Girlfriend December: Celeb-Made.

I didn't eventually buy GF December issue, but I managed to 'absorb' some of its contents while sitting comfortably at the bookstore... Read on...

Delta Goodrem, Jessica Mauboy, Gabriella Cilmi, Ryan Shelton and Jordin Sparks are some of the celebs who contributed to this Celeb-made GF. Delta Goodrem, as the guest editor, has a number of articles in the magazines, including fashion features "So you want to be Ashley Tisdale".

The Beauty Book is not actually a book (I was thinking insert mini-mag), but rather a few extra pages (15 -it says on the cover) of the magazines featuring beauty tips & products, including Best Fake-Tanning products as voted by readers, some make-up and skin care tips that might be useful over the summer (E.g, oily skins doesn't need moisturizer - wrong).

There's a page from Matt Lee (SYTYCD) on "How Not to Dance", which I think it's kind of useless and waste of space.

The usual blog readers by Tiarna, who in this issue, imagines world without her friends and friends are like bra. Fashion spread is still inspired by tribal stuff and few others. Books and movies reviews are from the celebs too - Jordin Sparks says she's hooked on Twilight's Breaking Dawn.

And JoBros vs Zac Efron, as mentioned on the cover, doesn't actually score a significant space in the mag. *Spoiler alert: From my memory, I think JoBros wins the Hairstyle competition. Michael Cera is in it too!

In relation to the launch of Influence by MKA Olsen, GF Book Club is giving away 20% discount voucher if you buy the book from Borders. I'm tempted. I didn't actually expect the book to be released on the same date as USA, but hey, apparently Borders would have it. :)

On the whole, I think the Celeb-Made issue was put quite sloppily. Maybe as Editor Sarah Cornish described in the letter of editor, "Making this issue is kinda like throwing everything up in the air and crossing our fingers that it will all land perfectly...". Personally I don't believe that all the celebs came up with the materials for the articles. I mean, does Delta Goodrem actually care about Ashley Tisdale's wardrobe? Kudos to GF crew for the hardwork and hopefully, January issue will be loaded with great fresh articles as New Year comes along.

Laters...

x

December Issues: Russh, Girlfriend, Frankie.

I'm taking these home....

Russh November/December is out today with the Summer Lovin theme...

[Erin Wasson. Preen. SS09 Runway trend. Christopher Kane]

Girlfriend December issue featuring Amanda Bynes on the cover, comes with a Beauty Book prepared by GF Beauty Editor Sarah.

xx

Updates & Glossy Bits

Hello, again! It's good to be back after a solid week of juggling assignments day and night.
I've got a stack of magazines stocked right up for the next few weeks as I'd be going overseas for a while and uh, I'm panicking I wouldn't get enough glossy fix to keep me floating.

I had glanced over Teen Vogue's November issue but a thorough commentary will come later (I'm keeping Teen Vogue as one of the holiday fix).

So in the next few weeks, I'll be updating on these magazines:
- Teen Vogue November issue
- Frankie
- Russh Anniversary issue (out this Wednesday, 29 Oct)
- And probably, Girlfriend December issue (based on schedule it should go on sale yesterday, but I haven't been to the newsagent to check).

Glossy Bits

Peaches Geldof column has made its debut on Nylon magazine, as promised by Editor Marvin Scott Jarrett last month, read it here. It saves you from buying Nylon mag with Paris Hilton on the cover. Hee.

Cecelia Ahern has a new novel released. It's called "The Gift", with beautiful Christmas-sy cover it'd definetely make a good gift.

"This is a story about people who not unlike parcels‚ hide secrets.They cover themselves in layers until the right person unwraps them and discovers what′s inside.Sometimes you have to be unravelled in order to find out who you really are..."

more about "The Gift".

Glossy Bits: Paris Hilton for Nylon

In the midst of US presidential election and financial crisis, Nylon November issue will feature Paris Hilton on its cover.

Update: Here's the final look of the cover.

New Twilight trailer is out...(in case you haven't seen it)

xx

Farewell CosmoGirl...

Hearst announced on Friday that it was shutting the teenagers’ magazine CosmoGirl. The December issue will be its last.
After that, subscribers will receive Seventeen, another Hearst magazine.
The company will continue to run the profitable Web site CosmoGirl.com.
The magazine industry in general is struggling, and ad pages were down 7.4 percent in the first half of this year, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. CosmoGirl fared worse: its ad pages fell 14.5 percent,to about 298 pages. Seventeen’s ad pages were down 5.7 percent, to 377 pages.

via NY Times.

Peeking at Vogue UK and Teen Vogue November Cover

It's all about group photo shoot in UK Vogue November issue! I was drawn by its cover featuring Jourdan Dunn, Eden Clark and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Inside, there is a fashion photo shoot inspired the UK fashion-savvy teens. I only recognised Nicholas Hoult from the whole group. He is the actor from the movie About a Boy (when he was little, of course) and also TV series Skins. Mick Jagger's daughter, Georgia Jagger is another one of the featured teens.

It almost feel like I was looking at Teen Vogue instead of Vogue when I browse through this issue. It smells like teen-spirit, like they've mentioned in the introduction to "New England" photoshoot. Model Karlie Kloss also scored a fashion spread titled "All Night Long".

