. There comes a point when you analyze new launches of make up are no longer innovating. They are a desperate attempt for companies to stay relevant and target all audiences into a net profiting pool. Beauty bloggers influence the social media market to give certain brands hype. The illusion of "everyone wants it" is painted and it can be easy to get lost.

The purpose of make up is to find your own unique timeless beauty look not to spend and waste money fitting in a molded trend. Trends that are suddenly ruled out of date by a quarterly Instagram popularity contest.

From a consumer point of view who was eye balling Black Friday this year the beauty market did terrible. Black Friday offers had to be extended by a week from the calendar schedule. Prior Black Friday promotions were given to count down to Black Friday just to ensure successful revenue.

In my opinion many makeup companies failed miserably achieving their target revenue in sales for Black Friday. It goes to show, no, everything is not great in our economy, because a lot of us aren't able to buy items outside of what we need to survive on a month to month basis.

It's time to crack down on whether you should play with PLAY! by Sephora or not.

Beauty Subscription 411: Play! by Sephora

I had bought a stock pile of the basic necessities in makeup a year ago in the Spring of July 2016. I checked out eyeliner, foundation, concealer, powder, primer, a soft rose pink lipstick, and a single eye shadow from Sephora in Montebello, CA. I spent $185. Along the way I got drugstore makeup like mascara and such that ended up to me spending $235 in the 2016 year.

Where was my money going aside from make up in 2016?

I was actively involved in the Los Angeles and Long Beach poetry community and lit scene. I was hosting an open-mic called "Moon Pixel" at Half Off Books in Whittier, CA, featuring at events in Long Beach (or Los Angeles), and going out to eat with fellow friends (or poets) I wanted to get to know better. Essentially my money went back into the whole idea of "paying your dues" purchasing books, CDs from local musicians, and buying tickets to local lit events. I blew about $600 (this doesn't include money eating out) doing that in the 2016 year. Did "paying your dues" bring my money back into people "paying their dues" and supporting my medium (poetry)? No. After kicking the can around too much in that scene since 2011 I decided to quit on it in 2016. More on that in another upcoming article that'll dive into what not to do when going into a local lit scene.

Learn how to detect the emotional differences felt when you are spending your money.

I'm bringing this up because I wanted to make a point. Was I happy that I spent $235 in make up the 2016 year? Did it make me as a happy as the $600 I spent in my community helping other artists? No. Spending my $235 in make up was saddening.

A lady has to doll up though. I don't find that a chore. I like that feminine allure we get to carry because we're born a woman. Make up is a tool to amplify that expression of mystique. It is a privilege many now a days disregarded. Yet there has to be a limit to everything. If I had spent more than what I was comfortable spending (the bare minimum requirement) in make up; I would have been feeding my ego instead of focusing on other important things.

What I'm saying is make up is a tool but don't let it blind you. I saw this meme in Spanish pictured below and it hit the nail. It says, "Don't call beauty what you can easily wipe off with a wet wipe." Make up is a tricky little thing isn't it. You can inflate your ego so quickly with it. But if you use it right your confidence gets a healthy perk of higher self-esteem.

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Should you Play! by Sephora?

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Is this beauty subscription box worth it? Essentially I consumed one monthly subscription from Play! by Sephora and that was for this December 2017 box. That was a total of $10.78. I noted some things right away that made me realize that this beauty subscription isn't as useful as you think. What was included in my box this month?

A Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge (sample-sized) Lipstick I got in the color: C207 (full size retails for $22), Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour (sample-sized) in the color Au Naturel (full size retails for $29), Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1 (sample size) 0.35OZ (full size retails for $26), Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen (deluxe sample size) Color: 01 Black (full size retails for $21), Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops (sample size) color: Moonlight (full size retails for $42), and a bonus perfume sample of Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Eau De Parfum (full size retails for $92).

The Break Down

These samples are name brand and that is always a perk instead of getting some indie make up brand. If you're a person who cares more for name brand products then get this box. The problem is these samples aren't that special aside from being name brand.

If you frequently accumulate points by buying products through Sephora you can exchange your points easily for these kinds of samples. The only difference is you get to choose what you want to exchange them for and the select samples to redeem differ each month. So you're kind of getting ripped off paying $10.78 a month if you're a VIB or Rouge Insider with Sephora.

