News of Condé Nast’s decision to cut the physical manifestation of the magazine wasn’t shocking to people in the beauty and media industries. The publishing company previously axed the print editions of Glamour and Self. Hearst ended O, The Oprah Magazine’s print edition in 2020, and Future Media jettisoned the American print edition of Marie Claire last year. Earlier this year, Dotdash Meredith terminated the print editions of six of its magazines, including InStyle, following the shuttering of Shape in late 2021.

In an interview with Beauty Independent soon after she was named Allure’s editor in chief last year, Jessica Cruel suggested Allure’s credibility extends beyond its printed pages. “What’s key to Allure is the trust that’s there. That little red seal is really the first time most people meet Allure. Sometimes, people don’t even read it, but they know, ‘Oh, this means it’s good. I know that this means this is quality. It’s been tested by a group of people,’” she said. “That level of authority and trust, not only that we have with our consumers and shoppers, but that we have with people in the industry who read us and collaborate with us on shoots and stories, that means everything.”

In the era of TikTok and Twitch, the prospects for legacy media remain uncertain. To shed light on them, we asked 12 beauty editors, journalists and public relations experts the following questions: What does the closure of Allure’s print edition signal about the present state of print media and its future? Do you believe there’s still a place for print beauty magazines in a digital-first world?