April 2012
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We're Loving Olivia Wilde's Makeup-Free Look
Photo: glamour.com
A quick shout-out to the Girls in the Beauty Department over at Glamour. They scouted this picture of Olivia Wilde looking fresh-faced and oh-so-pretty at last week’s Tribeca Film Festival Awards. The star, who appears in the upcoming film Rush (due out in 2013), went makeup free to a night event—and we have to say we’ve got an even bigger girl crush on her now...
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The Ultimate Birchbox Manicure: 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 week for Nailing It, Birchbox’s dedicated polish series.
There’s been a lot of buzz around the Zoya Birchblogger...
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You’re Engaged! Now, What?: Guest Blogger
Google alum Brit Morin is the founder of Brit & Co., an online lifestyle brand that covers tech, DIY, beauty, food…basically all our favorite things. Now she’s launched Weduary, a super-cool app that makes getting married as easy as ordering from Seamless Web. It lets couples construct a custom site in just four steps and even leverages Facebook’s social graph to help with...
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VIDEO: 5 Tips For Using Mineral Makeup
Alima Pure Mineral Eyeshadows are one of our latest (and greenest) discoveries. Watch our video to learn why they’re so great, and get a few tips for applying them without any mess. Let us know in the comments: do you love mineral shadows as much as we do?
—Lorelei
Find more information about Alima Pure eyeshadows in the Birchbox Shop.
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Win a Trip to LA or NYC for You and a Friend to...
We know you’re excited about our May “Gossip Girl” Birchboxes but there’s another very important event on the horizon: the “Gossip Girl” season finale on May 14th! We’re throwing awesome viewing parties in New York and Los Angeles and we want you to come! All you have to do is enter our video contest.
Here’s how it works:
1. Watch this video
2....
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The 10 Best Beauty Looks From '90s TV Shows
Even though we run the risk of dating ourselves, we’ll happily admit that we grew up during one of the best decades of the last century: the ’90s. Who could forget the brilliance that was T.G.I.F. (the Friday night TV lineup, not the restaurant), boy bands in baggy clothes, and of course, scrunchies. In honor of the beauty looks that inspired some of our best (and worst) outfits, here...
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Reading List: Zooey Deschanel's New Campaign,...
It’s the last weekend in April, which means May flowers are just around the corner and rain showers are (hopefully!) behind us. Before you get to your weekend plans, read our favorite stories from around the web. It was quite a week in hair news and the end of an era for one fashion industry mainstay, so you won’t want to miss this week’s list.
Photo: Pantene North America...
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Rainy Day Pick-Me-Ups: 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.
1. whowhatwear.com 2. cutefoodforkids.com 3. wwd.com 4. etsy.com 5. makingitlovely.com
Is it just us, or is it impossible to get out of bed these days? More likely than not,...
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Dollars & Sense: Why This Exfoliating Mitt Beats a...
Our pick of the week: Back in our pre-Birchbox days, we thought exfoliation was synonymous with harsh scrubs or grubby washcloths that felt like sandpaper on our skin. Now we know that’s so old school. Thanks to the help of gentle exfoliators like MicrodermaMitt’s Face Mitt, we can get a smooth complexion without stripping away a whole layer of skin—cue happy dance.
Inspired by...
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Try This At-Home Spa Facial!
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.
This weekend marked my sixth move in eight years. You’d...
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3 Sneaky Things That Might Be Messing With Your...
This week I had my monthly facial at the Dermalogica Academy (which is definitely worth trying if you’re near a location) and discovered a few things that are messing with my skin from my specialist, Renee. Unlike the usual suspects (sleeping in makeup, not exfoliating enough, etc.), I never saw these coming.
1. Not Enough Protein
As a vegetarian for 10+ years, I’m pretty used to being asked...
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Have You Seen Scarlett Johansson's New Tattoo?
Photo: entertainmentwise.com
While promoting her soon-to-be-released movie The Avengers, Scarlett Johansson has been showing off a fascinating new tattoo. The New York City native is giving a permanent shout out to her hometown with a delicate design on her wrist: a thin bracelet with a single charm that says ” I <3 NY.” Click through to see it up close!
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Photo:...
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Team Intros: Meet Danielle!
When Danielle came on board, it was a dream come true for our email marketing team (which was a lonely team of one before her arrival). Since starting, she’s been wowing us with her eye for detail and her strong work ethic. From proofing promo codes to ensuring that product images are perfect, we can’t thank her enough for her diligence—and you can thank her for for helping to light up...
