Presenting the Latest Baked Good Trend: The Cronut
Our sweet tooth went into overdrive at just the thought of this new sugary creation. Last Friday, Soho-based bakery Dominique Ansel released this hybrid croissant-donut—aka “the cronut”—and New Yorkers literally ate it up (35 minutes after the bakery opened cronut inventory was sold out!). Obviously, now the Interwebz is blowing up about this baked good development, and we’re seriously considering getting up early tomorrow morning just to taste one.
And it seems that we’re not the only ones: someone highly dedicated to this flaky treat has made a support website called cronut.org for people to share the love or grieve about missing the last one in the shop.
What do you guys think about the cronut? Is it here to stay or another passing dessert trend (à la the cupcake)?
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UPDATE: I couldn’t resist. I hurried down to Dominique Ansel Bakery this morning at 7:45am and found myself in line with about 15 other people (and a TV crew for that matter) eagerly awaiting the chance to try the much-raved about cronut. At 8am, the bakery opened its doors and I snatched up a few to share with my co-workers. When I left around 8:15, the bakery only had 3 left and many cronut-hopefuls went home empty handed. If you’re looking to try one, arrive early! Also keep in mind that they have a limit of 6 cronuts per customer.
So what did it taste like? Very rich. It also had a sweet vanilla bean cream in the middle of its crisp and flaky layers, which was a nice surprise. I’m not sure I could eat a whole one, but I definitely enjoyed it. My verdict: cronuts are worth the hype. (Although, at $5 each, I won’t be buying one every day.)
Even when we can’t hop across the pond, our Birchbox counterparts in Europe keep us in the know with insider deets on the coolest goings-on. (Case in point: French pharmacy skincare must-haves). Every week, we’ll be sharing our favorite Instagrams from each of the four Birchbox teams so that you can travel the world without getting on a plane.
Senior Editor Beth from Birchbox UK journeyed out of London to visit subscriber-suggested hotspots in the northern city of Manchester, where she enjoyed afternoon tea at the Alice In Wonderland-inspired Richmond Tea Rooms!
It’s hard to believe that today marks the two year anniversary of my college graduation. In celebration, my four best friends and I are planning a reunion trip this Memorial Day weekend to Puerto Rico! I love New York City, but I’m super pumped to lay on a beach with my girlfriends far, far away from the concrete jungle. Here are some of the essentials that I’m bringing along for my trip:
COOLA is my favorite brand for anything SPF related. I’m indian, so I tan quick (understatement)! So it’s super important for me to carry a powerful SPF product when I’m in the sun and this one is great because it doesn’t feel heavy or leave any white residue on your face.
I tend to rock third day hair while on vacation, so carrying a dry shampoo with me is crucial. Klorane’s is great because it also adds texture to my hair—perfect for beachy waves.
If the past year in nail art has taught us anything, it’s that the accent nail is a must. Whether covered in bold and textured polishes or glue-on studs, shinning the spotlight on one finger is a fresh fun look. But with all the buzz surrounding manicures, we seem to have missed an opportunity to bring our feet in on the fun.
This sandal season, all that is going to change. For summer, make your pedi wow-worthy by embracing the hottest new trend: the statement toe.
When I was a little girl, I had a tradition on Sunday nights with my dad. After family dinner, we’d drive to my local Walgreen’s and hang out in the aisles. While he’d flip through the latest magazines, I would pore over the pens and pencils—scouting out any new additions that could potentially join my school bag lineup.
It sounds a little strange to hang out in the pen aisle, I know, but I swear that while I was growing up in the ’90s, there was some very serious pen innovation happening. Every week something new could pop up that would blow your mind. I got to take part in the era of Lisa Frank, multi-color and glitter-friendly gelly rolls, and who could forget the squiggle pen? Which is all a very nostalgic way of saying that I have had a fairly long love affair with pens—and that I am very picky when it comes to what I actually like.
For those of us not lucky enough to be born into the high status life of Panem’s Capitol, soon we can get the look of The Hunger Games’s elite thanks to Covergirl’s upcoming Capitol Collection, which is slated to hit stores this fall. But like the games themselves, the details regarding the collection are hush hush.
