January 2012
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My Daily Makeup Routine: Guest Blogger
Courtne Smith, a.k.a Queen Shmink, is a world traveler with extraordinary fashion and beauty sense. The Toronto-based blogger is one of our favorite ladies to follow on the Interwebz because she makes her impeccable style (fancy fur is her specialty) feel so accessible and easy to recreate. Plus, she always has a killer manicure. This week, she teaches us her secrets that keep her perfectly...
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Is Amber Rose's New Face Tattoo Real?: TheGloss
TheGloss is one of our daily must-reads (right up there with the NY Times). We love the site’s witty approach to style and its smart and irreverent voice. We like the writing so much, in fact, that we’ll be featuring one of their posts each week here on the Birchbox blog.
“Model and aspiring singer” Amber Rose appears to have gotten a face tattoo. Let’s take our time to savor that: Face....
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How To Layer Skincare For Better Results
You don’t need to be a math whiz to learn how to multiply the benefits of different ingredients by using them together. We sat down with three skincare experts to get the scoop on how to get the most out of your regime.
LIGHT TO HEAVY
You’ve got a bathroom shelf filled with products, but which comes first? According to New York-based facialist Elena Rubin, a good rule of thumb is to go from...
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Eyeko Fat Eye Sticks: Today's Obsession
Photo: makeupforlife.net
When I saw the shimmery, sexy eyes at Alexander Wang’s spring 2012 show, I knew I had to find a way to recreate the look myself. Which is why I was so excited when I came across Eyeko’s Fat Eye Sticks. These giant eye color sticks are the ideal easy-to-use product for geting either a smoldering or eye-brightening look.
Eyeko is a cult favorite London...
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Nicki Minaj Feels Naked Without Falsies: 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. Today’s quote is from Nicki Minaj, who spoke with Elle about her wigs, eccentric makeup, favorite products and more.
My eyes, because...
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Who to Follow on Pinterest
We love Pinterest, and we know you do too! It’s our favorite place to go for inspiration—so many fun DIY projects to try, manicures to copy, and styles to envy. And the Design Sponge-worthy home decor pics? We swoon. In case you’re new to the pinning game, we’ve compiled a handy cheat sheet of the “who’s who” on Pinterest.
Erica Domesek
Erica is a NYC-based...
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Top 5 Drugstore Essentials: Guest Blogger
Courtne Smith, a.k.a Queen Shmink, is a world traveler with extraordinary fashion and beauty sense. The Toronto-based blogger is one of our favorite ladies to follow on the Interwebz because she makes her impeccable style (fancy fur is her specialty) feel so accessible and easy to recreate. Plus, she always has a killer manicure. This week, she teaches us her secrets that keep her perfectly...
4 tags
VMV Hypoallergenics Answers: How Can I Create Skin...
For those with sensitive skin, VMV Hypoallergenics is a dream come true. Founded by a leading dermatologist/dermatopathologist, all of the brand’s formulas are created to be as allergen-free as possible, omitting 76 of the most common allergens, including fragrances, dyes, parabens and preservatives. This week, the brand is kindly sharing its unique insight into the world of complexion issues—and...
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Bronze Me Up: Guest Blogger
Courtne Smith, a.k.a Queen Shmink, is a world traveler with extraordinary fashion and beauty sense. The Toronto-based blogger is one of our favorite ladies to follow on the Interwebz because she makes her impeccable style (fancy fur is her specialty) feel so accessible and easy to recreate. Plus, she always has a killer manicure. This week, she teaches us her secrets that keep her perfectly...
5 tags
VMV Hypoallergenics Answers: What Is Sensitive...
For those with sensitive skin, VMV Hypoallergenics is a dream come true. Founded by a leading dermatologist/dermatopathologist, all of the brand’s formulas are created to be as allergen-free as possible, omitting 76 of the most common allergens, including fragrances, dyes, parabens and preservatives. This week, the brand is kindly sharing its unique insight into the world of complexion...
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SAG Awards Red Carpet Round-up: The Look-A-Likes
Photo: fabsugar.com
If you’re like us, you really only watch awards shows to catch the stars strutting down the red carpet in their fabulous (or less-than-fabulous) looks. Last night’s SAG awards didn’t disappoint: from Emma Stone’s knockout Alexander McQueen dress to Michelle Williams’ sassy red, lace-sleeved Valentino number to Viola Davis’ beaded Marchesa...
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VIDEO: How To Modern Topsy Tail Updo
Birchbox Editor Meredith shows us one of her signature updos! A sideswept topsy turvy updo that’s easy enough to create every morning and glamorous enough to wear to all your black tie events.