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Get A Head Start This Mother's Day! Spend $50+ On...
No matter how much we love our moms (and thats A LOT) we often wait until the last minute to get her something fabulous for Mother’s Day. Birchbox to the rescue! Today we’re giving 50 Bonus Birchbox Points when you shop our Mother’s Day Gift Guide! All you have to do is ‘Like’ us on Facebook and we’ll share a promo code! If you’re already a fan,...
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What's On The Birchbox Staffers' Desks: Take Your...
As you probably saw earlier, it’s Take Your Kids to Work Day and we were quick to put the little ones to work. In addition to writing product reviews, we knew they’d be perfect for the task of official Birchbox decorators. For this special edition of What’s On The Birchbox Staffers’ Desks, we’re sharing some pictures of their work station, as well as a few of the...
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Calling All Bloggers: How Will You Wear the Zoya...
As you may have noticed, we’re very excited about our just-launched Zoya Blogger Collection. For a little background on the collection, click here and check it out in the Birchbox Shop. We’re also giving you the chance to win a set for yourself! Enter by writing a blog post featuring your current favorite manicure (simple, nail art, color-blocked—anything is fair game).
Make sure to...
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Chanel's New Polish Video Lets The Hands Do All...
For the past few seasons, Chanel’s polish videos have become as hotly anticipated as the shades themselves (well, almost). Remember this cute little number from last September? This morning, Peter Philips, Chanel’s creative director for makeup, released a brand new video exclusively with T Magazine that showcases the latest collection.
[[MORE]]The video takes a slightly different...
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Take Your Kids To Work Day: Guest Product Review!
Today is Take Your Children to Work Day and we have plenty of super cute, super smart kiddos running around the office. One of them, Alex V., the niece of our CFO, was kind enough to write a review of her new favorite hand cream for us.
Alex V., Age 10
Güd Pearanormal Activity Pear & Acai Berry Hand Cream: The Güd Hand Cream makes your hands incredibly soft. It includes shea butter, which...
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What's This Yellow Stuff On Kim Kardashian's Face?
Photo: nydailynews.com
From the looks of this picture that Kim Kardashian tweeted, it would seem as if she had an unfortunate run-in with a highlighter. But don’t be fooled, these crazy yellow streaks are actually a trick that makeup artist Mary Phillips used on the celeb. Find out more details by clicking through![[MORE]]
The yellow marks all over Kim’s face are none other than a...
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Serena or Lily: Whose Blonde Do You Like Better?
Photo: cwtv.com
I have major blonde ambition. The last few times I’ve gone to get highlights, I’ve left feeling like they could have been a lot brighter and bolder. I’m almost due for another color sesh, but this time I’m going to do my homework and bring a photo with me of the exact shade I want.
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Perhaps because I have blonde on the brain, during Monday...
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Mani-Matching with Galaxy Nails
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.
For as long as I can remember,...
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Community Spotlight: Sister, Sister
Besides Tumblr, one of our favorite places to hang out online is Twitter. While chilling in the twitterverse the other day, we came across a tweet from Amanda Lucas that caught our attention. Amanda lives in Hyde Park, New York and her sister lives in South Bend, Indiana. Each month the Lucas sisters open their Birchboxes together on Skype! This is obviously the cutest thing we’ve ever...
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Eleventh Gorgeous Shows Us How to Color Block With...
Affordable fashion and beauty blog EleventhGorgeous is always a source of inspiration for us (living in NYC, we’re on a serious budget!). But we especially like that the site is run by a dynamic sister duo, Tracy and Stefanie Barton. The stylish siblings created a custom color for our Birchbox Blogger set—check out how they plan to wear the shade all season long below.
Right now, we are...
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Do You Feel Beautiful? Study Finds Only 1 in 8...
Photo: girlgetstrong.com
A recent study done by Dove Skincare has revealed some fascinating insights into how women perceive themselves and their own beauty. Here’s the good news: 78 percent of ladies surveyed want to see “real women” in beauty ads instead of celebrities and adolescent girls. Win! But here’s the bad news: the study also found that only one in eight...
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Fashion Startup Quincy Give Business Casual a...
Quincy is a new fashion site aiming to up the style ante in workplaces around the country. With its unique approach to sizing, Quincy is re-imagining business casual, and giving women better fitting, beautifully tailored options (at affordable prices). We chatted with co-founder Christina Wallace to learn more about how they distinguish themselves from other e-commerce brands and their favorite...
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How Kate of The Small Things Wears Her Custom Zoya...
