A Charlotte Tilbury highlighter turned the September edition of Elle magazine in Spain into a fast-selling bundle. Buyers could get the product, normally priced at €44, for just €10.99 with the magazine, driving demand and quick sell-outs in Madrid and other cities. Charlotte Tilbury’s European catalogue puts complexion products at premium prices: its Beauty Light Wand, for example, is listed at €42 in one European market. The brand also sells the Hollywood Glow Glide Highlighter, another distinct product in its highlighter range.
Kiosks received hundreds of calls from customers eager to reserve a copy. Many vendors refused to hold magazines in advance amid overwhelming interest. By early morning on release day, most locations had sold out, leaving many regular buyers empty-handed despite arriving before opening hours. ELLE España has appeared at Spanish newsstands since 1986, giving the title a nearly four-decade presence in the country’s magazine market.
Copies of the September Elle with the Charlotte Tilbury highlighter later appeared on Vinted for more than €30, almost three times the original retail price. Despite the markup, some buyers still considered the bundle a bargain compared with purchasing the highlighter and magazine separately at standard prices.
Print magazines in Spain have increasingly relied on promotional gifts to maintain readership amid declining sales. Such incentives are common: kiosks offer planners and beach bags, while beauty samples are another familiar draw. But demand for this issue stands out, reflecting the appeal of premium beauty products and limited-time offers. The practice fits a long-standing kiosk retail model built around tangible extras and collectible formats. In 1984, El País reported that kiosk fascicles and book series generated 20 billion pesetas a year, with 130 million copies produced across 140 active series; those figures describe the broader fascicle and book sector, not magazine circulation.
For those unable to secure the Elle magazine or Charlotte Tilbury highlighter, alternatives remain available. The report says Mercadona offers a similar product for under five euros, though its formula differs from the original. It may appeal to consumers seeking a budget-friendly option without paying inflated resale prices.
Spain's print media field has shifted dramatically since the 1990s and 2000s, when lifestyle magazines enjoyed peak popularity and large advertising investment. Today, only a handful of titles like Elle continue to appear regularly at kiosks, adapting to changing consumer habits and the dominance of digital media. The rush for the September issue shows how strategic partnerships and exclusive gifts can still generate impressive public interest in a challenging market.
As the resale market for promotional magazine gifts grows, questions remain about the sustainability of these tactics and their impact on publishers and consumers.
