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I’m going to be extremely blunt about my August 2016 Play! by Sephora box. If this month’s Play! by Sephora had been my first, I would have canceled.

I have heard so many complaints about Birchbox and people saying they’ve been disappointed with their box. While I can’t say that I have never been underwhelmed with a monthly box, overall my experience has been really good.

I never even dreamed I’d consider switching it out for another box until Sephora’s.

And I definitely didn’t understand why anyone would complain about their subscription box samples, until getting my August 2016 Play! by Sephora box.

Not that I’m complaining exactly.

Will I use the samples? Yes. But I’ve had better. Like, much better.

The value of the samples is probably well worth it, I just wasn’t nearly as impressed as I was with my first two boxes.

I haven’t tried the Lancôme or Alegenist samples yet, but I’ll get to them, love them, and then never buy them.

I maybe had one CLEAN sample that I liked before (once upon a time, in a Birchbox), but I find most of their scents too strong. This one would make a nice home scent (if it wasn’t so strong), but I doubt I’ll use it.

As always, the makeup samples are amazing. However, I already have four or five tubes in varying sizes of the Perversion Mascara.

The Sephora Contour Eye Pencil sounds interesting, but also like a scam. Either way, I like the color. I know because I have a very similar shade liner by another brand.

You never realize how much eyeshadow you have and don’t use until you hit pan in one you use a lot. I really need to stop buying expensive palettes and only get the pots of the colors I use. Anyways, most powders can be used as whatever you want (I’ve used eyeshadow to contour before), but I do like that this MAKE UP FOR EVER one doubles as a blush. My makeup bag just got a little lighter.

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This may only be my second ever Play! by Sephora box, but I am SUPER impressed! I liked my first box a lot, but I really really love the July 2016 Play! by Sephora box, you guys.

I honestly thought I would just be testing it out for a couple of boxes or so. I don’t think I have ever been SO wrong!

Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing | $39
NEST Citrine | $68
Ouai Wave Spray | $26
Too Faced Soleil Matte Chocolate Bronzer | $30
beautyblender blotterazzi by beautyblender | $20
First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser With Red Clay | $24

I am so close to running out of my current favorite primer (which is the Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Hydrating) that it hurts a little. It’s almost to the point where I need to cut the top off. I need to buy more, but now I’m thinking that maybe next time I’ll have to get the pore minimizing one. I was once told that I didn’t have big pores. But, in the summer, my face begs to differ.

After getting a NEST candle that was more on the strong side than I care for, I was hesitant to spray this perfume. I, however, took one for the team, and it’s still strong, but in a nice way. That being said, if you like lighter, less musky smells, I wouldn’t recommend.

Ouai is a brand that I’m only starting to see around, and I really want to try their hair oil. Settling for the wave spray, isn’t so bad. I have no idea if I’m using it right, or rather, what the outcome on my hair texture is supposed to be, but I LOVE the way it smells, so frankly, I don’t even care!

Bronzer is one of the reasons I have trust issues. More specifically, Too Faced’s bronzers. I have it and never use it as a bronzer, because it’s too light. Then, they finally come out with a “dark chocolate” shade. Prayers answered, right? Nope. It looks darker online, but in person it’s basically the same. The shade I got as a sample wasn’t even the dark chocolate one…

Spending $20 on a makeup sponge sounded absurd to me. My $5 e.l.f. Cosmetics one works just fine. The idea of a sponge for blotting was even more preposterous.  But I now see the error of my ways. Mostly because blotting paper feels kind of wasteful. I’m also glad the blotterazzi came with a liquid cleanser sample, although almost everyone I know who is into makeup (including myself) uses Dr. Bronner’s.

I’ve been using a different face mask each week, but next week I’m going to take a break to give the First Aid Beauty cleanser a try. I haven’t used anything with red clay in it yet. Should be interesting!

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Even though I am still crazy about Birchbox, I thought it was time to give another beauty subscription box a try. Due to my love affair with Sephora, Play! by Sephora seemed like the only valid option. Plus, I had just got the email to claim my spot after being waitlisted.

Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara | $24
Tocca Florence | $68
BECCA Backlight Priming Filter | $38
bareMinerals bareSkin Sheer Sun Serum Bronzer | $28
Bumble and bumble Don’t Blow It | $31
tarte Tarteguard 30 Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30 | $32

I’ve used They’re Real! mascara well over a dozen times. It may be the unpopular opinion, but it’s not my favorite. But, I also don’t hate it. I like it for when I’m just going to run out real quick for a bit. Buying a full size version isn’t in my plans, but the sample size is just the right amount.

Tocca makes some of the best fragrances. I would wear this for an anniversary or a summer wedding, but it’s a little heavier than what I’m used to.

After sharing my top three highlighters, I admitted that there were still some brands that I wanted to try. One such brand being BECCA. While this is a primer and not an illuminator per se, I am still pumped (pun very much so intended, because the sample is in a container that you pump) to try something by them. And a little dab after apply your foundation, helps creates a dewey look.

Very similarly, I’m happy to try another bronzer. I haven’t shared about my favorite bronzers yet, because finding bronzers that compliment darker skin tones isn’t as easy as one would think. I really like how this bareMineral serum bronzer blends in.

Perfect for the days when I don’t want to heat style my hair, which has been a lot lately. I haven’t tried using Don’t Blow It after washing my hair yet, but as a general hair styling product it’s not bad!

Never have I ever wanted to try a sunscreen as badly as Tarteguard. Aside from the social posts promoting it, I couldn’t even tell you why.

I don’t think Sephora’s is that much better than Birchbox’s, but it did have six samples instead of five and two products that I don’t think I’d ever have found waiting for me inside my Birchbox.

There’s no need to write off Birchbox just yet, but I’m not sure that if I had to pick one, that I could wholeheartedly say that I wouldn’t go with Sephora.

Have you tried both boxes? Which would you choose?

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