You’ll Need:
Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo
Bobby Pins
Blow Out Hairspray
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Ashton Hangin' 10 in Sao Paulo, Kim K Furious Over...
The good, the bad, and the just plain weird from the Twitterverse this past week:
While the celeb gossip sites swirled with the news that Demi had entered the hospital (exhaustion, anorexsia, whip-its?!), Ashton was hangin’ ten on the streets of Sao Paulo…
https://twitter.com/#!/aplusk/status/161492306900430848
One of our absolute favorite classy ladies, Ellen Degeneres, put out...
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Sh*t People Say May Be Over, But Here's Our Top 3
When the first “Sh*t Girls Say” video showed up in our Twitter feed, we couldn’t help but laugh. It may as well have been titled “Overhead at Birchbox HQ.”
- What’s wrong with my computer?
- I had to get up at, like, six this morning.
- Can you do me a huge favor?
But then the trend took off: “Sh*t New Yorkers Say,” “Sh*t Hipsters...
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Ingredient Decoder: Is Talc Safe?
In the world of beauty, it can be hard to distinguish between fancy advertising and real results. But when all’s said and done, it all boils down to one thing: the ingredients. Every week, our resident science buff Mai will be separating the good from the bad, explaining how products work, and sharing her latest discoveries.
Photo: Fab Sugar
When you think of baby powder, the first things that...
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Reading List: Beth Ditto + MAC, Diamond Contacts,...
Photo: WWD
Happy Friday! There’s a bit of a calm-before-the-storm feeling in the office right now—mainly in anticipation of NYFW, but also February and the Superbowl (not to mention the dreaded Valentine’s Day). Before it gets too crazy, catch up on some reading! These are all the links we’re loving this week.
Polyvore and CoverGirl are teaming up to launch ‘Polyvore Live’...
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How Can You Get a Yoga High Without Going to...
You may have noticed that Birchbox has a yoga-loving culture. After a long, stressful day there’s nothing better than getting your Zen on. It’s no surprise, then, that so many staffers love spritzing Harvey Prince’s Yogini, the fragrance equivalent to a yoga class. (Fun fact: Harvey Prince designed the mood-elevating blend of exotic essences and oils to counteract stress.) We...
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Dollars & Sense: Why Eye Serum is a Great...
The best skincare products may not be cheap, but trust us: they’re worth every penny. Every week, we’ll break down the math and show you exactly why that fancy serum or cream is a smart splurge.
Our pick of the week: VMV Hypoallergenics Re-Everything Eye Serum. The skincare equivalent of our morning cup of coffee, this targeted treatment is made with a host of both high-tech and...
Le Metier de Beaute Custom Limited Edition...
birchboxman:
When it comes to grooming products it’s nice to know that guys are making an effort. But (and this is an important but), there’s a fine line between making an effort and trying way too hard. Case in point: Le Metier de Beaute Custom Limited Edition Fragrance Cuff Links that retail for $3500. While I applaud the innovative design of these 18-carat white gold and 2-carat black...
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Umbrella-ella-ella: 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.
It’s a muggy, wet day here in NYC, but that doesn’t mean that we’re gloomy. In fact, it’s the perfect opportunity to whip out an umbrella and make a...
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More Reasons to Choose Flats Over Heels
Photo: secondtimearound.net
The argument’s been made before to pick a comfy pair of flats over a pair of sexy Louboutins, but now the point has been underscored even more. A new study done on young women has shown that wearing high heels for extended periods of time actually changes the physical makeup of your calves—and could increase your chance for injury. Argh, shoe quandary!
After...
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The Cartoon Makeup Phenomenon (And the Cartoons...
I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re probably familiar with at least one of the special edition makeup collections based on cartoons that have come out in the last few years. From the MAC Wonder Woman and Miss Piggy collections to a Too Faced Smurfette Collection, not to mention the myriad Hello Kitty collaborations, it’s been hard to escape them.
I personally have never seen the...
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Come 'Hangout' with Birchbox and Zagat Today at...
If there is one thing we love to talk about almost much as beauty products, it’s shopping. Naturally, we were thrilled when Zagat invited us to join them for a Live Google + Hangout today at 2:30pm EST. Mollie Chen and Meredith Stebbins will be there sharing all their shopping intel (and maybe some beauty advice too). There is space for ten participants who will be able to chat live the...
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Smarty Pants Skincare: Aesop
I first spotted Aesop years ago in the bathroom of a very stylish male friend. I freaked him out a bit by how long I spent talking about how much I loved his hand wash and moisturizer. Since then, I’ve been a huge fan of the brand. How can you not love a company that includes in its brand philosophy the importance of “a healthy diet, sensible exercise, a moderate intake of red wine, and a...
