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All The Pretty Things: 4 Treats to Gift Yourself

Let’s face it: Even if you have someone special to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, there’s a good chance of disappointment when it comes to presents. Case in point: My ex-boyfriend once gifted me a stock pot. It was well-intended, really—I love to cook and had recently gone on a soupy stint—but it didn’t exactly scream romance.

Sometimes, it’s just better to treat yourself. (That way, it’s easier to feign excitement over those gas-station carnations).

We’ve sold out of our We Heart Collection, a limited edition box filled with beauty keepsakes and customer-approved best sellers. But don’t worry. We’ve singled out a few of our prettiest products, from a gorgeous PAUL & JOE compact to an eight-shade contouring set from beauty veteran Manna Kadar, that make perfect treats to gift yourself.

Go ahead—you deserve it.

Model Beauty: A Celebration of Cara Delevingne’s Eyes

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.

(Photo: Melissa Bentley/Pinterest)

Cara Delevingne (pronounced De-le-veen) is officially the model of the moment. A few months ago, Fashionista revealed that the 20-year-old British stunner walked in a whopping 53 shows during the spring 2013 runway season. That’s a lot of strutting!

So, why does every iconic fashion designer and acclaimed photographer want to work with her? Besides being a total charmer in front of the camera (have you seen her Shania Twain impression?) her features are spellbinding—especially those eyes. If you’re looking for some weekend beauty inspiration, here are six delightful Delevingne gazes worth replicating.

3 Stunning Looks to Try to Celebrate Auld Lang Syne

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.

Although my go-to party look is a super-smoky cat eye and a rich rouge pout, some occasions deserve more experimentation. While perusing for New Year’s Eve beauty inspiration, I stumbled upon this brilliant editorial in French magazine Madame Figaro. Although the feature is meant to promote three of the season’s fiercest headbands, it also showcases three fantastic makeup options for this year’s ultimate party.

(Photo: Madame Figaro)

1. Victorian Vixen: Channel your modern Marie Antoinette by dipping into your spring pastel palettes for this look. After filling in brows, lightly apply Make Up For Ever’s #93 Irish Green (an exact match) or Stila’s Night Sky (a charming blue alternative) around the entire eye. Complete the look with a few coats of Alicia Silverstone for Juicy Beauty’s Pure Kissable Lip Color for the perfect pink pucker and a swipe of a creamy blush, like Jouer’s Poppy. Top your messy bun with a standout bejeweled headband and you’re good to go!

Chic Beauty Finds Your Mom Will Totally Adore

Great makeup selections, haircare essentials, awesome polishes, and so much more that can be gifted all year long.

Our Beauty Pulse Survey revealed an interesting stat: women love receiving beauty-oriented surprises. It may be time to take down the tinsel and turn off the Christmas lights, but as gifters and beauty fanatics we love to surprise our Mamas throughout the year. We’ve all come a long way from the days of Play-Doh-shaped lipsticks and compacts as presents, but that doesn’t mean finding the right beauty loot is easy.

Rather than spending countless hours in the beauty aisle or surrendering to the siren call of a gift card, give mom something sweetly scented, brightly colored, or totally luxurious. These 10 sensational options will (secretly) have mom referring to you as her favorite child:

$50 Off Your Next Rental from Rent The Runway!

When it comes to holiday parties, we love getting dressed up, but we usually want to wear something different and exciting to each special occasion. That can be a bit straining on our wallets so if you’re like us, Rent the Runway is your jam. We’re obsessed with the site, which lets you rent designer dresses for either four or eight days at a fraction of the retail price. What’s more, they give you a free backup size, you can also rent accessories, and returning is a breeze (just pop your items in the mail using the pre-paid padded envelope that’s provided). And here’s another reason to browse the site right now: You can take $50 off your next rental of $125 or more by using the code BRCHBX50 at checkout.* (Definitely don’t wait to use this deal, it expires on February 28th, 2013.)

To get you inspired for your next festive fete, here are two ultraglam looks with corresponding beauty recommendations:

Kate Bryan of The Small Things Reveals Her Holiday Gift Picks

Ah, the holidays—the greatest gift-giving time of the year. We know how tough it can be to come up with the perfect present for every friend, acquaintance, co-worker, and loved one in your life, which is why we’ve turned to our favorite tastemakers to tell us what they’ve got their eye on this season. Today, we’ve tapped Kate Bryan of The Small Things to tell us what she’s buying for her female friends and family members.

Shopping for the women in your life is either simple or impossible. If you are struggling with ideas, consider some of the gifts shown above. From eye-catching earrings to pretty polish, any on of these indulgent items make a great gift.

7 Super Unique Gifts for Creative Beauty Buffs

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.

(Photo: The Fancy)

We’ve been talking about it a lot lately, but only because it’s so true! Finding holiday gifts for your friends is always a stressful process. Do you go for the foolproof item on his or her wish list, or do you leave that up to their family and instead scour for out-of- the-box items that they didn’t even know existed? Oftentimes, I veer toward the latter, simply because it’s more fun. Thanks to the wondrous World Wide Web, there are a slew of sites that offer inventive giftables in a range of categories—including beauty. Here are some of my current favorites.

Grace Atwood of Stripes and Sequins Shares Her Holiday Gift Guide

Ah, the holidays—the greatest gift-giving time of the year. We know how tough it can be to come up with the perfect present for every friend, acquaintance, co-worker, and loved one in your life, which is why we’ve turned to our favorite tastemakers to tell us what they’ve got their eye on this season. To help us kick things off, this week Grace Atwood of fashion and DIY blog Stripes & Sequins shares a few of her favorite picks.

Hi Birchbox readers, it’s Grace here. I was honored when Birchbox asked me to participate in this fun series because I’ve always been a huge fan of the brand. (In fact, I was a beta member back when Birchbox only had twenty subscribers!) Click through to check out my holiday gift picks.

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake Are Married!: Our Dress and Makeup Predictions

We couldn’t be more excited for this power couple on their big day! (Photo: usmagazine.com)

We’ll admit it. We’ve been following the Jessica and Justin developments for a while now, and were pretty psyched when we found out that they were finally tying the knot in a secret ceremony this week in Italy. Now that they’ve made it official—for a rumored $6.5 million dollars, no less—we’re waiting with bated breath to see the first pictures of Jessica’s dress and, of course, her hair and makeup. Since we’ll have to wait until the next issue of People hits newsstands to see it, we decided to put our prediction skills to the test. Here are our best guesses for what Jessica’s look was:

The Chic Chantecaille Mascara That We Can’t Get Enough Of

We’ve told you before about our deep admiration for natural beauty brand Chantecaille. The posh makeup, skincare and fragrance line is always at the top of our lists when we need an instant dose of elegance. Founded in New York by lovely French émigré Sophie Chantecaille, the line uses a mixture of scientific innovations from traditional Chinese medicine to biotechnology to amp up their products. Case in point, their Faux Cils mascara, it’s our newest go-to when we want to give eyes some serious pop—and that’s why some lucky subscribers who opted into this month’s goop box may find the pretty sample nestled in with your other beauty finds.