B a sex goddess (B)

Name: TigerTiger

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Product:	B
Date:	04/04/01 (178 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tells things how they are; fresh approach; great articles

Disadvantages: One of many women's mags, very similar in a lot of ways

I am a women's magazine junkie. I have subscriptions to both Cosmopolitan and Company magazines and then pretty much buy every other women's mag as and when they come out. B Magazine first came out a few years ago and it impressed me from the start as it was a magazine aimed with twenty something in mind. It didn't have the masses of advertisements like the real women's glossies like Cosmo, Marie Claire, Company and Vogue, yet it remained quite thick and packed full of great features and regulars. It also had a much fresher feel to it than some of the other ones and kept my interest from the front cover right to the back page. B currently costs £2.50 to buy each month, but that isn't so bad as most of it is actually articles and not adverts.

**B MAGAZINE DISECTED****

So, what makes up the 160 odd pages of B magazine?

Every edition starts with a letter from the editor, this is usually a really chatty intro, which talks about anything from what she has been up to in the week to her trials and tribulations of moving house. It sets a really great start to the magazine as being fresh and not at all stuffy. Rarely do I read the editors column in a magazine as usually all they say is "my magazine is so great, blah blah blah" and it makes me just switch off, here is the exception though!

~~B-mail~~

B-mail contains all the letters to the magazine, pretty standard stuff and the star letter wins Fructis hair products worth over £50, well to honest I won't be writing in for that as Fructis was quite possibly THE worst hair care products I have ever had the misfortune to use. There is also a mini B debate where they take a topical issue and ask people's view points. For example, in the latest edition they find that 81% think that the morning after pill should be sold over the counter.

~~People Trends~~
This section tells you how to get the hottest looks at the minute. It has an &quo
t;in your dreams" section which features the pricey designer versions and then on the other side of the page an "in your wardrobe" section, which shows the high street versions most of us are more likely to afford. At least they are realistic and not like some of the glossies thaf just expect us all to pay £300 for a pair of trousers!

~~People Star Style~
If you have ever admired the style of a particular star then look no further than this section which every month tells you where to buy clothing that a certain celebrity would wear.

~~People Looks~~~
Here you can learn some of the make-up secrets of the rich and famous with great swatches of the colours they recommend. How often do they show something, but it is too small for you to really see if you like it. Here they have large blobs of the lipsticks/ nail polishes which give you a better picture.

