Allure magazine announced the launch of its own online beauty-shopping destination, the Allure Virtual Store (AVS). With a mix of product, services and information, AVS was conceived as a response to the changing way women shop for beauty—76% of women use the Internet for beauty research and purchasing, according to a 2008 Catalyst Report cited by the magazine.
AVS cosmetics, skin care, hair care products and fragrance from more than 32 mass (including Maybelline, Olay, Neutrogena) and prestige (notably Smashbox, Bliss, Frederic Fekkai) brands; retail partners include Dillards and Sephora. There are also exclusive sampling offers, sweepstakes and special deals (95% of AVS beta visitors visited more often for these types of offers, according to an Allure reader panel.
In addition, the site includes beauty how to video's and interviews with celebrity makeup artists, a concierge service that allows users to sign-up for in-store beauty events and book salon and spa treatments nationwide, and the Allure Product Testing Lab—in which visitors will be invited to test a new product before it hits the market.