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What free gifts with magazines do you remember fondly?

271 replies

Takenoprisoner · 05/08/2021 23:06

I loved the gifts that came with magazines. Some were of course crap, like no name mascaras and nail sets that had the magazine branding on them, utter rubbish.

Others were brilliant, I remember fondly:

Lipstick case with sugar magazine

A clear plastic tote with Elle, which I still miss

A small denim bag, again, Elle, which i still have

Various clutch bags with glamour magazine

Roomy beach bags with Red magazine

T shirts with Instyle magazine

Silk scarves, High st mascaras, bikinis

I really miss those little freebies. It's better for the environment that they don't do those any more of course.

Also, I really miss magazines from the late 90s, which is when I started reading them, they were great and many are defunct now.

I loved Elle magazine, 90s era
Real magazine
Company
More
Look
Glamour.

What magazines or magazine freebies do you remember?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
MercyBooth · 10/08/2021 01:20

www.famousfix.com/tag/new-woman

Takenoprisoner · 10/08/2021 21:14

@MercyBooth

Red used to be brilliant, has gone really downhill now, maybe some poeple find it relatable, but I really don't at all.

And yes, the Rodial eyeliners that comes free with magazines is dire.

OP posts:
Rainbowsew · 11/08/2021 00:01

[quote MercyBooth]@AdaThorne Was it a Black Lace one called The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by any chance? I remember getting this free with New Woman back in the 90s. Started buying NW regularly in the early 2000s. NW used to do free gifts every month. Books CDs make up bags. Loved them all.
Free full size No 7 gifts from Eve magazine. Free umbrellas a couple of times also from Eve. Free scarves from Eve.
Scarlet magazine (erotic mag for women) gave away free BL books a couple of times too.[/quote]
OMG! I remember, DH and I still laugh about Darius and Haldane Grin

I had an orange plastic comb from mizz magazine in about 1987 that would probably still be going strong but I decided I could treat myself to a new one now I'm in my 40s. It's exactly the same but black and no logo, got bent out teeth for thick hair really good for tangles.

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MercyBooth · 11/08/2021 02:46

There were two mini Black Lace books that came free with an issue of New Woman a year or so later. One was called No Paradise but Pleasure. I cant remember what the other one was called.

thestuartkings.tumblr.com/post/33845184150/no-paradise-but-pleasure-by-anna-lieff-saxby-i

pattyparsnip · 11/08/2021 08:13

A £20 Hobbs money off voucher around 12 years ago with red I think 🤔. I used to love magazines . The free gifts and vouchers seem few and far between nowadays.

LynetteScavo · 11/08/2021 09:10

I've still got, and regularly wear (under other things) a vest tip that came with a magazine about 20 years ago no idea which one now. I think it was supposed to be a designer top, but the print bit on it has worn off. I can't complain about the quality though Grin

BunnytheFriendlyDragon · 11/08/2021 09:59

I think I had a few black clutch bags or "underarm bag" as PP said Grin

SignOnTheWindow · 11/08/2021 10:29

@Bearyhumcrack

I remember a balloon stapled to something like the beano.

Stapled.

Ah, that would have been the first edition of Viz and it was a joke, obviously!
MercyBooth · 11/08/2021 16:53

A Will and Grace DVD free with New Woman. It had the pilot episode on there + some out takes.

And yes to the Hobbs vouchers. Hobbs + NW3 Could never use them though. I wasnt anywhere near a store.

MercyBooth · 11/08/2021 18:33

Interesting article about Black Lace from back in 2000.
www.theguardian.com/books/2000/sep/10/fiction.features1

Now, seven years later, Black Lace is respectable. Virgin publish two new novels and one reprint per month, each of which can expect to sell around 10,000 copies in England and America. There are popular collections of short stories and 'specials' are tacked as free gifts on to enlightened magazines, such as New Woman

FreddieLounds · 11/08/2021 19:39

So many Misty fans on here! I never meet people in real life who read it. I was/ am OBSESSED with Misty. I have a complete collection of annuals and comics (however, sadly, my collection is sans free gifts so not worth ££££!)

sleepyhead
I remember Misty! Much cooler than soppy old Princess 😆, but I think probably also inevitably merged with Girl - they all seemed to in the end.

In fact, Misty merged with - and then inevitably disappeared into - Tammy in 1981. A sad day!

MercyBooth · 11/08/2021 19:43

And Tracy merged into Mandy. Mandy was my fave comic though ( i was too young for Misty though i did get the 1984 annual as a Christmas present)

MercyBooth · 11/08/2021 19:45

Valda stories

lifeinlimbo2020 · 11/08/2021 19:47

Little free plastic records (vinyl) on the front of Smash Hits 🙌🏻

Wheresmycider · 11/08/2021 19:49

Flip flops! The summer editions used to come with a pair. I didnt buy flipflops for q good few years, just wore the magazine freebies!

FreddieLounds · 11/08/2021 19:51

@MercyBooth

Valda stories
I LOVED Valda stories in Mandy too! They were very Misty-feeling and I always felt they appeared in the wrong comic! Grin
MercyBooth · 11/08/2021 19:54

We never got these stand alone ones where i live. Most miffed.

This stand alone one seems more like it could have been a Misty one but its a Mandy one.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165013417474?hash=item266b90ee02:g:EA0AAOSwfo9hDWnT

FreddieLounds · 11/08/2021 20:08

[quote MercyBooth]We never got these stand alone ones where i live. Most miffed.

This stand alone one seems more like it could have been a Misty one but its a Mandy one.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165013417474?hash=item266b90ee02:g:EA0AAOSwfo9hDWnT[/quote]
I had some of these stand-alone Picture Story Libraries - there were Valda ones! Looky look: VALDA

MercyBooth · 11/08/2021 20:10

OMG Envy

ChocolateHoneycomb · 11/08/2021 21:08

Not actually answering the question, but I pine for that time in about 1994/5 ish when walkers crisps had little packets in some bags giving you a free bag of crisps!

transformandriseup · 11/08/2021 21:16

Mizz came with loads of little make up bits and hair bobbles. I don't have them now but I kept them for years.

FitzChivalry · 11/08/2021 21:31

@queenjaneappro

A blue wide tooth comb from Just 17 that I still use. Must be over 25 years old!
I have the same one!
MercyBooth · 11/08/2021 23:05

I also remember the REN skincare that came free with Red. For a few years they gave away a set of three REN minis with the August issues.

MercyBooth · 13/08/2021 18:23

The horrific news coming out of Plymouth made me remember this.
A couple of months after Raoul Moat"s crimes Sam Baker wrote a very good article for Red magazine eleven years ago, (she was the editor then) It was only in the print issue unfortunately and was about family annihilators.

MercyBooth · 20/08/2021 22:02

downthetubes.net/?p=129807&fbclid=IwAR0K-7yIewkkw73ZBd35cHP2yS88p63ubooap2rHg95nepP821iHTnSO0oQ

Creating Comics: “The Four Marys” writer Judy Maslen reveals some British Girls comics secrets…
BY DOWNTHETUBES GUESTS on AUGUST 20, 2021 • ( 0 )