Allure Beauty Box is a $25 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 2023 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.)
*Note to readers: My May box shipped abnormally late this month. I expect to be back to our regularly scheduled programming with the June box, as I already have the tracking number for it.
First Impressions
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The box arrives beautifully packaged in the classic Allure white and red box. There was also a helpful mini-magazine with more info on the products and a note from Allure's deputy beauty director Elizabeth Siegel.
New subscribers in the month of May received this Christophe Robin hair creme.
What's Inside the May 2023 Allure Beauty Box
Sunday Riley B3 Nice 10% Niacinamide Serum, 1 oz - Retail Value $65
The way to my heart is through full-size Sunday Riley products- I love when Allure does this! This is a newer launch from the brand that features 10% niacinamide, trans-resveratrol, and Gallic acid. Combined, this water-based formula is designed to brighten the skin, fade dark spots and post acne marks, and reduce the appearance of pore sizes. It has a thin texture, and it layered well underneath other formulas. I love that it has madecassoside and Aloe Vera in addition to the featured ingredients- sometimes brightening skincare products can be irritating to my skin, but I didn’t have that issue with this product.
Refy Brow Pomade In Medium, 0.05 oz - Retail Value $20
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This pencil features a pot of pomade at one end and an angled brow brush at the other. I like the convenience of the packaging that gives you everything you need, and the formula is very creamy. The brush is perfect for getting short, hair-like strokes, and it blends in to look natural without much effort at all.
Uoma Beauty Badass MF Matte Filler Lip Liner In Ross, 0.04 oz - Retail Value $16
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I have yet to try an Uoma Beauty product I haven’t liked, and this lip liner was another good one. It’s creamy and has great staying power, and I love that it wasn’t drying on my lips. It performs better than its price point indicates, and it matches a lot of the lip colors I wear frequently.
Here it is swatched above the brow pomade
Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch the Original, 6 ct - Buy a box of 36 patches for $12.99
Pimple patches are my friend, and these mighty patches by Hero Cosmetics are quite good at their simple task. When I apply them to dry skin, they do a good job of adhering to my skin all night and sucking out any excess goo my pimple has to give. I've had pimples (whiteheads!) that I will wear a pimple patch on all night and the patch doesn't absorb a thing (much to my frustration), but thankfully these are up to the task at hand.
Kibon Revitalizing Face Mask - Retail Value $11
Honestly, I love sheet masks. Reviewing them can feel a little repetitive because for the most part, most of them do the same thing, but I am genuinely always happy when I see one appear in a subscription box. This mask from Kino is made with one of my all-time favorite ingredients, Centella, and it’s made with a super thin material that hugged every curve of my face. I love that it stayed in place while I moved, and it left my skin with a hydrated glow when I removed it.
EVA NYC Freshen Up Invisible Dry Shampoo, 0.75 oz - Estimated Value $1.84 (buy the 5.3 oz version for $13)
I don't use a ton of dry shampoo on my hair, but I like the Eva NYC brand. I think their products are effective for the price point (especially their deep conditioning mask), and I liked the way this smelled. I thought it was pretty lightweight and didn't leave my roots feeling weighed down, and I didn't notice any white residue after applying it to my brown hair, either.
Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $25 (save more with a longer subscription- 3 months prepaid is $60 and an annual subscription is $228)
Value Breakdown:
- Sunday Riley: $65 → $14.27
- Refy: $20 → $4.39
- Uoma: $16 → $3.51
- Kibon: $11 → $2.41
- Eva NYC: $1.84 → $0.40
- Hero Cosmetics: N/A
Key Takeaways
The May Allure Beauty Box was a great box for me. Admittedly, it's going to be hard to go wrong when you include a full-size luxury skincare product, but I thought this box was well-balanced between both skincare and makeup. I really liked both makeup products sent, too, and would happily add both to my makeup bag for immediate use in my regular routine (and the portability of the Refy brow pomade makes it a great option for a travel makeup bag). Even the dry shampoo, while not something I use regularly, is appreciated because it smells so good. Value-wise, Allure promises a monthly value of at least $100, and everything in the box added up to $113.84.
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? No. If you sign up in June, you should receive the June box.
What do you think of the May Allure Beauty Box? What was your favorite product in the box?
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