Allure Beauty – April 2020 Review
Cost: $15.00/month
Website’s description: “Let us deliver a small bit of comfort, creativity, and connection — from the Allure team to you. Get 5+ monthly makeup and skincare picks from our editors, delivered to your doorstep ($70+ value for only $15).”
Shipping: Free
Ships to: US
The Review Girls paid for this box. This post may contain referral/affiliate links. If you buy something, The Review Girls may earn a commission.
Allure Beauty is a subscription I’ve heard of for a long time, even before Abby and I began this blogging adventure. I’m not really sure why I’ve never thought to subscribe to them before. I think I always gravitated more towards the full-size products verses the sample sizes but, after beginning to start taking better care of my skin, I’m now hooked on sample sizes. I love the variety of receiving different products without the commitment of a full-size when it comes to skincare. I have somewhat sensitive skin and a lot of good products are rather pricy. I find it a hassle to purchase a new product then returning it after it doesn’t work. So… being stuck in quarantine seems like the perfect opportunity for me to explore the different products that Allure Beauty has to offer!
I really love the sleek look of this box. The silver font that spells out Allure Beauty with the white background is very appealing to the eyes in my opinion. I also love how a full pamphlet was in the box so I could get a better understanding of each product.
As you can see, not only is each product mentioned with a description of what the product is but, also includes commentary from a beauty editor. I really like that and appreciate the explanation of what makes each product worth trying.
I also quickly want to preface this that I will be including the FULL-SIZE retail value by each item. Keep in mind some of these products reviewed are deluxe sample sizes.
I cannot for the life of me recall if there was another option for the bonus item upon signing up. However, it was a very easy decision for me to choose the Laura Mercier loose setting powder. This is a favorite of mine. I like to use this to set my under eyes (I do not bake, I just use a light dusting under my eyes) and my face. This locks in my makeup for the day and can help with the oily parts of my combination skin.
The rest of the following products were the products featured in the April 2020 box.
Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment (SPF 30), Dr. Jart+ – Full Size Retail Value $52.00
I don’t really dabble much in color correcting. Occasionally I will use a green concealer or primer to combat some redness. However, the multiple layers of product usually end up making my makeup look and feel cakey so I prefer not to. This product is designed to be a color corrector, sunscreen, and tinted moisturizer all in one. I used this prior to applying any makeup and did not use any other moisturizer. It seemed to match my skin tone, but, if I was any fairer, I may have ended up with it looking too dark. I really liked the way my skin looked for not having any other product on but, as far as color correcting I didn’t notice too much of a difference. However, I do have acne, red spots, and some scarring so perhaps someone with just slight redness will feel differently. I wasn’t particularly “wowed” by this product but, I like the aspect of it also containing SPF since most people do not understand the important usage of daily sunscreen.
Lip Filler Long Wearing + Plumping Lip Liner (Kackie: Mocha), Thrive Causemetics – Retail Value $20.00
I really enjoy a good lip liner. I feel it adds something to the look of lipstick on someone so I was happy to see this in the box! The color was not one I would purchase freely on my own. I tend to think I look somewhat washed out with darker shades of lipstick unless I’m on the tanner side.
Here is the color swatched on my hand. While I haven’t worn it yet, I will give it a chance to see if I can change my mind!
Mane Magic Multibenefit 10-1-Primer, Eva NYC – FULL-SIZE Retail Value $12.00
I love a hair product that can do multiple things. I hate having weighed down or greasy hair so I try not to go crazy with too many products. While I’ve only used this product once it did leave my hair feeling super soft and shiny. I’ve been mostly allowing my hair to air dry while I’ve been staying at home so I’ll hold on to this, for now, to test it out for when I heat style my hair more frequently.
Balance Hydrating & Calming Serum, Lue by Jean Seo – Retail Value $15.00
I love a good serum with hyaluronic acid and will work for all skin types. I suffer from hormonal acne so I was very happy this serum not only left my skin feeling smooth and soft but, did not cause any further breakouts. While I wouldn’t say this helped with my acne, it did make my skin feel really hydrated. I think this helped to not cause an increase in oil production to certain areas of my face and make my breakouts worse. This is also such a lightweight formula without a strong odor which I liked. I don’t mind scent and I’m not sensitive to them but I do prefer less scented ones for face formulas.
Skin Balance Toning Mist, Akar – Full Size Retail Value $55.00
I use to cringe at the thought of a toner. I felt like they dried my face out and made my skin feel terrible. I realize how I was using ones with bad ingredients and now have happily added this back into my skincare routine after understanding the benefits of using one. This product left my skin feeling refreshed and hydrated. It contains floral water (rose and neroli) and white willow bark. These together help prevent build-up in pores and help with any acne issues. While I wish I could say I loved this product the smell for me was one in which I can’t get past. It’s not that it’s really a bad smell but, it’s way too strong for me and was a little off-putting. I did give it several chances but, I had to stop using it.
Alpine Berry Water Cream, Primera – Full Size Retail Value $40.00
I was quite excited to try this out as soon as I read all about it. I love trying out Korean Beauty products, especially ones that have great reviews. This is their best selling product and I can easily see why. The application goes on super smoothly and dries quickly but it leaves your face feeling so soft, smooth, and flawless. I dislike the feeling of a greasy residue left by some moisturizers. You can purchase this at Sephora and I will definitely plan to purchase in the future.
Dewy Stix Highlighter Balm in Gleam Gold, Ciate London – Retail Value $26.00
I’ve heard of this product before but, didn’t know much about how it performed. Upon swatching it, I could see a pretty sheer glow which actually was quite appealing to me.
I’m not sure if you can see it well enough on the swatch above but, it was definitely noticeable on my wrist when I snapped this photo. I don’t mind a blinding highlight but, for every day look it can be way too much. My advice is to either apply this on your finger or on a beauty sponge. I made the mistake of applying it directly to my skin and it took off some of my foundation. This is definitely a highlighter I could see myself wearing all the time.
Overall Thoughts
I really liked my first month of Allure Beauty! I felt it offered enough variety of makeup and skincare products, and it wasn’t concentrated or heavy on just one beauty product. It was nice to find a couple of products I really like and can use in the future. It also gave me the opportunity to try out ones that were a bit out of my normal comfort zone. I felt for the price of the box I definitely got my money’s worth. This is definitely a box I would highly recommend to anyone who is new to beauty products and wants to sample products without committing to purchasing expensive full-size bottles. I’m really looking forward to my May box which should be here any day!
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All views in this review are the opinion of the author. The Review Girls will never accept payment in exchange for a review, but will accept a box at no cost to provide honest opinions on the box. This post may contain affiliate/referral links. Read our complete disclosure.