When it comes to fashion and beauty, there are several magazines that many of us ladies turn to: Vogue, InStyle, Allure, etc etc … but when we’re all reading the same thing, the tips and tricks we glean from those pages suddenly become a bit less exciting. But never fear! Buried within the pages of several unlikely mags are enough info on dresses, lipstick, shoes and eyelash curlers to keep you happy for weeks.

Real Simple: I love Real Simple because it lets me multitask. I can figure out what to serve at the dinner party I’m having that evening AND find the perfect outfit. Real Simple blends the fashionable with the practical, so not only will you find the perfect handbag for summertime but you’ll learn how to take good care of it as well so it will last for a lifetime.

Blueprint: Like Martha Stewart, but for the younger generation (quite literally, actually, Martha Stewart is the parent publication). Blueprint is something of a newbie magazine but I’ll never forget how the first issue taught me how to make a handbag out of a bangle bracelet and a scarf, no sewing, gluing, pinning required. Hopefully Blueprint will be around for many more years to come!

Martha Stewart: And, um, actual Martha Stewart. But before you laugh and lump me in with the cross-stitching, casserole-making set, realize that personal style is just as fun and interesting as the style in, say, your home. And no one can arrange a seasonally appropriate bouquet like Martha!