November 2012
7 tags
30-Second Hair Looks You Have to Try Right Now
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.
All I could manage to do over the last couple of days—other...
October 2012
4 tags
The French Secret to Flawless Foundation
How does one score Clémence Poésy’s perfected skin? Using this simple French trick. (Photo: polyvore.com)
You’ve picked out the perfect evening outfit, coiffed the hair, and masterfully painted on your cat eye. But no matter what you try, your foundation is streaky, your pores seem overly large and you can’t get rid of the splotchy redness all over your face. Your first...
6 tags
A Lesson in Cobalt for Beauty & Home: Guest...
Monique Valeris of home and design blog Decor Musings always has fantastic suggestions for how to spruce up your domestic space, but she’s also an avid beauty fan with a keen eye for products. Which is why she’s the perfect person to tell us how to meld our love of makeup and home design together. This week, she’s sharing her tips on the best beauty gifts for your house guests, the accent wall...
4 tags
Looking Good From Your Fingers to Your Toes: Guest...
Girl Around Town co-founders, Leigh Evans and Mary Cunningham, created an online community for women to talk about the latest in fashion, beauty, food, and more. The site boasts jet-setting writers who are based in Los Angeles, Houston, and New York, all of whom have the insider deets on the hottest things to do and see all over the globe.
All shoes can be found on piperlime.com; polishes are...
4 tags
Join the Birchbox Man Movember Team!
Ladies, it’s that time again: Movember is almost upon us! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the event, November marks a month-long initiative to help raise awareness for men’s health, with a special focus on prostate and testicular cancer research. Gents can participate by letting their whiskers grow all month in an effort to create a fancy (or totally terrifying) moustache.
...
2 tags
Happy Halloween!
Photo: endless-smartphone.blogspot.com
Whether you’re attending a chic costume party, trick-or-treating, or staying at home to watch your favorite horror flick, we hope you have a safe and happy Halloween.
And in case you’re a last minute planner or you just really want to get in the spirit, here’s all the Halloween inspiration you’ll need:
3 Chic Halloween Costume...
10 tags
No Joke: Mario Testino Shot Anna Wintour's...
Say cheese! Vogue’s EIC won’t let just anyone snap her pic. (Photos: broadwayworld.com)
Please file this under ridiculous, amazing, and ridiculously amazing: Mario Testino “shot” Anna Wintour’s passport photos. Yes, you read that right. [R29]
Can you actually shrink your pores? Facialist Joanna Vargas reveals the whole truth and nothing but the truth....
8 tags
Beauty Essentials to Make a Hotel Room Your Own:...
Monique Valeris of home and design blog Decor Musings always has fantastic suggestions for how to spruce up your domestic space, but she’s also an avid beauty fan with a keen eye for products. Which is why she’s the perfect person to tell us how to meld our love of makeup and home design together. This week, she’s sharing her tips on the best beauty gifts for your house guests, the accent wall...
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Makeup On The Go: Guest Blogger
Girl Around Town co-founders, Leigh Evans and Mary Cunningham, created an online community for women to talk about the latest in fashion, beauty, food, and more. The site boasts jet-setting writers who are based in Los Angeles, Houston, and New York, all of whom have the insider deets on the hottest things to do and see all over the globe.
I’m pretty diligent about my makeup application in...
3 tags
3 Stage Makeup Tricks to Steal for Everyday
While we dabble with over-the-top beauty looks once a year on Halloween, theater and television stars undergo major makeup transformations on a daily basis. So when we wanted advice on how to get more out of our daily makeup routine, we consulted TONY Award-winning actress Nikki James from The Book of Mormon and Smashbox lead makeup artist Lori Taylor. From befriending powder to selecting the...
11 tags
Resources To Help You Bounce Back After Sandy
Photo: huffingtonpost.com
If you were affected by Hurricane Sandy, check out The New York Times’ live coverage for up-to-the-minute information. We also recommend following @MTAInsider for details regarding public transportation and @ConEdison for developments on power restoration. [NYT, @MTAInsider, @ConEdison]
What’s a hurricane diet? Here’s a look at the eating habits that...
2 tags
Sandy's Impact Felt Across NY and the Eastern...
The New York City skyline last night after the power went out in lower Manhattan. (Photo: nytimes.com)
As many of you know, Birchbox HQ is based in Manhattan. Last night, as Hurricane Sandy barreled over us, record-breaking floods and power outages took over much of the city, leaving all of lower Manhattan and parts of the outer boroughs without electricity. This morning, we’re still...
4 tags
Want Serious Deals on Designer Duds? Visit Closet...
We love clothing and we love good deals, so obviously we were giddy when we came across the curated fashion resale site Closet Rich. Founded by Elizabeth Kott, the site’s merchandise runs the gamut, from $28 Reformation tanks to $299 Louboutins. We caught up with Kott to talk about the idea behind her burgeoning business and to pick up some savvy style tips for the rest of the fall...
