US versus UK Magazine Covers: February 2012

1. VOGUE

Vogue US: A really really great cover. The blue of Taylor's eyes matching the blue text just makes them pop. I'm so happy Vogue decided to do away with her tween-ish curls and give the girl some chic bangs! Best move they could have done.


Vogue UK: This cover looks like a vintage Vogue from the 1950s, with the coif and high-waisted skirt. I can really appreciate this cover, but another part of me is just too fixated on the bright blue eyeshadow and bright lip. It's a lot of bright. I might have mentioned it before, but I'm just not loving how they always take out the "G" in VOGUE. I think I'd rather have all the letters there, set behind her head.


WINNER: Vogue US for me. It's bright, chic and very appropriately country-style.

BBC Radio 1

Originally posted on my journalism blog. It relates to Britain, so I thought it might fit nicely into Eloise, even though it's more British culture. Plus, just look at that Greg James eye candy!

Almost every morning when I wake up and have to go to work at 8 a.m. or class at 9:30, I use the fabulous website TuneIn to listen to Radio 1 on the BBC. I'm an anglophile, you have to know this about me. TuneIn is an example of the internet at its best. Someone created the really cool concept of streaming ratio stations from around the world and you can choose to listen to whatever you want from wherever you want. So I chose England, naturally. Luckily the time difference suits me perfectly-- when I'm listening at 7 a.m. here in Missouri, in London it's 1 p.m. So I get to hear the afternoon DJ by  the name of Greg James who is hilarious, quite attractive (check out below), and oh so British. He's got that perfect amount of Brit wit to wake me up in the morning, get me in a good mood and get myself up to date with the UK's top news stories (which usually involve soccer, or "football") and their top 40. My love for Britain originated from their brilliant music, so I must indulge myself in my original passion daily.

The Bad Side of Photoshop.

This post was originally created on my OTHER blog, the one I have to do for my multimedia journalism class. Fortunately, I have already been blogging for a year now, so it's not too hard for me, but keeping up with two blogs can be a tad difficult. (As you can tell, I'm having enough troubles with doing consistent posts for Eloise alone!) So why not use the same posts for my school blog AND my fun blog when applicable? Hope you all don't mind-- don't worry, it's all interesting and if you all hate it, just let me know!

By the time I began learning about Photoshop in my high school computer graphics class, all I associated with the word were magazines, advertisements and the women in them who were made unnaturally and unattainably beautiful and skinny through Photoshop. How did I come to think this? Well, those middle school years when my friends and I would all flip through Seventeen magazine and hate ourselves for being awkward, but our moms would attribute every pretty girl to being Photoshopped. Thank you mom.


Now I know it's not all about that. There really are beautiful women in this world, but I no longer feel threatened by them. Wonderful photography, make-up artists, beautiful locations and to-die-for clothing make a lovely photo, but also the toning and enhancements made through Photoshop can make a beautiful cover or advertisement. Not shaving a woman's stomach down or erasing every line in her face. Just minor enhancements can make a good picture, great.


However, every couple of months a magazine or ad comes out where it is so obvious the Photoshopping went horribly wrong. It's mostly upsetting that the integrity of the magazine is being compromised by someone's bad decision to run the photo, but also when an absolutely naturally beautiful and lovely girl is a victim of harmful airbrushing. As an inspiring art director, I'm looking to train my eye to catch these horrific mistakes and avoid it at all costs. I think if I had to guess, people would rather see the natural celebrity, rather then a fake, contorted body that is made too skinny and smooth-skinned.


Here are a few examples of some bad Photoshopping. Maybe every month you can check your favorite magazines and keep them accountable!

Zooey Deschanel's Rimmel London advertisement. What a shame to be so
retouched when she is so naturally gorgeous.

What Zooey actually looks like.

The Hollywood Issue 2012.

 

Can you believe it, one year ago yesterday I was doing this exact same post on the same magazine for the exact same issue. I mean, it's not that cosmic and exciting because it is Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood Issue, but it's exciting for me! One whole year of blogging, I still can't get over it.