Play! by Sephora

Closed.Sephora ended the Play! subscription box in April 2020 and replaced it with its Sephora Favorites kits.

What's in the box: When it ran, a typical box held several deluxe sample sizes of makeup and skincare products, sometimes with a fragrance or hair care sample.

Play! by Sephora is no longer operating. Sephora ended the subscription box in April 2020 and replaced it with its Sephora Favorites kits. When it ran, Play! was a monthly sampling service from the large US beauty retailer. Each box held a small selection of deluxe sample sizes, usually a mix of makeup and skincare, with fragrance or hair care sometimes included. The idea was simple: try products from brands Sephora carried before paying for a full size, then buy the ones you liked at Sephora. The box also tied into Sephora's stores and its Beauty Insider loyalty program, which made it feel like an extension of regular Sephora shopping rather than a separate service. The main drawback was limited control. Sephora picked the products, so you could receive shades, scents or formulas that did not suit your skin or taste, and fragrance samples tended to be small vials. Today, sephora.com still sells makeup, skincare, fragrance, hair and bath and body products, along with mini sizes and gift and value sets, but it does not offer a Play! subscription. If you want a low commitment way to try new products, the mini size and value set sections are the closest thing on the site, or you could look at a subscription box that is still running. You can no longer sign up for Play!.