Birchbox HQ is a flutter with preparations for our hair feather party tonight (pictures TK!) and no one is busier than our PR Guru and party planner, Claire Paull. I snagged a few minutes of her time to share all the fun things taking up space on her desk today, including a few must-haves and some special items for tonight’s party. Click through for the special notebooks she uses to stay uber organized and more!
Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason
Linda Pilkington of Ormonde Jayne
This week we tapped Karen Adams, the executive operations manager of the event-based fragrance group Sniffapalooza, to guest blog about some of the best scents she’s discovered on her recent travels. Today’s jaunt: London.
The bustling city streets, chic fashion, the Underground, the West End Theatre District…there are so many parallels between London and New York, yet so many differences to explore. We loved the streets of well-kept row houses adorned with flower boxes. And it’s so easy to acclimate to the delightful daily custom of afternoon tea. (Especially when the tea is served at Fortnum & Mason and the host is Victoria Christian of Clive Christian Perfumes.) We spent our London days studying the history of fragrance with Roja Dove at the Haute Parfumerie in Harrods, and delighting in private tours of Liberty and Selfridges. One of London’s treasures, tucked away at 12 The Royal Arcade 28 Old Bond Street, is the Ormonde Jayne Boutique. Perfumer Linda Pilkington presented her luxurious niche line and did perfume portraits to help us choose a favorite scent. We fancied the Tolu Collection for its velvety resins of golden frankincense, tolu, and myrrh.
For other great fragrance suggestions, check out the Birchbox Shop.
Laura Geller’s new spring launches
Laura Geller at her store earlier today
Earlier today, Laura Geller hosted an intimate breakfast for bloggers to showcase her new spring launches. The event was held at her Lexington Avenue store, which in some circles is referred to as ‘the Cheers of the Upper East Side for women’ because, as Geller explained, “we have cookies at all times and we want it to be a place where people escape and it’s a refuge.” And indeed, the QVC queen’s friendly demeanor pervades every nook and cranny. (Fun fact: they even have private rooms for people who want lessons or to start from scratch have the opportunity to feel comfortable.)
I could go on and on about how lovely Geller is herself, but really what makes her products such a go-to is how well they work. This season she is coming out with a slew of new offerings, from a new dreamy eye palette to an incredible matte whipped bronzer. While I am excited about them all, there are three things I can’t wait to try. Click through to check out what they are!
—Meredith
Spezierie Erboristerie Palazzo Vecchio on Via Vacchereccia in Florence
Right to left: Sniffapalooza founder and director, Karen Dubin; Perfumer Alessandro Morsiani; Sniffapalooza executive operations manager, Karen Adams
This week we tapped Karen Adams, the executive operations manager of the event-based fragrance group Sniffapalooza, to guest blog about some of the best scents she’s discovered on her recent travels. Today’s excursion: Florence.
Recently in Florence, Sniffapalooza founder Karen Durbin and I walked through the narrow winding streets in search of the best gelato. Grom? Vivoli? Badiani? Gelateria La Carraia? We crisscrossed the city tasting them all, while walking and walking to offset the calories. Our true destination though was another treat for the senses, Spezierie Erboristerie Palazzo Vecchio on Via Vacchereccia. This tiny apothecary is always fully stocked with herbal cures for anything that ails you, along with dietary supplements, toothpastes, soaps, lotions, potions, and best of all, one of our favorite niche perfume lines—i Profumi di Firenze. Though some of these scents are available in the U.S., the majority are only sold at Spezierie Erboristerie. Like kids in a candy shop, we sniffed and sampled our way through this hand-blended small batch line. Perfumer Alessandro Morsiani explained that the original 16th century formulas commissioned by Caterina de Medici inspired these fragrant gems. Tuscania, which captures the Tuscan countryside with its lovely blend of citrus, spices, musk, and wood, returned home with us (bubble-wrapped, of course).
If we had traveled to Italy, we would have taken Benefit’s So Hooked on Carmella fragrance with us because of it’s sultry ultra-feminine scent.
Once a week, Birchbox’s resident Yoga and men’s product expert, Eric, will gives us girls some insight into his world in You’ve Got Male. Whether he’s giving his expertise on skincare (boys need advice, too!) or highlighting his new favorite grooming trend, this guy has got taste—so we’re lucky he’s on staff and willing to share.