~~People Lust~~~
You guessed it, each month they profile someone for you to lust after...........hmmmmm. In April's edition it is Wes Bentley, "Wes Bentley....who?" I may hear you ask, well he was the pretty damn gorgeous guy from American Beauty, the daughters boyfriend and well he looks even better in print.

~~~People chat~~~
People chat talks to a celebrity each week over a drink or too, a little informal (or we are led to believe so), interesting insight anyway. Some people have all the greatest jobs!

~~People gossip~~~
A women's mag wouldn't be the same without some gossip and here they have a few pages full of it.

~~Main Features~~~
The real meat of the magazine comes from the features that they include and which are usually advertised on the front cover. These can be of a number of different types, in depth celebrity interviews, articles on health issues, for example this month they review "the keeper", the alternative to tampons which basically is being hailed as revolutionary and an e
nvironment saver by some, but an instrument of torture and humiliation to me! There is always a feature on some issue relating to men, usually it has to be said how awful they are, however, they take a fresh and interesting approach to solving relationship problems, believe me there will be no surrended wives in this magazine! This month you can learn how to exact revenge on scum bag ex partners, from publishing his details on tinywilly.co.uk to dumpting him via text message (to be honest I could have come up with some more powerful methods of revenge myself, but oh well some marks for trying at least and not just sitting back and crying into your pillow!?.

There are also further articles on issues which are of importance to society, like date rape, prostitution and pornography. All of these issues are dealt with really sensitively, yet they don't pull any punches and they always feature people that this has actually happened to to give their side of the story and often advice.

~~Men and Sex~~
This aims to shed some light on men and sex for us girlies and maybe even for those men who don't think we realise they are sneaking a peak at our magazines! It has a Q section as well as many other interesting facts.

~~Beauty~~~
Another beauty section which actually reviews and rates products, not as useful as dooyoo's lifestyle section of course, but a good runner up!

~~Fashion~~
A similarly structured page to the beauty one in that it has a Q section, bargains you must have and a "I can't believe it is the high street" section. Later on in the magazine there are many more pages dedicated to fashion, but fashions for the trend loving but on a budget population which I think is great and definitely refreshing to see.

~~Confessions~~~
I love this section as it always makes me laugh to see the things that people have been getting up to. It kind of reminds me of the time I was trying to im
press a guy in the 6th form and so kept "casually" wandering by the entrance in my lunch hour, only once it backfired when I walked past with my skirt tucked in my knickers........! You know something though it worked and we went out for 3 years, but he never let me forget it. Anyway, I so digress from the issue at hand. Yes, anyway people confess to all the embarrassing things they have been up to on a certain theme. They don't even get paid for it.

~~Love life~~
Here we hear viewpoints from people grabbed in the street to see what they think on a certain issue, which actually makes me question, has anyone from these magazines ever approached you in the street? They always seem to be having these style features and yet no one I know has ever been asked for their viewpoint. Maybe I am hanging out in the wrong places?

~~Relationship ER~~
Relationship in crisis, you don't know what to do? WEll this ER section aims to help. Basically a problem style page, but where readers give advice as well as the professionals.

~~Hair~~
The great hair debate, yes information on all things hair, from which hairbrush to use to which quick easy looks for the hair. I have discovered some really great hair products from just reading this page.

~~Cath's Column~~
Every month we hear Cath's story on a certain issue, very chatty and often amusing. I wish I had her job, I'd do it so well.

~~Cash and Careers~~
All facts financial and career focused. It tells me that Londoners are the most debt conscious in the uk, always paying off debts before spending money on themselves, obviously my friends aren't included in that one! It also shows you other peoples jobs and how they get there as well as some nice "happy office tips"!

~~Web~~
Any modern women has to be web wise and here they review interesting sites and provide interesting web gossip. Maybe dooyoo should try and
get a mention, surely there are lots more young women who have plenty to say about things? From their favourite lipstick, to the bars they drink in, who they have their pension with and where they are going on holiday? What doo yoo think dooyoo?
Just for all you choccy loving dooyooers out there, yoo know who yoo are! Here is a site they mention this month, www.cremegg.com, you can win money and chocolate ever day!

~~Quizes~~
Most months B features one of those quizes, you know the a, b,c, d quiz, which one more typifies you scenario. This month you can find out whether you are an Ally Mcbeal, a emotional neurotic, a Bridget Jones, a relationship neurotic or a Carrie Bradshaw, a sex neurotic. Which one am I? Well that would be telling. it isn't a, b or d though!

~~Hot Date~~
I love this section as every week they show a man and all his vital information and a reader can write in and ask for a date saying why it should be them and then the guy picks one. The article then follows them on the date. Sadly, they are often quite polite about each other even if they didn''t get on, so no Blind Date style slanging matches!

~~Body and Soul~~
B trys to tackle the important things like body and soul with advice on health concerns and gossip on the latest things in the world of health and medicine. Also, they have more light hearted information like the must have candles.

~~Eat~~
This for me is one of the best food sections of any women't magazine. It often doesn't feature the fancy recipes of some, it isn't even very long, however, it can be useful. For example, a celebrity gives you a favourite recipe of theirs and the magazine have actually got the till receipt to show how much it all costs. It is also written in English and even the most cookery shy of us should be able to muddle through.

~~House~~
For most people reading this magazine they will just be moving into their own
place for the first time and so it is very much oriented to helping people make their homes look fabulous, but for minimal cost. For the arty amongst us it shows how to make things for your home, for the rest of us it shows us where to buy a real bargain.

~~B Scene~~
This is one of the final sections and reviews everything from films, videos, pubs and clubs, music and books.

~~~Some extra bits~~~
Of course there are horocopes, competitions, freebies and the like, all you would expect in a women't magazine.

**SO, HOW IS IT REALLY??**

I genuinely do really like this magazine, it is fresh, fun and full of features that are enjoyable to read. Often I read women't magazines and think, gee that would never happen to me or see something which I know happens, but has little relevance for me, however, here they talk about issues which I can really relate it and it is pretty much aimed at an English audience as well which makes a change frome some magazines (no names mentioned) and their swaying to the American readers.

First impressions of B made me think it was more at home with the likes of Just Seventeen as it has a tendancy to be a litle girlie, however, just a flick through the pages and I am very much mistaken. It takes a very candid look at sex and relationships and sometimes there ar features a little like More magazine's position of the fortnight.

B magazine gets my thumbs up for us modern day women wanting to be told things how they are and not all sugar coated.

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