6 tags
Why I Precleanse: Guest Blogger
Girl Around Town co-founders, Leigh Evans and Mary Cunningham, created an online community for women to talk about the latest in fashion, beauty, food, and more. The site boasts jet-setting writers who are based in Los Angeles, Houston and New York, all of whom have the insider deets on the hottest things to do and see all over the globe.
On any given day we put a lot of stuff on our faces:...
5 tags
The Top 3 Beauty Items Every Home Needs: Guest...
Monique Valeris of home and design blog Decor Musings always has fantastic suggestions for how to spruce up your domestic space, but she’s also an avid beauty fan with a keen eye for products. Which is why she’s the perfect person to tell us how to meld our love of makeup and home design together. This week, she’s sharing her tips on the best beauty gifts for your house guests,...
10 tags
Is 5-Free the New Standard For Nail Polish?
What’s missing in the latest nail polish formulas? Nothing that you’re going to miss. (Photo: about.com)
When nail polish was first created in France in the 1920’s, the formula was an adapted version of the glossy enamel used on cars. Eep! Thankfully, the formulas have come a long way since then. Over the past few years, we’ve seen many “3-free” formulas that...
7 tags
3 Simple Tips For Dark Polish: Mani Monday
As much as we love nail art, we’re better at admiring designs than coming up with them ourselves. That’s why we’ve enlisted Anna Norman, the smarty pants behind Glitter, She Wrote, to be a regular contributor. Every Monday, she’ll be sharing her latest lacquer inspiration—you won’t be satisfied with plain ol’ polish again.
With fall in full swing and Halloween just a couple days away, there’s no...
4 tags
Team Intros: Meet Melissa!
With her always sunny disposition, her impressive knowledge of every aspect of the company, and her incredible ability to know the name and life story of every single Birchbox employee, Melissa is the ultimate people person—we can’t believe we ever did without her here! Though she’d been working remotely from Boston, we were so glad that we convinced her to come to New York six months...
15 tags
Britney Spears at the Center of a Photoshop...
Is it just us or does Britney look a little…fake? (Photo: fashionetc.com)
After getting a little photoshop-happy with Britney Spears’ December cover, Lucky magazine issues a halfhearted public apology to its readers via Twitter. [Fashion Etc.]
Our Monday is off to an unusual start—Hurricane Sandy is rolling through NYC. If you’re curious what it looks like outside here, check...
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Birchbox's Hurricane Sandy Disaster Kit
A little more than a year ago, Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc on the eastern seaboard, and all of New York City shut down in preparation for it. Now the Mid-Atlantic and North Eastern parts of the US have been put on high alert for Hurricane Sandy. Don’t be caught unawares! In preparation for torrential downpours and hours-long blackouts, here’s what we’re stocking up on to get...
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Reading List: Dinner Party Tips From...
We know you don’t have oodles of time to browse through everything in the Birchbox blog and magazine each week. Here’s a short list of the top blog posts, articles, videos, and news that we don’t want you to miss out on. Read them while you’re cozied up on your couch or in between activities this weekend.
Behind The Scenes with Andrew Goetz of (MALIN+GOETZ): We snagged one of the co-founders of...
3 tags
Birthday S'Mores: Instagram of the Week
Every Friday, we’ll be posting our most popular Instagram from that week to give you another peek inside the Birchbox world. Check back here for more, and follow us on Instagram to see images like these every day!
If there is one thing aside from beauty products that can inspire excitement among Birchbox staffers, it’s treats. This week to celebrate the October birthdays in the office, we...
3 tags
Dispatch From Paris: Melvita Honey Bar
The ladies of JolieBox certainly know how to have a good time! While we’ve been bracing ourselves for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy here in Manhattan, the JolieBox team was celebrating the opening of the new Melvita boutique with massages, manicures, and an amazing wall of honey.
Coincidentally, Melvita happens to be one of our favorite French brands! Founded by a biologist and...
12 tags
Heidi Klum Is the Ultimate Queen of the Nile This...
Having previously dressed as a crow, an ape, and a skinless body, Heidi Klum seems to almost to be toning it down this year as Cleopatra. Almost. (Photo: graziadaily.co.uk)
Heidi Klum has always been known for her over-the-top Halloween costumes. This year, she’s giving away a sneak peek! [Grazia Daily]
The Coveteur celebrates its website relaunch with a party and video starring kids...
4 tags
3 Chic (and Easy!) Halloween Costume Ideas
Halloween is—gasp!—not really our favorite holiday. We have a hard enough time getting dressed in the morning let alone planning out an elaborate costume. But the main issue is that we never feel all that sophisticated on October 31. It’s tricky to come up with an idea that isn’t cliche (sorry, Audrey) and is also legitimately chic. This year, however, we’ve actually planned...
