I felt like June just flew by. I’ve been staying really busy and that’s certainly helped. I’ve been reading and watching documentaries pretty much nonstop, but I still have found time to try out new makeup. Allure does make it kind of easy with the box of stuff arriving every month. Let’s run it down.

For those of you not in the know right now, the Allure beauty box is shipped out each month by Allure the magazine. It contains 5-8 items that can be minis, deluxe or travel-sized, or full-sized items. Every month is different, but spoilers come out in advance in case you’re a stop-and-start subscriber. Each month is $15. If you want to get your first month for $10, you can sign up here!

Now that we got that out of the way, what’s in here?

Like last month, this month was heavy on the skincare. I’ll say straight up that I wasn’t excited about this one. It just didn’t do much for me. There is some skincare, but nothing I was too jazzed about. But now that' I’ve tried them out, my opinion did change somewhat.

First was the StarSkin 100% Camellia Nourishing & Brightening 2-Step Oil Sheet Mask (retail of $10). I love a sheet mask. I’ve used a few things from StarSkin and have mostly been impressed. This is a nice sheet mask, but I don’t have any kind of brand loyalty there. I thought this one was amazing. I loved the dry oil that went on first, even though it was very messy. The sheet mask that goes on top of that is thin, and fit my face tightly and securely. The material it was made out of was also very nice. I felt a large difference in my skin and I was noticeably more moisturized for days afterward. I’d pay the ten bucks every once in a while to get that back.

Again with the skincare is the Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb Aloe Vera (full size retails for $38. This sample is worth approximately $7.60). I have gotten so many of these as samples, both in the original and this new aloe vera formula. I like it, but I’m getting kind of burnt out on getting so stocked up on it. It’s nice, but not super groundbreaking. I like my moisturizers to be a little heavier, and this one is very light if that’s what you like. It’s nice. I like aloe. It’s just too much exposure from everywhere.

A third skincare product is the Purlisse Watermelon + Charcoal Purifying Cleanser (retail value of $18). I like this, but I think it’s misrepresenting what it is. This doesn’t magically vacuum pores, or provide any purifying. IT’s very gentle and foams away makeup and dirt, but there is no hint of deep cleaning. You know, charcoal doesn’t do much. It barely reacts. In this cleanser, it doesn’t rip things out of your pores, it just dyes the cleanser grey. I like it as a cleanser, but not as some kind of pore-scouring wonder scrub.

The last of the skincare is a tin little sample of the La Roche Posay Active C10+ (full size retails for $49.99, this sample would be worth ). La Roche Posay is a fairly nostalgic brand for me. Being in Canada in the 2008-2014 time frame and seeing “fancy” skincare for the first time…and it was all from these people. It’s french. That’s the fanciest, right? Like with most skincare, I haven’t used this enough to form an opinion. It feels like a moisturizer. I’ve noticed some reduction in color in my dark spots but would need to use it longer if I’m going to see any other antiaging results.

The only color cosmetic here in there is the Yensa Super 8 Lip Oil in Pink Shine (retail price of $28). This is one of those products that I can’t figure out how to fit into my life. It doesn’t have enough pigment to be useful to me as a lip color. In that same vein, because it’s an oil, it doesn’t play well with other products, so it also doesn’t make sense for me to use it on top of another color. Also as an oil, I can’t wear it outside or I’ll get a lip sunburn (which has happened before and was what I would call a traumatic experience). So…maybe I’ll wear it late in the night for moisture? That’s all I can think of. I'll likely try to pass this one on if I can.

My most major disappointment: Dashing Diva Gloss Ultra Shine Gel Palette (retails for $9). If you’ve ever seen my Instagram account, you’ll know that I am a press-on or glue-on nail connoisseur. These just…ain’t it. They’re gel stickers that you slap on your nail and then file down. I love the pattern of these, and how the manicure is mismatched and put together from multiple patterns. They are cute. They just don’t look convincing. They don’t fit my nails well, and you can see gaps in my real nail. The edges were also ragged despite my careful filing in one direction only. I wanted to love this. I didn’t.

So, overall, kind of a disappointment. This wasn’t exciting. I will be using up the C10+ cream, the Purlisse cleanser, and I already used the mask, so I got my $15 worth. Everything else was just kind of extra. If you’re interested in getting a beauty box from Allure, you can check them out here! Do you get any subscription boxes?

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