Allure Beauty Box is a 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 and one of the best subscription boxes under $15 by MSA readers in the 2020 Subscription Box Awards.)
FYI: on October 1st, the cost of this box is increasing to $23.00. This change does come with perks though! Read more here.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About this Box
The Subscription Box: Allure Beauty Box
The Cost: $15 a month + free shipping. Save with a yearly subscription.
FYI: on October 1st, the cost of this box is increasing to $23.00. This change does come with perks though! Read more here.
The Products: Deluxe and full-size beauty and makeup samples. Ordering through Allure also means you receive a newsletter with tips, tricks & exclusive promotions like limited-edition boxes, access to members-only virtual events, promo codes, and more!
Ships to: The US and Puerto Rico for free
Allure Beauty Box August 2020 Review
This handy booklet has all the product info inside.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum, 8 mL – Estimated Value $11.20 (Buy 60 mL for $84.00)
Sulwhasoo is a fave brand of mine to see in boxes because it is the sister brand of my much beloved (and incredibly expensive) Amorepacific. This serum also arrived in the cutest mini bottle EVER. Seriously, so presh. Inside this adorable little bottle is a blend of Korean herbs, honey, green tea extract, and more. I really liked how this felt on my skin. It absorbed easily and gave a little radiance boost from the instant hydration boost. I did see alcohol listed as number three on the ingredient list, so those with dry and sensitive skin might want to try this out with that in mind. I imagine this would probably be a better fit for oilier skin, but I will say I noticed nothing but good things on my own dry face.
Erno Lazlo Exfoliate & Detox Face Bar, 50 g - Estimated Value $19.00 (Buy a full 100 g bar for $38.00)
This is probably the product most folks think about when they think of the Erno Lazlo brand. This black soap is pretty iconic! It is also fantastic for oilier skin or a face with pores in need of a deep detox. This bar contains Dead Sea mud which is deep cleansing and nutrient-rich, as well as charcoal which gives it that black color and provides further pore cleansing. This is the sort of bar I would use once or twice a week since I have dry skin, while someone like Will would use daily because he is very oily. It has a nice scent and leaves skin feeling smooth and really soft. I love that this is a really generous sample that is half the size of this rather pricy bar. It means we can use it for quite some time!
Floss Quartz Pressed Highlighter in 'Sunlit', 4 g - Full Size! Retail Value $20.00
Floss makes one of my favorite highlighters so I am SO excited to add this 'Sunlit' shade to my makeup bag. In addition to being super radiant but somehow still very natural looking, this formula also has this very unique powder/cream hybrid texture that allows you to apply it with fingertips for a really easy glow-up. This is quickly becoming my go-to cheat to look alive over a Zoom meeting as well as add a little glow to my face for a minimal look over a nice picnic lunch.
Highlighters are so hard to capture with pictures! This stuff is actually much more dimensional, with the tiniest shimmers in gold, pearl, and pink shades.
H2O+ Hydration Sensitive Gel Cream Moisturizer, 0.34 fl oz - Estimated Value $7.56 (Buy a full-size 1.7 fl oz for $37.80)
I immediately liked this alcohol-free gel/cream hybrid moisturizer. First off, it is the palest shade of pink! Sorry, I like cute things! Secondly, the ingredient list is pretty stellar: calming chamomile extract, glycerine, squalane, rosemary, and a host of different amino acids. It also just feels immediately great as you rub it onto your skin, absorbing with ease and leaving a velvet soft finish. This is a really great evening cream choice for normal and oily skin but drier faces could totally enjoy this during the day.
WHISH Botanical Primer, 0.75 fl oz - Estimated Value $16.50 (Buy 2 fl oz for $44.00)
I have mixed feelings about WHISH. I really like their shave products but their skincare has been much more of a mixed bag for me. This primer seems promising though! It feels a little more on the skincare end of things than makeup because it contains lactic acid, argan oil, aloe, a gentle retinol alternative called bakuchiol, and seabuckthorn, among other goodies. Be sure to shake this stuff before you open it. There was some very minor separation in my tube, but this was easily remedied! I did find myself really liking this product, even when used on a face on which I had no intention of wearing foundation. It still smoothed my skin and minimized my pores. It also did look very nice when I finally did end up wearing some light foundation. All in all, I am pleasantly impressed with this one. Side note: Allure has a fun and informative little page on primers that I enjoyed. Admittedly, I don't always follow all of this advice, but you got to know the rules to break 'em!
Looks & Meii Brightening Lift Up Perfect Fit Mask - Retail Value $3.00
Finally, my last item was a truly artsy sheet mask! I love this fun illustration on the front of this one and I loved the mask itself even more. It came on a sheer pink sheet that you remove. The mask itself was super stretchy and fit my face very well. It was drenched in a milky serum with niacinamide, vitamin C, and tons of botanical extracts. I loved that this mask felt very cooling and soothing on, and left ZERO film or tackiness behind when I removed it. My face looked pretty darn great too!
Verdict: This Allure box has a total value of around $101.26 which is huge for a $15 box. The brands inside were also pretty freaking great this month and covered a nice range of price points while still feeling luxe and well-curated. There actually isn't anything in here not to love for me personally, so I will just try to come up with a favorite: The Floss highlighter! It wasn't an easy choice in such a well-rounded box, but if you twisted my arm that would be it. I do plan on pampering myself thoroughly with the rose oil and H2O cream, as well as faking a polished look with the primer. The black soap will probably be mostly used by Will, but I don't mind sharing. All in all, what a solid box.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes! Scroll down this page to see what items you will get when you first sign up.
FYI: on October 1st, the cost of this box is increasing to $23.00. This change does come with perks though! Read more here.
Value Breakdown: At $15 for this box, here is what you are paying approximately per item:
- Pixi Oil $3.56
- Sulwhasoo Serum $1.66
- Erno Lazlo Soap $2.81
- Floss Highlighter $2.96
- H2O+ Moisturizer $1.12
- WHISH Primer $2.44
- Looks & Meii Mask $0.44
Alternatively, each of the 7 items has an average cost of $2.14.
Check out all of our Allure Beauty Box reviews and some more of our other favorite beauty subscriptions.
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What do you think of the August Allure Beauty Box? What was your favorite product in the box?
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