Allure Beauty Box: Plans, What Arrives Each Month and Cancelling

Allure Beauty Box is a monthly beauty subscription from the editors of Allure magazine. Each box brings a curated mix of skincare, make-up, hair and fragrance products, some deluxe samples and some full size.

Whether an Allure Beauty Box subscription is good value depends on how much of each box you will actually use, which plan you pick, and how carefully you manage renewals.

How the Allure Beauty Box subscription works

You sign up, pay for your first Allure Beauty Box, and a new box ships each month until you cancel. The contents are chosen by Allure's editors, not by you.

That is the trade-off. You get to try brands you would not have bought, but some products will not suit your skin, hair or taste.

Each Allure Beauty Box usually comes with a card describing the products and how to use them. Keep it; it helps you decide what to reorder full size.

Monthly or prepaid plans

Allure Beauty Box typically offers a month-to-month plan and longer prepaid options. Prepaid plans lower the per-box price in exchange for commitment.

Start month to month. After two or three boxes you will know whether Allure Beauty Box suits you, and only then is a prepaid plan worth considering.

Check whether the plan renews automatically at the end of the term, and at what price. Plan prices and renewal terms can change, so read the current Allure Beauty Box terms at sign-up.

Judging the value of a box

Allure Beauty Box often quotes the retail value of each box. That figure adds up full retail prices for every item, including sample sizes, and is always higher than what you would have spent.

A fairer test: add up only the products you would have bought anyway, at the price you would have paid. If that beats the Allure Beauty Box price over a few months, the subscription pays.

Deluxe samples are useful for travel and for testing an expensive serum or foundation before committing. They are less useful if they sit unused in a drawer.

Skin type, allergies and patch testing

An Allure Beauty Box is not tailored to your skin in the way a pharmacy consultation is. Read every ingredient list before using a new product, especially if you have sensitive skin or known allergies.

Patch test new skincare on a small area first. Retinoids, acids and fragranced products are the usual culprits for irritation.

Items you cannot use make good gifts or swaps with friends who also subscribe to Allure Beauty Box.

Shipping and timing

Allure Beauty Box ships monthly within the US, with the billing date and shipping window set by the subscription. Check your account for the exact dates.

If you move, update your address before the billing date, not after. A box already in processing goes to the old address.

Skipping and cancelling

Manage your Allure Beauty Box subscription from your account. If you are going away or overstocked, check whether you can pause or skip a month rather than cancelling outright.

To cancel, do it before the next billing date. Cancelling after the charge usually means that month's Allure Beauty Box still ships.

Keep the confirmation email. If a charge appears after you cancelled, the email is your evidence.

Gift subscriptions and the members' shop

Allure Beauty Box has sold gift subscriptions for a fixed number of months. These are usually prepaid and do not roll into an ongoing plan, which makes them safer to give than a standard subscription. Check the current terms, since the details change.

Subscribers have also been offered a members' shop or add-on purchases at reduced prices, timed with each box. If you find a product you love in a box, that is often the cheapest way to buy it full size.

Allure Beauty Box leans towards prestige and indie brands rather than pharmacy names, and most boxes include at least one full-size product. If you mainly buy pharmacy skincare, the retail value figures will look high but the products may not replace what you already use.

Allure sometimes announces one or two items from the upcoming box in advance. Watch for these announcements before deciding whether to skip or continue.

Where the Allure Beauty Box savings are

The best Allure Beauty Box codes are aimed at the first box or first order:

The first-box-for-$10 code is the cheapest way to try Allure Beauty Box. Treat it as a low-cost trial and set a reminder to review before the second billing date.

The $25 code is more useful on a prepaid plan, where the total is high enough for the full $25 to apply. Check any minimum spend.

The 30% code beats $25 once the order passes about $84. On a single monthly box it usually will not, so pick the dollar code there.

Allure Beauty Box welcome codes are usually for new subscribers only and one per account. Returning subscribers should look for the occasional flash code instead.

Common questions

Can I choose what goes in my Allure Beauty Box?

Generally no. Allure's editors choose the contents. That is the point of the box, and its main drawback.

When should I cancel my Allure Beauty Box?

Before the next billing date. After that, the next box is usually already paid for.

Are Allure Beauty Box products full size?

Some are, some are deluxe samples. The product card in each box says which.

Can I give Allure Beauty Box as a gift?

Yes, gift subscriptions have been offered for set terms. Check whether the gift plan renews, and add the recipient's address before the first billing date.