As a subscription box drama follower, I’ve noticed a couple of things about the Allure box:
- People feel it provides an excellent value for $15 per month.
- People complain about the customer service and billing issues.
When I learned that I could subscribe and cancel easily through Amazon, I signed up. Currently, Allure offers the first box for $10 and ships a welcome gift later.
There does seem to be slight variations in products subscribing through Allure vs. Amazon but my priority is never dealing with billing or cancellation issues so I can deal with that.
With the click of a button, I subscribed via Amazon and my February box arrived about one week later.
Next month’s spoilers are released each month – if you don’t like what you see, unsubscribe via Amazon and resubscribe later.
Here are my thoughts after testing each product in the February box:
Mamonde Flower Lab Essence Mask Magnolia
Approximate value: $7 each or $49 for a pack of seven at Ulta.
This is the first sheet mask I’ve ever tried. There is a lot of slimy liquid in the pouch. The sheet mask is made out of a thin, soft material with eye, nose, and mouth holes that you carefully place on your face for 10-20 minutes. I was afraid the liquid would ooze into my eyes but it didn’t.
The sensation felt very cooling. I liked the pleasant floral smell. I’m sensitive to scents and did not find this overwhelming or purfumy. Did it feel relaxing? I’m not sure. I probably shouldn’t have exfoliated my skin beforehand. 10 minutes later, it felt funny, almost numbing, so I removed it.
You’re supposed to “pat” the remaining residue into your face. There was no way I was going to simply pat the excess of residue into my face so I quickly rinsed it before applying a moisturizer.
Verdict? A $7 a mask is too expensive to buy frequently. But, if someone gifted me a pack for Christmas I wouldn’t complain or anything. . . The next morning my cheeks appeared less red than normal so I liked that!
The Brow Gal – The Instantint Brow Gel in Brown Hair 02
Approximate value: $20-22 at various retailers
Extreme Instagram brows aren’t for me, but I like the idea of plush, fluffy brows. Alas, my Korean brow hairs are like GTFO, no. I can’t say if this is a good or product. I tried to run the little spoolie through one of my brows and it did nothing. My brow hairs are somehow both sparse and wiry. The texture seemed nice – it had some flexible hold without feeling hard or crispy.
The color is too light for me and looked funny on my skin. I gave this to a brunette coworker it will hopefully work much better for.
Wander Beauty -Mile High Club Mascara (full-size)
Approximate Value: $26 on the Wander Beauty site
This mascara is so new that Wander Beauty just started to sell it on their website in early February.
I’m not the typical mascara consumer. For one thing, I didn’t wear it for 30+ years and value mascara based on the following:
PRIORITY #1) Does it hurt my freaking eyes?
PRIORITY #2) Does it smear or flake?
Notice how “Does it make my eyelashes look fuller or longer?” isn’t even on my list.
I LOVE THIS MASCARA. I’ve never even thought this before. It doesn’t irritate my eyes and it doesn’t smear or flake. I tested this mascara during a stressful week where my manager called mandatory overtime. No flaking, smearing, or eye irritation. It passes my ultimate test of not smearing all over my eyes by the time I arrive at work after taking the bus on cold winter days.
It gives my stubby, downward-pointing Korean lashes some definition which is, frankly, all I’m asking for.
Upon removal, the mascara comes off in soft, rubbery bits. This is worth the $10 box price for me.
ModelCo Metallic Eyeshadow Trio / Moda Metallics Triad Eye Brush
Approximate values: $15 for eyeshadow, $5 for brush
The eyeshadow is great. If preferring neutrals is basic than I’m basic. I use a neutral transition shades from one of my other palettes as a base. Then, I use a fluffier brush to apply the brown and/or pink shadows and my finger to apply the lighter shade. It stays on all day (I use setting spray and concealer base).
The brush doesn’t do anything for me. The bristles are packed densely and course. They actually feel scratchy on my lids. I suppose it can apply darker colors to the outer corners of my eyes. But to pack on shadows either wet or dry? My finger works better.
Mamonde Petal Spa Oil to Foam Cleanser
Approximate value: $3, Full size $21
You only need a small amount to clean your face. Smear a light layer your face and then rub with water to create a lather. This removes the waterproof mascara well. You must enjoy the smell of roses to like this product. More specifically, the smell of fruity rose. The smell will linger even after you rinse your face. The scent woke Jake up from a dead slumber when I crawled into bed one night.
It works fine on my skin but I wouldn’t purchase more because it doesn’t leave my skin as moisturized as I need. I need something that won’t strip it if any oils but add some. Trader Joe’s Face Cleaning Oil works well for me, though it’s also scented and doesn’t remove mascara as well.
Derma-E Vitamin C Concentrated Serum
Approximate Value: $2.5, Full size $20
I don’t know if it’s actually doing anything. It’s not making anything worse but it’s also not visibly making anything better? The smell is very mild and the consistency feels like a gel.
Together with the Mamonde cleanser above, my skin doesn’t feel as moisturized as I’d like. It’s like it forms a layer that prevents moisturizer from absorbing.
Final Thoughts: Totally worth $10. I’m sure that even if I don’t love everything in future boxes, it will still be worth $15, as the products are larger than Sephora’s. One thing I noticed is that the products didn’t have safety seals.
I love reading your box reviews. I’m not a big make up person but I do like wearing mascara when I do, so I’ll have to check out Mile High Club mascara.
That’s weird you didn’t get the full size mally liquid lipstick or full size duccee liquid liner. I was thinking about getting the box for the liquid liner but bc you may get that or the mally lip I decided not to. It’s weird you didn’t get either though. It also said you’d get the full size burnished bronze mally eyeshadow stick as a bonus gift but since you’re already subscribed I guess you might not get that. Weird you didn’t get one of the two other things though you were def supposed to get one of those full size things not a little serum sample.
The Real Person!
I’m wondering if it’s because I am subscribed through Amazon -not 100% sure but I think we get a set box without variations