''Allure'' is an American women's magazine focused on beauty, published monthly by

Condé Nast Condé Nast () is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast, and owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The company's media ...

in New York City. It was founded in 1991 by Linda Wells. Michelle Lee replaced Wells in 2015. A signature of the magazine is its annual Best of Beauty awards—accolades given in the October issue to beauty products deemed the best by ''Allure''s staff.

History

In 1990, S.I. Newhouse Jr., chairman of Condé Nast, and then editorial director

Alexander Liberman Alexander Semeonovitch Liberman (September 4, 1912 – November 19, 1999) was a Ukrainian-American magazine editor, publisher, painter, photographer, and sculptor. He held senior artistic positions during his 32 years at Condé Nast Publication ...

approached Linda Wells to develop a concept they had for a beauty magazine. At the time, Wells was the beauty editor and the food editor at '' The New York Times Magazine''. The magazine's prototype was shredded shortly before the scheduled launch date and, after overhauling everything (including the logo), ''Allure'' made its debut in March 1991 designed by Lucy Sisman. The magazine's original format was oversize, but this prevented it from fitting into slots at grocery-store checkouts and required advertisers to resize their ads or create new ones. After four issues, ''Allure'' changed to a standard-size glossy format. On August 29, 2022 Conde Nast announced the December 2022 issue will be the last print issue of the magazine before transitioning to digital-only. ''Allure'' employees

unionized A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...

in 2022. Conde states, “It’s our mission to meet the audience where they are and with this in mind, after our December print issue, we are making Allure an exclusively digital brand.”

Impact

''Allure'' focuses on beauty, fashion, and women's health. ''Allure'' was the first women's magazine to write about the health risks associated with silicone

breast implants A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a person's breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast following a mastectomy, to correct congenital ...

, and has reported on other controversial health issues. After Lee took the helm in late 2015, the brand was celebrated for promoting diversity and inclusivity. In 2017, ''Adweek'' named ''Allure'' Magazine of the Year and awarded Lee as Editor of the Year. The magazine's circulation, initially 250,000 in 1991, is over 1 million as of 2011. Many writers have contributed to ''Allure''. Among them are

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' (194 ...

, John Updike,

Jhumpa Lahiri Nilanjana Sudeshna "Jhumpa" LahiriMinzesheimer, Bob ''USA Today'', August 19, 2003. Retrieved on 2008-04-13. (born July 11, 1967) is an American author known for her short stories, novels and essays in English, and, more recently, in Italia ...

, Michael Chabon, Kathryn Harrison, Frank McCourt, Isabel Allende, and Francine du Plessix Gray.

Elizabeth Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert (born July 18, 1969) is an American journalist and author. She is best known for her 2006 memoir, '' Eat, Pray, Love'', which has sold over 12 million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. The book was also ma ...

’s essay “The Road to Rapture,” published in ''Allure'' in 2003, was the precursor to her 2006 memoir, ''

Eat, Pray, Love ''Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia'' is a 2006 memoir by American author Elizabeth Gilbert. The memoir chronicles the author's trip around the world after her divorce and what she discovered d ...

'' (Viking Adult). Photographers who have shot for ''Allure'' include Michael Thompson, Mario Testino,

Patrick Demarchelier Patrick Demarchelier (; 21 August 1943 – 31 March 2022) was a French fashion photographer. Early life and education Born near Paris in 1943 to a modest family, Demarchelier spent his childhood in Le Havre, Normandy, with his mother and four ...

Norman Jean Roy Norman Jean Roy (born 1969) is a Canadian born portrait photographer. Roy is best known for his portraits of celebrities, socialites and personalities. His portraits have appeared on the covers and pages of Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, Allure, Ha ...

Tina Barney Tina Barney (born October 27, 1945)Full text of "John L. Loeb Collection"
retrieved ...

Marilyn Minter Marilyn Minter (born 1948) is an American visual artist who is perhaps best known for her sensual paintings and photographs done in the photorealism style that blur the line between commercial and fine art. Minter currently teaches in the MFA de ...

, Carter Smith, Steven Klein,

Steven Meisel Steven Meisel (born June 5, 1954) is an American fashion photographer, who obtained popularity and critical acclaim with his work in '' Vogue'' and ''Vogue Italia'' as well as his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book, ''Sex''. He is n ...

, and Helmut Newton. Cover subjects have included

Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series '' Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for p ...

Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...

, Jennifer Lopez,

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

, Zendaya, Julia Roberts,

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...

Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, she ...

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986), also known as the Olsen twins as a duo, are American fashion designers and former actresses. The twins made their acting debut as infants playing Michelle Tanner on the television ...

, Victoria Beckham,

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

, Fergie,

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

, Lupita Nyong'o,

Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' Swe ...

