Allure announced recently that they will cease printing the magazine and moving to an all-digital platform; the last print edition will be December 2022.
It was always one of my favorites, so this bums me out. I’m going to miss curling up on my couch with the latest edition and a cup of coffee on Saturday morning.
Truth be told, I’m not really surprised they made the move. With all the various social media platforms popping up in the last 10 years, beauty lovers have so many different avenues to get their beauty news, and print feels so slow compared to the quick fixes you can get online.
I still enjoy a really long, intensely researched beauty story; I also love having a physical item to hold while I read. I like the sensation of feeling the weight of a magazine in my hand and the pages between my fingertips. I also don’t always want to be staring at a screen all the time, you know?
Oh, and the ability to tear out pages! I’m so gonna miss that.
Magazines are disappearing. I’m glad, though, that I can still remember the feeling of getting new issues in the mail, or stocking up on them at the airport before a long flight.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. TGIF!
Do you remember Jane magazine? I remember getting that as a teenager and feeling so grown up! My parents would definitely raise an eyebrow at some of the titles on the cover! hahaha
Yes I will miss magazines, I don’t have time to read them now but reading a physical copy is certainly not the same as reading one online! I like to tear out recipes, I actually have a pile of them in a drawer!
Yes! I totally remember “Jane.” I read them all when I was a teenager — “Sassy,” “Jane,” “Seventeen” and “YM.”
Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, and one of the things I loved best was the HUGE fall magazine issues that would come out right about now. they would be as big as a catalog, and it was so fun to grab them at the grocery store or get them in the mail and have a pile of them to go through. I really miss that! Even the magazines that are still around do not do the big fall issues anymore. InStyle was a favorite, and when I was a teen, Seventeen and Glamour did the best fall issues. Does anybody else miss this?
I miss this era, too, Daphne! Remember how MASSIVE the “Vogue” issue was?
Strongly agree. The touch, the feel and smell of a fresh magazine will be missed. I don’t shop a lot but I enjoyed seeing what was new in a cosmetic line or a clothing line. And especially the seasonal editorials on makeup looks or new products. The photographers rocked. There was so much creativity. I find that most cosmetic lines and clothing lines are just simply out of mind now.
Magazines were easy on the eyes, battery less and portable. I loved tearing out my favorite pages. Tear outs were better than just another digital bookmark (yawn).
And who wants to stare at their tablet or laptop all darn day anyway. Click here, click there, click, scroll, click, scroll. And some of the web content is pretty meh. I guess I shop less than ever now which is a good thing.
I spend all day on a computer sometimes for work, then after work, more time on the computer doing author stuff. In the evening, or on my Saturday the LAST thing I want to do is sit in front of a screen. That’s when I enjoy my print magazines and a few catalogs. Time to have some mint tea and just peruse the pages.
Seriously, me too. I don’t want to be in front of a screen for my downtime!
This makes me so sad, I hadn’t heard. I’ve been a subscriber nearly nonstop since Allure began. I was so excited when Allure started because none of the other glossies ever carried enough beauty for me.
I am also a fan of long form beauty content, which, I fear will disappear without an editorial budget and editors to shape the work.
I will say though that I lost a little faith in Allure after Linda Wells retired. While she was in charge, the magazine always seemed to be inclusive of all ages.
After though, I felt like most of the magazine was directed at the 18 to 24 set. I really didn’t feel welcome in the pages anymore, even though I kept reading.
I’ve been reading the magazine for years. I’m going to miss all the OGs!
I enjoyed Allure under Ms Wells’ tenure but I felt that when her replacement took over there was (finally) an overall inclusion of women of color within the pages. There were so many articles written from the perspectives of women of color which I thought was an important for the world to hear.
I felt exactly the same! And the magazine got tiny after she left!
I do NOT like digital magazines (or e-books). I was an original subscriber to Allure, I love being able to page through magazines, tear out and save pages…. I agree with Brigid-enough screen time for work life-real magazines and books are my relaxing no batteries needed pleasure!
