May 2012
74 posts
3 tags
The Quintessential Summer Look: Beachy Waves and...
Summer is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year. I hate being cold (which obviously means I’m no fan of winter) and I love being active outdoors—a far more pleasant prospect when there’s sunshine and warmer temps.
Another bonus? Come May, I can finally ditch the blow dryer. When it’s cold, I have to thoroughly dry my hair before stepping even a single foot outdoors...
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A Field Trip to Halle Berry's Hollywood Skin...
We fell hard for Natalie Alcala last fall, when the LA-based writer and blogger spent a week guest blogging for us. In fact, we loved her posts so much that we asked her to be a contributing editor. In addition to blogging for us once a week, she’ll also be writing for the Birchbox Magazine and keeping us up to speed on all things fashion, beauty, and fun.
L.A. has tons of spas. As the home to...
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Calling All Bloggers: What's your biggest haircare...
We all have something about our hair that plagues us whether it be frizz, flatness, or oil. After years of practice we all develop little tips and tricks for combating these haircare woes. For example, our Community Manager Rachel swears by Miss Jessie’s® Original Quick Curls to fight frizz, while Relationship Manager Jillian is a dry shampoo fiend due to her oily roots.
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We...
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The Perfect Polka Dot Mani: Guest Blogger
Blair Badge is one multi-talented lady: she’s a social media manager, a beauty editor for fashion site Chictopia, a model, a newlywed and an all-around awesome gal with a penchant for witty banter. Her dreamy blog, love, blair, is a heady mix of all her talents in one and we can’t get enough of her style and beauty advice. This week, she’s sharing her DIY beauty tips, like how to create a pretty...
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How to Give Yourself a Spa Manicure At Home
Photo: Ritournelle
Getting my nails done has always underscored the paradox of choice. Exhibit A: the rows and rows of polishes. Exhibit B: the abundance of treatments and add-ons. To make matters worse, I’ve long been baffled by the difference between a regular salon manicure and a spa manicure. Is the higher price for a spa manicure justified?
Since ignorance is definitely not bliss in this...
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Kristen Stewart's Edgy Gold Chain, And Other...
Photo: newstalkradiowhio.com
At the Snow White and The Huntsman premiere earlier this week, Kristen Stewart did her best edgy-princess style by rocking a gold chain woven into her classy updo. The look was so pretty, it made us want to re-examine our hair accessory collection. Here are a few ideas that will add something extra to your regular style:
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1. Neon colored headbands: The...
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Pretty Pastel Wigs Steal the Show at Chanel's...
I adore that Karl Lagerfeld goes so over the top every time he shows a new collection. With this latest showing, I’m not sure how he’ll outdo himself the next time around. For Chanel’s Resort 2013 presentation yesterday, Largerfeld chose Versailles as his backdrop. The location was perfectly fitting for the Marie Antoinette-inspired ensembles, which showcased embellishments,...
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Jennifer Lopez Rocks Summer's Deep Red Lip Trend
Photo: zimbio.com
Last night, at the What to Expect When You’re Expecting premiere, J.Lo rocked a gorgeous set of deep mauve lips with a bronze smoky eye. Not so long ago we predicted that the normally wintry deep red hue would be a hot new trend for spring and summer, so we were excited to see one of our favorite pop culture icons showing off this extra bold look.
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In general,...
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Is Nail Art Too Artsy For You?
Based in Washington D.C., Ayren Jackson-Cannady is so savvy that we wished she lived closer to NYC so that we could swap products with her. This beauty writer knows what’s up (she’s written for Fitness, Glamour, and Gloss Daily) and we’re excited to have her sharing her know-how and multi-culti beauty expertise as a contributing editor.
When it comes to beauty, I’m all for letting your...
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How to Prep Your Skin for Summer: Guest Blogger
Blair Badge is one multi-talented lady: she’s a social media manager, a beauty editor for fashion site Chictopia, a model, a newlywed and an all-around awesome gal with a penchant for witty banter. Her dreamy blog, love, blair, is a heady mix of all her talents in one and we can’t get enough of her style and beauty advice. This week, she’s sharing her DIY beauty tips, like how to create a pretty...