Photo: The Gloss
One year ago today, I took my first Bikram Yoga class. It forever changed my life for the better. I just can’t say enough good things about this transformative practice, which has now become an essential part of my fitness, wellness, and yes – beauty routine. In a sentence, a Bikram Yoga class consists of a series of 26 basic Hatha Yoga poses and two breathing exercises executed over the course of 90 minutes in a 105 degree room. The heat is incorporated to allow muscles to stretch more easily and to encourage the body to sweat, purging large amounts of toxins. Most of the postures incorporate compression of joints, glands, and organs, allowing oxygenated blood to flood the area when compression is released. The practice serves to optimize the performance of all major bodily systems. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by some of the more unexpected effects of this yoga. It was amazing to see the immediate physical changes to my body. Within the first three weeks of my practice, I had trimmed two inches off my waist (!), my skin was clear and even, my hair was shiny and smooth, and my posture was improving. I found myself more rested and feeling calm and focused in other stressful situations in my life. Getting through 90 minutes of hot yoga several times a week made crowded subway cars and long lines at Trader Joe’s seem trivial – which in reality, they are. Yoga helped me gain a new level of perspective on life, and made me look damn good at the same time thankyouverymuch. I highly recommend trying Bikram Yoga. A few tips for first-timers: Be sure to be very hydrated on the day of your class (coconut water is great) and avoid heavy foods. Set your mat near a window or door for optimal air flow. Trust the teacher, as he or she will guide you safely through the class. Most importantly, return to practice again VERY soon. The only way to know exactly how your body will react to the yoga is to try and try again!
—Eric
Read all You’ve Got Male posts here.
Pick up handy essential oil towelettes for de-sweating post-yoga.
We have officially had enough of winter. Hear that, Mother Nature? If you aren’t going to oblige us with some warmer weather (big thanks for the sunshine, though) we will just have to take matters into our own hands and pretend it’s spring already. The first thing we’re going to do is bust out this season’s favorite new lipcolor: coral. We’ve been excited about this totally wearable slightly pink, slightly orange hue for a while, but we were happy to find out via Facebook that so many of our readers are as well. Here are our top picks, in no particular order. Do you have a favorite that didn’t make the list? If so, tell us in the comments section below!
—Meredith
Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Tender: Great for anyone who is looking to experiment with coral, this color is fairly sheer and super moisturizing.
YSL Rouge Volupte in Rose Paris: If you want to go bold, this is the shade to try.
By Terry Gloss in Delectation in Mandarin: It may be gloss, but there is nothing light or subtle about this bright, almost orange wash of color.
Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bellini: Thick and highly pigmented, this shimmery peachy hue looks good on everyone.
MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Gotta Dash: Perfectly lightweight and non-sticky in the most classic coral shade.
Beyond my eyelash curler, I don’t use many special makeup tools. Most of the time, I find that my fingertips make better smudgers and blenders than the best brushes (then again, I’m not going for precision). Which is why I can’t get enough of cream blush and highlighting palettes. My first love is the Jouer’s Weekender Collection’s cream tint and highlighter duo (not available separately but you’ll want the whole palette anyway), which is tiny enough to slip into a clutch and comes in a flattering neutral tones. Recently I’ve also been using Josie Maran’s Finger Paints compact, which has four shades of argan oil-infused cream blushes and highlighters — all you need for on-the-go spring beauty. And for simplicity, I love RMS Beauty’s all-natural Lip2Cheek tint — Smile is a cheery coral color that brightens up even the palest winter face.
—Mollie
Get ready for spring getaways with Jouer’s Weekender Collection.
Check out our roundup of spring’s best beauty trends.
Laduree macarons at the Charles de Gaulle Airport
Spiral staircase at the Serge Lutens Shiseido Salon in Paris
Serge Lutens Bell Jars
This week we tapped Karen Adams, one of the co-founders of the event-based fragrance group Sniffapalooza, to guest blog about some of the best scents she’s discovered on her recent travels. Today’s adventure: Paris.
Bonjour! Every day is a great day for flavors and scents in the City of Light. While the macarons tempted us from each passing patisserie window, we were intent on reaching our destination. Just a few steps from the North Wing of the Louvre, the Galeries du Palais Royal is a lovely courtyard lined with elegant shops and boutiques. We headed straight into the indigo-violet twilight of the Serge Lutens Shiseido Salon and ascended the spiral staircase to a private room above.The exclusive Serge Lutens bell jars (only available in Paris and not exported to the U.S.) were lined up on a low wooden tasting table. We perched on petite chairs as the shop manager, Sandrine Wagner, guided us through each fragrance, letting us sniff to our hearts’ content. We lingered over previews of the leathery Boxeuses and the silky Bas de Soie, forgetting all about the macarons. For scent lovers, cherry almond Rahat Loukoum and wood honey Miel de Bois more than satisfy the sweet tooth.
