Despite the dubious weather in NYC this week, spring is officially here—and with it our vacation ambitions. Check out the amazing shot of Nicole Richie in Glamour below. Doesn’t that just make you want to head to the beach? Whether you’re actually somewhere sandy or just dreaming of it this weekend, brush up on our favorite news below.
- Dior just launched two limited edition polishes and they’re perfect for a little beach getaway. The only question now is which one to wear this weekend! [She Finds]
- You already know Katy Perry is extra-adventurous when it comes to her beauty looks, and that she never met a nail art design she didn’t like. We’re loving the 3D nail art design she tweeted the other day, despite how impractical it is. [Glamour.com]
- Earlier this week we shared the story of the teen from Maine petitioning Seventeen to include just one non-photoshopped feature a month. We learned yesterday that Seventeen declined to accept her challenge. Come on, guys! [Jezebel]
- Miley Cyrus debuted a new ombre hair color the other day, plus pictures of her getting her hair done with her puppy. Aside from the adorable dog, we’re not sure how we feel about the hair. [Huffington Post]
- In the June issue of Glamour, Nicole Richie revealed that if she wasn’t running her own fashion empire, she’d want to be a hairstylist. We can’t deny the girl’s hair always looks fierce, but we might be taken aback if we found her giving us a blowout. [Fashion etc]
—Lorelei
Trying to catch up on all the news from the last month? Check out these other reading lists.
Production of our special “Gossip Girl” Birchboxes is underway! We took a field trip to our warehouse to see how things were going and it was crazytown to see rows upon rows of sophisticated black boxes. Usually it’s a sea of bright pink, but in honor of our collaboration, we decided to amp up the drama. Very appropriate for “Gossip Girl,” no?
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The dynamic duo behind Beauty Bender, Kathryn Romeyn and Alexis Johnson, have an impeccable eye for deciphering up-and-coming cosmetics trends and finding experts to give the lowdown on how to wear them. (It must be the decade’s worth of magazine curating experience they have between them.) We can’t get enough of their gorgeous site, and happily, for a whole week they’re sharing all of their beauty insight on our blog!
1. Lip Balm
Still produced with the same formula as in 1899, when the company started, Bag Balm is our hands-down secret weapon. The emollient, antiseptic ointment is unparalleled for softening hands, feet, and most especially lips.
It’s hard to find a lip product that doesn’t just moisturize and plump, but adds the perfect tinge of color, includes SPF, and smells incredible—but doesn’t taste like anything. This balm contains technology that tints everyone’s lips differently, in concert with their distinct chemistry. Turns out, it’s addictive.
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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 primped when she’s both at home or on the road with her bff, Drake.
Photo: style.com
Vivid prints and patterns are totally my thing, which is why I can never seem to leave the house without a bright chevron knit from Missoni. One of my favorite looks for spring/summer 2012 is this dress (above) by Etro. I’m obsessed with the color combination, and as soon as I saw it, I started to think about what makeup would go well with it.
Summer = sun-kissed skin = the perfect palette to work with. All I can think about is coral lips and shimmer everything! Here are my picks to get that easy-breezy summer look:
Eyes
Stila Sparkle Liquid Eye Liner in “Royal”
Face
Too Faced Peach Leopard Brightening and Perfecting Bronzer
Lips
Dior Addict Lip Polish in “Glow Expert”
Nails
Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in “Mermaid’s Dream”
Searching for a way to get the summer glow even when it’s cold out? Try this sheer, glowy luminizer from RMS.
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 primped when she’s both at home or on the road with her bff, Drake.
When it comes to my everyday makeup, I tend to keep things pretty simple. If my skin isn’t having ‘a moment,’ I can skip foundation and get away with just dabbing on some concealer and bronzer. But I always make sure to fill my brows and apply a coat of mascara—I definitely feel naked without those. These are the products I use on a daily basis:
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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 primped when she’s both at home or on the road with her bff, Drake.
