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Sephora is testing out a new monthly beauty box subscription called "Play! By Sephora" in select markets, WWD reports. It's a $10-a-month box loaded with Sephora samples and extras including Spotify playlists, as well as "Play! Pass" coupons for in-store activations like one-on-one tutorials for the products in that month’s box.
This sounds like a major challenge to Birchbox, the beauty sample subscription box that started it all and is now adding brick and mortar stores across the country. But Sephora is taking its time rolling out the "Play! By Sephora" concept. WWD reports that the Sephora subscription box will launch in September in Boston, Columbus, and Cincinnati to start out. Sephora will add additional, unspecified cities in 2016.
Each box will include a "Play! Book" with application tips, as well as codes to scan to shop via mobile and access additional content. The retailer also plans to host subscription box-themed in-store events called "Play! Dates."
Here's a look at the samples in the very first Sephora subscription box: Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion lip gloss in Peony, Marc Jacobs Beauty Highlighter eyeliner in Blacquer, Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Face Crème, Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil, and Glamglow Supercleanse facial cleanser. Sephora will throw in some bonus samples too for each box, starting with fragrance samples in September.