Oh, my gosh, I’ve subscribed to so many… Vogue, Nylon, Real Simple, Better Homes and Gardens, Shape, Popular Photography, Self, The New Yorker, The Economist, Runner’s World… You name it, and at one point in my life I probably had a subscription to it!
Back when I apparently had all the time in the world to read, one of my favorite things to do was tear into a new issue of a magazine on the couch. It still is, but I’ve whittled my way down to three subscriptions now (Allure, Glamour and Entertainment Weekly), and I’m thinking about dropping Glamour…because I can’t remember the last time I read something in there that I could relate to.
Mostly, when I do have blocks of time in which to read now, I’d rather make headway on a book than a magazine, because magazines are like snacks, ya know? And books are like an actual meal.
Are there any magazines you used to love but no longer read anymore? Inquiring minds want to know.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Speaking of meals, I made a massive quantity of this Taco Chili from Iowa Girl Eats (she does gluten-free recipes) a few nights ago and wanted to jooj up the leftovers, so yesterday for lunch I plopped a little of Trader Joe’s Mac and Cheese and some sliced green onions on top…
OH, YEAH. It was SO good! You gotta try that mac and cheese thing with your chili if you haven’t already. It will change your life.
Rachel says
October 3rd, 2018 at 7:40 amI never subscribe to magazines because it seems like a waste of money/paper. That being said my parents have tons of subscriptions and they give them to me when they’re done! They have People, Time, This Old House, Readers Digest, etc.
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 7:44 amThat’s nice that they pass them onto you. Have you ever thought about donating the magazines to a dentist’s or doctor’s office? Cut out the address and pass them along.
Happy Wednesday, by the way. My parents are coming out to visit and watch Connor today so I can write, woo hoo!
Rachel says
October 3rd, 2018 at 7:53 amThat’s a good idea and some of the thrift stores around town take them as well. That’s nice your parents are coming, I’m sure Connor loves spending time with them!
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 8:19 amYeah! It would be a good way to give those mags a little more life before they hit the recycling bin!
Connor loves spending time with them because they basically let her run the show, LOL. 🙂 I don’t mind though. I didn’t really have a close relationship with my grandparents so I’m happy she has that with them.
Ruchita says
October 3rd, 2018 at 7:50 amThe only magazine I subscribe to that I still read regularly is Entertainment Weekly. I have subscriptions to others like People, In Style and Real Simple that I got for free because I had some random of airline miles to use. I flip through them, but don’t really read the articles in detail. Oh and I used to read Rolling Stone back in college, but haven’t picked up one of those in ages.
This reminds me of back in the day, when I read Seventeen, ‘Teen and YM. This was before the internet so those were my sources for beauty and fashion advice.
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 8:20 amI used to do the same with Real Simple. I’d dog ear the recipes and never cook them, LOL!
Remember the magazine Jane? I was a fan of that one too back in the day!
Ruchita says
October 3rd, 2018 at 10:18 amYes, I remember Jane! I used to read that too. And this is going way back, but I wonder if they still make Highlights for kids. I remember reading those when I was young.
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:33 amThey still make it. 🙂 Good to know some things never change, right? I’m getting a subscription for Connor when she gets a little older, because I used to get it as a kid, too, and I loved it. I remember reading it at the dentist’s office and thinking it was the coolest thing, ever.
Patti says
October 5th, 2018 at 1:24 amThey do! I’m a teacher and we get sent flyers from them to send home with the kids. ?
Christina says
October 3rd, 2018 at 8:46 amI used to love Allure but haven’t for a few years now. With the social media explosion, the magazine just lagged behind in the latest releases and upcoming collections. I like to read their in depth articles on the latest technology and skincare advancements, though, but other than that, the content is sorely lacking.
I used to read Lucky, but it no longer exists, so that’s that. LOL!
Suzan Lopatin says
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:09 amI loved Lucky, too! I don’t plan to resubscribe to Allure, which used to be my favorite. As Christina said above, almost no content. Maybe I’ve aged out, though. For great content, I enjoy Marie Claire. A good solid read in all areas.
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:33 amHi Suzan,
I’ll have to revisit Marie Claire again! Sounds like a magazine that I’d enjoy. 🙂
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:32 amThe long-form articles are great, I agree. Wish they’d do just loads of that and less of the celeb stuff.
Sharon says
October 4th, 2018 at 7:03 amI used to love Allure and have had a subscription since day one, but I will not be renewing when the time comes. The content hasn’t been anything I can relate to for some time now and it feels as though it’s moved far from its original concept of beauty, makeup and skin care. The last several issues I have quickly flipped through and thrown away, and I used to keep them for reference. I rarely find anything in Allure that interests me these days.