6 tags
Are You Sure You Know How To Wash Your Face?
When it comes to washing your face, conventional wisdom suggests that you lather up and rinse twice a day. But in the last two years of working at Birchbox, I’ve encountered enough quirky face-washing routines to know that not everyone follows the same path. One of the more memorable cleansing rituals I’ve come across is Eve Lom’s signature routine, which centers around the...
3 tags
Halloween Nail Art Ideas For Every Skill Level
Almost more than any other holiday, Halloween really lends itself to innovative, totally inspired nail art. Even if you’re not normally a nail art fan, if you’re dressing up in a costume, this is the perfect opportunity to go all out and get into the nitty-gritty details like your nails—mummy bandages, meet mummy fingertips. There’s lots of great inspiration out there (just...
4 tags
3 Surprising New Ways to Use Lip Gloss
Ever since I became a beauty writer, my tiny studio apartment has become the site of a lip gloss epidemic. The Container Store doesn’t make enough organizers to hold my stash, and recently I even started using an old tambourine to store extra glosses on my desk. Since there’s no way I’ll ever deplete my gloss supply, I tapped two pro makeup artists, Sarah Lucero and Reiva...
13 tags
OPI Launches A Short Film Starring....A Horse!
OPI releases a digital short that features a dance off between some seriously skilled individuals and, get this, the thoroughbred Lady in Black. [CocoPerez]
First the official lookbook was released, and now the entire Margiela for H&M collection (plus the prices!) are on view. [Refinery29]
When gel manis first came on the scene, it seemed to mark the end of chipped nails. Unfortunately,...
2 tags
Are Attractive People Less Independent?
A new study makes us wonder if pageant queens are more likely to have conformist personality traits. (Photo: People)
Attractive women are blessed with more than just good genes. Whether we like it or not, many of us also associate an attractive appearance with a bubbly, outgoing personality (maybe it’s a lingering memory of that one popular girl from high school).
According...
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5 Old School Scary Movies for Costume Inspiration
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.
I love old movies, I love scary movies,...
6 tags
Mani-spiration of the Day: Meredith's Polka Dot...
Unlike some of the more adventurous souls in our office, I like to keep my manis pretty simple. Extreme nail art totally intimidates me, even though I can appreciate the innovation of a jawbreaker mani or even an homage to Ryan Gosling. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised with Meredith’s dottie manicure from earlier this week—it’s like gateway nail art.[[MORE]]
Meredith used...
4 tags
Why I'm Giving Mineral Makeup Another Try
Like most women who’ve struggled with problematic skin, I’ve bounced around between many different foundations over the years. At some point I was convinced by a salesperson that mineral makeup was the solution to all my problems. Needless to say, using a loose mineral foundation didn’t make my skin clear up and didn’t cover my blemishes or acne scars.
Fast forward about seven years and I’m...
4 tags
Eyeliner 4 Ways with Sumita Contrast Eye Pencils
It doesn’t happen very often, but every once in a while, we encounter a beauty product that throws us for a loop. The latest? Sumita Contrast Eye Pencil in Ziba, a beguiling lime green. We’ve come to embrace navy and deep plum eyeliners, but even the boldest of us might balk at such a bright, citrus-y color. [[MORE]]
Since we love a good beauty challenge, we began playing around...
5 tags
Breast Cancer and Me: Guest Blogger
One of our favorite things about Melissa “Mellie” Davis’ blog, The Fat Apple, NYC, is its tagline: “Doing NYC in Plus Size Style.” Davis, a New York-based fashion insider, has her finger on the pulse of and trends—from the Food Network’s Wine & Food festival to the hottest new plus size lines. Best of all, she always finds a way to make gorgeous style for...
3 tags
The Ultimate Autumn Drink: The Great Pumpkin
Fall is my absolute favorite season, which means that anything that occurs in these few months—changing leaves, apple picking, Halloween—are all some of my favorite things. So leave it to Birchbox Man to tap into one of the quintessential elements of the season: delicious spiced libations.
Jim Meehan, managing partner of the posh speakeasy PDT in New York’s East Village, shared his recipe...
25 tags
First Pic of Jessica Biel's Wedding Dress Has Been...
Congrats to Justin and Jessica! (Photo: Fashionista.com)
Finally! The first pic of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s wedding are revealed—and we’re swooning over her Giambattista Valli dress! [Fashionista]
Natalie Portman’s Dior mascara ad banned in the U.K for retouching. [The Cut]
Kate Spade is launching a new, lower priced brand for younger women called Saturday. We...
5 tags
Driving in Style with Uber: Guest Blogger
One of our favorite things about Melissa “Mellie” Davis’ blog, The Fat Apple, NYC, is its tagline: “Doing NYC in Plus Size Style.” Melissa, a fashion insider here in New York, has her finger on the pulse of up-to-the minute events and trends—from the Food Network’s Wine & Food festival to the hottest new plus size lines launching this season. But best of...