So incredibly versatile you’d be hard pressed to find a woman that didn’t love, it Serge Lueten’s fresh and feminine L’Eau is an all-time fave.
LA Sniffapalooza at Apothia Melrose. (Photo: Courtesy of Sniffapalooza)
This week we tapped Karen Adams, one of the co-founders of the event-based fragrance group Sniffapalooza, to guest blog about some of the best scents she’s discovered on her recent travels. First stop: Los Angeles.
As much as we love NYC—after all, some of the best fragrance shopping is found right here in the Big Apple—we also love to travel and sniff out the next great scent. One of our recent journeys brought us cross-country to Apothia at Fred Segal in Los Angeles where Sniffapalooza LA was hosted by Apothia’s president and founder, Ron Robinson. We gathered fifty fragrance fans at Mauro’s Café for a delicious breakfast, camaraderie, and an impressive agenda of perfumer presentations. Great shopping at Apothia Beauty (and a few celebrity sightings) followed. We just love this stylish boutique and its carefully edited selection of the best new and classic niche scents. We especially appreciate that Ron is a true scent connoisseur, creating his own Apothia Los Angeles line of fine fragrances and interior aromatics. We’re partial to the Apothia Juiced Candle, which has a sparkling scent of red currant with green touches of geranium and tomato leaf. This lively fragrance transports us right back to lush Los Angeles.
Our favorite Apothia candle is their signature If scent with its light, fresh, and floral aroma.
It’s Friday once again and we’re ready for some pampering this weekend! We’ve had Birchbox Brand Relationship Manager Alta blogging all week long about baths, making us crave spa treatments and question our commitment to showers. On top of that, we’re cleaning our entire office this afternoon in preparation for new furniture and decorations arriving Monday. Definitely ready for a reboot!
-Lorelei
To pamper yourself this weekend, take a look at all the options in the Birchbox Shop.
The Birchbox Beauty Diaries is a regular feature where one of our team members tries out a new beauty look every day for one week. Whether it’s lipstick or eyeshadow, different hairstyles or fun makeup techniques, we’ll give you five fun ideas for how you can shake up your routine.
Birchboxer: Jenna
Title: Marketing Manger
A Week Of: Colorful Mascara
Monday: Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effect Faux CILS in Extreme Blue, $30, yslbeautyus.com
I decided to start the week off with a bang and go for a bright blue shade today (plus, it matched my shirt). The formula glided on and easily, coated all of my lashes instantly, and added a ton of volume. I absolutely love this mascara.
Tuesday: Mally Volumizing Double-ended Mascara in Sapphire, $22.80, qvc.com
I went for blue again today, but the effect is much more subtle. I think this one would even go well with a smoky gray or blue shadow without looking overdone.
If you’re like me, getting a pedicure is definitely a once-in-a-while occasion. And even though my bathroom cabinets are chock-full of top pumices, creams, and other nail doodad, I have never been able to get soft, non-cracked heels. So I decided for my last installment of The Bathtime Challenge, I’d put my handy-dandy AHAVA salts to the test and see if they could help me recreate a spa pedi at home.
Using AHAVA’s Honey Herbal bath salts, I took a large pot (yes, a cooking pot), filled it with water, and placed it on the stove to warm. While the water was heating, I then re-created the olive oil scrub from Day 2 in preparation. Once the scrub and water were ready to go, I sat myself in front of the television (my usual place to unwind), poured in a cap full of salt, and dunked my feet in the pot. (Tip: fill the water just high enough so your lower shin is submerged.) Then, I took my scrub and lightly exfoliated, concentrating on my heels since the skin on the top part of my feet is very sensitive. I decided to soak my feet for 10-15 minutes post-scrub until the water turned luke warm. Since your feet will be covered in a slick, oily film from the olive oil mixture, the last step is to wipe them clean using a damp wash cloth.
Now that you’ve got perfectly prepped feet, the logical next step is slapping on a fun where’s-spring hue. My current favorite: Deborah Lippmann’s sassy My Old Flame.
—Alta
For pedicure-perfect feet, make your own scrub with AHAVA’s Mandarin-Cedarwood bath salts. Then you can polish your pretty tootsies with Deborah Lippmann’s My Old Flame polish.
Today is the last day of our We Heart This guest blogger series. We’re bummed to see Stef and Tyna go, but they’ve left us with some awesome beauty-for-thought, from red lips tips to glitter for grown-ups. Here, Tyna gives us her list of must-splurge products.
