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: mixedmama.blogspot.com
When it comes to beauty, I’m all for letting your creative juices flow. If you think blue eyeliner and red lipstick look good together—rock it! If you think peach and pink and blue and purple highlights are where it’s at—right on! You want to wear glitter and graphic neon stripes on your nails? Go you!
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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 (woot Ojon Super Sleek Smoothing Conditioner). The products were chosen by a panel of Self readers who tested them in their own homes and submitted their honest feedback. I recognize plenty of favorites on the list, but there are also ones I’m excited to try!
Beyond celebrating the phenomenal products, Self’s Editor-in-Chief, Lucy Danzinger, also set the tone of the event by bringing attention to social media. She told the audience of editors, industry execs, and brand bigwigs that companies shouldn’t try to strong-arm their message—they should just ensure that people are talking about their products and their brands. As a Twitter and Instagram addict, I loved hearing her give a digital call to action.
Check out the Birchbox products that made the Self list!
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Photo: Travelingmamas.com
Kristen Stewartfans, take note! The starlet’s upcoming film (out June 1), Snow White and the Huntsman, has brought rumblings of some seriously exciting beauty lines. The blogosphere has been blowing up about two blockbuster names: Deborah Lippmann and Benefit. Color us beyond excited!
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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.
April, and spring, are finally here! In the spirit of the season, this month I’ll be polishing my nails with a stunning green hue from Deborah Lippman.
Mermaid’s Dream is a seafoam-colored shimmer with circular blue glitter flecks and gold microglitter—a combination that creates a gorgeous lacquer with a ton of depth and texture. It’s one of the most unique polishes I’ve come across in a while, and I know it’ll be in my personal collection for a long time to come.
What do you think of this cooling shade?
—Loren
For more nail inspiration, read the rest of Loren’s Nailing It posts here.
SANDALS
Top: Woven Sandal in Blush, $88, maraisusa.com; Color Club Polish in Peace Out Purple, $8, birchbox.com. Bottom: Espadrille Wedge in Denim, $110, maraisusa.com; Zoya Polish in Sooki, $8, birchbox.com
WEDGES
Top: Oxford Espadrille in Navy, $125, maraisusa.com; RGB Polish in Dove, $16, birchbox.com. Bottom: T-Bar Wedge in Clay, $160, maraisusa.com; Deborah Lippmann Polish in Naked, $16, birchbox.com.
I am really picky about shoes. Like hyper picky. In my opinion, someone can be wearing a super-cute outfit and if their shoes aren’t that great, it ruins the whole thing. Not to mention, I believe you can easily distinguish between the trendy and the truly stylish by their footwear.
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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 Thursday for Nailing It, Birchbox’s dedicated polish series.
The finish of my new favorite polishes, Zoya Mylar Fleck Glazes, is jelly, which got me to thinking—what exactly is jelly nail polish?
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New York Fashion Week might have come to an end, but we’re still gushing over our favorite manicures from the fall 2012 shows. We wanted to round up the highlights, so we came up with the five standouts that have inspired us to test out new designs.
Show: threeASFOUR
The Look: Gorgeous lacey, spider web nails by Color Club that were created to match the laser-cut pieces. Lead manicurist Alicia Torello used a specially made dove gray nail art pen to draw tiny stripes back and forth free-hand over the nail, mimicking the unique, romantic feel of lace.
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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 Thursday for Nailing It, Birchbox’s dedicated polish series.
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Presentation: Kate Spade
Hair: Matthew Monzon for Furterer
Makeup: Neil Scibelli of Jouer
Nails: Deborah Lippmann
The Vibe: Girly but a little fierce. “This season, they went a little edgier,” said lead makeup artist Neil Scibelli of Jouer. “So we focused the edge on the eyes, which we’re smoking out.” To create the dramatic, but very wearable look, the team used Jouer’s Amaretto on the lid and lower lid, Cappuccino in the crease, some liquid black liner on the upper lashline, and an eye definer pencil in Noir on the lower lashes. “We also added false lashes just for some extra tszuj,” said Scibelli of the makeup look’s standout feature.
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Celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann is doing the nails for this morning’s Kate Spade presentation. Lippmann says she’s really into nail art these days and you heard it here first: she’s launching a line of magnets shortly. “I guess I spilled the beans,” she said of the exciting news.
—Meredith
Check out the rest of our fashion week coverage here!