2 tags
Naomi Campbell Launches a Reality Show, We...
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: talentmanagement.com)
Am I the only one...
5 tags
Birchbloggers: Share Your Halloween Costume, Hair,...
Get ready to trick or treat! We can’t wait for October 31st and want you to show us your best looks. (Photo: theeyeoffaith.files.wordpress.com)
It’s almost Halloween and we couldn’t be more excited. What’s not to love? Sweet treats and an excuse to wear wild and crazy makeup and hairstyles—this holiday is so up our alley.
In honor of the upcoming spookfest, we’re...
3 tags
5-Minute Makeovers for Hair, Skin and Face
We’re a perennially busy bunch here in the Birchbox office. Some days we go from early-morning workouts to dropping little ones at school to breakfast pow-wows with awesome new beauty brands to a full day of meetings in the office, and then back home for dinner and an hour of TV before we crash. (We’re exhausted just writing that sentence.) We know that many of you share the same...
19 tags
The Newest Target Collaborator? Prabal Gurung!
Come February, you’ll be able to dress like Kate Middleton, Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Zoe Saldana—for a fraction of the price! (Photo: stylecaster.com)
Prabal Gurung is designing an 80-piece collection for Target, set to launch in stores and online on February 10. [Stylecaster]
Nars opens up its second flagship boutique on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. [BellaSugar]
Here’s how to...
5 tags
Eye-catching Headphones, The New Accessory: Guest...
One of our favorite things about Melissa “Mellie” Davis’ blog, The Fat Apple, NYC, is its tagline: “Doing NYC in Plus Size Style.” Melissa, a fashion insider here in New York, has her finger on the pulse of up-to-the minute events and trends—from the Food Network’s Wine & Food festival to the hottest new plus size lines launching this season. But best of...
8 tags
Behind The Scenes with Andrew Goetz of...
(MALIN+GOETZ) is one of our all time favorite brands. True story: Katia and Hayley have been trying to work with them since they launched Birchbox all the way back in 2010. The NYC-based family business has an emphasis on simple products that work well, and the cult following that they’ve developed more than proves their potency. Walking into the (MALIN+GOETZ) stores you might think...
5 tags
Tough Mudder Challenge: Tri-State Edition
Three out of four of our Birchbox Tough Mudders!: Linden (left), Jereme (center), and Miko (right).
Our idea of hardcore is waking up before sunrise to attend a spin class, but a 45 minute sweat sesh on a bike is a cake walk compared to a Tough Mudder challenge. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Tough Mudders are events specially designed by British Special Forces that push entrants to...
3 tags
Dollars & Sense: Why This Grape-Derived Serum is...
Our pick of the week: Recently, we were bummed to learn that a daily glass of wine may not be so good for your health after all. While we’re not ready to renounce pinot noir just quite yet, we do know that the alcohol in wine can lead to a host of skin woes, from dehydration to redness and inflammation. So the best way to reap the antioxidant benefits of grapes (besides eating the fruit...
5 tags
Greenhouse: 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 week for their Mood Board, a collection of images they’re loving.
1. Glass Hanging Orb from Terrain 2. Recycled wine bottle & succulent 3. Will Henry Harvey trio from The Sill 4. Zenas Dane plant by The Sill 5. Wine Cork Planter with...
7 tags
My Must-Have Snack For a 60-Mile Bike Ride
My trusty steed: an adorable (and rugged?) blue Bilenky bike.
Many moons ago, in my pre-Birchbox days, I took a two week bike trip through Virginia with my good friend Geraldine. We called our epic journey Bikes and Biscuits, alluding to both our mode of transportation and the reward we expected to find at the end of each arduous climb. (Virginia is hilly. Very hilly.)
Now, I’m a snacker...
8 tags
Blood Splatter Nail Art: Mani Monday
As much as we love nail art, we’re better at admiring designs than coming up with them ourselves. That’s why we’ve enlisted Anna Norman, the smarty pants behind Glitter, She Wrote, to be a regular contributor. Every Monday, she’ll be sharing her latest lacquer inspiration—you won’t be satisfied with plain ol’ polish again.
Halloween is less than two weeks away. Have you planned your manicure...
14 tags
Congrats to Adele on Her Baby Boy!
The glamorous and soulful singer is now a new mom! (Photo: glamour.com)
Adele seems to have it all these days: multiple Grammy awards, a fiance, and now a newborn baby boy! [Glamour]
Still don’t have a Halloween costume? Pull together a truly unique (and inexpensive) one by heading to your nearest thrift store. [Refinery29]
Bidding a fond farewell to Hillary Clinton as she prepares to...