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Waitresses! Wear Red Lipstick, Get More Tips
Photo: mnn.com
Researchers at the Universite de Bretagne-Sud in France have made a fascinating discovery for restaurant servers: wearing red lipstick earns you significantly more tips when you’re serving gentlemen. Hello, crimson![[MORE]]
Sociologists studied seven waitresses as they served roughly 450 customers over the course of two months. The results are intriguing: when the servers...
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Mix ‘n Match Lip Color: Guest Blogger
Blair Badge is one multi-talented lady: she’s a social media manager, a beauty editor for fashion site Chictopia, a model, a newlywed and an all-around awesome gal with a penchant for witty banter. Her dreamy blog, love, blair, is a heady mix of all her talents in one and we can’t get enough of her style and beauty advice. This week, she’s sharing her DIY beauty tips, like how to...
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VIDEO: How To: Get "Gossip Girl" Waves
Our office has been buzzing about the “Gossip Girl” season finale, which airs tonight. To get ready for this season’s last episode, we’ve been practicing our favorite hair looks from the show and watching this video tutorial featuring the “Gossip Girl” lead hairstylist, Jennifer Johnson. Here, she demonstrates how to get a modern Brigitte Bardot style, also...
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4 Gorgeous Updos Courtesy of Kate Middleton
Photos: justjared.com
Kate Middleton has a gorgeous head of long, brunette hair that she almost always wears flowing down over her shoulders. It’s a rare occasion when the Duchess of Cambridge decides to pull her hair back for an elegant updo—which is why her recent hairstyle at the BOA Olympic Concert (above) caught our eye. The braided loose bun was such a departure for...
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Supergoop! Launches Project Backpack
Around the Birchbox office, I am known as the sunblock pusher. “Don’t forget your SPF” and “be sure to reapply throughout the day” are things you will commonly hear me saying. As a fair-skinned gal, I learned in my early twenties the dangers of being casual with your sun protection. Ever since, I’ve tried to spread the good SPF word. That’s why I was...
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Reading List: Nicki Minaj's New Commercial,...
Happy Mother’s Day Weekend! We hope you’re thinking of all the amazing women in your life and, if you’re lucky, spending time with them. (We know we’re thinking of all our awesome Moms.) This week’s round-up includes ’90s-inspired nail polishes and a brand new Bond No. 9 fragrance—the perfect amount fun to start the weekend. See you on Monday!
Two of our...
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Bold Lipsticks That Any Skin Tone Can Pull Off
Wearing: MAC Lipstick in Girl About Town
Ever since the Kardashians came into my life, I’ve been an advocate for the nude lip and smoky eyes look (sad, but true). It became my go-to going out look for a long time. I mean, what’s not to like about it? It dresses up any outfit and makes for fabulous pictures (that and Instagram).
But lately I’ve noticed a red carpet trend that...
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How To Create The Perfect Looped Pony
Left: Our version of the looped pony on Charlie. Right: Carolina Herrera spring 2012.
The ponytail gets a lot of flack from hair sophisticates—it’s been accused of being boring, too tomboyish, and a sign of not trying hard enough. But designers are breathing new life into this classic style, like Carolina Herrera who showed some pretty looped ponys during her spring 2012 show. We were so...
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Juice Beauty CEO Sits Down With The Bee's Knees
Last month, we ask our Birchbloggers to send us their blog posts about why they care about organic beauty for the chance to win an interview with the CEO of Juice Beauty, Karen Behnke. There were lots of great submissions but we were especially impressed by The Bee’s Knees Blog. Today we’re excited to publish their interview. Enjoy!
The Bee’s Knees: How did you decide to use...
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Get Healthier Nails With The Right Hand Cream:...
Operations associate, Loren, has a thing for nails- and we can’t blame her. We love reading about new finishes and fun techniques, so we thought we’d give her a weekly slot on our blog to wax poetic about all things manicure (and pedicure!) related. Check back every week for Nailing It, Birchbox’s dedicated polish series.
