Cover of the premier issue of Fabulous Hair from May 1996

Fabulous Hair Vol. 1, No. 1 (May 1996) 

Fabulous Hair was a style and beauty-focused magazine published six times a year by Consumer Journal Inc., a publisher once based in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. This May 1996 edition of Fabulous Hair was the premier issue of the magazine, enticing readers with “125 Dazzling Styles!” to choose from, including “Short and Sassy Cuts!” and “Do-It-Yourself Styles!”. Fabulous Hair features a collection of themed sections, such as “Blonde Bombshell”, “Professional Classics”, and “High Power Bangs”. Along with this wide lineup of styles, Fabulous Hair also features sections on styling hair at home, tips for healthy hair, and how to achieve beautiful, natural hair. 

This copy of Fabulous Hair appears to capitalize upon the ‘90s trend of shorter hairstyles for women, with the cover prominently featuring an unnamed model with an effortlessly tussled chin-length bob. The magazine also features sections on “Short and Sassy” looks, along with pictures of women rocking various styles of short hair, from pixie cuts to heavily layered and textured cropped styles. The popularity of shorter hairstyles for women was popularized by high-profile celebrities such as “Winona Ryder, Meg Ryan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry, Rachael Leigh Cook, Neve Campbell, Drew Barrymore, and …Natalie Imbruglia”. Shorter looks were also made fashionable by the '90s obsession with supermodels such as Linda Evangelista, who “proved that short hair could be both glamorous and edgy, further solidifying its place in high fashion”.

Cover of the premier issue of Country Star Hairstyles from 1994

Country Star Hairstyles Vol. 1, No. 1 (1994)

Country Star Hairstyles was a magazine published annually by Harris Publications Inc.. This New York-based special interest media company once operated over “75 brands with print, digital, mobile, and live event platforms”. Harris Publications, founded by Stanley R. Harris, began publishing magazines in 1977, covering a wide array of topics including automotive, entertainment, beauty, gardening, outdoor living, crafts, sports, decorating, tactical, dogs, and wellness. Harris Publications was once the “leading publisher of hair magazines” in the United States, before the company officially shut down on April 29, 2016. Harris Publications stated that “the rapid ascendance of digital media” forced the company to shut down business as fewer people purchased physical copies of magazines. The company was eventually sold to Athlon Media in 2016.

This edition of Country Star Hairstyles, published in 1994, is Volume 1, Number 1 of the magazine. The cover prominently features country music icon Reba McEntire, “the most successful female country artist in the 1980s and ‘90s”. The magazine claims to unveil the hairstyle secrets of country music stars such as Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna Judd, Lorrie Morgan, and Linda Davis. The magazine delivers beauty tips and tricks with a focus on celebrity looks, featuring sections such as “Making Waves and Curls”, “Acky Breaky Hair”, and “Short Hair Goes Country!”. Country Star Hairstyles catered to fans of country music who sought to emulate these star-studded styles at home and tapped into the styles and trends of the 1990s. 

It is unclear how many issues of Country Star Hairstyles were published. The magazine may have been a short-lived publication or had limited circulation. Alternatively, it may have been merged with some of Harris Publications’ more popular hairstyle magazines, such as Celebrity Hairstyles.