The January 2017 Allure Beauty Box Challenge

Megan Salerno, Allure special projects editor and self-proclaimed creature of habit, challenges herself to snap out of her beauty rut with an Allure Beauty Box subscription. Come back monthly to find out how she uses the items in the box—the ones that earn a permanent place in her medicine cabinet, and the ones that don’t quite make the cut.

Now that 2016 is officially behind me, I’m letting out a long, drawn-out sigh of relief. To say that it was a rough year is an understatement, but I’ve emerged from it a little wiser and with noticeably clearer, smoother skin. Three months ago, I committed myself to shaking up my well-worn beauty routine with an Allure Beauty Box subscription. Since embarking on the challenge, I’ve already blended, blotted, swiped, and smeared my way through 22 beauty products. Some were ruled out immediately, while others I adopted into my routine only to have my enthusiasm wane after a few weeks. A handful of standouts have, however, earned permanent fixture status: Tula Advanced Neck Cream, European Wax Center Oh My Brow! Highlighter, Red Flower Icelandic Moon Moisturizing Body Lotion, Nars Dual-Intensity Blush in Adoration, Beautyblender Liquid Bleander Cleanser, and Clarins Multi-Active Jour. The ones with staying power, you’ll notice, are overwhelmingly the skin-care products; so I can’t help but think that my box subscription has something to do with my suddenly soft skin. I’m never one to make resolutions, but heading into the new year, I’m looking forward to brighter—and hopefully more luminous—days ahead. Could 2017 be The Year of a Perfect Skin? Only time will tell, but with the January 2017 Allure Beauty Box, we’re off to a pretty good start.

Biobelle Facial Sheet Mask

If this is the year that I’m turning over a new leaf and devoting myself to improving my complexion, then regular sheet mask treatments are a must. And if I’ve learned anything from scrolling through my Instagram feed, it’s that a serum-soaked mask doesn’t work quite as well if you don’t post a photo that scares the living “sheet” out of unsuspecting friends and family. Fortunately, Biobelle sheet masks conveniently come with their own custom hashtags, and the one that came in my January box just so happened to be the #Beautysecret mask. Now I’ve dabbled in K-Beauty, but I’m certainly no expert. If I’m being honest, I find the out-there ingredients (snail mucin? salmon eggs?) slightly intriguing, but mostly intimidating. The Biobelle #Beautysecret sheet mask, however, doesn’t contain any head-scratchers, but instead boasts heavy-hitters like hyaluronic acid (a familiar anti-aging ingredient that I can actually pronounce, which helps to diminish fine lines) and pomegranate (the ellagic acid in the peel has a firming effect on skin). Saturated in a tingly serum, the #Beautysecret mask cooled and soothed as it delivered a healthy dose of hydration. The instructions suggest a 15-minute application, but ever the over-achiever I left it on for a half an hour to reap the maximum benefits. After 30 minutes, I peeled off the mask to unveil a dewier complexion and noticeably smaller pores.

Verdict: Aside from the almost-immediate and near-miraculous benefits (because, honestly, who doesn’t want porcelain-perfect skin?), this mask also forced me to kick up my feet, close my eyes, and de-stress for a solid 15 to 30 minutes after a long day.

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion

During the winter, the oily skin that I gripe about for the other nine months of the year becomes combination skin, and that really makes me want to retreat into hibernation. Dry scaly patches appear along my brow bones and on my chin, while excess oil on my forehead and cheeks creates a less than desirable sheen (and by sheen, I mean a blinding glare that doesn’t mix well with flash photography). Exfoliation at least once a week is a necessary step in my skin-care routine, so I readily introduced Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion into the rotation. Infused with aluminum oxide crystals, it effortlessly sloughed off the dry patches on my skin's surface without overdrying. The fine granules were surprisingly gentle, while other key ingredients—namely, chamomile, aloe, and jojoba— helped to soothe and soften my winter-worn face. After a few uses, I can attest to a much brighter, silkier complexion.

Verdict: Yes, please!