KimMWC03 says
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:11 amI recently ended my subs to Glamour and Allure. I still love Allure but I feel the same way as you about Glamour; I just don’t relate to it anymore. I have on occasion picked up a Cosmo but not recently since they treat it as “not family friendly” in a lot of stores so I can’t find it at the checkout now. I loved Seventeen and YM as a teen.
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:35 amSeventeen was my jam back in the day, but man… I can’t even begin to tell you how many failed hair tutorials I tried from that magazine, LOL!
Susan says
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:16 amUnfortunately, I still accumulate way too many magazine subscriptions, but have pared it down a bit and definitely changed what I’m reading from my younger years (I’ve just turned 50 this year…yikes…that still sounds so foreign to me!). I started out with Seventeen, then Mademoiselle and Glamour in my twenties, then Elle. In my thirties I got rid of them and ended up with Harper’s Bazaar and Allure, then back to just Glamour. I’ve finally dropped all of the “fashion” magazines, because I just can’t relate to most of them anymore. I get my fashion fix off of the internet most of the time. Now I make do with Food Network magazine, Southern Living, Good Housekeeping and sometimes Shape or Self. I know, boring. 🙂
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:35 amHey Susan!
How are the recipes from the Food Network magazine? Are they easy to follow and yummy?
Susan says
October 4th, 2018 at 8:57 amHi Karen! Yes, most of them are great. They also have suggestions on kitchen gadgets and such, as well as stories on the personalities/chefs. It’s pretty entertaining if you like the shows on the network. I think I enjoy the photography and styling of the magazine as much as anything.
kellly says
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:31 amI used to like Lucky but they’re long gone. Currently I’m subscribed to Vogue and Allure. I think Allure is my favorite. I like their features about new developments in cosmetics and things that will be “products of the future” – technology breakthroughs.
Leslie Schroeder says
October 3rd, 2018 at 12:05 pmWatch those new subscriptions to Glamour. Industry press forecasts that Glamour will become a digital-only publication as soon as the first of the year.
Suzanne C says
October 3rd, 2018 at 12:35 pmI really do love magazines, but who has time for all that? Now I have it pared down to the essentials: Southern Living (every Southern woman’s ‘other’ Bible), Smithsonian magazine, All Recipes, and Taste of Home. I like the last two because they frequently solve the constant ‘what am I going to feed these people’ question, lol. Oh, and King Arthur Flour’s Sift mag, but that only comes out quarterly.
I do sometimes miss HGTV mag and Entertainment Weekly, though.
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 2:17 pm“What am I going to feed these people” = story of my life right now, LOL!
Are the recipes from All Recipes and Taste of Home easy to follow and yummy?
Suzanne C says
October 3rd, 2018 at 2:54 pmRight now, mine is “how can you be hungry- you had a snack 30 minutes ago!?”. Except their ‘snack’ is basically a full meal. See what you have to look forward to?
AR and TOH recipes are submitted by users and tested by the magazines, so they’re generally the realistic stuff moms and dads put on the table every night. I love to cook ‘fancy’, but those two are where I get most of my every day recipes, besides my ridiculously large collection of cookbooks.
Erin says
October 3rd, 2018 at 1:04 pmI used to read InStyle, Elle, Food and Wine, Wine Spectator, and Sunset. They all left me feeling like I wasn’t doing enough with my life plus the extra expense needed to be given up. If I was to let a few back in, I’d choose Food and Wine and Sunset.
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 2:16 pmI like Sunset! My mom used to get it and it’s good.
Isabella says
October 3rd, 2018 at 1:12 pmwow you guys, I am probably older than everyone here so to hear you all saying you have aged out of the magazines I used to love makes me feel not ancient
I have subscribed to Allure since the first issue, and it just doesn’t do it for me anymore.
the women’s mags are too issue oriented now, I just want fashion
things change
Karen says
October 3rd, 2018 at 2:15 pmHey Isabella,
Someone in the comments mentioned Marie Claire. I’m going to give that one a try next, I think!
Chelsea says
October 3rd, 2018 at 2:29 pmI used to subscribe to so many magazines – People Style Watch, Allure, InStyle, Glamour, Lucky, Marie Claire… and they’re all just not good anymore, plus you can get the content online! I’m in the process of cancelling all of them.
