Allure Beauty Box is a monthly subscription box by Allure Magazine, a beauty-focused publication, that offers six or more products, with at least 3 full-size products, each month. Subscriptions cost $25 per month, although you can score your first box for $20 (and paying for a quarterly or annual plan will save you more). It’s also one of MSA’s top beauty subscription boxes for 2024.
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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This is my second-ever Allure Beauty Box, and I’m more smitten for the February edition than I was for the first box. A full-sized YSL lipstick-balm? Yes, please! There was actually nothing in this month’s box that I won’t use, and it was pretty much love-at-first-use for most of the products I tried out. That’s not to say there wasn’t room for improvement, but overall I was pleased with the products in this month’s box.
What's Inside the February 2024 Allure Beauty Box
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick Balm, 0.11 ounces (full-size), Retail Value: $43 for 0.11 ounces
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When I saw the Yves Saint Laurent lipstick balm in my box, I was just plain giddy. Subscribers were able to select one of four available colors; because my box has been provided for review purposes, I wasn’t able to choose my color. I was hoping for the Burnt Zellige color, but I ended up being very satisfied with the Nude Lavalliere color I received. It was about the same color of my lips, but it just amped up the pink tone and added a subtle shine that made even my bare face look a little more done-up.
Interestingly enough, I thought this smelled like the lip balms of my youth, like some sort of luxurious version of strawberry Lip Smackers. I really liked the texture of this, which was just about exactly the texture you’d expect from a product called a lipstick balm. It was slick and hydrating, but not sticky.
Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer for Normal to Dry Skin, 75mL (full-size), Retail Value: $78 for 75 mL
This is a luxurious moisturizer made with Dead Sea minerals, and I was excited to see a product that could maybe soothe my dry skin. The texture out of the tube was pretty thick, but as I rubbed the moisturizer into my skin, it become much thinner and very slick. The smell instantly grabbed my attention, because I thought it smelled exactly like baby lotion. (That’s not a bad thing, it had a calming fragrance.) This lotion was nice, but it didn’t blow me away. I liked this moisturizer just fine and am thankful I have a full-sized tube, but for $78, I don’t think it’s something I loved enough to purchase for myself.
Formulaé Prescott Tri Balm Cleanser Stick, 0.71 ounces (full-size), Retail Value: $40 for 0.71 ounces
I’ll be honest: when I saw this cleanser stick, I thought there was no way this would work for me. The stick application for cleanser seems inconvenient, because after cleaning my face, I’d need to clean off the stick, too. While that is a factor to deal with when using this product, I still ended up really loving this cleanser stick.
I can’t really say much on how well it exfoliates (it doesn’t have a texture conducive to scrubbing, but it boasts enzymes that boost exfoliation), but it did really feel like a little trip to the spa when using this product. The scent is divine, a lovely citrus-forward smell with a hint of floral, and I loved how it felt to roll the balm over my face. My face felt soft afterward. I don’t think this is the kind of cleanser that can tackle taking off makeup, but it’s a nice option to finish with in a double-cleansing routine.
Lush Happy Skin, 50 grams, Retail Value: $26 for 100 grams
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I’ve used many Lush bath bombs in the past, but I haven’t ventured much into their other personal care products. The scent of this exfoliator wasn’t as strong as the products I’ve tried before, but it was still pleasant. The scent sort of reminded me of the filling inside an almond croissant. Anyway, aside from the scent, this did exactly what I’d expect from an exfoliating product. It was a little more abrasive than the exfoliator I usually use, but it did leave my skin feeling thoroughly clean and soft. I wouldn’t use this more than once a week, but it’s worth it for a deeper exfoliation.
Commodity Milk+ Bold, 5 mL, Retail Value: $145 for 100 mL
I’ve actually already tried Commodity’s Milk fragrance, as well as several of its other fragrances, after seeing creator Eni Popoola (@enigivensunday on Instagram) share the brand. I remember picking up a sample pack of fragrances and falling hard for the Moss scent, but revisiting the Milk scent with the Allure Beauty Box reminded me how much I liked this fragrance, too. I appreciate that it’s sweet but not overly so, with a more interesting twist from the woodsy notes.
Commodity offers fragrances in personal, expressive, or bold iterations, depending on how strong you want the scent to be. I love the bold, which lasts all day and is a good option if you want people to tell you how good you smell. (Also, I work from home, so my strong perfume won’t be bothering anyone else!) The bold had serious staying power — I put it on early in the morning after getting ready, and I could still smell it by evening.
Jazmine Beauty Brow Boss Styling Wax, 5 grams, Retail Value: $20 for 10 grams
I have big, dark eyebrows that have seen just about every kind of pencils, powders, gels — you name it, I’ve probably tried it. A few years ago, I swapped to a more natural approach, letting my once over-plucked and filled-in eyebrows grow wild with no products holding them back. This was mostly to save myself the time and expense of maintaining them.
One issue I’ve had with some gels and waxes in the past is that they can dry into a hardened texture, so I did have reservations about trying another wax. But I ended up really liking this clear styling wax, which didn’t dry too quickly while I was trying to tame a few unruly eyebrow hairs into place with the wax and spoolie. It also dried without leaving any kind of hard residue or weird texture on my brows; they still felt like my soft, natural eyebrows. My only complaint here is that the sample-sized jar is so small, it was difficult to fit a standard spoolie into it. I wish they had included the full-sized jar or a smaller spoolie to try out this product.
Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $25 (save more with a longer subscription — 3 months prepaid is $59 for first-time customers or $69 otherwise, and an annual subscription is $225 for first-timers or $250).
Total Value: $191.25
Value Breakdown:
- Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick Balm: $43 for 0.11 ounces
- Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer for Normal to Dry Skin: $78 for 75 milliliters
- Formulaé Prescott Tri Balm Cleanser Stick: $40 for 0.71 ounces
- Lush Happy Skin: $26 for 100 grams (my sample was 50 grams, bringing the sample value to around $13)
- Commodity Milk+ Bold: $145 for 100 milliliters (my sample was 5 milliliters, bringing the sample value to around $7.25)
- Jazmine Beauty Brow Boss Styling Wax: $20 for 10 grams (my sample was 5 grams, bringing the sample value to around $10)
Key Takeaways
I was really pleased with this month’s box, and it delivered even more value than my first box. The standout products in this box for me include the YSL lipstick balm, which has become a pretty addition to my natural makeup look, the Formulaé Prescott cleansing stick, and the Milk+ fragrance from Commodity, a product I already knew I loved but was really pleased to revisit. I also liked the clear brow styling wax from Jazmine Beauty way more than I anticipated, as someone who has gone product-free on my brows for a few years now. All in all, I was really impressed with the February box, and I hope the March box is just as luxurious.
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? Allure’s website is currently advertising the February box, so if you’re interested in these products, sign up ASAP before March subscriptions kick in.
What do you think of the February Allure Beauty Box? What was your favorite product in the box?
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