We were thrilled when one of our favorite bloggers, Kate of The Small Things, decided to create a mood board earlier this spring and enter our Zoya Custom Polish Sweepstakes. As soon as the voting started, it was clear that her gorgeous grapefruit shade was a fan fave. Now you snag this on-trend shade for yourself—grab the limited edition collection from our Shop! Here’s how Kate wears her...
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Charlotte Free’s Huge New Makeup Campaign
P’trique, the fashion genius behind Sh*t Fashion Girls Say, is back with some HUGE news about Charlotte Free, aka the model with pink hair. Watch the cute video above to find out which major brand tapped her to be their spokesmodel. Tell us in the comments what you think!
—Lorelei
Find the brand new Zoya Blogger collection by Birchbox in our the Birchbox Shop!
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Ashley Greene's Beauty Regrets: Notable Quotables
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 we came across this quote by Ashley Greene, the lovely star of Twilight, and we couldn’t help but feel she might be our kindred...
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Self Magazine's 2012 Healthy Beauty Awards: Dr....
Health and beauty: a winning combo, no? At this morning’s Self Magazine 2012 Healthy Beauty Awards, the theme was products that make you look and feel amazing.
The event, held at the Museum of Modern Art, revealed 89 winners across the categories of face, makeup, nails, sun, hair, and body—from Top Acne Spot Solution (hello, Yes to Tomatoes Clear Skin Spot Stick) to Best Deep Conditioner...
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Products I Can’t Quit: Founder Edition Part Deux
Birchbox staffers have been known to play the beauty field. With so many fun samples floating around, can you blame us for having a hard time committing? Then again, when we find something we love, we stick to it. In this new feature, we’ll be asking Birchbox staffers to share the products they just can’t quit. Next up, co-founder, Hayley.
Hayley, Birchbox Co-founder
Beauty profile: Dry skin,...
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What Beauty Essential Could You NEVER Go Without?
Jessica Biel, sans makeup. We’re going to give this barefaced look a try sometime soon. Really! (Photo: bittenandbound.com)
It’s a well-established fact that Birchbox staffers are beauty addicts. There’s only so long you can work in an office with endless samples of nail polish, mascara, and lipsticks before every new color and item is something you swear you can’t live...
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The Next Big Natural Makeup Trend: Mascara!
A few weeks ago, I sat down with one of our favorite natural beauty experts, Melisse Gelula from Well & Good NYC, to get her thoughts on switching to a more eco-friendly skincare routine. In addition to chatting about her must-try products, we also got to talking about natural makeup trends. According to Melisse, “The next thing to look for is mascara. Pretty much every natural company that...
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Bianca's Natural Hair: 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 Hairistocracy column.
Over the past couple weeks, we’ve all had our...
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The Wait Is Over: Shop Our Limited Edition Zoya...
Fina-freakin-ly! Our Zoya Blogger Collection is now on sale, but only while supplies last. If you’re not up to speed on this limited edition trio, here’s the deal: each shade is the creation of a blogger we know and love. We’ve got a stunning coppery pink courtesy of Capitol Hill Style, a gorgeous grapefruit from The Small Things, and a to-die-for tangerine thanks to Eleventh...
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Birchblogger Winners + Enter to Win a $1000...
We’ve been huge fans of Jurlique since we started working with the brand last year. From their eco-conscious packaging and their all-natural skincare to their proactive efforts to reduce their energy consumption, the company is an impressive green role model. Last week we asked you what Jurlique products you love or can’t wait to try. We choose three lucky bloggers to be published...
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KeSARI's Ayurvedic-Inspired Skincare
In my former life, I did a lot of spa reviews. (Tough gig, I know.) In the space of a few years, I went from being a newbie who had never had a facial to a veteran who could easily parse the differences between thalassotherapy and hot stone massage. During that time, traditional Ayurvedic spa therapies became a huge trend, both in luxe Indian retreats and much closer to home. What I love about...
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OMFG! Dior and Ojon Spotted in May's "Gossip Girl"...
If you’ve been following this blog, you know that we’re big “Gossip Girl” fans. Beyond our borderline obsession with Serena’s hair, we also love the show’s high-stepping fashion and beauty looks. Which is why we’re so excited to be teaming up with “Gossip Girl” for our May Birchbox. We worked with the show’s genius grooming team to pick...