If the name and preview images (like the one above) are any indication, we’ll probably see products inspired by the outrageous and high couture looks often worn by the Capitol’s residents.The only question is how extreme they’ll go—bright purple lipstick? Large, delicate false paper lashes? Neon green eyeshadow?
What products do you hope to see from The Hunger Games universe?
Spring and summer events (read: weddings) always pose some hair conundrums for me. I want to look polished, but don’t have the time (or skill, frankly) to master some elaborate style. I’d rather be celebrating! That’s why I’m so in love with this new updo that Noelle Chen, stylist and SHU UEMURA Art of Hair Director of Education, showed editor Meredith and I a few weeks ago at the Dop Dop Salon in SoHo. The finished product looks like you’ve gotten your hair done professionally, but it takes less than ten minutes to achieve. If you can do a basic three-strand braid, you can do this. And if you’re so inclined, you can also add your own twist with fishtail braids, a four strand braid, etc. The the sky’s the limit. Watch below:
—Lorelei
Noelle used SHU UEMURA Art of Hair products to achieve this look. Find our favorites, including the products she used for this style, in the Birchbox Shop.
As an Asian woman, I find it impossible to follow the instructions in conventional smoky eye tutorials. My attempts to fill in my crease always end in a string of expletives. And it’s not because I don’t have a crease; my eyelids actually have multiple creases. This is pretty common among people of Chinese heritage—they’re traditionally known as “double eyelids,” though the term is now used interchangeably for surgically altered eyes. I’ve always embraced my natural eye shape, but for years I stuck to liner because eyeshadow was just too confusing.
After watching editor Candice’s Asian eye makeup video, I was inspired to experiment more with eyeshadows. Read on for a five-step gradient smoky-eyed tutorial for Asian multi-crease eyes. I devised this look through tons of trial and error—it’s subtle enough to wear to work and requires a minimal amount of time.
![Estée Lauder’s Modern Fragrance, Beyoncé Officially Not Pregnant, and More
Estée Lauder’s first fragrance in nearly a decade skips the middle note entirely. [Refinery 29]
Sorry Beyoncé fans – Bey and Jay and are not expecting a second child (for now). [MTV]
Apparently Gwyneth isn’t the only one rockin’ the side butt trend this year. [The Cut]
Our kitchens are about to see a lot more action thanks to these adorable single-subject cookbooks. [Kickstarter]
An 18-year-old woman invents a device that can charge a cell phone in 20 seconds. We can’t thank her enough. [NBC]
Here are 15 uses for duct tape that can help you on your way to better health and fitness. Who knew? [Greatist]
– Bre
Self-confessed contouring addict and Birchbox staffer Deepica shares her tips for an everyday contour look.
(Photo: WWD)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/cf6f6b54632a1e445bd9a2d315196ed5/tumblr_mn4aoyiH9M1qbz3xno1_500.jpg)
![Yahoo! Acquires Tumblr for $1.1 Billion, Celeb Makeup Artists On Instagram, and More
Tumblr officially announced this morning that Yahoo! will purchase the blogging platform for $1.1 billion. Keep calm and carry on. [Tumblr]
Get long and limber no matter where you are with this handy “yoga on the fly” poster. [Well + Good NYC]
A roundup of the 15 must-follow celebrity makeup artists. [Beauty High]
Like makeup, skincare products have expiration dates too. Find out when to hold on to your serums and when to say goodbye to your masks. [BellaSugar]
Take a cue from these red carpet pros for your best prom ‘do. [Allure]
Spring weather means frizzy hair, but here’s how to get a handle on it with these 10 fool-proof products. [SheFinds]
– Bre
Find out why essentials oils are the best way to freshen up your home this spring.
(Photo: Marissa Mayer’s Tumblr)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/37d5b89aa26c8c1c4650efd80b7bd433/tumblr_mn3nwtT61c1qbz3xno1_r1_500.gif)
