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 by MSA readers in the 2020 Subscription Box Awards.)
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: $23 a month + free shipping. Save with a yearly subscription.
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 U.S. and Puerto Rico for free
Allure Beauty Box December 2020 Review
This handy booklet has all the product info inside.
Mudmasky Leave-Me-On Winter Mask, 40 mL – Full Size! Retail Value $44.00
I love the idea of this winter mask, especially since my already dry skin suffers even more in the winter! I just wish this ingredient list features less alcohol. Sure, many people don't mind a little bit in their products, and, sure, not all are terrible for your skin. But I try to avoid them because I do find they dry me out if I use a product over a longer length of time. This formula has both Cetearyl and cetyl alcohol (two fatty and mostly non-drying alcohols) and these are included to give it that nice smooth, thick feel. I do think the other ingredients inside are great for dry skin! There is a great blend of sunflower, argan, jojoba, and macadamia seed oil as well as glycerin and hyaluronic acid. It does have a fragrance but I quite like it and the texture feels great on my skin and absorbs quickly! This mask is meant to be applied and left on (which in my mind makes it a moisturizer..?) and I liked the smoothness that it left behind and the weightless and non-pilling finish.
Caudalié Vinosource S.O.S Thirst-Quenching Serum, 1o mL - Estimated Value $16.33 (buy a full size 30 mL for $49.00)
My skin loves the Caudalié brand, so I am always thrilled to see some in any box. This stuff has an incredibly lightweight texture that absorbs in a snap. A few callouts on this ingredient list for my acne-prone friends: this formula has Ethylhexyl Palmitate which is a common alternative to mineral oil, but it is a wee bit comedogenic. Just a heads up! A constant reminder, I don't know your skin, so try this out and see how it works for you. I just am some nerd behind a computer who enjoys reading skincare ingredient lists! There are better serums out there, IMO, but I was happy to see some of my faves on the list: hyaluronic acid and squalane. It has that classic Caudalié scent that I love, but this does mean that it also has fragrance. I am less strict about fragrances than I probably should be, and I can't get enough of this one.
ByMe x My Beauty Brand Black Liquid Eyeliner- Listed Value $22.00
I have a hard time getting excited about black eyeliner, but at least this is from a brand I haven't tried yet! And I will say that I thought the bold and flexible brush tip was great, the pigment level here was excellent, and it dried pretty fast and stayed put. Now if only it had been a shade other than black!
Rich black pigment.
La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum, 5 mL - Estimated Value $6.67 (Buy a full-size 20 mL for $39.99)
I feel like I am the alcohol police this month, and I apologize, but these are things I look for in my own skincare. I was bummed to see alcohol denat as the third ingredient on the list for this serum and I just find that stuff super drying, especially so far up on an ingredient list. If you have oilier skin, you might care a lot less about this than I do. The good news? This stuff does have healthy doses of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, retinol, and adenosine. All of these ingredients together are totally incredible for anti-aging and improved texture. It is lightweight and very slippy and absorbs in a snap. This one just isn't for me because my skin is basically a desert.
Cetaphil Deep Hydration Healthy Glow Daily Cream, 0.34 oz - Estimated Value $4.60 (Buy 1.7 oz for $22.99)
Our last item is from a brand that has consistently been great for my inflamed winter skin. I kind of expected this to have a shimmer to it from the name, but the "healthy glow" part must come from the deep hydration from this cream rather than from anything sparkling or shiny. Lots of good stuff in here: hyaluronic acid, panthenol, vitamin E, glycerine, and more. It does have a scent but, again, I like it! It feels really great on my skin and gives me a moisture surge that lasts for hours. It is also wildly affordable, so if you have sensitive skin (or skin that just becomes sensitive in the winter!) this would be a really great product for you to try.
Verdict: This Allure box has a total value of around $117.60 (with me relying on the listed value for the eyeliner). While this wasn't my absolute favorite curation from this box, it was still well rounded and had a nice value. I really do like the palette and I think the shades inside are super pretty on my face. So that's always good! Some of the skincare was a little hit or miss for me, but not everyone out there has dryness issues like me. I found myself liking the eyeliner more than I thought because it was super pigmented and smooth, and a newer brand is always exciting. This was a fun box to open and test, though I am looking forward to a little more excitement next month.
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.
Value Breakdown: At $23 for this box, each of the 6 products has an average cost of $3.83.
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 December Allure Beauty Box? What was your favorite product in the box?
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