''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 ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. 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 Publicati ...

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 New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. ...

''. 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 ( ...

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 congenita ...

, 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'' (1 ...

, 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 Michael Chabon ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American novelist, screenwriter, columnist, and short story writer. Born in Washington, DC, he spent a year studying at Carnegie Mellon University before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh, gr ...

Kathryn Harrison Kathryn Harrison (born March 20, 1961, in Los Angeles, California) is an American author. She has published seven novels, two memoirs, two collections of personal essays, a travelogue, two biographies, and a book of true crime. She reviews regula ...

, Frank McCourt,

Isabel Allende Isabel Angélica Allende Llona (; born in Lima, 2 August 1942) is a Chilean writer. Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the genre magical realism, is known for novels such as ''The House of the Spirits'' (''La casa de los espír ...

, 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 Mario Eduardo Testino Silva OBE HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. His work has featured internationally in magazines such as ''Vogue, V Magazine,'' ''Vanity Fair'' and '' GQ.'' He has also crea ...

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, Harpe ...

, Tina Barney,

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, and Helmut Newton. Cover subjects have included Demi Lovato,

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,

Zendaya Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( ; born September 1, 1996) is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the ...

Julia Roberts Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. Known for her leading roles in films encompassing a variety of genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and th ...

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 s ...

Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spice. Wi ...

, Beyoncé, Fergie, Britney Spears,

Lupita Nyong'o Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (, ; ; born 1 March 1983) is a Kenyan-Mexican actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. The daughter of Kenyan politi ...

, Jessica Simpson,

Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and businesswoman. She has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Satellite Award, as well as nominations f ...

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, Rihanna, and Gwen Stefani. (See List of Allure cover models).

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 with an

Afro The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...

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 cover ...

'' (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 Natalie Kusz (born 1962) is an American memoirist. Life She graduated from University of Alaska Fairbanks with a B.A. and an M.F.A. She taught at Bethel University (Minnesota), Bethel College, and Harvard University. She teaches at Eastern Wash ...

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 voc ...

). *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, nine journalism awards from The Fragrance Foundation, and the Excellence in Media Award from the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Awards (for Linda Wells)

*The Achiever Award from Cosmetic Executive Women (2001) *The

Matrix Award Matrix most commonly refers to: * ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise ** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film ** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...

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

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' show and '' 60 Minutes'', 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 child ...

''.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