I love a good manicure and am always looking for the best way to take...
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Christian Louboutin Is Stepping into the Beauty...
Photo: Christian Louboutin
I’ve long dreamed of owning a shiny new pair of Louboutin black patent platform heels. Unfortunately, my shoe budget puts me on the low end of the Payless-to-couture spectrum, but now I can finally hope to get a little piece of Louboutin for myself. As WWD reports, Christian Louboutin is planning to launch a full beauty line in late 2013. [[MORE]]
The designer...
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Around the World: Mood Board
Our creative team is pretty, well, creative and they come across beautiful imagery all the time. Why not share the inspiration? Keep an eye out each Friday for their Mood Board, a collection of images they’re loving.
Our intern Stephanie recently completed her last week with us. But before she left, she gathered up some final inspiration as she was getting ready to set off on her...
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A Makeup-free AnnaLynne McCord Inspires Us
Photo: AnnaLynne McCord’s Twitter
90210 star AnnaLynne McCord is yet another starlet who has added her name to the list of Hollywood actresses going barefaced on the internet. The 25-year-old blonde bombshell tweeted her no-makeup look earlier this week, and I was totally shocked. While there have been a number of stars who shown off their makeup-free faces, Snooki and Olivia Wilde among...
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Enter For a Chance to Win a $500 Birchbox Shopping...
By now, our subscribers have already started to receive their special May “Gossip Girl” Birchboxes. We’re thrilled to have partnered with the show to bring you this awesome collection of products.
But that’s not all—on May 14th, in honor of the season finale, we are hosting a Trivia Contest on our Facebook page where you’ll have the chance to win a $500 Birchbox...
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What's On The Birchbox Staffer's Desk: Ops Edition
You might be familiar with today’s subject, Loren, for a few reasons. First, her “Nailing It” blog posts are some of our most popular. Second, she’s a member of our stellar operations team and personally emails and speaks with hundreds of our customers each week. What you might not know is that she has the best collection of polish at Birchbox and she’s also building up quite a store of vitamins...
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Congratulations to Our "Gossip Girl" Video Contest...
We are thrilled to announce the winner of our “Gossip Girl” video contest: Megan Rose Phillips! Megan and a guest will be joining us in New York City to for our “Gossip Girl” season finale viewing party! Megan’s video entry shows us how to get Serena’s golden glow (and made us laugh):
Although we could only pick one winner, we were blown away by all the hard...
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Calling All Bloggers: What Are Your Favorite Songs...
Photo new-ist.blogspot.com
We don’t know about you, but we can’t get ready for a big night out without some catchy tunes. Team Birchbox has compiled a list of our favorite guilty pleasure songs but we also want to hear yours! Send us a blog post withyour best going out playlist. We’ll share our favorites here next week and maybe add some of your songs to our list!
We...
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My Skin-Perfecting Summer Savior
As an avid rock climber, I tend to come away from my weekly top-roping sessions with at least a few serious scrapes and bruises. These “lovemarks,” as we’ll call them, are awesome when I want to feel like a hardcore, super-strong, independent woman. They’re way less awesome when I’m attempting to look glowingly fabulous for a Saturday night out, or when I’m...
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Cocktailing Like a "Gossip Girl" at The Empire...
If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in a job where cocktail tasting is a legitimate work activity, then you have a good job. Last week, I ventured to the Empire Hotel with editorial team members Rachel and Lorelei to test out the spot’s cheeky “Gossip Girl” cocktail menu in the lobby bar. If you’re not familiar with the connection between the two (and shame on...
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Anna Wintour Goes On The Colbert Report, Totally...
For some awesome Thursday fun, here’s a totally suitable for work video for your consumption. Last night, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour stopped by The Colbert Report to talk about the new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, “Schiaperelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations.” (Fun fact: Schiaperelli, a couturier and contemporary of Chanel,...
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Eataly Now Has a Beauty Section!
