Allure Beauty Box is a $23 monthly beauty subscription from Allure Magazine. Each month they send out a mix of deluxe and full-size samples from mostly high-end brands. (It was named one of the best beauty subscription boxes by MSA readers in the 2022 Subscription Box Awards.)
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
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The box arrives beautifully packaged in the classic Allure white and red box.
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There was also a helpful mini-magazine with more info on the products and a note from Allure's deputy beauty director Elizabeth Siegel.
What's Inside the September 2022 Allure Beauty Box
French Girl La Flore Botanical Serum, 1 oz - Retail Value $72
The star of the box this month is this silicone-free facial oil made from a blend of 20 different botanical oils. It calls itself a serum, but this is an oil. It has a slightly floral and herbaceous scent that I found pleasant, and while this isn't a "dry" oil by any means, it's a good weight that doesn't feel super greasy on my skin. If you're not a fan of using facial oils on your skin, try using them as a cuticle oil or on the ends of your hair for softness and shine.
Voir A Walk In The Sun Inside Out Moisturizing & Repairing Masque, 150 mL - Retail Value $26
The amika Soulfood hair mask is my favorite hair mask, so all other hair masks and conditioners I try get compared to that when I am trying a new product out. This doesn't have a super thick texture so it was pretty easy to disperse it through my strands, and it's made with shea butter and olive oil to nourish damaged hair. My hair isn't damaged, but it's dry and my curls tangle like nobodies business. This did give me some slip when I was brushing out the tangles with my wet brush, but it did take me a little longer than normal. Overall, though, I thought this was a solid performing hair mask that left my hair soft and hydrated.
Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer, 10 mL - Estimated Value $11.50 (buy the 20 mL version for $23)
I love Laneige, and this moisturizer is a newer launch from them (or a new reformulation of an existing product, rather). It's a lot thicker than their more well-known sleeping mask that also comes packaged in blue, and this is made with hyaluronic acid, squalene, and ceramides. I wouldn't call it a lightweight cream, but I thought it was nourishing to my dry skin.
The Body Shop Drops of Youth, 100 mL - Retail Value $27
It looks like the Body Shop just reformulated their Drops of Youth into the Edelweiss Liquid Peel, which may explain how we got this in our subscription box. I like The Body Shop's body care products, but their skincare can be hit or miss for me. I'm not crazy about peeling gels, which ball up as you massage them into your skin and then you rinse it all away to smoother, softer skin. You don't have to leave this on for long—you can massage it into your skin and immediately rinse it away unlike face masks, but this formula was a little too strong for my skin. I patch tested this, and it left the skin where I applied it noticeably softer instantly after I rinsed it away, but my skin was also stinging a little bit. Since my rosacea has been temperamental lately, I didn't apply this to my face
Rael Beauty Miracle Patch Invisible Spot Cover, 24 ct - Retail Value $5.99
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I love pimple patches. I am also horrible at keeping track of them, so I always welcome receiving them in subscription boxes even if my stash is well-stocked. These 24 patches from Rael have 12 patches in two different sizes, and they adhered well to my skin (to my jaw, specifically, where a friendly pimpled reared its ugly head). I applied it before I went to bed underneath a sleeping mask for the rest of my skin, and when I had woken up this absorbed some of the gunk from what was inside the zit. The pimple was noticeably smaller, too.
Commodity Milk Expressive, 5 mL - Estimated Value $12.50 (buy the 10 mL version for $25)
I absolutely love that we received such a generously sized perfume sample spray—I wish all samples were this big. Unfortunately, I didn't love the perfume itself. It's a warm and spicy scent with notes of cold milk, mahogany wood, and tonka bean, and the spice is what my nose picks up the most in a way I do not love. I would think the milk and tonka bean would add a sweet element, but if it's there I can't pick it up. If you subscribe to Allure, what do you think of this perfume?
Sabon Body Scrub in Patchouli Lavender Vanilla, 0.52 oz - Estimated Value $2.50 (buy the 2.1 oz version for $10)
I definitely would have liked to see a bigger sample of this scrub in the box, but I liked it enough that I am happy we got to try it at all. I love lavender, and the smell of the lavender with the patchouli and vanilla is unique and lovely. This scrub has a sea salt-in-oil texture, with kernels of Dead Sea salts. It wasn't too abrasive on my skin, and since it's in an oil base my skin felt both soft and nourished when the scrub was rinsed away.
Note to new members:
If you were a new member this month, you received the Milk Rise mascara! I like this mascara so much more than the Milk Kush mascara, and think it's a pretty fun free new member gift.
Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $23
Value Breakdown:
- French Girl: $72 → $10.51
- Voir: $26 → $3.79
- Laneige: $11.50 → $1.68
- The Body Shop: $27 → $3.94
- Rael: $5.99 → $0.87
- Commodity: $12.50 → $1.82
- Sabon: $2.50 → $0.36
Key Takeaways
This month's Allure Beauty Box definitely was a solid performer—I really liked the French Girl serum and the Void hair mask especially. Even though the Drops of Youth and Commodity perfumes were misses for me, that's part of the game of trying a subscription box out- trying new things. I was actually really surprised I didn't like the perfume, as Commodity is a brand I've sampled before and enjoyed. Overall, I'm happy with the box for the $23 cost- everything adds up to $157.49, which meets Allure's promised value of being a box worth more than $100 and is more than six times the cost of the box.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you sign up in September, you should receive the September box.
What do you think of the July Allure Beauty Box? What was your favorite product in the box?
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