No face is complete without bronzer. A faux glow brightens up a dull visage, and gives your face instant warmth. I prefer matte bronzers during the fall and winter, and shimmer during the summer or when I have an amazing tan. Sometimes, I even dust a matte bronzer over my entire face and use the shimmer bronzer as a highlighter.
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Sometimes, our greatest inspirations for new looks come from the past. Which is why we love The American Vernacular, a recently launched (it started last November!) online vintage store with fantastic, bygone-era inspired taste. Each piece on the site comes with information about its brand history, written by TAV’s owner and founder, Bryn Lander. This week, Bryn shares her vintage style secrets with us and gives the downlow on how to score those glam, leading lady looks.
Top: Twiggy, Jane Fonda, Mia Farrow, Barbara Streisand
Bottom: Edie Sedgwick, Diana Ross, Jean Shrimpton, Brigitte Bardot
Sixties culture was defined by the baby boomers who were just starting to come of age. Designers like Mary Quant, Courrèges, Pierre Cardin, Rudi Gernreich, Emilio Pucci, Bonnie Cashin, Givenchy, and the House of Biba challenged every tradition of fashion design and created the miniskirt, bold Warhol- and Mondrian-inspired prints, and dresses made of materials like plastic and paper. My favorite ’60s films that best showcase the looks of the era are Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), The Birds (1963), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Graduate (1967), and Rosemary’s Baby (1968).
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Who says beauty is all superficial? Come spring, Dior will release a collaboration with the esteemed contemporary German painter and sculptor, Anselm Reyle. The beauty portion of the collection includes a limited edition eyeshadow palette (the shades come in a very sassy camo-print) and five different eye-catching polishes (you’ll be hard pressed to pick a favorite). Much like the artist’s other works, these pieces don’t come cheap: the palette costs a steep $110 while each lacquer is a pricey $23. But relatively speaking, that’s a small price to pay for a work of art, so get ready to pounce as soon as these items become available next month at Saks Fifth Avenue and on dior.com.
—Meredith
If you can’t wait to get your bright-polish fix, order one of these vibrant Zoya shades.
Dior Velvet Eyes, $59, sephora.com
There are plenty of people on staff who are great at applying eyeliner—but I am not one of them. I am long overdue for a tutorial from Lorelei, who is a pro at the cat eye look, but even with her expert tutelage, I know I’ll need a lot of practice.
In the meantime, I could test out Dior’s brand-new Velvet Eyes, a set of multi-wear eyeliner appliqués made from velvet. The four looks are definitely best suited for risk-takers (some have Swarovski crystals) or makeup mavens, but I adore the concept: just peel off the silicone backing and adjust them to your eye shape. While they are sticky to begin with, the kit also comes with glue if you want a rock solid hold. When you’re done, simply peel them off your eyes and place them back on the sheet.
What do you think of this idea? Would you be up for trying these fancy stickers?
—Meredith
If you’d rather the real deal, pick up stila’s Stay All Day Liquid Liner.
As the end of summer nears, I’m trying my best to forget that soon it will be time to retire the bright yellow polish I’ve been using (ahem, overusing) all season. Luckily, Dior is bringing us a trio of new nail color options for fall. There’s Tuxedo, a shimmery dark navy; Blue Denim, a creamier blue; and of course, Beige Safari, a creamy nude that adds simple elegance. They’re $21 each, which means I probably won’t be splurging on all three, but I do have my eye on Blue Denim.
We’re all about coordinating our nails with our wardrobe, and can’t wait to rock a pair of skinny jeans and one of the new blue shades on all ten digits. Would you wear a denim-colored lacquer on your nails? Comment and let us know, and tell us which new shade is your favorite in the poll below!
—Shana
More of a neutral girl? Check out the Zoya Touch Collection, a Cynthia Rowley favorite and newcomer to our Birchbox Shop.
