Over the past 30 years, Allure magazine has rightly staked claim to being the most prestigious beauty “bible” in the US. Long a stalwart of the air-freighted magazine sector in Australian newsagencies, its annual Best of Beauty Awards are the most highly regarded gongs in the US beauty industry.
Publisher Conde Nast has announced that Allure will be transitioning to an exclusively digital model. The December issue will be the final print edition.
The widely-read publication was founded in 1991 by Linda Wells, the former beauty editor of The New York Times magazine. She remained at the helm until 2015 when Michelle Lee, the former editor-in-chief of Nylon and Nylon Guys, assumed the position. Jessica Cruel, the magazine’s first Black editor-in-chief, took on the role last year.
The print edition is leaving the newsstands on a high note, says Cruel. The August issue of Allure featured Kim Kardashian on the cover and the accompanying story was the publication’s most-read feature ever.
Allure will focus on growing its digital format going forward. “Our brand is stronger than ever across social and digital and our success is testament to our collaboration as a team because we know just how and where our audience is accessing content in today’s ever-changing landscape, notes Cruel.
“It’s our mission to meet the audience where they are and with this in mind, after our December issue, we are making Allure an exclusively digital brand.”
Conde Nast will increase investment in other revenue streams. Particular emphasis will be placed on Allure‘s retail store in New York, which opened to much fanfare last year. Other plans include turning Best of Beauty into a live, consumer-focused summit over the next year.
The move follows the trend in recent years of other leading mastheads shifting to digital-only models, including InStyle, Glamour and Entertainment Weekly.