Allure Magazine

I have in front of me the December 2001 and the January 2002 issues of Allure, which my 21-year old brought home over winter break from college. It wasn?t the first time I had seen the magazine. I may have purchased Allure in the past and I certainly have flipped through them in a doctor?s office. There is a reason that I would flip through Allure. In spite of its being advertised as ?The Beauty Expert? with beautiful young women on the cover, that very fact ? the beautiful, glossy cover ? also draws me to it. Other than the Features section, much of the magazine is very short reading so it works well while waiting for something!

I am reviewing the January 2002 issue but will refer to both. Each magazine has about 125-130 pages in it and sells for $2.99. The women on the covers look like twins and it is only with careful scrutiny that I see they may be two different people. They are healthy looking and perfect looking. There is nothing wrong with that ? as a beauty magazine, I would not expect anything different!

The covers of both magazines name exclusively beauty-related articles with January being the ?Special Makeover Issue? and having ?The Best Makeup Lessons from Coast to Coast.?

Allure?s departments are the same monthly. They are:

Beauty Insider
Ask Allure
Allure?s A-List
Fashion
Health
Features
Regulars

Let?s look at some of the articles in the various topics:

"Beauty Insider" is 6 pages (with 4 pages of ads in between) of one liners to one paragraph articles on information such as French Manicure, a 4 line article which is actually an ad for Louis Vuitton accessories; Best sellers in nail polish (Chanel, Sally Hanson, Revlon to name 3); and 5 Top Tips to preserve the scent of your perfume. This section is really an advertisement for the various products, but as long as the writers can back up what they say and why, I have no problem knowing that Maybelline and Physicians Formula have new eye pencils that are white on one end and black on the other.

~I enjoyed the 2 pages of makeovers and was surprised to read about women in their 40s (as well as in their 20s) who were featured.

As a reviewer of this magazine I found it confusing to know where one section ended and another began. I had to go back to the topic department many times to see what page the next section, ?Ask Allure?, for example, started on since it wasn?t clear where ?Beauty Insider? ended. For the average reader, though, this doesn?t matter, in my opinion.

~?Ask Allure? is just what it sounds like with 3 questions asked and experts, such as a dermatologist answering one of them. This was well done ? too bad it was only 1 page.

~There is also one page of reader reviews, which we have to take with a grain of salt. Unlike epinions' lengthy reviews on why we like the product, Allure is satisfied with, ?This hair spray kept my long bangs in place without making them stiff or dirty. After using it, my hair felt soft to the touch.? (Talking about Redkin). There appears to be no pay or incentive to get your opinion printed here.

To get your question or submission possibly printed go to the website: allure.com.

~A couple of lengthier articles in the "Features" section include 7 pages of 6 of TV?s most watched women who are shown trading their ?on-air hair? and makeup for new nighttime looks. Maria Bartiromo, from CNBC, who is on each morning discussing the stock market, was one woman featured.

~Another very good article in the "Features" section was 5 pages long and talked about skin problems and how they can be cured. Among the problems were acne and acne scars (glycolic acid treats acne, while microdermabrasion may minimize old scars); rosacea (can be helped with the V-Beam laser); and lip lines. (Which can be helped with the Cool Touch laser which lasts longer than collagen injections.) The treatments are only briefly mentioned, but it is a good starting place for someone who has read nothing about these ?problems? or treatments.

~There are 12 pages of fashion in the "Features" section and I found the clothes very pretty and not terribly outlandish. This magazine is not a rival of Elle or Vogue! The designer is listed but not prices of the clothes. The photographer gets named on page 131 on the "Credits" page.

~The website is very pretty and has some helpful information including this, which I know has passed but I have seen similar in other issues of Allure: "The new Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 won't be in stores until March, but starting at noon EST on February 1, the first 1,000 Allure readers to call 877-574-1279 will receive a free bottle." At the website you will also find a separate pop up page that has a game and information on Estrostep (a contraceptive pill).

~12 issues cost $12.00 plus $3.00 in shipping; however, (and this is the first time I have seen a website subscription higher than the form in the magazine) if you subscribe through the postcard in the magazine you will get it for $10.00 - $.75 an issue. The website, unlike others, offers no incentives or freebies that other magazines I have reviewed have offered.

My final thoughts

This is a great magazine to read on the airplane, like my daughter did, or on the treadmill. It is geared toward women in their 20s and 30s although they do attempt some appeal to the 40s crowd, in my opinion, that would have to be early 40s!

Although I find the layout to be scattered and chaotic with some page numbers missing and articles blending into each other, I can stand back and see that, for the targeted audience, the magazine has the information they want, in an easy to read no nonsense fashion. You are told the best picks, what to wear, and who is wearing it without a lot of fluff or ?padding.?

Since much of the magazine is comprised of ads in one way or another, I won?t rate it down for that reason. That is part of its appeal and why you may want to buy it or subscribe. It isn?t a magazine for me ? even at 21 I might think it too narrow to spend $2.99 for, although it is certainly worth $.75 if you are really into beauty, makeup and fashion and are under 45.

NOTE: In the December issue, there is a sample fragrance which I could smell even before opening the flap. If you are sensitive to certain smells, you may want to check that out before you buy an issue.

Allure is published by The Conde Nast Publications Inc.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment.