myMagazine

And November's issues are out next week!

What do you read? Currently I buy quite a few magazines, (too many to let on to Paul though). My monthly staples are Prima, Woman and Home, Good Housekeeping, Easy Living occasionally an Essential and recently I have started to buy Ideal Homes, Real Homes and Your Home for interior inspiration.

Every month it’s a struggle to get through them all and I spend the last few days of the month flicking through the pages, tearing out interesting bits, recipes, web sites and so on before I throw it away for good and buy the next month’s copy. (I just don’t have the room to house them ALL and Paul would go berserk too!)

This got me thinking and reflecting on my reading habits over the years and I reckon my first ever mag was Jackie. Can you remember that? I would buy them for the pop star posters in the middle let’s see…Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, The Cure to name a few they would later be bluetacked on my bedroom wall. I would study the beauty and fashion tips and read the agony column, surprised that once a teenager wrote in asking why she was bleeding from down there.

As I moved up to senior school so I moved on from Jackie and Smash Hits became my rag. I would spend hours pouring over it and trying to be incredibly hip amongst my peers (I never was by the way) I will always remember being stunned at the fact that Kim Wilde had spots! (front cover)

Then at college, magazines dropped off my shopping list as food became more of a priority but once in the working industry they bounced back with more vigour than ever and my bible became Cosmopolitan. Full of information on sex! (that word’s really going to attract a lot of spam mail now) But it’s true, they were open and honest and the agony page was my first stop. How to be sexy, How to attract him? Even sex tips!

But I did reach a point where I knew it all got bored with it and started to scan the shelves for something a little more me. I came up with Elle and I followed her religiously for about 15 years. I loved the fashion shoots – not that I could afford anything in them but they did inspire me and I tried my best to come over as gorgeous as the models photographed, I think it must have lent an edge to my dress sense over the years. Marie Claire was also a staple in my monthly read for the same period of time and as I was living in Italy I read both the English (overseas and overpriced versions!) and the Italian ones too fascinated at the differences in how each fashion director would dress her country differently, the Brits far more edgy the Italians massively cool and chic. I will also admit to indulging in the odd copy of Vogue, just for the pure pleasure – even the glossy pages seemed to be precious.

My coffee table groaned under the weight and each magazine was read cover to cover and kept for months until I no longer had space and had a clear out.

Then something happened. It’s been over the past few years to be precise. I got bored of them (I know shock horror!) They weren’t giving me that same buzz, I knew I would never afford the fashion they were promoting and I felt ‘too old’ to wear it anyway. So it was back to the magazine racks for me.

And luckily for me I managed to move over and boy do I feel comfortable again. The beauty tips are directed at 30’s 40’s 50’s and above as is the fashion, the recipes are always inspiring and I never manage to do all the things I earmark in each magazine but I do try. Endless information of which I can never get enough.

What’s your favourite magazine and why?