When Nikki of Askmewhats blogged about her favourite magazines, I knew I had to do the same because like her, I’m also a real magazine junkie.
I started reading girly magazines at the age of 12, when my dad brought home my very first Teen and Teenage magazines from Singapore. It was such a refreshing change from educational magazines like Kuntum and Dewan Pelajar, that I read those magazines over and over. Everytime my parents travel to Singapore on business, I’d beg them to bring home new issues of the magazines. After a while, the frequency of those business trips decreased significantly, and I lost my fix. So imagine my utter delight, when CLEO Malaysia was launched in 1996. I bought every single issue then, up to the time I left for the UK to further my studies.
The addiction did not stop there. Given that the UK stocked a lot more magazines than Malaysia, especially the international ones, I got so crazy with them, that I spent so much money on magazines alone. It’s enough money for at least one return trip to Europe. Yep, it was that bad. I had to give a lot of them away to charity shops when I had to leave the UK. How my heart broke then.
Thank God for beauty blogs, due to which I drastically reduced my magazine purchases. I got to read the latest news on fashion and beauty way before it comes out on print.
The darn glossy pages still attract me like a moth to a flame though. Here are some of the magazines which I read regularly, here in Australia.
1. InStyle
I started reading InStyle regularly when I was in Malaysia. This international magazine (I read the ones from the US and the UK) is ridiculously expensive in Malaysia; it ranges from RM18 to RM27 per issue. I know, I know, that would be equivalent to the price of a paperback. I love this magazine because it caters to a more mature audience. Not old aunties, mind you, but at least it’s not full of teenybopping fashion and articles.
I subscribe to InStyle here in Australia. I managed to snag a good deal in the subscription package, which saves me 40% off the newstand price. I enter the Grab Bag competition every month, but I never win. Oh well. I’m still hopeful 🙂
2. Cosmopolitan
You don’t get much beauty and fashion tips here compared to relationship and sex issues. What can I say? Lots to learn about sex here *nudge nudge*. Plus, there’s a sealed erotica section in the magazine, which is always fun to read *wink wink* :p
3. Shop Till You Drop
This is another magazine that I subscribe to. I enjoy the fashion articles in the magazine, and the clothes are fantastic. Their “Buys Under $50” pages are always an inspiration to a cheapo like me :p
Another reason I enjoy reading this is because I really like the layout design in the magazine. The concept is interesting pictures and articles on one big idea notice board if you will. It’s something which I’ve secretly always wanted to have, an idea board.
4. Foodie Magazines
Okay, these aren’t fashion and beauty magazines, but I thought they were worth a mention, because I’ve made many delicious meals from the recipes found in these magazines. I’m not a good cook; at least, I’m not a creative one, and am still a greenhorn when it comes to seasonal produce and what to do with them. Plus, the mouth-watering pictures of yummy morsels are more than enough to hook me in, line and sinker.
Ironically, a magazine which I hardly read nowadays is CLEO. I guess I’ve outgrown the magazine, which is now more and more catered to those in their late teens or early twenties. Oh CLEO, you and I, we’ll always have good times.
So, is there anyone out there who shares my love for the glossy pages? What are your favourite magazines? Do share 😉
Hey Tine!! Thanks for posting yours! I am so happy to see a fellow “maggie-junkie” like I am LOL And I LOVE LOVE LOVE INstyle magazine! Do you know that my engagement day dress that I have someone made was inspired by a dress I saw from InStyle mags?? I would love to take a look at your collection!! PERSONALLY!! 😀
wow so many mags u read. really a junkie! i usually only buy CLEO, have been their reader for more than 10 years. since i was 13..haha. now i spent so much time in front of computer and outside, i don’t even have time to finish one magazine one month O_o
I love Shop Till You Drop too! I also subscribed to it till I had to leave Australia and had to get a refund for the remaining issues… Overseas shipping just isn’t worth it.
Another magazine that I love (so does my housemate!) is Famous. Haha… gotta love celeb gossip! 😛
I’m not so much of an avid magazine reader especially how most women’s magazines are very focused on fashion which I’m not that into. However I am buying some back-dated (because latest ones are expensive!) Allure which I find has more focus on beauty and it’s a magazine that I even read the advertisements.
