I had a brief hiatus from Allure in August while I switched addresses, but I’m feeling back in the swing of things now that September has rolled in. I’ve been in a little bit of a makeup rut since all most of the things I own are still packed. While we’re getting settled in, that’s been one thing that I haven’t spent a ton of time unloading as of yet.

This month’s box was a rundown of some of the winners of the Allure Best of Beauty Awards. These are supposed to be the best products ever, and I’m going to be honest…I’m a little disappointed. Let’s take a look.

Inside my Box

The first item in the box was the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($24, travel size). This just isn’t exciting for me. It’s a setting powder. I also have very very dry skin, so I very very rarely use a setting powder. The only time I will reach for this is when I’m doing a complicated eye look, in which case I dust powder over the eye before I do the eyeshadows to make them pop and stay on longer. If you use a setting powder, I think that this is a good one. It doesn’t flashback white, and will day put. It’s just not something I use much of.

Next was the Ciate London Dewy Stix Luminous Highlighting Balm in Gleam ($26, full size). This is a really healthy-looking glow. There’s a ton of product in the packaging (which looks stupidly similar to the Colourpop Luxe Lip packaging…jsut sayin’). I love the way this looks and feels. I’m not sure if I would have bought it, but it’s just the right amount of glow for fall and winter.

In this box was also a shampoo and conditioner. The Naturelab Perfect Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner ($5.29 for both, travel size) are made in Japan with stem cells. Let me say that as a science-literate person, putting stem cells on your hair won’t make a difference. It’s also, in my opinion, just a shampoo. It’s not bad, it’s not good. It didn’t smooth my hair out any more than a normal one. It’s okay, but if you have something you already like, I’d skip it.

Two skincare items in this box. The first was the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Eczema Soothing Skin Relief ($0.67, travel size), and the other was the Acure Brightening Facial Scrub ($4.98, travel-size). The Acure scrub is very abrasive. My skin is fairly durable, and I think it’s bordering on being too much. It has an occasionally controversial component in ground walnut shells, which I know many people try to steer clear of. At the end of the day, this is a cleanser. I’ll use it up, but I don’t feel the need to run out and buy it again. As for the LRP Skin Lotion, same deal. The sample size is absolutely minuscule, but the guide suggests rubbing it on knees, elbows…etc. I didn’t get a great chance to try it, and I also don’t have the most sensitive skin in the world. If you do have eczema that you’re trying to address, I’d give it a try, but it’s a pass for me.

Last thing I want to say is that this box was sponsored by Geico. What? Why? It just seemed so out of place, and I couldn’t see why you’d choose to harm your brand consistency in that way. Maybe that’s just the influencer in me talking.

The overall total value of this box is a little less than $60.94. For a box that costs (full price) $15, that’s not bad, but this is the lowest value I’ve ever gotten in an Allure Box! It’s hard to judge if Allure is worth it when the months can be so up and down. All things in, this is a good value for $15. I am also continually impressed and will get a lot of use out of this box. If you want your own Allure Beauty Box ($10 to start, $15 each month after!) you can sign up here!

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