When print magazine enthusiasts are wondering why a publication still continues to exist, you know the game is up.
I have to say, since Jessica Cruel took over from Michelle Lee, the content has improved, but I've reached the point where I couldn't even be bothered to look through a free library-held digital copy of last month's Kim Kardashian issue.
I have very fond memories of Allure. The first copy I ever bought was June 1991 with Linda (by Meisel) looking like a sexy vulcan. The magazine was an exciting mix of commercial beauty and content that wouldn't have been out of place in Vogue Italia, and I remember those early issues being in a slightly larger format with thinner paper quality, before it soon migrated to become the more standard US A4 format. As the magazine progressed through the 90s, the Vogue Italia element faded a bit, but other great aspects came to the fore, like the showcasing of Kevyn Aucoin's work. The written content was also fairly interesting, with a lot of personal accounts regarding people's relationship with their looks. The magazine also made an effort to feature diversity in its editorials long before US Vogue ever did.
But these days, with beauty advertising in print media dwindling down to nothing, and people looking online for news and views on products, there's not much point in Allure being printed anymore.