Mario Batali’s New York City Italian piazza-style food spot, Eataly, has added a beauty department to the seemingly endless selection of gourmet wines, cheeses, pastas, and desserts. As devoted Eataly foodie fans (we stop by their pizza section and their upstairs open-air bar, Birreria, pretty darn frequently) we were totally stoked to find out that they’re adding a bevy of new...
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What Birchbox Moms Are Coveting: Mother’s Day...
Birchbox moms are our biggest fans—they do everything from sending cookies to the office to snapping pics of their proud un-boxing moments. They also happen to be a very beauty-obsessed bunch (maybe it’s guilt by association). In honor of Mother’s Day, we polled our moms and asked them to name the Birchbox products on their wish list.
Bridgette and her mom Barbara Howard
“The Ojon...
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Pregnancy Really Suits Snooki: The Reality Star...
Photo: VMagazine
We’ve seen her without the over-the-top bronzer before, but never this glamorous. Nicole Polizzi, better known as Snooki from MTV’s Jersey Shore, is featured in V Magazine’s Summer 2012 issue. The reality TV star spoke to the magazine about her new book, her new Jersey Shore spin-off, and of course her pregnancy. She told V, “I can’t wait to meet my kid! Everyone will be...
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A Beauty Chat with My Mom, Rose
We fell hard for Natalie Alcala last fall, when the LA-based writer and blogger spent a week guest blogging for us. In fact, we loved her posts so much that we asked her to be a contributing editor. In addition to blogging for us once a week, she’ll also be writing for the Birchbox Magazine and keeping us up to speed on all things fashion, beauty, and fun.
In honor of Mother’s Day, I sat...
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In Loving Memory of Vidal Sassoon
Photo: flauntmagazine.com
Sad news on the beauty front today: seminal hairstylist Vidal Sassoon has passed away of natural causes at 84.
Sassoon, who rose to prominence in the 1960s, was a pioneer in the hair industry and was known for giving cuts that required little to no styling. His most famous looks were his geometric styles, like the modernized bob and his Five-Point cut, both of which...
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Pro Dancers Share Their Best Makeup Tips
As a girl, I dreamed of becoming a ballerina. Sadly, my two left feet and total lack of hand-eye coordination made me quit my beginner dance lessons in a fit of fifth grader’s frustration. But this afternoon, I got to live vicariously through the pro dancers from NYC’s Gallim Dance in their rehearsal space in Soho.
Between choreographing moves for their upcoming show Sit, Kneel, Stand...
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We Didn't Think Hillary Clinton Could Get Any...
Photo: Styleite
We’ve always had a soft spot for Hillary Clinton, so when we saw her good-humored response to the Texts From Hillary tumblr last month, her status as “Coolest Secretary of State Ever” was solidified in our minds. Just when we thought she couldn’t get any better, we came across this quote from her on Styleite from an interview she did with CNN. Within the...
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Have You Tried Blemish-Clearing Black Soap?
Based in Washington D.C., Ayren Jackson-Cannady is so savvy that we wished she lived closer to NYC so that we could swap products with her. This beauty writer knows what’s up (she’s written for Fitness, Glamour, and Gloss Daily) and we’re excited to have her sharing her know-how and multi-culti beauty expertise as a contributing editor.
Photo: giftideas.ws
First, a little back story: I have...
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What Birchbox Moms Are Coveting: Mother's Day...
Birchbox moms are our biggest fans—they do everything from sending cookies to the office to snapping pics of their proud un-boxing moments. They also happen to be a very beauty-obsessed bunch (maybe it’s guilt by association). In honor of Mother’s Day, we polled our moms and asked them to name the Birchbox products on their wish list. Take a peek, and don’t forget to pick up a...
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Video: Creating A Colorful Cat Eye
I’ve always considered the cat eye an intimidating look, and one best left to the experts. But earlier this spring, I set out to master the technique after watching the video below by one of our former guest bloggers, Claire Thomas. It showcases the handiwork of her genius cousin, makeup artist Erica Davidson.
Click through to watch the video!