Follow Megan's Journey below:

1. An Editor Looks to the Allure Beauty Box to Break Out of Her Beauty Rut
2. The December 2016 Allure Beauty Box: One Editor's Brutally Honest Review
3. The Best of the Allure Best of Beauty Box

Sigma E25 Blending Brush

When it comes to crimes against makeup brushes, I'm a repeat offender. I have three brushes in my arsenal that get used every single morning and for the touch-ups in between, one of which happens to be a thoroughly used-and-abused eye shadow brush. But I confess, this trio of tools doesn’t get the TLC that they deserve. So when I lifted the lid of my box to reveal the Sigma E25 Blending Brush, I was bristling with excitement. Could it rival my tried-and-true tool of choice? The plush brush evenly swept a shimmery ivory powder across my lids, but the bristles were not as firm as I’d like to blend a second powder–a muted mauve–on the outer corners of my eyes. I have a feeling that the E70 angled shading brush would have done the trick.

Verdict: While it may not be as versatile as the brush I’ve been using for the past three years, the travel-sized Sigma brush fits perfectly into the cosmetic bag in my purse. I’ll likely retire the former to my vanity organizer at home, and keep the Sigma brush for on-the-go touch-ups.

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo

One of my worst beauty habits is that I wash my hair every single day. I have an oily scalp and fine hair, so if I skip even just one day, I could conceivably pass as a Gollum understudy. And because of all of the lathering, rinsing, and mostly the repeating, my ends are extremely dry, and brittle. It’s a vicious cycle, and one that I’d like to break. Most dry shampoos I’ve tried leave behind that tell-tale white residue that strips my hair of its natural sheen. So when this deluxe-sized sample of Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo presented itself with the promise of absorbing oil without the dreaded powdered-wig effect, I decided, on the spot, to commit myself to four full days without shampooing (gasp!). I purposely selected a snowy holiday weekend, so that I could hunker down and hide behind closed doors if necessary. By day four, however, I was out and about with my hair flowing behind me.

Verdict: The verdict is still out on this one. When it comes to hair products, I prefer scented shampoos, conditioners, and sprays with floral notes. The Oscar Blandi dry shampoo scent was citrusy (and with the faint hint of alcohol, it was vaguely reminiscent of lemon-fresh furniture polish for the first few minutes after application). So while I do love how it looks, I am not entirely convinced that I want to smell like an antique armoire.

Doucce Freematic Eye Shadow

How do I know that 2017 will be better than 2016? Well, for starters, the January Allure Beauty Box came with a magnetic Doucce eye palette with four shadow shades that were carefully curated by our editors. While the natural urge would be to tuck away the wintery palette once spring rolls around, we urge you to hang on to the compact itself, because in May we’ll be providing a new on-trend hue to snap into it). When it comes to a smoky-eye, I am genetically disadvantaged. With deep-set eyes and dark under-eye circles, I tend to gravitate toward lighter shades with a little shimmer. Upon opening the palette, I steered clear of the matte onyx and the slate gray; instead, I swirled my brush in the pearly white highlighter, spreading the glistening shade over my lids. To finish it off, I dabbed a little plum in the outer corners. While the look was a tad over-the-top for the office, it took my daytime look up a notch for a night on the town.

Verdict: The matte black and steely gray didn’t quite make the cut, but I’m hanging on to the sparkly highlighter and deep purple for the few-and-far-between Saturday nights when I’m not at home binging on Netflix.

Burt's Bees Lipstick in Blush Basin

My lipstick repertoire consists of three variations of red ranging from bright cherry to a vampy burgundy, which I calibrate to my outfit and mood. A neutral shade, like Burt’s Bees lipstick in Blush Basin, felt like a drastic deviation from my signature Film Noir look. The creamy color glided on easily (no mirror required) and had a silky finish; but while the dusty-pink shade was undeniably flattering, I just didn’t feel like me.

Verdict: Old habits die hard. Within a few days, I reverted to the rouge. The rest of my makeup palette is fairly neutral, so I rely on a bold lip to give a much-needed hit of color.

Vote for your favorite makeup, skin, hair, and body products by February 20, 2017, and you'll be entered for chances to win one of four awesome beauty prizes!

Learn how to banish oily skin wherever you may be: