I got sucked into the Glamour magazine freebie thing and sauntered into my local newsagent, picking up three copies of Glamour at £2 each with little hassle, and in the process bagging myself a full size Benefit Eye Bright, Bad Gal Eyeliner and It Stick concealer.
I also bought Red magazine which I have never read before for a free Jemma Kidd lip gloss, then later on an Elle magazine for a free leopard print bag:
Can I just first say that magazines are EXPENSIVE. When did this happen? £3.70 for most of the glossy women’s magazines, slightly less for Glamour and Company, slightly more for Vogue.
I can’t help but compare with the books in the Bestseller list (and literary fiction section!) that are only about £3.50 from Amazon with free shipping. I think a book might last longer and improve the vocabulary….
Any who, would you believe that I don’t have any of these Benefit items in my collection!?
It was very easy for me to pick the magazines up (I’ve noticed that Glamour is sold out everywhere now) so there wasn’t much excitement.
I flicked through the magazine during my lunch then gave copies to the receptionist and a colleague at work (strangely enough, no one said thank you…I didn’t pick them up for free girls) and my aunt.
The pencils – an eye brightener, a concealer and a black eye pencil. I got them for fun more than anything, just to try them out and pass on if I don’t fancy them much.
One thing I have learnt from this is that I don’t get much readable value out of magazines any more and I don’t just mean women’s magazine. I can find everything I need online and its current, varied, uncensored and ever evolving.
Anyway – did you manage to get your hands on the pencils?
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
Some pikey in my local Tesco’s had actually bothered to make a whole in the plastic and steal the pencil! For the sake of two quid! Honestly.
I looked all the pencils up on Make Up Alley and went for just the Eye Bright one, which I found in a tube station kiosk. I’m really liking it so far, but I’m so with you on the magazines front – what a load of rubbish! There was nothing interesting or insightful in there whatsoever, and I don’t trust their beauty recommendations because they don’t seem to have tried any of the products themselves, they’re being paid to push them.
Oh, and HOW many adverts?! I’ll stick to blogs, thanks!
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Hi Hollymix
Oh gawd, why!? I hate people that do this, this used to happen all the time at my local Morrisons!!!!
I have flicked through all magazines. There’s really…just not much to say?! x
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A hole! Not a whole. Tut.
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Hi Hollymix,
Maybe it was a whole hole?!?!
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I bought 4 magazine yesterday in my local co-op! I was talking about Glamour with my sister, whilst a waitress was taking my mum’s order than as soon as she heard me mention benefit she told me she bought two Glamour magazines! Seems like everyone want some benefit
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Hi Caroline!
Its a great deal I guess
I’m glad they didn’t inflate the price of the magazine anyway! xxx
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I have both the Red Magazine and a copy of Glamour. I picked the Eye Bright as I couldn’t see myself using the other two. I will admit I’ve used neither the gloss or the pencil as yet. I totally agree on the magazine front though. They are very expensive and I’m having to force myself to flick through. I honestly prefer the ASOS magazine I get sent through the post!
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Hi Jane
I quite like the ASOS mag! Yeah so totally agree, some of these magazines are like £3.70 + vogue was almost £5!
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Yeah totally agree about magazines. there is nothing in them but the same old drivel about bikini diets and celebs! also don’t trust the recommendations, they are just glorified ads and the beauty bits were the only bits i used to like anyway! love my beauty blogs, i have four (including this one) that i check a couple of times a day.
Not sure about getting the benefit stuff, i got a big sample size of badgal mascara last year and it was pure rubbish, completely dry and useable.
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Hi Baby in a corner
Do you know what, now that you say it, I also got the badgal mascara last year, tested it and threw it away!
That’s the problem with magazines I guess, they are sort of at their advertisers mercy – not like you can run Chanel ads then slag of something they have launched! x
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i just want the eye bright
cant find it anywhere
boo :’(
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Hi Liloo
its really pink, maybe it won’t suit you! x
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I bought three issues the day after it was released. It was the last three the store had ( a tesco superstore) according to the lady at the check out. I’m happy with them! Compared to what you’d normally pay for such products I don’t mind that they came with a godawful magazine attached. Makes for good fire fodder come winter!
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Hi Clare
LOL!! Be careful if you burn the plastic too! x
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I managed to grab a copy with the last Bad gal khol pencil. I went to three stores to have eventually got this! I dont usually buy Glamour but for a Benefit eye pencil, its kinda worth it.
I’ve noticed most of magazines are now offering great freebies these days, I was going to pick up a Lo’occitane hand cream the other day and I do think they do draw peoples attention into buying the magazines.
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Hi Lisa
Definitely! I bought loads of magazines this week because of free gifts! x
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Lets hope they will bring a moon bean or high beam out.. I love them and I would be buying them all of the shelves too…lol
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I got the It Stick and i really like it so far! its pretty creamy and blends in really well
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Hi Grace
Does the IT stick suit your skintone? x
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I managed to get the Eye Bright – and the last magazine in Smith’s. Haven’t managed to find another Glamour for Bad Girl (I really want it) even though I went on the day they came out!