Jan says
October 3rd, 2018 at 3:41 pmI dropped Glamour because, like you said, I found I wasn’t relating to it. Maybe I’m getting older and it’s not. Allure was always one of my favorites when Linda Wells was the editor. Once she left, it seemed to be too “out there” to be of any practical value. I was close to dropping it, but the current issues seems more like the old ones, so I may stick it out.
I go off and on with Real Simple and Money. Otherwise, I get most of the fashion magazines and like reading them.
Susan C. says
October 3rd, 2018 at 3:50 pmOh, magazines…I used to get Glamour, Allure and Marie Claire before switching to occasional newsstand purchases. Glamour, oddly, featured brief but informative medical articles. Marie Claire had a nice international feel, and Allure of course had Best of Beauty. (I don’t bother buying even that issue anymore because it seems that the favorable opinions are bought.)
When I was a teen, Seventeen was where it was at but boy, did it make me feel insecure about everything. Shape and Self seemed motivational for a while, but ultimately made me feel inadequate. Vogue was great, mostly for the ads — they could be very artsy. The September issue was a favorite, for that reason alone. Interview was downright cool. Details, Jane and Nylon were fun and edgy.
More is…just okay. They seem to assume that by my age I’m a CEO with kids in college and a budget for designer duds (no, no and no). Elle was a dry read but featured a hilariously outspoken advice columnist (E. Jean was so funny, I bought her book.) Cosmo had informative sex articles (huzzah for advice you can actually use!), and I remember giggling over their annual love horoscope with my college roommate. Harper’s Bazaar had outstanding photography and unnervingly accurate horoscopes. InStyle made my wallet twitchy. Real Simple…wasn’t. Somehow the writers seemed to complicate everything! The covers of O Magazine promised helpful advice; then you’d read it and there was no actual advice to be had, only well written, long-winded anecdotes from totally unrelatable writers. Add preposterously ambitious recipes and it was an exercise in futility. Lastly, I still have one issue of Taxi (from the ’80s) that I have held on to for its brilliant fashion photography.
It’s been a very long time since I’ve purchased a magazine. Now when I want a little mood boost I’ll buy an inexpensive lipstick (or a cupcake!) rather than read something that seems specifically engineered to make me feel inadequate.
Carol says
October 3rd, 2018 at 4:00 pmAll of them!
Jenn says
October 3rd, 2018 at 4:09 pmMe! I used to subscribe to: Conde Naste Traveler, Cosmo, Elle, Fitness, Harper’s Bazaar, Health, Instyle, Lucky, Marie Claire, Real Simple, Self, Sunset, Travel and Leisure, Vogue, W, Women’s Health, Allure and Glamour.
I like reading the actual magazine vs online (kind of like I prefer books rather than kindle etc).
Most of them I had I did not pay for. I used to do erewards and they never offered good gift cards so I always subscribed to magazines.
When my toddler was young I read more on the kindle (cause breastfeeding, I needed something to do while she nursed!) and recently had the Texture app. Access to over 200 magazines digitally for $6.99 per month but I never read any of them so I quit it lol
I currently get Parents and Shape and November is my last month and I am done! I feel obligated to read magazines since I paid for them and I don’t enjoy either of these.
Rebecca says
October 3rd, 2018 at 5:06 pmI used to love magazines in the 90’s. Allure has really disappointed me in the last few years. I haven’t been interested in Cosmo for so long, but I never subscribed. Now I get too many for free. I still look through Town and Country when it comes in the mail, but just to see all the incredibly expensive items they feature that I would never buy.
Diana says
October 3rd, 2018 at 5:56 pmToo many to count! Most of whats been mentioned. Now I buy a magazine at the checkout if something catches my eye.
Karen, I actually made Iowa girls Taco Chili too! Omg is it good. I didn’t have scallions so I put a spoonful of guacamole on top ?
Sarah says
October 3rd, 2018 at 7:24 pmAllure and Glamour were faves, but I don’t relate to them at all anymore. And they’re so skinny these days, seems a waste to spend the money on them. I love Eva Chen’s Instagram, but have not fallen in love with her Allure. I was shocked by how puny the September issue (disguised as the “lip issue”) was and wonder how much longer it will be around.
Sarah says
October 3rd, 2018 at 8:06 pmBlergh—meant Michelle, not Eva. Loved Lucky mag during the Eva Chen years!!!
Kim says
October 4th, 2018 at 12:05 pmI never had a subscription but I used to love reading cooking magazines (anything from Gourmet to Martha Stewart to Cooking Light). I got some winning recipes out of those mags! Now, it’s just so much easier to go online. 🙂
Btw, I saw your note above on Connor loving to spend time with your parents since she runs the show. My father used to say that my mother would let the boys play with chainsaws if they wanted to. He wasn’t far off. My boys would still do anything for Grandma so she (and your parents) have the right idea!
