Company X Beyond Retro Party

  
  
  

  
So a few of you may have seen me on the cover of Company Magazine last month alongside the lovely Zoella, and because of that I was invited to the Beyond Retro X Company East London issue party!  I had a lovely night shopping with Sophie, Katie, Arabella and Charlotte, sipping on delicious BrewDog cocktails and bobbing along to the Blonde Ambition DJ set.  This then led to me cooing over the 50% off area and eventually (half drunkenly) buying a chunky fringed leather jacket..still can't decide whether I love it or hate it but it's a bit late for that isn't it!  Big thanks to the Company team for throwing such a rad event, and also for inviting along little ol' me!  Coincidentally, today I'm out in London shooting for Company again, so keep an eye out for me in the glossy pages in the near future (;
Ps. How cute is the resident cat, Tiny, with his little vintage scarf bed? AW!
AMY X

Lekiosk Newsstand App Review

Lekiosk | Watch* | Sunglasses*

I was contacted by the people at Lekiosk asking if I would be interested in reviewing their magazine app.  I jumped at the opportunity as it sounds like a really great concept and I wanted to see how it would compare to the Newsstand app that comes built in with Apple products.  I've never reviewed an app before, I can't really even hack beauty, so I hope this all makes sense!

Aesthetics
As you can see from these photos, the layout is nice to look at, and these photos don't do it justice.  You can see it in action in my June Favourites video if you skip to 8 minutes in, I love how the newsstand rotates around!  You can use every aspect of the app either portrait of landscape which I like, but I usually read in portrait, as everything is bigger.  You can also zoom in when reading which I do quite a lot.

Magazine Selection
I find that all the magazines I'm interested in are available on the app (Company, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, etc) but some reviews I've read claim that it lacks a good variety, however I am happy with the selection.  There are also loads of titles under a wide range of other interests, like music or mens interest, totalling to over 80 overall.

Price
The Lekiosk app is free but you have to pay for a subscription.  It is £9.99 a month for 10 magazines, so quite similar to Spotify, if you will.  I think for an avid magazine reader or family that is a good amount as it equates to just £1 per magazine whereas if you buy through newsstand you'd pay around £2-3. In a regular month I would probably only buy 4, and considering that the credits expire at the end of the month it wouldn't be feasable for my lifestyle.

Usage
You can view your Lekiosk subscription on your phone, iPad and computer, so I like that it's not exclusive to one device.  I find the app really easy to use and navigate, and the pages are designed to look like a real magazine, with realistic page turns and the shadow in the middle to imitate the magazine crease, which I like.

Conclusion
I think if I had to rate this app I would give it a 7/10.  I feel the pros outweigh the cons and love the pretty interface and wide selection.  Although it is a very different experience reading a magazine from a screen, I love the whole concept of using a tablet instead and (kind of) doing my part for the environment, saving trees!

Do any of you guys use Lekiosk? What are your opinions about digitalised magazines?
love amy x