Hi Lauren,
I don’t like digital magazines or e-books, either! Give me something I can touch and feel in my hands any day. It’s nice to not have to be distracted by other things on a screen while I’m relaxing.
Hello Karen,
I agree with all of the above. So nice to have that physical book and remember when they were thick, like small phone books? It was so relaxing to have a drink and relax while tearing out important pages . . . I read on the kindle but prefer a book or magazine.
I was just as upset with all the ‘celebrities’ on the covers of magazines and articles about what they think of beauty. Give me the opinions of those who do their makeup. Same with fashion, I want to hear from the stylist who put the look together. I guess the best part of this is that instead of subscribing, we can use our library cards to read the digital editions. Seems that fewer subscribers would bring in less revenue.
Oh well.
I remember those September issues! They were fantastic!
I also remember the era when the supermodels were on the covers, not celebs. I miss that.
Also not a fan of celebs on mag covers–unless it’s SJP.
I agree with everyone. I already miss print magazines and just cannot do the screen time nonstop after I’ve looked at a screen every day 8a-5p. Years ago I tried a Nook to read books on and made it about 20 “pages”! Not for me. I like a book/magazine I can carry around. Back when I was a sunbather (egads!), I always had a few mags/books I took to the pool. They didn’t ruined if they got wet, & you can’t read an ebook in the sunlight! I, like everyone above, loved to tear our articles, recipes, styles, beauty tips, etc.
A part of me feels guilty for killing so many trees, but if I have to read it online, it doesn’t get read.
Hi Karen,
I tried to do a Kindle back in the day — not for me! It was too hard to hold and I felt like I was flying through the text. I appreciate how a page forces me to slow down. Sigh. Oh, and tearing out the pages… I miss that too!
I’m so bummed. I hadn’t heard about Allure. In Style was my favorite and I was sad when it ended. I spend a lot of time online, but I like to relax and turn the pages of a printed publication, especially the fashion and makeup ones.
I miss all the print magazines I used to subscribe to. I’ve been looking for the September issue of Vogue to get that cover of Serena haven’t located it in any of my usual haunts. I can’t tear out a page from my laptop and tape it up on my wall as inspiration.
I try to not spend too much time on-line, so I find I read less news and see fewer newer ideas. I guess this dog is too old to teach it new tricks. I never liked reading on a Kindle or iPad. Also somehow, print Ads don’t seem quite as annoying as those flashing ones on-line. Dear Husband got me a fancy iPad with one of those pens so I could take it with me on vacations with the intention of having multiple books to read, movies and TV shows to watch and to be able to sketch and draw too. I didn’t like drawing on it and since the pandemic started really haven’t had a chance to take it on a plane for entertainment. I still like holding a glossy magazine and I love paperbacks for travel.
On the plus side, less printing means less paper waste, less inks, fewer trucks spewing exhaust to deliver the magazines, better for the environment. On the other hand all the pressmen, binders, etc who used to work in printing plants are losing their jobs. Sigh.
I read it here first–Allure goes kaput!! I just can’t take it anymore! All my faves are disappearing: Flare (Canadian mag), Fashion (another CanMag), Marie Claire, Lucky, InStyle, etc. I agree, Karen, there is nothing as joyous as getting a new glossy mag in the mailbox and flipping those pages. Unsealing the perfume sample strips, ripping them out and putting them in a drawer was a sensory experience. The senses are not engaged as much online so I cannot see how the online world compares to magazines. It saddens me.