Hey Tine! I love mags too! Or at least, loved them more before I started reading all these beauty blogs on a daily basis, that these mags seem to sound like “old news”. =P
I started reading Cleo from many years back when I was in my late teens. Love love loved them. They were so perfect for me then.
Lately though, I find myself reaching for Female more, which caters to a slightly older target group (20s, 30s). I’m afraid I’ve outgrown Cleo, although I still pick it up every now and then to oogle at the makeup pages. Especially if their beauty page is dedicated to blushers for a particular issue!
And yes, you CAN spend heaps on mags alone. So thank goodnes for blogs like yours. =)
Fluffy stuff aside, I love National Geographic and Reader’s Digest too. Practically grew up on a monthly dose of these as my dad subscribes to them.
i used to read all that you mentioned (apart from the cooking ones) but i had to cut down because buying them all on a monthly basis was burning a hole in my purse!
so now i just buy STYD and Madison 🙂
Askmewhats:
Err what collection? Dress or magazines? Hee hee :p But that’s great that you found your inspiration in InStyle. I love that magazine!
Prettybeautiful:
Oh this is nothing. You should have seen the amount I had before I gave some away. Or what I have back in Malaysia. My hairdresser in Malaysia adores me because I supply her salon with magazines almost every two weeks. How crazy is that?!
Sadly, the quality of CLEO is going down in M’sia. They’re also catering to a much younger crowd, and it makes me feel like an old auntie in the group.
Daphne:
Nah, don’t bother about overseas shipping on magazines. You’d be better off reading good quality books for that price 🙂
I used to buy mags for celebrity gossip too! But now, I get my fix from blogs. Those fellas do a much better job and I find out about the latest news MUCH quicker anyway 😉
Connie:
I’ve read Allure, and I do agree with you, that magazine is very much focused on beauty, which is great. The rest are mostly fashion, with a couple of pages on beauty. Too bad they don’t have a local version of Allure here. The US ones are expensive.
Syen:
Oh thank God, I’m not the only one who’s outgrown CLEO! :p I used to read Female actually, but have stopped after I realised that their so-called beauty sections are mainly targeted to advertise one particular brand. I mean, it’s okay if you do that, but to put it under “BEAUTY FEATURE” instead of “ADVERTORIAL” is just wrong, and insulting to readers.
I love Reader’s Digest too! Shucks, I forgot to put it in! Yeah, that’s one portable mag I love.
Cheeeezie:
Yeah I know what you mean. Magazines sure are expensive here. Other than the ones which I’m already subscribed to, I try not to buy the others. The foodie ones are less than 5 bucks, so that’s not too bad 😛
I buy the past issues for RM5 each at those Indian magazine stores. For RM9.90 you can get the later back issues (like a month or two back). Allure’s quite thin too so I doubt I’d buy the latest ones at full price.
I don’t fancy even the beauty section for local magazines. They’re way too advertisement based that it gets annoying. I recently read in CLEO on how to apply mascara properly and they obviously skipped the eyeliner and the faux eyelashes procedure. The spread was so focused on the Fiberwig mascara.
For beauty mags I much prefer those Taiwanese magazines. they have pretty neat tutorials. But I can’t read Chinese 🙁
Connie:
That’s right, you can so get cheap back issues of international magazines from the Indian newstands.
I agree with you on local magazines thing. I think it’s wrong to feature something solely on one product and not even mention it’s an advertorial piece. It’s misleading, is what it is.
Oh you know what magazines feature fantastic beauty how-tos? Japanese beauty magazines. Even though I couldn’t understand the words, the pictures made a pretty good explanation on their own. I bought many when I was in Japan. The Japs must be wondering why this gaijin who can’t speak a word of Japanese was buying Japanese magazines :p
Yeah! Japanese mags are great too. i seldom hang around Sungei Wang area which makes it hard for me to get those Taiwanese magazines. The regular newstands don’t usually carry those mags. I should hunt for them someday.
Lol. lotsa people who can’t read japanese buy japanese magazines. Probably for the same reason you do. There’s just so many things to look at in there.
Connie:
I know, right? I learnt how to do a lot of things just from the photographs in the Japanese beauty mags. I originally only buy ’em ‘cos they were much cheaper than the international mags.
I just bought CLEO for the freebies. From now on, since I’m abstaining from buying cosmetics after the big blow, I’m going to be an avid contest-entering and sample-snagging bee-yatch. 😀