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Holographic Polishes 101: Nailing It
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 Thursday for Nailing It, Birchbox’s dedicated polish series.
Some of you may be familiar with holograms already—almost every...
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Detox Juice Cleanses: Yay or Nay?
Photo: greenjuicing.net
I attempted a juice cleanse once, and I only made it 48 hours before I completely broke down and reached for a bowl of pasta. But in the the two days that I did manage to stay disciplined and stick to my liquid diet regimen, I noticed two positive outcomes:
1. I didn’t need any coffee to feel energized. The juices gave me a clarity and energy that I wasn’t...
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Community Spotlight: Cheli Cuevas
We discovered Cheli when we came across her Flickr collection of all of her Birchboxes! We loved how pretty they looked all together so we tracked her down and got the skinny on this fab photog!
Name: Cheli Cuevas
Hometown: East Los Angeles
Blog: beingcc.tumblr.com aka “The Girl in Pink! blog.”
Twitter Handle: @girlinpinkblog
How long have you been a Birchbox subscriber? I have...
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Our Favorite January Un-Boxing Videos!
Not only are our community members beautiful but they are talented! As usual, we were blown away by all of the un-boxing videos sent our way. We’ve chosen three of our favorites to share on the blog, but don’t forget you can watch the entire January Un-Boxing Videos Playlist on BirchboxTV! If you have a video or blog of your Birchbox haul that you want to share send it on over to...
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This Nail Art Caused Quite The Stir Around The...
Our Ops Team is basically the coolest group of girls around. Each and every day, they inspire the rest of the staff with their positive attitudes—and their superb sense of style. I consistently turn to various members of their team for tips, and at a meeting yesterday, Whitney’s nails caught my eye.
Click through for the close up!
It was obvious at first glance that her superb nail...
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California Love in a Bottle: Benefit's Sun Beam
I get particularly bummed during winter in New York. As a California girl, I crave sunlight pretty much year-round. Since living in Manhattan means overcast skies and minimal doses of vitamin D (plus very sad and unfortunate ashy skin), I’m always looking for something to perk up my complexion. This afternoon, Benefit’s Sun Beam highlighter landed on my desk, and I can’t tell...
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The Best Dark Chocolate on the Planet:...
You wouldn’t know it from how much we talk about cookies, but Birchbox staffers are a pretty healthy bunch. We love our veggies and mind-clearing workouts, and are always up to try the latest fitness class or nutrition bar. Which is why we have new regular column: Well-Balanced. Check back weekly for our latest wellness obsession.
It’s a well-documented fact, that I am a Cookie Monster of...
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Slough It Off: You've Got Male
birchboxman:
Some guys use whatever soap is in the shower. Others carefully consider the field and select the best option. Eric, our resident grooming god, falls in the latter camp. Once a week, he’ll be sharing his product findings and lifestyle tips.
Although we here in NYC are currently in the midst of winter, it’s both important and encouraging to think toward summer when more skin...
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An Updated Version of the Smoky Eye Courtesy of...
Photo: fashionisingpictures.net
Haute couture has been showing in Paris this week, and we noticed a sexy new beauty look that popped up at Versace: an extra-bold, smoky cat eye with metallic accents.
Unlike the standard smoky look that finishes within the hollow of the eye, Versace’s version pushed the color out beyond the socket to the end of the brow. We loved that the primary color...
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Chanel's Runway Statement: The Faux Hawk Is So In
Photos: zimbio.com
There is just something so badass about pairing edgy hair with really ladylike clothing. Chanel took full advantage of that juxtaposition during yesterday’s spring 2012 couture show, which showcased gowns and gorgeous frocks galore (not to mention, 150 shades of blue), all paired with aerodynamic mohawks. Some were more extreme than others, but we especially loved the...
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DIY Hair: Braided Updo: TheGloss
TheGloss is one daily must-reads (right up there with the NY Times). We love the site’s witty approach to style and its smart and irreverent voice. We like the writing so much, in fact, that we’ll be featuring one of their posts each week here on the Birchbox blog.
Fun fact, I really only know how to do 2 hairstyles! When I don’t hot-roll my hair I generally braid it and twist it up....
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How Young is Too Young to Learn About Makeup?
Photo: mostphotos.com
A school in England has started a serious debate with parents and on the internet: how early is too early to be teaching girls about makeup?
Mount St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Leeds recently launched a series of hour-long makeup lessons aimed at its 14- and 15-year-old students. The classes, taught by a professional makeup artist, are meant to help boost the...
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Notable Quotables: Zooey Deschanel
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. We’ve been big fans of Ms. Deschanel and her website, Hello Giggles, for a while now, but this award season she’s been more in...