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Get Kristen Wiig's Tribeca Film Fest Look
Photo: justjared.com
Kristen Wiig is one of our favorite comediennes. The SNL star is smart, sassy, and gorgeous—but what’s best about her is that she can go be ladylike and feminine one minute, and then let loose and be completely ridiculous the next. (For reference, please see Bridesmaids.) It’s a skill that we all wish we could master.
At this weekend’s Tribeca Film...
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VIDEO: Revamped Spring Skincare
May flowers aren’t the only thing April brings; you should also be introducing a new skincare routine this spring. The change in weather is an excellent excuse to take a hard look at your routine and update your products. Watch our video to learn more!
Check out the latest additions to the Birchbox Shop!
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Happy Earth Day! We're Planting Trees!
Happy Earth Day! At Birchbox, we’re committed to helping you discover products while minimizing waste. All our Birchboxes are 100 percent recyclable and made with recycled and sustainably sourced materials. We also offset all the carbon emissions from our shipping through Carbonfund.org. In honor of Earth Day, we’re pledging to plant one tree for every “like” we get on...
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Yes To's Inspiring Yes to Hope Campaign
Earth Month is a great time to recommit to the environment, but I’m more in awe of companies that illustrate that year-round. One of our newest brand partners, Yes To, has been making philanthropy a priority since they launched the company in 2006. (Fun fact: in the short time since they started, they’ve become the second biggest natural beauty company in the United States.) This month, they’re...
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Spring Into Urban Decay's Summer Brights: Nailing...
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.
One thing that I can’t live without during summer is a well-rounded...
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Woot! The Zoya Blogger Collection is Here!
Remember our Zoya Custom Polish Sweepstakes from earlier this spring? If you’re blanking, we forgive you. Here’s a refresher: we tapped top beauty bloggers to create mood boards inspired by their favorite spring/summer shades. Then, we turned things over to our Facebook fans and asked them to vote for their top three boards. The Zoya polish gurus took those boards and turned them...
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Reading List: Mila Without Makeup, MAC + Carine,...
It’s Friday, Friday. Gotta get down on Friday. Okay, do you have Rebecca Black’s crazy catchy song stuck in your head? Good. Now you’re ready for the weekend. Before you jet off to all your fun plans, read a few of our favorite stories this week.
Photo: WWD
Today, MAC announced their latest limited edition collection and it’s a doozy—they’ll be partnering with...
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Today's Obsession: Earth-Friendly Makeup
In honor of the 42nd annual Earth Day this Sunday, I’m updating my makeup collection to include more earth friendly, natural products. Luckily, there are plenty of green options out there that still manage to satisfy my inner glam girl’s demands. Click through to learn about the three essentials I’m using to get a foolproof weekend look![[MORE]]
Alima Pure™ Eyeshadow. These...
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How to Get Retro Curls: Guest Blogger
If you’re like us, you really enjoy trying new hairstyles. Whenever we need inspiration, we visit Stephanie Brinkerhoff’s creative and brilliant Utah-based blog, Hair and Makeup By Steph. Brinkerhoff is a hair genius and this week, she’s sharing all her best styling tips, from how to look like you were born with curls to creating perfect waves with your flat iron.
1. Start by creating a deep...
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Hint of Gold: 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.
1. oncewed.com 2. apresskishop.com 3. pinterest.com/rebekahreid 4. 26.media.tumblr.com 5. 80spurple.com
Glimmering gold accessories are a quick way to give us a touch of...
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The Fragrance of Amour: Blumarine's Innamorata
Photo: WWD
Struggling to tell your boyfriend how you really feel? Start wearing this fragrance and he might get the hint. Innamorata is the newest fragrance from Italian design house Blumarine, and is designed to be worn when you’re in love. The fragrance includes fruity top notes, middle notes of ylang ylang and magnolia, and base notes of benzoin, creamy musk, and cashmeran. It was...
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Halle Berry's New Look is Giving Us Curl Envy
Photo: dailymail.co.uk
We’re loving the gorgeous curls that Halle Berry was rocking earlier this week at dinner with her fiance, Oliver Martinez. It’s such a fun departure from the signature close-cropped look that she’s been wearing for the last couple of years. While Berry’s new shoulder-grazing look was actually achieved with extensions, we’re big fans of...
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How to Get Your Dream Hair Color (Hint: Bring a...
When it comes to getting the hair color you want, the key is being as specific as possible. Don’t just tell your stylist that you want highlights—explain the kind of look you’re going for (high-contrast and edgy, natural and beachy etc.) and bring plenty of picture examples.
[[MORE]]When Alexz L., on our amazing beauty partnerships team, decided that she wanted to lighten up for...