Vogue's Editor-at-Large Fiona Golfar comments that the idea of the "New England" shoot came out when she saw that our generation (yes, we...the Gen-Y) are stylish and very fashion-savvy. She also thinks that our generation is very confident. Go us! :)

Teen Vogue November'08

Meanwhile, in Teen Vogue land, Rachel Bilson is the star of the November's Fashion at Work issue. To buy or not to buy; that's what I have been thinking. Teen Vogue has gone incredibly bland in choosing their cover girl (or boy in the case of October's issue).

Teen Vogue used to impress me by coming up with fresh faces and be able to 'dictate' other teen glossy, "Here! This is the rising and upcoming stars". But where has that capability gone now?

Anywho, Rachel Bilson is definetely a much better choice compared to Zanessa. She recently launched her own line Edie Rose for DKNY and will star in the upcoming movie NY, I Love You.

As this is the Fashion at Work issue, Teen Vogue promises to bring out the best tips from the fashion insider. On the cover: Our interns share their on-the-job style secrets.
Let's just hope it does not only feature the rich & famous people, but some inspiring role models or fellow hard working girls we could look up to.

Nylon Oct'08: It Girl Issue

If you are a sucker for pretty mag cover, swirly fonts and find yourself easily tricked by headlines like, "The It Girl Issue!", Nylon is giving you the fix you need...

Girls who made it to 2nd Nylon It Girls list are Zooey Deschanel, Daisy Lowe, Peaches & Pixie Geldof, Alexa Chung, Coco Rocha, Abigail Lorrick, Cory & Cody Kennedy, Portia Freeman, Tennesse Thomas, Isabelle McNally, Teyana Taylor and Harley Viera-Newton.

Cover girl Zooey Deschanel is simply inspiring and gorgeous. I salute Nylon's choice for picking her to grace the cover of It Girl issue. I'm loving her style - although not really a fan of her music. Nylon describes her as "a living proof that dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."

Repeat offender Cory Kennedy and Peaches Geldof are definitely Nylon's favourite It Girls. After launching off with Nylon TV, Nylon Editor Marvin Scott Jarett dropped us a hint to expect column by Peaches in upcoming issues. Cory Kennedy had already scored one.

What is an It Girl, according to the It Girls...

Alexa Chung: "Aren't It Girls from rich families who don't really do anything? I actually do something. I present on TV, and in a really deadpan style. Sir, you offend me."

Harley Viera-Newton: "A lot of them have become famous for doing nothing..."

Abigail Lorick: "An It Girls would be a girl that is hardworking and inspires other young women to pursue whatever they want... It Girls are the ones who are doing things, who are taking any situation and making the best of it... making it fabulous."




Coco Rocha decides to stick on a low-profile; staying humble and ground to earth despite her supermodel status. "If it wasn't for him [photographer Steven Miesel], I'd probably be back home now... They could have chosen anyone - a supermodel at the top, but they gave me a chance."

And to complete my obsession with Michael Cera, Nylon presents "Music Sounds Better with You" - interviews with Michael Cera, Kat Dennings and other stars of the upcoming movie Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist.
Co-star Alexis Dziena on Michael Cera: "Don't you just want to put him in your pocket?"
I'm nodding my head.

There's also Nick & Nora's Infinite Bar List - comes handy if you are in New York's Lower East Side.

Other interesting articles include: Backstage at Chanel's 2009 Cruise Collection, faces of Calvin Klein Fall'08 Campaign, Lou Douillon's Lee Cooper Jeans collection.

Pages of this issue is beautifully decorated with pencil illustration and doodles. I told you this issue is a joy for all things cute.

I'm contented with this issue. Nylon's It Girl issue gives me a full recovery from the under-performed Teen Vogue's Young Hollywood issue. Hmm, it proves the point that I kinda judge the magazine by its cover...

[will scan more picture if I had the time - xoxo]

Zero Hero

GWAS posted a great article about Teen Vogue and how TV is still embracing the super-skinny body image.

"The generic beauty ideal that Teen Vogue serves up for readers month after
month via its fashion, beauty and even 'real girl' editorials certainly eschews
the well-endowed (Vogue is no place for boobs – fake or real; suppress your
womanhood like a good girl, an androgynous, svelte 13-year-old boy figure is
what you want... "

I could not agree more. I can say that I'm an avid Teen Vogue reader. I used to buy every single issue but had stopped earlier this year because:
-I like buying other magazines and I simply don't have the dosh.
-Kimbal Hasting left and I don't seem to like Andrew Bevan.

I think Teen Vogue takes the advantage of them being a "Vogue" (dubbed as the fashion bible) as an excuse to their super-skinny policy. You know, it's like "Our magazine is the fashion bible so we do it the fashion-way. Who cares if you're a size 14." Unlike many other magazines, Teen Vogue has never had an editorial dedicated to "every body shapes".

Sometimes it's nice to buy a magazine where you can actually say, "Yeah, their clothes would fit in me (and don't break my bank account)."

Glossy Bits...

-November issue of Dolly is out! Miranda Kerr (for the third time in a month, I think) is a cover girl. And unlike Teen Vogue, Dolly has actual readers with various body shapes to model in the summer bikini photo shoot. Also, there's a Twilight pin-up. Yay!

-Rumour says: Channel 10 decided to cancel the new teen drama, 90210 due to poor ratings. Ch.10 said they planned to stop airing the show and instead save it for the summer program. Since its beginning, 90210 has received mixed response from the audience. Some like it, others don't. I watched the first hour of it and stopped - found it too dramatic, for some reason. The media has also been re-naming the show as 90210 - size 0, in response to their super-skinny actresses. I read somewhere, that one of them only weight 90lbs (40kg)