Mag Monday: Cleo November 2012

Cleo, November 2012

• Hello, are we in 1995? Also: I can't stand Lara Bingle. Surprisingly I actually kinda like the cover.
• I love the six-page feature on body image and Photoshop. It's a hot-button issue and magazines cop a lot of flak about it - in some cases, it's justified, but in many it's not. There's a lot of misunderstanding about what Photoshop is used for, especially here in Australia, where body shapes and sizes are very rarely altered, unlike some overseas magazines (where a lot of the buzz about the issue generates from). This leads to well-meaning people sending negative emails, Facebook posts, or in this case, starting/signing a petition, which can be incredibly frustrating when they don't have the facts and don't bother to check them. This is what happened when Jessica Barlow, a 20-year-old student, started "The Brainwash Project" and decided, seemingly arbitrarily, to target Cleo. When Cleo responded by saying they didn't in fact alter women's body shapes and did include "real" women every month, Jessica didn't change her stance. So the editor decided to do this feature, revealing what exactly Photoshop is used for (colour correction, contrast, shadows, non-permanent marks like bruises etc) and what goes into all the images in the magazine (it's a lot more complicated than most people think). Media intelligence can only ever be a good thing.
• I liked seeing the article on Pussy Riot, even if it felt a bit late to the party (one of the drawbacks of monthly magazines, unfortunately).
• It's the swimwear special,  and Cleo breaks the up-front styles down into destination inspiration, which is fun: Morocco (lots of prints), Tahiti (tropical florals), Rio De Janeiro (bold block colours), Sydney (apparently we're stuck in the '90s), California (Sunset Strip-inspired prints), Amalfi Coast (bold florals) and Saint Tropez ('50s-inspired). I liked that the first main fashion is a poolside shoot featuring the gorgeous, curvy ex-Top Model star Tahnee (I even spotted some cellulite and thought take that, Photoshop-bashers!), but the following two shoots feature blonde, skinny models, which is a little bland if not disheartening.
• 'New-gen nails' jumps on to the nail art bandwagon, which I won't complain about. Love!
• The story of three young women who each got melanoma, and another two who lost loved ones to the disease, is a timely reminder to be sun smart.
• 'Meet the new superheroes' is a fun feature on kick-butt women in pop culture, and what we can learn from them.
• I groaned at the title 'The simple secret to feeling happier', but actually found the advice about not comparing yourself to others to be quite helpful.
• 'The never-ending work day' covers an issue that is probably quite prominent these days, and offers fantastic advice on leaving work at work.
• 'Why every body is a bikini body' is an awesome headline (what is a bikini body anyway?!) accompanied by a great feature about learning to feel comfortable - and even confident - while you're wearing a bikini in public. I've gotten better as I've gotten older - mainly on holidays, where I won't know anyone - but I definitely don't feel comfortable with my "bikini body" these days. Going to the beach is not so fun when you don't feel good.
• 'Resident evil' is a serious feature about child abuse which includes two case studies. It's an issue that's not often covered in women's magazines, so it's good to see it here.
• It's fab to see a feature like 'Ditch the deadline diet' in Cleo - coz we all know they never work and are so not healthy for your body or mind.
• 'Why all boobs are great' by Guy Mosel seems dubious on the surface but is actually a lovely opinion piece on not judging your own body by what others think - or what you think they think.
• I love pretty things - whether it be clothes, accessories or objects for the home - so the 'Home improvement' spread really appealed to me. And I'm pretty sure I need this teapot.
• Other features include 'Beach confidential' (Bondi lifeguard confessions); 'The Robsten effect' (Why are we so invested in celebrity relationships? Spoiler: Coz we feel like they're our friends);  'Ready to rumble' (the lives of female pro wrestlers - grrrl power!); 'The summer of safe love' (you can never have too much contraception talk); 'My family's fitness trick'; 'Get an A+ in dating' (one writer actually attends "dating" school); 'Open relationships: One couple reveals all'; 'Jump over your sex hurdles' and 'Find your new career here'.

