Flicking through this on zinio, the written content is interesting for a summer issue - a look at the meaning of using the colour yellow, interviews with Dries van Noten and Sasha Lane, plus nice little looks at the forthcoming trends for autumn-winter, and a range of short pieces that address women's issues (such as hormonal cycles, body hair) which manage to (just about) stay on the right side of sounding like an overblown manifesto of empty sound-bites. Someone should let Allure know that this is actually possible.
That said, in the health section, there's something about the positive effects of crystal healing, but I guess that's no less crazy than spending £600 on a pair of trousers, which is what the rest of the magazine is about.
With the cover story, I can see the editor is trying to provide an alternative to a summer issue full of swimsuits and running-along-the-beach shots. I don't like the result, but I appreciate the idea behind it. After Lara, there's an equally long-seeming collections editorial that's studio-shot. The beauty features are cleanly designed and enjoyable; I feel Elle UK's beauty section is one of the enduring good points of the publication.
I was about to buy this as part of a bargain pack of magazines, sight unseen... but I hesitated. Now knowing the contents, while It's a slightly better issue than I presumed it would be, I'm still glad I chose to save my money for the September issue instead.
