I’m a big fan of beauty and of subscription boxes and am always looking for the next best one. That’s why when Sephora announced they would be curating a luxury beauty brand box called “Play! By Sephora”, I was more than excited! I was getting burnt out from some other beauty subscription boxes that I had been receiving for 2+ years and wanted brands I could trust and products that were more suited to my liking.

After being on the waiting list for a few months, I was excited to finally receive an e-mail with an open spot, and responded asap. The waiting list is similar to how Ipsy used to work: you’d sign up for a waiting list and they e-mail you when slots become available, but you need to act quick because they fill up fast!

Each Play! By Sephora monthly beauty box is $10 (plus tax) and comes with 4-6 samples of cosmetics, fragrance, hair care and skin care products, as well as a Play! Pass, which is a card you can use at Sephora (in-store) to get 50 extra rewards points. You can also get one-on-one tutorials and tips and tricks from a Sephora consultant.

The information card is super detailed- it unfolds to a double-sided pamphlet filled with product information, tips, tricks and more. This month’s theme is about products that help you have an effortless summer, so before I saw the spoilers, I knew there would have to be some products with SPF and/or self tanner and something for beachy hair.

Here we have Ouai Haircare Wave Spray. Ouai is seriously taking over the beauty and media world. I first heard about the line, launched by celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkins (well-known for styling the Kardashians) in a magazine, and shortly after, it seemed like every magazine, beauty website and social media source were talking about her new product line! I love beachy waves and so this was a win for me. Just spritz some on, scrunch and go! It works on wet, damp or dry hair, depending on your texture and thickness.

Liquid bronzers seem to be all the rage! This Benefit Cosmetics Dew the Hoola Soft Matte Liquid Bronzer has great packaging (I love all Benefit Cosmetics products) and can be used in a variety of ways. You can add it to your liquid foundation for a glow, apply by your fingers or an applicator sponge to cheeks and/or contour with it! I don’t mind a light shimmer, but this formula is matte, so it works best with medium to darker skin tones and can be layered on to get darker and darker.

At first I thought I was getting the ever-popular Beauty Blender Sponge. But then I realized that this is a slightly different, smaller product called Beauty Blender Blotterazzi, which is basically a mini reusable flat makeup sponge. If can be used to apply foundation OR used to blot up and soak up oil as the day goes on, and it comes with a sample of their cleansing formula for cleaning the mini sponge.

Apparently almost every Play! By Sephora box includes a fragrance sample, and this month was Citrine from NEST Fragrances. This perfume has notes of freesia, citrus, and precious woods. It definitely fits the description but is not the scent for me.

Next up is a favorite of mine, Smashbox Iconic Photo Finish Foundation Primer! Smash box makes a variety of face/makeup primers, but this happens to be my top pick. It’s soft and gel-like and flows onto skin easily and absorbs to make a smooth canvas to apply makeup to. Definitely recommend it!

Finally we have First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, a simple yet effective face cleanser that aims to remove oils, makeup, dirt and grime. All of their products are gentle, chemical-free and great for almost all skin types.

All in all, I was really happy with my first ever Play! by Sephora beauty box! I was able to try some new products such as the Blotterazzi and Ojai Wave Spray, and I also received some products I already use and love such as the Smashbox Primer. In general, these are all brands I trust, and well worth 2-3x the price I paid for this box.

What do you think about the July Play! by Sephora box? If you’re not on the waiting list already, do so by clicking this link… totally worth it!