Rating: 3.5/5

Mag Monday: Cleo and Vogue October Editions

Cleo, October 2012

• I really don't like the cover. It looks like a pap shot, and Miranda isn't even looking at the camera. I also have zero interest in "friendship secrets from The Shire" and rolled my eyes at the "Fifty Shades of Grey sex challenge". Ugh.
• I was surprised to see the 50 Shades feature on page 26 - the sexy stuff is usually towards the middle of the mag. Then I realised it wasn't the sex challenge mentioned on the cover, but "50 Shades of Greed: Here's how to write your own erotic masterpiece. How hard can it really be?!" Despite inwardly groaning about the fact that there's already been two 50 Shades references and I'm only on page 26, the feature is pretty funny - basically taking the piss out of E.L. James and the characters she stole created.
• "Can you buy your dream life?" has deputy ed Tania Gomez trialling the celeb life for a week. It's a great feature, but sigh, I wish I was rich and could live like that. 
• "Dairy-free milk decoded" is a really useful piece on the pros and cons of the different milk alternatives. Apparently you have to be careful to get brands with no additives. It seems like quinoa is the way to go if you can afford it, while oat milk is the closest you can get in texture/taste to dairy skim milk.
• I totally want to try Dirty Dancing Aerobics after reading about it in the "Everbody dance now" feature. Xtende Barre also sounds interesting but a little intimidating. I ain't going anywhere near Konga - it sounds worse than Zumba, and I was way too scared to try that.
• So, the Fifty Shades of Grey sex challenge is actually one very brave writer trialling different sex scenes from the book with her even braver new boyfriend, which is interesting to say the least. Apparently, the nipple-tweaking that gives Ana her first orgasm results in nothing but frustration and sore nipples for two days; the silk tie scene is hot but the guy feels like he's getting, um, the raw end of the deal; the spanking is OK as a one-off; and doing it in a hotel room bath (minus the whole period/tampon removal part) is amazing. Righteo...
• "Choose your own adventure" is a fun travel feature, with suggested locations broken down into different priorities like food, pampering, shopping, relaxing and so on. I wish I was travelling right now...
• Fashion includes crop tops (so can't go there), "luxe" track pants (ditto), shorts (double ditto, sadface), a spring racing carnival style feature, neon (love) and Cleo's very own range of swimmers with Billabong.

Vogue, October 2012

• LOOOOVE the cover, which my crappy photography doesn't do justice to. Beautiful shot, lovely colours and a gold foil to top it off. The photo shoot of Lana Del Rey inside is simply stunning, too.
• "Affirmation nation" is an insightful feature about the potential harm of positive self-talk. Research has shown that while affirmations slightly help those who already have high self-esteem, they can make people with low self-esteem feel worse. The feature outlines the importance of having a realistic frame of reference, taking into account both positive and negative aspects in life, and to use "moderate" affirmations to reassure yourself, rather than positive ones that can make you feel like a failure.
• There's a really beautiful shoot with the leading ladies of the Legally Blonde musical (which I saw a couple of weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised by how awesome and fun it was). 
• "The female lead" is an entertaining and interesting opinion piece by Christine Jackman on whether women make better leaders than men. Spoiler alert: The conclusion is no - sure, women can be great leaders, but they can also be terrible leaders - just like men. That's equality.
• "Sweet serenade" is another gorgeous photoshoot featuring up-and-coming Aussie female singers like Jessica Mauboy, Kimbra and Washington.
• The fashion is completely unattainable, as always - but I guess that's kinda the point with Vogue.

 

Mag Monday: Cleo, September 2012

The September issue of Cleo features a candy-coloured cover befitting its star, Katy Perry. I'm not a massive fan of hers, and I really don't like the purple pony she's rocking, so this cover (and the accompanying story) doesn't particularly draw me in. The cover lines don't really grab me, either.

