The theme for this month’s Play! box is: No Appointment Necessary. The idea is that with these products, you can achieve “salon” results at home. I actually love trips to the salon. A little time to myself to get pampered, relax, and leave looking and feeling my best is always welcome, but at the same time, my schedule and budget doesn’t always allow for frequent facials or blowouts, so an at-home, DIY option is a great alternative.

It’s that time again! My Sephora Play! November box has arrived! The Sephora Play! boxes have been steadily improving, at least in my opinion. Here’s a look at November’s box. This month’s theme is “The Exclusives”, meaning products that are exclusive to Sephora. At first glance, some really great things in here! Bite Beauty products are some of my favorites. This is their High Pigment Lip Pencil in Rhubarb, which is an intense dark pink, described as “plum rose”.

I did a decent amount of shopping during the Sephora VIB Rouge sale this weekend, mostly online. I did pop into the local store though to purchase a few essentials. First, a repurchase. Gimme Brow is a staple of mine and (in my opinion) the best product that Benefit makes. It’s a tiny brow gel with fibers that really helps to make your brows look fuller and darker as well as holding them in place.

This month’s Sephora Play! box theme is “Secrets to Dewy Skin”. Before I get into the specific products, I’ll mention that compared to last month’s disappointing assortment, I thought that this box was much improved. First, a Sephora sheet mask in Pearl. I also received a sheet mask in my Birchbox, which isn’t surprising as they’re very trendy currently. This one promises to be perfecting and brightening. I can’t say whether or not it works, but I am interested in trying it.

As you’d expect from a beauty sample hoarder and Sephora fangirl, I signed up for the Play! box as soon as it was available. Let’s take a look at what’s inside: My overall impression: This is a bigger box than you’d expect from Birchbox or Ipsy, with deluxe samples, good variety of color, skin, and hair care, and well-known brands. It’s also a great value for $10. So the first impact is a good one, but looking closer….