Allure is an American women’s magazine focused on beauty, published by Condé Nast in New York City. It was founded in 1991 by Linda Wells, and the brand is stylized in lowercase letters.[1] The magazine is best known for its annual Best of Beauty awards, which recognize top beauty products each year.[2]
Design and History
The Allure identity has a documented origin tied to the magazine’s launch. 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.[1] The redesigned logo was created by Lucy Sisman.[3]
The magazine’s wordmark appears in lowercase, a stylistic choice that has remained part of the brand’s identity.[1] The trademark for the Allure name, registered by Advance Magazine Publishers Inc., is described as an illustration drawing with words, letters, or numbers in stylized form, covering the category of general circulation magazine.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The most documented visual element of the Allure brand is the Best of Beauty seal. Since 1996, the Best of Beauty Awards seal, described by Allure as “that little red circle that instantly tells you a product is definitely worth it,” has been granted to select beauty products.[2] The seal is described as a “winners’ seal” logo developed by Allure that appears on many winning products.[1]
Allure’s own editorial materials refer to the seal as the “little red seal,” which has become synonymous with the best of the best in beauty product testing.[2] The seal’s red color is consistently referenced across Allure’s official communications, including its international editions, which describe the “iconic red seal” as a benchmark for product excellence.[5]
In 2019, Allure introduced a Clean Best of Beauty seal, awarded to top products that meet the magazine’s performance standards and its specific clean standard.[2]
Typography and Design
The Allure wordmark is set in lowercase letterforms, a documented stylistic feature of the brand.[1] The trademark registration for the Allure name confirms the mark uses stylized lettering rather than a standard typeface.[4] Beyond these documented details, specific typeface identification for the wordmark is not publicly confirmed by official sources.
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