I can’t bring myself to buy Red even for a lipgloss though. Those magazines are terrible. And I’m a magazine publisher.
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Hi Sonata
Bad Gal was my first choice too! It was so easy cos I was first in the shop but now I can’t see Glamour anyway!
xxx
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I went to Bluewater yesterday and there were loads in Smiths and a little independent newsagents.
Woo hoo, I nabbed me a BadGal. I also influenced my friend into getting the IT thing..and a Sleek palette. Muhahaha.
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I really wish we did this in the US. I’ve seen it in Japan, in New Zealand, in England, but sadly, here in the US, no freebies for us. I’m betting it’s some sort of utterly absurd law, since that’s what we seem to like to do.
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Hi Shari
Do you get any freebies with magazines over there?
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I managed to get all three Benefit pencils, Red magazine for the lipgloss, Marie Claire for a Cowshed shower gel (which smells divine), and another mag for a free book XD
I agree on the magazine front, I had a flick through and nothing was worth stopping for. Now I have a pile of mags gathering dust…x
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Hi Vicky
Its like freebie city with the magazine!!! I gave my mags away! x
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I’ve tried the IT stick! its a very good concealar but I think its too light. I am quite fair so I wouldn’t recommend this for under eye bags because it doesn’t exactly brighten up that area just makes you look ghostly white!
I think benefit is overrated. I mean there are a few good products but in terms of quality there are better drugstore versions. For example, the sugabomb blush which was majorly hyped up! It is very subtle, when I bought it I assumed that if i reapplied the colour would become more intense! wrong!
I completely agree with baby in a corner, badgal mascara isnt great maybelline volume express is way better and half the price.
Glamour is filled with advertisements probably about 1 decent article which doesn’t advertise 20 beauty products for the “summer beach babe” look ahaha
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Hi dana
I haven’t tried the products yet but I was thinking that the IT stick is just one shade – how can that work for EVERYONE?! I like some Benefit, some I find gimmicky. I find theBalm a more workable version of Benefit x
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I nipped into my local co-op the day this came out,and they had 4 copies left.
One with eye bright,and the other 3 were the it stick.
I got the eye bright.
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Hi Alexandra,
Have you used the eye bright? Do you like it? x
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Ive used it once so far. I used it in the inner corner and thought it looked pretty
Wanted to get the eye liner,maybe its good i didnt,as im liner challenged lol.
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I wonder if they have the same benefit and JK freebie offers in Aus magazines. Are these freebies any good? I agree, there isn’t that many good read magazines out there anymore. Most are just filled with Advertisements, which is a pity.
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Hey Mint
Freebies are good – I mean can’t argue will a full size piece of make up, or a bag you can use for groceries or whatever.
But its been a longgg time since I bought any magazine (I do get Make up artist magazine in the post) and yeah – disappointed, VERY dissapointed x
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Just managed to find all 3 in my local Tesco Express – plus the leopard print Reiss bag with Elle. Very happy girl!!
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Hey Jules
HA! I also bought the Elle cos I wanted the Reiss Bag in leopard print. Its a great bag, its strong and spacious x
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I bought the one with the It Stick because I needed a new concealer more than anything! Glamour is something I read in about 5 minutes when I’m bored on the train, I’m quite happy to pay £2 for Benefit though!
tweet tweet tweet
x
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Hi Claire!
Its true, Benefit is fairly expensive so for £2 – its a bargain! x
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Hey
I didnt get apid untill days after this mag came out and when i had money, i looked for ages as they were all sold out i eventually got 3 mags (1 of each pencil) from whs =) lucky or what… if i see any more i think i will get another concealer and the eye bright but not the eye pencil.
I now need a decent sharpener which will be okay for these pencils i have the boots number 7 sharpener buts its no good for these =( please let me know if you have 1 to recomend…. i was impressed with the items but like people are saying on here the mag was crap !! flicked through it didnt even bother im really not interested in lilly allan she bugs the crap out of me and i dont know 1 decent song she has done… need more things about REAL PEOPLE AND REAL LIFE !!
i only usually get glamour when something decent is free – look out cuz they sometimes have nails inc nail varnishes free aswell =) whoop !!
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Hi Aimee
I quite like the Urban Decay pencil Sharpener, or Ruby and Millie make one too? I have a Nars one too and a RMK which work well. You need something that won’t crush the product up x
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Hi Aimee I use the Boujois pencil sharpener it has 2 holes 1 big and 1 small so it’s perfect for regular eyeliners lip pencils etc and the big one fits the benefit pencils in too
hope that helps
xx
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Hi Benefit Girl
Yes the bourjois one is great, I think No 17 also do one
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I work in a shop so I get all the free products off the magazines when we send them back anyway. I usually get quite a lot for example I have recentlly gotten 7opi nail polishes and 2 mango body butters from Bodyshop, I did however buy Glamour for the free Benefit eyeliner we sold out o in 2 days and so far haven’t managed to get anymore copies in yet. I love Benefit makeup so much and just last week went and bought loads of new products and had a free makeover at the Benefit counter in Boots.
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Hi
The glamour magazine sold out didn’t it? I bought all three quite easily because I was early in the newsagent!
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