Karen says
October 4th, 2018 at 2:25 pmOH MY GOD. That is the same exact thing with my parents and Connor. The funniest is when my mom tries to discipline her… and it’s total BS!
Kim says
October 5th, 2018 at 9:02 amOh, I hear you. I think this is why so many people are keen to be grandparents. They’re loved to pieces and never need to do any of the bad jobs (discipline, etc). HAHA! It’ll come in handy for you when Connor gets older, though. I pull out the “Grandma asked if you would…” card on occasion and it ALWAYS works. They do not want to disappoint Grandma. 🙂
Shelley says
October 4th, 2018 at 1:24 pmI used to buy prob a dozen magazines a month, it was ridiculous. Fashion, decor, food, entertainment……now I have the Texture app on my tablet, it’s like 15$ a month and access to well over a hundred magazines. I love it. No clutter, read what ever strikes my fancy and cost effective.
Entertainment weekly, hgtv and food network are my favourites right now. I can’t be both with O, glamour, shape….
Robin Hawkins says
October 4th, 2018 at 4:51 pmI used to be a magazine junkie..just cancelled Glamour.I was so disappointed in the September issue. It was so thin and sad.I currently get Essence, Vogue,Allure, and W. My husband had freebies on an account,so I thought I would try them out. They’re ok. I really miss Lucky though. It’s a tough time for magazines and I probably won’t renew any of the above titles….
Cathy says
October 4th, 2018 at 9:36 pmGreat question! In my teens I read Seventeen and YM. Then in my twenties I graduated to Glamour, Allure, Mademoiselle (which went away in the early 2000’s I believe) and Instyle. I also read Lucky but they also went out of production. I just recently did not renew Glamour after over 20 something years. I was so disappointed with the way they changed their format and articles-I feel it’s more for teenagers now. Plus they got very political and it was nauseating. I will turn 49 on Tuesday so maybe I just aged out but it used to be my favorite magazine. I think they have lost a lot of subscribers due to the changes. I a, hanging onto Allure by a thread-I have a feeling that subscription will be the next to go bye bye.
Barbara B says
October 4th, 2018 at 10:34 pmWhat a timely question. Have been subscribing to Allure since the start, but just don’t enjoy it since Linda Wells left. My subscription is up and I think I won’t renew.
Have a lifetime subscrription to Rolling Stone but don’t enjoy it much either. I don’t watch Oprah but subscribed to the magazine for a school fundraiser. It has great book reviews which I enjoy.
Still like Entertainment Weekly.
My old magazines are donated to my library bookstore where they resell them for a pittance but I feel like I am recycling them.
Mona says
October 5th, 2018 at 2:40 amI used to get Vogue. I’ve stopped it since I can’t relate to it anymore. The only magazine I regularly read (because my parents subscribe to it) is National Geographic. I’m also grateful for the old Smithsonian. Architectural Digest and Good Housekeeping magazines my aunt sends me from the US.
Michele DiCola says
October 5th, 2018 at 3:47 amI loved Lucky mag and was actually depressed when it fell
Under !
I do read Style , Glanour and Martha now !
Io says
October 5th, 2018 at 5:41 amI used to subscribe to so many fashion magazines, but they’ve become too overtly political in recent years, and often quite nasty in tone. Nowadays I just go to their websites and check out just the fashion and beauty sections – although now those sections are also getting too political! Allure under Linda Wells was my favorite, nowadays I find it insufferable, and whatever the opposite of “allure” is.
bella says
October 7th, 2018 at 9:12 amI read every fashion mag out there. I used to love Mademoiselle way back when they had actual snippets of new books coming out. Does any remember Interview with a Vampire, or the time they had Madonna on the cover? I also loved any magazine where Nancy Fuller was the editor. Harper’s Bazaar was my favorite as well, and I loved People In Style. Every so often I buy a magazine like Woman’s First at the grocery store and that’s it. I read the September issue of Bazaar, Glamour, and Allure and they were horrible!! No content and the fashion was horrible. I definitely think it’s because fashion right now is horrible and not beautiful at all. I loved watching Style with Elsa Klentch. She had a tv show and you could watch all these amazing couture clothes. The fabrics were unreal. Unfortunately, now couture doesn’t look or feel (as in gorgeous fabrics!!!) than RTW. Now that, Oscar, Calvin, Valentino, Donna, Carolina are not at the helm of their business. Sorry for the long rant! LOL