Our newsstands are usually littered with the same old cover stars so we always applaud our favorite glossies when they welcome fresh new blood, especially while breaking down barriers. Allure was pretty good to us throughout 2019, embracing the likes of Sharon Stone, Naomi Osaka, Ashley Graham, Adut Akech and Gemma Chan as cover stars. Now the mag starts the new year and new decade with a history-making move by picking Billy Porter as the first male to ever cover the beauty-focused title. Photographed by Ben Hassett and styled by Nicola Formichetti, the Like a Boss star serves good face in the bold February 2020 cover shot.
According to our forum members, the cover was a missed opportunity. “I should like this more, but I don’t. You’ve got the clashing fonts, the off eyebrow art and a white masthead. Whose choice was that?” wondered an unimpressed Benn98.
“Agree completely. A missed opportunity,” responded KINGofVERSAILLES.
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“I welcome the idea that anyone who makes a statement with their fashion or beauty styling can appear on the cover of Allure, but the end product still has to be worth looking at to convince me to buy it. The eyebrows remind me of the sheets of sticky geometric shapes that young children are encouraged to play with,” mocked tigerrouge.
Forum member aracic wasn’t jumping for joy, either. “I definitely feel like the gay in me should be quaking, but he’s not. We both hate it! I love Billy a lot, but clearly not enough to tolerate this buffoonery. Geometric cut-outs, neon lights and glitter…could they be any more basic?”
“Why does a man have to squeeze himself onto an Allure cover? How pointless,” voiced Srdjan.
“Allure is a beauty magazine and the last time I checked, beauty has no gender. It’s far from pointless, especially in today’s political climate, IMO,” defended slayage.
Do you love or loathe the cover? Share your thoughts with us here.
