And did I mention research?

Okay. So I currently have about 50 tabs open in my Google Chrome browser and my OCD is killing me. BUT! I will persevere and continue to investigate more about the beauty/fashion magazine world.

After flipping through all of the beauty/fashion magazines I could find in my house, I think I’ve found a brand that I really gravitate towards, and that is Marie Claire.

I also flipped through Harper’s Bazaar and let’s not say I hated the layout, but I was just annoyed by it. First of all, I was flipping through the magazine for 76 pages until I found some sort of text longer than a sentence. The pages before this were all ads; no text explaining how to style a piece, no context to the images. I didn’t really enjoy this because I felt bored by the similar layouts and portraits of the images. Secondly, I also didn’t like that the beginning of the table of contents was literally on page 116! To me, this is too late into a magazine because I, as a consumer, like to read through the table of contents before I start actually reading just so I can have a heads-up of what’s coming (but maybe that’s just me).

However, there were a few elements that I really liked from Harper’s Bazaar. The layout of the table of contents was so clean and easy to read! I also love how the words are slanted to the edge of the purse, which I thought created an interesting visual interest. The page numbers are bolded and the title of the article is right next to it’s corresponding page number, which is super easy to read and is consistent throughout the page and next page of the table of contents.

Marie Claire Case Study: However, looking at all the magazines, I was intrigued the most by Marie Claire. To start off, I also really liked the table of contents for this issue; it was, similar to Harper’s Bazaar, very clean and easy to follow:




All of the TOC pages were spread out, with an ad next to it, like is shown in the third image. I think that for my magazine, instead of having the table of contents text on top of an image of a clothing item, like Harper’s Bazaar’s example does, I will display my TOC on top of a picture of a model. In addition, I also really like how Marie Claire’s TOC has a bigger text font for the article page number and title that is related to its background. For example, for the second image, “57 Accessories That Shine Like the Sun” is in a bigger font because it corresponds to the background of a model with shining accessories.

I also loved the photography of this magazine; I really enjoyed how the images played with lighting and movement. Take a look:


On the top image, the way the light hits the model’s eye creates a really interesting visual appeal: her eye’s and red dress’s color pop out, and it creates an illusion of mystery. On the bottom image, the model is not simply shot standing up; the girl is jumping up in the air in a red dress, contrasting the bright yellow background. The model is moving around, creating visual appeal to the image, which might hint at her fun personality. [Sidenote: I really want to incorporate the element of movement into my magazine’s photography, especially on the images of a person that I interview. Instead of having their faces completely turned towards the camera, the interviewee could be doing something they are passionate about, or be walking around. Also, I love how these photographs work with light so I might incorporate images with different lighting colors and locations for my magazine.] Secondly, I also think the layouts of the double page spreads are super simple and easy to read: the model’s age, hometown, current residence, and more are listed on the side of the image. In addition, the name of the interviewee is displayed in a bold font vertically. For my magazine, I want to have spreads that are visually appealing, so I love the way the title is shown vertically, and not in the usual horizontal layout.



So! The next part I really liked from this Marie Claire issue was its little interactive quiz (I know, I know, I’m still a child at heart):

 

I think this quiz allows the audience to really interact with the magazine’s content, instead of just simply reading a paragraph. I think I want to embed this into my magazine maybe so that the audience can find their perfect makeup brand or clothing style...I’m still not sure yet.

Lastly, I seriously LOVED the “inspiration boards” that each issue includes. It’s basically a page that features products and images that are inspired by a specific word, like “water” or “Marrakech”. Each time I look at one of these spreads I am literally overcome with wanderlust and want to catch the next plane to Europe. But, alas, I am still much too young and must continue my life in high school…Also, there is one thing that I love (almost) more than my two dogs, and that is Pinterest. And this “inspiration board” spread, ladies and gentlemen, is a real-life Pinterest board!




(I would pin 100 of these onto my bedroom wall…) As you can tell from my aggressive excitement, I really want to embed an inspiration board into my beauty magazine; maybe with a collage of different makeup products and pictures of places in Miami inspired by these products... I’m not sure yet.

Well! I’m done ranting for today. Hope you enjoyed this post! Talk to you next time, and I’ll keep crazily digging through Marie Claire magazines to find more inspiration board pages to stimulate my creativity...

In order of appearance:Table of Contents. (2018, March). Harper's Bazaar, 116-116. Table of Contents. (2018, March). Harper's Bazaar, 126-126. MAY contents. (2018, May). Marie Claire, 25(5), 18. MAY contents. (2018, May). Marie Claire, 25(5), 27. MAY contents. (2018, May). Marie Claire, 25(5), 23. Felsenthal, J. (2018, May). Riley. Marie Claire, 25(5), 114-115. Felsenthal, J. (2018, May). Sophie. Marie Claire, 25(5), 116-117. What’s Your Eyewear Personality?. (2018, May). Marie Claire, 25(5), 66. Flaherty, E. (2018, May). Inspiration Board: Marrakech. Marie Claire, 25(5), 46. Flaherty, E. (date unknown). Inspiration Board: Water. Marie Claire, 116.