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Welcome to August! It’s been an exciting week here at Birchbox HQ—we hosted an event with Caudalie, revealed the theme for our August box, and took a break to learn a little something from Birchbox Man about summer cocktails. This weekend, we’ll be catching up on the covers for all of our favorite September issues and relaxing.

(Photo: Jezebel.com)

For the first time ever, Oprah appears on the cover of September’s O Magazine with her natural hair—un-straightened or blow dryed. The mogul looks even more gorgeous than usual! [Jezebel]

If you’ve ever seen a drag show, or RuPaul’s Drag Race, you know the hair and makeup are just as important as the clothes. In a new photo series, photographer Leland Bobbé captures men with half their face made up in drag. The transformations are remarkable. [Refinery29]

The rising queen of nail art, Katy Perry, has ying-yang nail art on the cover of Elle’s September issue. Learn how to recreate the look yourself with black and white polish. [Beauty High]

Tan mom stopped tanning for a month (kind of) and looks waaaay more normal. But can she continue to stay away from the booth? [InTouch]

Growing up, there was one show that made learning about science cool: Bill Nye, the Science Guy! A new video with Bill teaches us how to tie a bow tie, super useful for helping the men-folk in our lives get prepped for fancy summer weddings. (Looks like it’s our turn to impart a little knowledge to Birchbox Man.) [Coco Perez]

—Lorelei

Still can’t get enough of the Olympics? Shop our Go For the Gold products in the Birchbox Shop.

Katy Perry Joins the Ranks of the Makeup-Free Celebrities

Image: BellaSugar Australia

Katy Perry is known for her extreme beauty and fashion, but her new movie, Katy Perry: Part of Me, reveals the star’s more natural side. The movie will be out July 5th (in 3D!) and follows the singer’s life for the past year. So far it’s being marketed similarly to the Justin Bieber movie, Never Say Never: as a behind-the-scenes diary look at a star’s concert tour. While many will probably head to the theatre to find out juicy details about the end of her marriage (Perry decided to not to skim over their breakup), the trailer shows a fun-loving, quirky side of Perry that makes us like her a lot more.

We were thrilled to catch a clip of the movie on BellaSugar Australia’s site, which shows Perry trying on costumes for her concert tour—totally makeup-free—for much of the clip. Click through to watch for yourself.

Katy Perry Does Her Best Violet Beauregarde Impression

Photo: Styleite

Katy Perry always keeps us guessing when it comes to her hair—whether she’s channeling Smurfette with full on blue or keeping it “simple” with pink roots. This weekend at Coachella she debuted a brand new shade: dark violet. We’re digging the color, especially with the cute flower wreath in her hair. Although she’s doesn’t actually look like Violet Beauregarde, the snotty little girl from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, her penchant for candy colored hair and outfits do make us think she’d be a fan of the movie.

What do you think of the new color?

—Lorelei

So many frequent dye jobs necessitate some pretty hefty conditioner. Find out favorites in the Birchbox Shop.

Mad Men’s January Jones has Pink Hair!

Photo: zimbio.com

Just in time for the March 25th premiere of Mad Men’s long-awaited fifth season, January Jones showed up at PaleyFest in L.A. sporting a rose-hued streak in her blonde locks.

Katy Perry Is Launching A False Lashes Line!

Photo: poponthepop.com

Another exciting February launch coming up! Katy Perry, everyone’s favorite teenage dream, has designed a new line of false eyelashes that are set to debut next month. Perry teamed up with lash-brand Eylure on a line of four styles that will be carried at ULTA Beauty stores.

Shakira, Katy Perry, And Other Celebs Sport the Winter Chop Trend

Clockwise left: Shakira (Photo: Twitter); Chloë Sevigny (Photo: Huffington Post); Emily Blunt (Photo: HOLLYWOODpix.net); Katy Perry (Photo: Glamour)

Yesterday, Shakira announced a sassy new bob (with eye-grazing bangs to boot) via Twitter. Just a few days ago, Katy Perry, Chloë Sevigny, and Emily Blunt all debuted shorter cuts, too. These ladies all took a big chance and cut off several inches, but there have also been a handful of starlets who have recently opted for the lesser commitment of brow-length bangs such as Taylor Swift, Rachel Weisz, and Mila Kunis. Is everyone getting an early jump on a new look for the New Year? Or has the holiday season become the go-to time for debuting a fresh style?

Lace It Up: 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.

Backstage at the Joy Cioci show during New York Fashion Week

As a nail fanatic, I’m always scouting for new polish colors, trends, and techniques. Now that NYFW is over, we’re back to lusting over fall trends. One trend that’s going to make an impact this season is lace nails. We saw a cool take on the trend at the Joy Cioci show with a l ucite lace manicure done by CND and we’ve seen celebrities like Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez, and Katy Perry all rock the look on the red carpet.

fuckyeahnailart.com

Despite the classic, ladylike appearance of the material, the result is an edgy mani. Painting on the design requires some serious skills, but you can recreate this look pretty easily at home using real lace. After a single coat of light-colored polish, gently press a piece of lace onto your nail (you’ll need to cut out the pieces ahead of time). Cover with a top coat for extra hold and you’ll have one unique and very sexy set of nails.