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Holy Guacamole: Jenna Chopped Off All Her Hair!
Jenna pre-cut and a teaser of the post-cut look.
Last week, Jenna, our senior marketing manager, starting talking about doing a drastic cut. Sick of her long strands, she started doing some research on pixies, sourcing photos of everyone from Carrie Mulligan to Michelle Williams. As someone who has lopped off 12 plus inches in one sitting before, I warned her to think beyond the here and now...
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Get On The Band-Wagon: Hairistocracy
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 feature Hairistocracy.
Photo: vogue.com
My latest hair obsession...
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Concealer Tip of the Day: Pat, Don't Rub!
We’re in the process of shooting February videos today, and we were lucky enough to score Neil Scibelli, a Jouer national makeup artist, to help us with a smoky eye tutorial. Obviously, good concealer is essential to making anyone look camera-ready. While we were prepping, we got a great tip from Neil: always pat your concealer in place. “I see so many people drag their finger under...
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Techtastic: Meet Becky!
We’re lucky to have a pretty extraordinary tech team. Not only are they computer geniuses, but they’re also incredibly cool. How often do you find a group of developers who are also ultra marathoners, solo outdoorsmen, and former cheerleaders? We rest our case. The lastest addition to the tech team, Becky, is no different. Find out why this Southern belle is so awesome.
Becky Case,...
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Fragrances for the Perfume-Phobe
As long as I can remember, I have never been into fragrance. I don’t like it on myself, on my significant other, or on the gentlemen sitting next to me on the subway. No matter how many perfumes I try, I always have the same reaction: it smells like rubbing alcohol. Even a single spritz is too much for me to handle. But every season, when I hear about fragrance launches from Calvin Klein, Kim...
Top 3 Winter Skin Saver Tips
Winter weather has finally hit the Northeast and Midwest and we’re more in need of moisturizer than ever. Watch our winter skin video for our favorite tips this season.
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Today's Obsession: Laura Mercier's Upcoming Polish...
Photo: glamour.com
More fun polish news for February! (Aside from the Hunger Games collection, which we are waiting for with bated breath.) The ladies at Glamour are reporting that Laura Mercier will soon release an all new line of shades for this season—the first full range of colors in a number of years. While Mercier has had a few one-off shades here and there, like the glittery dark purple...
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Around the Twitterverse
Even on our busiest days, we somehow make time to click on over to Twitter to see what is going on. What can we say? We’re tweet-happy! And seriously, you can learn a lot from Twitter. Like what Snooki looks like without bronzer and eyeliner—mind-blowing. Here, our favorite Twitter moments from this week.
First and foremost Snooki took the Internet by storm when she uploaded a picture of...
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Reading List: Hair Botox, Tuxedo Nails, No-Mascara...
Happy Friday! The forecast for this weekend says snow, which is a great excuse to cuddle up with your iPad or Kindle and a big mug of hot chocolate. Here are some of this week’s top stories to keep you company.
The editorial team at Birchbox are all huge fans of PBS’ Downton Abbey, the gossipy period drama set in Edwardian England. Compared to all the elaborate clothing (and hats!), the...
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Class Up Your Bathroom with C.O. Bigelow Shampoos...
The bathroom might not be as meticulously designed as your living room and bedroom, but that’s no reason to neglect it. I recently vowed to give my bathroom a style upgrade, starting with my shower. I swapped out my generic shampoo and conditioner for sleek bottles of C.O. Bigelow’s Lavender and Peppermint Shampoo and Conditioner. Their clean design and apothecary labels add a little class to my...
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Why Algae Can Save Your Skin: Ingredient Decoder
In the world of skincare, it can be hard to distinguish between fancy advertising and real results. But when all’s said and done, it all boils down to one thing: the ingredients. Every week, our resident skincare buff Mai will be separating the good from the bad, explaining how products work, and sharing her latest discoveries.
Photo: Algenist
Lately, beauty insiders have been raving...
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Packing List: Thailand
Dan, our Strategy and Operations Manager, is heading to Asia for an epic eight-day biking trip through Northern Thailand’s Golden Triangle, a section of the country near Laos and Cambodia. (On the way, he’ll make pit-stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, too.) To prep him for his adventure, which will include zooming from back-country roads to manic, traffic-filled cities, our editors...
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A Quick Primer on SOPA and PIPA
You may have noticed that many web sites like Wikipedia, WordPress, and Google were inaccessible and/or looking super weird with blacked out rectangles everywhere on Wednesday. In case you don’t know why, here’s a quick rundown on the two bills that caused those sites to shutdown in protest, as well as where things stand now.
What is SOPA?
The Stop Online Piracy Act is an...