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How to: Colorful Cat-Eye from...
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Eva Mendes' Laid-back Beauty Routine: Notable...
Notable Quotables is a weekly series featuring a great quote. Whether it’s the founder of a beloved beauty brand, an eccentric makeup artist making headlines, or even a super-stylish celebrity, our favorite tastemakers always have something worth sharing.
Eva Mendes can get glammed up with the best of them (have you seen her Met Ball outfit yet?) but off screen she revealed her beauty and...
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Today's Obsession: OCC Makeup Brushes
On a recent trip to the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics flagship store, we discovered their line of amazing makeup brushes. We’re big fans of these animal-friendly options (made from nylon and taklon) because they’re perfectly formed in hard-to-find shapes that make shadow application particularly easy.
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“I used to go to art supply stores and buy brushes,” said...
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Birchbloggers: Your Favorite "Gossip Girl" Looks!
As you probably know, we’re extra excited for the upcoming season finale of “Gossip Girl.” In honor of the event next Monday night, last week we asked you to submit your favorite “Gossip Girl” look and how you’d recreate it. From Blair’s red pucker to Lily’s top knot—it’s hard not to be inspired by the show’s fashion and beauty stylings....
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Our Editors' Favorite Looks From The Met Gala
There are two red carpets that we watch every year with bated breath: the Oscars and, of course, the Met Ball. All the stars come out for these fashion-forward events, and we couldn’t take our eyes off of all the gorgeous looks that strutted down Fifth Avenue last night. Here are a few of our editors’ favorite, unforgettable styles from the evening:
Photo: pinterest.com/racked
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Best Pre-Met Gala Tweets
Tonight is the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual gala, and the Twitterverse has been buzzing all day. We’ll be rounding up our favorite looks tomorrow (what will the Vogue-ttes look like en pink masse?) but for now, we present our favorite pre-party tweets.
@cocorocha:
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@karliekloss:
@rachelroy:
@alexachung:
@doutzenkroes:
Follow what our editors have...
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Fresh's Plum Tinted Lip Balm: Pretty On Every Skin...
(Left to Right): Bianca, Nidhi and Caroline
We have a deep love for Fresh’s Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment here in the Birchbox office. The formula gives our often dry lips such a nice boost of lasting hydration. When the Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment landed on the editors’ desks today, we couldn’t resist sharing the sheer, berry-colored balm with the office. As news...
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Today's Obsession: A Plumping Wonder Balm
I’m a big fan of bare lips, and not for the reason you might think. While some girls eschew bold lip colors as a general rule, I tend to avoid them because they interfere with my ability to drink mugs of coffee (hello, lipstick rings). That’s not to say I wear absolutely nothing on my lips. To keep my lips soft, I rely on every beauty addict’s first love: lip balm. My new fave?...
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Lauren Conrad Is Releasing A New Book About...
Photo: usweekly.com
We’ll admit it—there’s a contingent of Birchboxers in the office who are Lauren Conrad fangirls. Her antics in The Hills and Laguna Beach aside, it’s hard not to be a supporter of her when she has winged liquid liner down to such an art and has done a stellar job with her website, The Beauty Department. Her new book, Lauren Conrad Beauty, is set to be...
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Reading List: Nicole Richie's Hair Ambitions,...
Despite the dubious weather in NYC this week, spring is officially here—and with it our vacation ambitions. Check out the amazing shot of Nicole Richie in Glamour below. Doesn’t that just make you want to head to the beach? Whether you’re actually somewhere sandy or just dreaming of it this weekend, brush up on our favorite news below.
Photo: Fashion etc
Dior just launched two...
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4 Amazing Hair Products For A Beach Vacation:...
We’re guilty of sticking with the same hair cut for years—if it’s not broke, why fix it?—but that can be a little boring. But not everyone has our issue. Paulina, one of our amazing operations associates, is always eyeing new cuts and styles. She’ll be sharing her tress inspiration and tips every other week here via her Hairistocracy column.
Summer vacations are about to kick-off and in less...