, Kate Hudson,

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

, Rihanna, and

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs ...

. (See

List of Allure cover models '' Allure'' is a women's beauty magazine published by Condé Nast Publications Condé is a French place name and personal name. It is ultimately derived from a Celtic word, "Condate", meaning "confluence" (of two rivers) - from which was der ...

Best of Beauty Awards

''Allure'' began its Best of Beauty awards program in the mid-1990s, at the initiative of Wells, to help readers choose among the vast array of makeup, skin-care, and hair-care products on the market. In 2019, the magazine introduced the ''Allure'' Best of Beauty Clean Seal award to products that met the publication's "clean" standards. ''Allure'' has two sets of awards, one judged by the magazine's editors and the other by readers. A "winners' seal" logo, developed by ''Allure'', appears on many of the winning products. To ensure that its judgments are neutral, ''Allure''s ad department isn't involved in the selections. In 2010, the magazine developed an iPhone app that highlights the winning products and tells users where they can buy them based on their location.

Controversy

The magazine faced online criticism when it showed

Marissa Neitling Marissa Lee Neitling (born May 8, 1984) is an American actress, known for her roles in the TV series '' The Last Ship'' (2014-2018) as Kara Foster, and the film '' San Andreas'' (2015) as Phoebe. Early life Neitling was born in Lake Oswego, Oreg ...

with an

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haircut. Singer Halsey has announced she will no longer do press after ''Allure'' failed to use her correct pronouns in its August cover story and promoted the interview by allegedly taking quotes out of context.

Awards (for ''Allure'')

*Magazine of the Year from ''

Adweek ''Adweek'' is a weekly American advertising trade publication that was first published in 1979. ''Adweek'' covers creativity, client–agency relationships, global advertising, accounts in review, and new campaigns. During this time, it has cove ...

'' (2017) *Bronze Clio Award for Allure Unbound augmented reality app (2017) *The National Magazine Award for Design (1994) *The Editorial Excellence Award from '' Folio'' (2001) *The Circulation Excellence Award from Circulation Management (2001) *"Ring Leader", an essay by Natalie Kusz from the February 1996 issue of ''Allure'', was selected for ''The Best American Essays 1997'' (

Houghton Mifflin The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often v ...

). *The magazine has been on ''Adweek''’s Hot List in 1993, 1994, 1995, 2003, and 2007. *''Allure'' has received 29 awards from the

American Academy of Dermatology The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is a non-profit professional organization of dermatologists in the United States and Canada, based in Rosemont, Illinois, near Chicago. It was founded in 1938 and has more than 20,500 members. The Academ ...

, nine journalism awards from

The Fragrance Foundation The Fragrance Foundation is the non-profit, educational arm of the international fragrance industry, founded in 1949. It sponsors the annual Fragrance Foundation Awards, awarded since 1973. History and operations Linda G. Levy is the president Je ...

, and the Excellence in Media Award from the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Awards (for Linda Wells)

*The Achiever Award from

Cosmetic Executive Women Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) is a trade organization for the cosmetics, fragrance and personal care industry. History CEW was founded in 1954 as a social organization for female executives working in the beauty industry. In 1975, the group expa ...

(2001) *The Matrix Award for magazine leadership from New York Women in Communications, Inc. (2009)

Awards (for Michelle Lee)

*Editor of the Year from ''

'' (2017) *'' Digiday''s Glossy 50 (2017) *A100 Most Influential Asians from Gold House (2018) *Creative 100 from Create & Cultivate (2017)

In the media

Wells, along with ''Allure'' editors Michael Carl and Kelly Atterton, have appeared as judges on the Bravo TV series ''

Shear Genius ''Shear Genius'' is an American reality television series on the Bravo network that focuses on hair styling. The show ran for three seasons, from April 2007 to April 2010. It was hosted by actress Jaclyn Smith in seasons one and two and by Brazili ...

''. ''Allure'' editors have appeared as experts on television programs such as the '' Today'' show and ''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique sty ...

'', and ''Allure'' stories frequently receive national attention.

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her acti ...

played an ''Allure'' intern in ''

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 ''Cheaper by the Dozen 2'' is a 2005 American family comedy film directed by Adam Shankman. It is a sequel to the 2003 film ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' and stars Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo, and Hilary Duff, among other chil ...

''.tvguide.com, ''Cheaper By the Dozen 2''

References

External links

* *
Allure Staff Contact Information
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allure (Magazine) 1991 establishments in New York City Monthly magazines published in the United States 2022 disestablishments in New York City Condé Nast magazines Magazines established in 1991 Magazines published in New York City Women's fashion magazines Defunct women's magazines published in the United States Magazines disestablished in 2022 Online magazines with defunct print editions