I'm a sucker for magazines. I buy loads of them; Cosmopolitan, Glamour, New!, More! Etc, however, if I am out shopping or travelling then I will load up with extra magazines. One of my most recent buys is a magazine called Bella.

Bella is a British weekly women's magazine. The magazine is issued every Tuesday and is currently priced at 89p per issue, which I think is excellent value for money and also means that the magazine is very affordable.

The issue which I am going to review is the April 10th 2012 issue. The cover is very attractive and definitely stands out. The main headline consists of a picture of This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby along with the headline 'Has Holly Made A Huge Mistake?'. I think that this title looks very dramatic and makes you think 'oh my gosh!' - however, having read magazines like these before, I know that the story isn't going to be as dramatic as the cover makes out - I find out I'm right when I read the full story!

Back to the cover; it's very colourful with lots going on. It looks very exciting indeed and covers many topics. I like how it features normal people and celebrities as it shows that the magazine is easy to relate to and for us 'normal' people.

~ * CELEBRITY * ~

There is a quite a bit of celebrity gossip in this magazine; not as much as celebrity gossip magazines, but just enough to inform you of what's going on. I like how the magazine features different celebrities of all ages as well as different 'levels' of famous people from actors to pop stars and television presenters. In this particular interview there is a double page interview with Fearne Britton. I enjoyed this interview and liked that the questions we really wanted to know are answered. There is also a Britain's Got Talent interview, which as I don't watch the show anymore, didn't find interesting. There is also a section called 'Star Style' which shows you how to dress like a certain star (this issue features Christine Bleakly). I liked this section.

~ * REAL LIFE * ~

There are lots of interesting stories; some of which are very dramatic. There also some 'small stories' on stories which were big in the news a while ago - this is interesting as it allows you to see 'where things are' now. There was also an article called 'comp queens' which featured 3 women who are competition mad and live a life of luxury from their prizes. I like how the magazine focuses on real people, especially as a lot of the people feature are inspirational.

~ * FASHION * ~

There are some 'simple' fashion articles in here - which I like and are 'easy to follow' unlike a lot of 'fashion magazines' which are too over the top. The only thing I find, although it's not really a problem for myself (I'm 21), but as the magazine is aimed at women of all ages (including women in their 70's etc), whilst the fashion is meant to be suitable for all, I do feel sorry for older women as the fashion seems to be very young; featuring 'glittery tops' and things teenagers would wear etc. So in a way, I think it would be nicer if they featured fashion items that really were suitable for all.

~ * BEAUTY AND BODY * ~

In this issue, there is a big article on dieting; featuring a special diet by Rosemary Conley. The diet itself looks very easy to follow and even allows you to eat chocolate, and so it is a diet for 'normal people' and not a faddy diet. The only thing is, is that a lot of the food is meat based, and so being a vegetarian, I would be unable to follow this diet, which is a shame, as I was really interested in it.

~ * WHAT ELSE? * ~

Also considering that the magazine is a cheap, weekly magazine, some of the fashion items featured are very expensive; for example in this issue I found a playsuit that was £95 and a top that was just under £90 which I think is very expensive.

There are some adverts in this magazine, although not so many that they take over the magazine (take note Marie Claire magazine etc). The adverts are for everyday household items such as food and other items you would find in the supermarket - and so I feel that the adverts are aimed at normal people and not 'glamorous women on 100k+ salaries who can afford the handbags which are a few hundred quid (as featured in magazines like Marie Claire and Red).

I feel that 89p is excellent value for price - you do get your money's worth from this magazine as there is plenty of reading to be had.

I would say that this magazine is suitable for women of all ages - from teens to women in their seventies. There are beauty articles, celebrities, real life stories, fashion, diets, travel etc; so plenty to keep all ages occupied.

There are some competitions in this magazine where you can win holidays etc. There are also some puzzles; one includes a crossword with a £200 prize.

There is also a travel section which features one location per issue. This article is accompanied by lots of colourful pictures and is very informative telling you where to eat, stay and what to do whilst your there. This article always makes me want to visit the place mentioned.

There are some recipes which may interest you if you like cooking. I myself haven't actually tried out these recipes and am therefore unable to comment.

There's also some television gossip, horoscopes, and health information (this issue focuses on hay fever - telling you the symptoms, how changing your diet can help and medication to take etc).

There's also articles such as how to look slimmer with make-up which is easy to follow. Some of these articles require you to buy products you may not have, whilst others, you can try out using products you already have.

So all in all this is an excellent magazine which I would definitely recommend!

Thanks for reading!
April 2012
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