September being 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty for ACP, the mag is filled with related features. Visually, I liked "My style icon is...", featuring readers with the people who influence their style (an older friend, sister, boyfriend and boss). But while the shoot is fun, all the people involved have been professionally styled using borrowed clothes, which I think undermines the authenticity of a piece that's supposedly celebrating "real" style icons.

I really enjoyed the feature "Meet the fatshionistas" by Nicole Elphick, which provides a spotlight on a corner of the blogosphere - and the fashion community - that isn't usually seen in the pages of a mag like Cleo.

"New-season style commandments" is a fun spin on a trend report, though I can't say I'm quite ready to embrace the tracky dack trend and "take them out for a spin with [my] fave heels" (as much as I love my trackies). Girlie pieces, neon, smoky eyes, statement earrings, floral prints and white nails I will be more inclined to try. The jury is still out on peplums. Speaking of - the following spread with a reader trialling the trends is an effective way to make them more accessible. I just wish I had the hair (and the braveness!) to try dip dye, and I know I'll never be bold enough to wear clashing prints and leather pants. Still - pastels, nail art and hot pink lips, I can definitely do.

"What's with all the hate?" is a feature by Genevieve Rota that discusses all the "Hatorade" that seems to be going around. So it's not just in the book blogging community, then? Rota focuses on the sledges leveled at celebs like Lana Del Ray, Lara Bingle and Delta Goodrem, interviewing a psychologist and therapist who put the problem down to a combination of jealousy and tall poppy syndrome. I can't say I'm convinced - I'm guilty of hating Delta Goodrem and Lara Bingle more than you should feel anything about someone you've never met, and I can't say I'm particularly jealous of either. They just really freaking annoy me. Anyway, it's an interesting idea, and I liked the breakout on online trolls, which is really a whole issue in itself.

To tie in with R U OK? Day on September 13, Lisa O'brien has written "Is he okay?", a feature about how depression affects men and what the women in their life can do to help. It's an important issue and refreshing to see guys allowed more depth than the usual "What he really thinks when you tickle his nipples" lines.

Then we have "Three in the bed", which profiles a couple who have started having threesomes to spice up their marriage. Ho hum, it's nothing I haven't read in Cleo/Cosmo 164 times before. I have to say I really can't stand these kinds of articles that imply you have to have threesomes or try bondage or whatever to have an interesting sex life. If that's your thing, go for it, but the way they feature them implicitly sends the message that you're not good enough in the sack if you don't perform bedroom acrobatics with multiple partners. It's telling that Mel, the girl featured in the article, says "Our sex life was in a bit of a hole. Andy and I dressed up for each other, went away for weekends and tried to liven things up by having sex in places where there was a risk of getting caught, but it felt like we were trying too hard." (Emphasis mine). That's exactly what gets me about these kinds of articles - people read them and feel like they have to do these things not because it actually turns them on, but because their sex life must live up to some Sex and the City-inspired myth. OK, end rant.

Other features include:

• "Words with friends", about how to deal with tricky conversations. It's a good story, but I'm not a fan of the app-inspired design.
• "What does success look like?" Helping others, mastering the balancing act, and doing what you really love, apparently
• "Single with children"
• "20 tiny tips to improve your life right now" It's common sense stuff but the tips are still useful - like making your bed, stretching, wearing something bright and - my fave - playing on the swings.
• "Is someone sabotaging your diet?" I don't like the "d" word but it's a good feature about how others influence your eating.
• "12 things you can do for a healthier you" A bit of overkill considering it's very similar to "20 tiny tips"
• "A hungry girl's guide to portion control"
• "The other woman", about mums who interfere in their kid's relationships.
• "Great sex tips (in 50 words or less)" Same old, same old. Yawn.
• "Fight club" Shirtless boxers who obviously haven't been hit across the head too many times, coz their faces are still pretty.
• "7 reasons why you're still broke" 

Rating: 3/5