I'm only a Sephora Insider because I didn't spend $215 more dollars this calendar year with them to become a VIB. I have recently accumulated 375 points to redeem on a point product of my choice in my next purchase. Which is why this beauty subscription box felt laughable to me. At least other beauty subscription brands have some unique trait to them. Others don't blatantly showcase how its system can be duped the same way with points you get anyways for buying stuff.

They do have a play pass that you get in this box. This play pass allows you to get 50 bonus points with any purchase at Sephora before the coupon expires. That's neat if you buy at Sephora a lot. I don't.

Your hype is Sephora's profit. You generate free ad revenue with each #hashtag, YouTube unboxing, and Instagram #SephoraPlay you upload.

I got a little pamphlet in my box which is customary to get. I noted the back of it which broke down the numbers in the 2017 year for Play! by Sephora.

53K+ the number of photos you've shared with #sephoraplay
300K+ the total views their unboxing videos got on YouTube
California is the state that receives the most boxes 80K Play! subscribers (I'm in CA)

So we #hashtag #SephoraPlay to be a part of this Insider community. We hype each other up on publicly shared unboxing photos and get to know a new cyber friend we think is fashionable. There's nothing wrong with that.

Let's get down to concrete reality. Wouldn't it be so much better to spend that $10.78 to treating a friend to coffee and talking to him or her? This would generate a much more life long lasting friendship. A physically present life long lasting friendship. Being part of a digital beauty subscription community where you can't physically be present in anyone's life is dull. Especially when you have to pay a monthly fee to feel part of it.

Sometimes beauty subscriptions are life changing for those who have never used make up before. That's great! But when you end up having an addiction to make up subscriptions stop and reflect. Is this too much excess? Where else can this money be spent to contribute to other areas of my life positively?

Play! by Sephora December 2017 (Theme: Glam Straight) Review

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Make Up For Ever Artist Rouge Cream: I have to say that I would never buy a full size product at the price it is going for. I'll gladly accept it as a gift. This lipstick is creamy, moisturizing, finely pigmented, and can be duped with any Sephora lipstick. They both carry the same texture and feel on your lips. I definitely would recommend this lipstick for people going through winter in their state. It definitely will moisturize your lips and not dry them out as you are out and about during a cold day.

Cover FX in Moonlight: I finally tried out what seems to be the basic essential to every beauty blogger's make up routine. My thoughts? It sucked. It's too glam and not timeless. The tone is pretty. However it's excessive I feel it dilutes from the natural canvas your face was born with: simple beauty (embracing your image and working with what you got) that allows you to create classic looks.

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick: This is very creamy and soft in the best way. I think anyone can enjoy this if you have loved in the past baked eye shadows. This is subtle but yet very eye catching due to its texture. I can get behind this. It's kind of a step up from baked eye shadows that can be applied wet or dry. The only difference is the texture and you still achieve that fierce pigment.

Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen: The felt tip is very skinny and thin. It's different for me since normally my eyeliners don't have such a skinny tip. Is the pigmentation strong? Yes. It is but what eyeliner isn't? Is it long lasting? Yeah, depends on the amount of applications you applied in your lines, but other than that it does seem to be somewhat smudge proof.

Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1: * Did not use this. I am going to give it to my mom. She'll find more use to it then I will. I'm a simple gal I'm okay with Target/Walmart hair sprays or dry shampoos that are under 8 bucks.

Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Eau De Parfum: * Passing this along to my mom as well. I already have a favorite perfume and I buy it from Jafra.

Swatches: lipstick, eye shadow, cover fx, and eyeliner
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Delivery of Box?

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Okay, they are great about shipping, and delivery. If a beauty subscription doesn't ship right on time during your first month with them run away (unless they apologized in an e-mail prior to expect delays). It was not stressful getting my box from them. I got it right on time. If that's important to you getting your boxes on time as promised: don't worry, Play! by Sephora won't do you wrong.

Final Verdict?

No, don't Play! by Sephora unless you want name brands every month and don't care about the sizes you receive. I wouldn't even share my referral code for this box. Save your money. Treat yourself to some coffee with a friend.

Beauty Subscription Updates:

What subscriptions am I keeping in 2018?

Ipsy!
Boxy Charm (currently on the waitlist)

What subscriptions did I cancel in 2017 and am not ringing the new year with?

Birchbox
Play! by Sephora

Check out my other beauty articles:

Ipsy

Birchbox

ColourPop

P.S. I actually just signed up for "Book of the Month Club" and my book for December just shipped out yesterday. I decided for the 2018 year I want to get back into reading. I'll let you know how that subscription goes.