With a makeup addiction since our teens and 10 years of beauty reviewing between us, my We Heart This co-founder Stef and I have seen it all. From washes and scrubs to foundations and powders, from matte to glitter eye shadows and pale pink to deep red lipsticks - we’ve tested it all as well. While some products that promised a miracle weren’t even worth a second use (live and learn – and research your beauty purchases!) we also discovered a number of beauty purchases worth the splurge. Without further ado - Our Top Five Beauty Products Worth Every Penny:
1. Clarisonic: The best beauty invention of the last decade, this wonder is worth the hype — and the price tag. With daily use I’ve seen multiple improvements in my skin, including less noticeable pores, fewer breakouts, smoother skin (it’s fab for those little red bumps on arms and chest), less visible fine lines, and a brighter complexion. I’ve already got four years of use from my Clarisonic for the cost of one day at the spa — it’s a wise investment for girls with problem oily skin. (Prices range, from $135 for the travel size)
2. La Mer Eye Cream: I was happy to discover the famous Crème de la Mer face cream was too heavy for my oily skin – my wallet was too. Then I discovered the wonders of La Mer’s Eye Concentrate, an incredibly lush eye cream that completely absorbs into skin and fights off wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles. My eyes have never looked brighter. Plus, bonus points for the included silver-tipped applicator ball that allows for tug-free applications and adds a cooling effect to the skin. (0.5 oz, $135)
3. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel: Stef says “As a beauty reviewer for five years, I have tried A LOT of skincare products. Here’s one that has produced the biggest results. My skin glows after every use; it exfoliates, clears up any blemish that may be rearing its ugly head and minimizes everything I don’t want maximized. Quite simply, it’s my holy grail skin product!” (Try the Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peels, 10 pads, $35.)
4. Mason Pearson Hairbrush: A hairbrush is a hairbrush, right? That’s what I thought until I finally laid my hands on one of the world-renowned Mason Pearson hairbrushes. Originally designed in 1885, this classic handmade brush continues to set the standard in hair care. Daily brushing with these beauties gives me shiny, conditioned hair and adds a ton of volume to my limp locks. The price is steep, but well worth the cost and with care, your Mason Pearson brush will last for years. (Prices starting at about $100)
5. Erno Laszlo Soap: The ladies at Birchbox know all about this legendary brand and have declared it worthy of the term Cult Favorite. Join the ranks of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Jackie O. by choosing one of Laszlo’s soaps for daily washing. The Sea Mud Soap is great for oily/combo skin, while my dry friends swear by the Active pHelityl Soap. These finely milled soaps seem to lock into and correct your skins flaws, and each densely packed bar lasts for months. ($39 per bar)
Read all We Heart This’s guest posts here.
Shop our favorite splurges here.
So far, The Bathtime Challenge has helped us seen bath salts in a couple new ways: First as a body scrub and then as a facial bath. Last night, I decided to go back and use them in the standard fashion. After a very long day, I decided to see if AHAVA’s Eucalyptus salt could calm my achy muscles. The salts help release muscle tension and the smell of eucalyptus is known for it’s calming effect.
Drawing a very hot bath, I sprinkled in a cap full of salt. The smell was very strong (in a good soothing way) filling the bathroom with a heavy steam-shower type aroma. Once in the bath, I decided to really let the salts go to work by soaking for ten minutes with a warm cloth draped over my eyes. The salts and fragrance really helped me relax right before getting into bed. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to unwind this is definitely the way to go. Let’s face it, we don’t always have time or money to visit a spa, and these salts are an easy way to bring the spa to you.
—Alta
Our fave AHAVA salts are actually the Mandarin-Cedarwood scent. Click here to buy them in the Birchbox Shop.
In case you couldn’t tell by our posts earlier, today was video shoot day at Birchbox! That means arriving extra early to our studio, going through scripts, setting up the perfect camera angles, and best of all…having makeup artist Nam Vo work her magic! We thought we’d take the opportunity to show you Nam’s desk o’ makeup. This is a lot for even us to take in!
1. Notice the amazing set of Jouer cream eyeshadows near the center of the image? Color us insanely jealous - Nam actually has the entire Jouer makeup collection to use on her editorial shoots.
2. Another Birchbox favorite, the Laura Mercier Transluscent Powder mattifies our shiny foreheads so we look as polished at the end of the day as we did at 8AM. Quite a feat for a single product.
3. Smashbox High Definition Foundation smooths our models’ skin and gets them ready for filming in HD. No visible pores here!
Holy makeup brushes, Batman!
-Lorelei
For our favorite Jouer products, including the ultimate travel set, check out the Birchbox Shop.