I never really understood ripping pages out. I remember (a while back) waiting for my turn at an eyebrow threading salon and one of the ladies flipping through a magazine abruptly ripped one of the pages out. I was low key shocked. Where I came from, if you could keep together, then that’s what you did! Hahaha
I personally don’t read beauty magazines anymore like I used to in my 20s. I liked them back then. These days, it’s a once-over and then in the recycling bin. 🤷🏻♀️
Magazines disappearing makes me sad. I grew up with Mademoiselle and Glamour. Seventeen,Ebony,and Jet just to name a few. Sitting on the couch not just looking at fashion,reading articles and tearing out pages for inspiration. Blogs etc are not the same. Even Instagram is sad with more videos. I miss it all
Ebony and Jet were so influential at their height.
I have a Kindle and enjoy reading books on it but also love regular books and always will. The Kindle is so handy for travel! I do feel I spend too much time staring at screens of all kinds, though. I hate that print magazines are going away- it was always a thrill to go to the mailbox when it was full of those big fat glossy fall issues- InStyle, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Lucky, Allure. I had been a subscriber for years but also enjoyed spotting the newest issues at the newstand/store and snatching them up to go scurrying home and settle in with a huge cup of coffee/tea to devour them. I’m 71 now (how did that happen?!?) and still like to scope out the latest beauty/makeup/skincare trends.
I’m 36, (not too old! Lol) and perhaps I’m old fashioned, but I honestly find it so disheartening to see so many print publications going completely digital or disappearing altogether. I grew up, as many have already mentioned, with Jane, Seventeen, Lucky, InStyle, Allure and many others. I love the tactile, tangible feel and weight of a physical magazine and the distinct prettiness and aesthetic of glossy pages. That’s something that digital can NEVER replicate, no matter how convenient digital might be deemed. I fear that more magazines will follow suit, sadly and rather unfortunately, to be honest. It’s just sad. The Martha Stewart magazine also ceased their print publication this year. I also loved the eagerness of waiting for a magazine to arrive in the mail and that subtle excitement that came when I was finally able to read it. I also loved tearing out pages, especially in high school or even college, and using them as an insert for the covers in my binders. I genuinely hope that print magazines won’t all completely disappear. Not everyone wants to or has access to the Internet, whether by choice or circumstance. I still choose to buy most of my magazines in print, especially, for example cooking/recipe, crafting, and hobby oriented ones, like Stampington’s publications or sewing, cross stitch ones, etc.
Gen Z tends to be bringing back a lot of things that used to be popular from the 1970s to the 2000s, so maybe they or a future generation will end up bringing some of the magazines that left the print format (most fashion and beauty mags, plus Entertainment Weekly) back to the format? Or some of these magazines might do what Oprah’s done with her O magazine-cease the print monthly, then launch a print quarterly later (the last O monthly was December 2020, and I saw the first O quarterly on store shelves last month).
I’m a Millennial who probably uses her phone too much, admittedly, so I don’t mind beauty magazines going digital because I can rent them from the magazine app connected to my library or archive a particular article in my Apple News Saved Stories-but I am a bit bothered about EW ceasing print!
I love magazines but haven’t gotten them in years out of concern for the environment. Seventeen was my first love and then Mademoiselle and Glamour. Loved the super models. It makes me sad that it’s a thing of the past.
The end of an era. I started with Seventeen, Teen and YM (Young Miss). I would check out Sassy from the library. Then moved on to Mademoiselle and Glamour. I liked People Style Watch because some of the featured products were cheaper than InStyle. I also liked Lucky for shopping inspiration. Remember when Domino Lucky’s sister mag went out of print but came back? Would love some old faves to come back.
I don’t like looking at screens all the time either. It can make my eyes watery. Many of my favorite fitness and craft magazines are gone. I still get Strong Fitness (Canada) and Some special fitness issues from Future Pub (UK) I also get Crochet! Magazine (USA) and Willow and Sage Magazine (USA)
Oh yes, the Fall issues were the best!!! So, big full of articles and unintrusive ads.
I am devastated. One of my relaxing weekend activities was grab a cup of tea and a magazine and curl up on the couch, a break from constantly looking at my screen. Now that is gone too.
It isn’t a surprise though, I don’t think their subscriptions are as high as they used to be.