Blair Badge is one multi-talented lady: she’s a social media manager, a beauty editor for fashion site Chictopia, a model, a newlywed and an all-around awesome gal with a penchant for witty banter. Her dreamy blog, love, blair, is a heady mix of all her talents in one and we can’t get enough of her style and beauty advice. This week, she’s sharing her DIY beauty tips, like how to create a pretty custom lip color and how to get perfect beachy waves.
Polka dot manicures are incredibly east to do. Perfect this adorable design with just a few simple steps!
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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.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been collecting images of nebulas. There’s something about these colorful interstellar clouds that fascinate me. My favorite has always been the Eagle Nebula, which is a young open cluster of stars in the constellation Serpens. I have an image of it on both my business card and website. (Nerd much?)
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Nail art is a Birchbox obsession. One of the first places we look for inspiration is Glitter, She Wrote, Anna Norman’s cheery, imaginative blog, where she shares her gorgeous designs and muses about life in the Big Apple. This week, Anna takes us inside her nail guru world, and will show us how to get gorgeous, DIY art on our fingertips.
They may be small, but that doesn’t mean your nails can’t make a wow-inducing fashion statement. Try one of these fresh, on-trend ideas to add some serious pizzazz on prom night.
Caviar Manicure
Photo: ciate.co.uk
The caviar manicure is becoming one of the hottest new nail trends, so it’s a perfect choice for prom-bound fashionistas. Tiny “pearls” stick to wet nail polish to create a fashion-forward 3D effect. UK brand Ciaté will begin selling its Caviar Manicure Kit in three colors (rainbow, black pearls, and mother of pearl) at Sephora next month. For an inexpensive D.I.Y. version, pick up some microbeads at your local craft store and sprinkle them over wet polish. You wouldn’t wait until prom day to try on your dress for the first time, so I suggest giving these nails a trial run before the big day, too.
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Nail art is a Birchbox obsession. One of the first places we look for inspiration is Glitter, She Wrote, Anna Norman’s cheery, imaginative blog, where she shares her gorgeous designs and muses about life in the Big Apple. This week, Anna takes us inside her nail guru world, and will show us how to get gorgeous, DIY art on our fingertips.
Always looking to satisfy my sweet tooth, I recently paid a visit to New York City’s sugary paradise, Dylan’s Candy Bar. I love finding nail art inspiration in unconventional places, and I couldn’t wait to recreate these classic sweet treats on my nails. You can have your candy and wear it, too!
JAWBREAKERS
For this jawbreaker-inspired look, prepare to get a little messy. Begin by applying a solid white polish. Dip a small makeup brush or old toothbrush in colored polish, and then quickly dip the polish-covered brush in nail polish remover to thin it out a bit. Now it’s time to channel your inner preschooler. Splatter polish from the brush across your nails, changing colors as desired. Use nail polish remover to clean up the polish that splattered outside the lines, and finish with a good top coat!
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Nail art is a Birchbox obsession. One of the first places we look for inspiration is Glitter, She Wrote, Anna Norman’s cheery, imaginative blog, where she shares her gorgeous designs and muses about life in the Big Apple. This week, Anna takes us inside her nail guru world, and will show us how to get gorgeous, DIY art on our fingertips.
I often tell people that the top two things you need for nail art are creativity and patience—but having the right products and tools certainly helps, too. Here’s a peek at the items I keep on hand, so I’m ready to rock whenever nail inspiration strikes.
1. I love the look of short, well-groomed nails, so nail care basics like clippers, buffers, and files (including this adorable heart-shaped file from Birchbox) are essential.
2. A good top coat adds shine, smooths brushstrokes, and keeps chipping at bay. All year I’ve been using and loving Wicked Fast from the up-and-coming polish brand Cult Nails. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails is also a great, easier-to-find choice.
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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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In the fashion world, there’s outfit envy. In the beauty world, there’s makeup envy — and we are seriously envious when it comes to Annamarie Tendler. A genius makeup artist, Tendler covers a wide range of topics on her am. blog, but her The Daily Face posts, which chronicle her day-to-day makeup looks, are our favorite. (FYI: She did an amazing series in October called The Spooky Scary Daily Face, which was epic.) Each day she inspires with a gorgeous new look, and for one whole week, she’s sharing her makeup expertise with lucky, lucky us.
Want to learn how to do this very easy manicure using only two colors and requiring just six easy steps? Click through to find out.
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Along with makeup artists, hairstylists rank pretty high on our list of people we’d like to have around all the time. That’s just one reason we’re so excited to have hairstylist Kate Bryan guest blogging for us today. The other reason? We’re obsessed with her blog, The Small Things, which covers beauty, jewelry, and — you guessed it — the small things in life. Today’s her last guest post but we’ve love having her on the blog!
One of the most frustrating things in life is getting a chip in freshly manicured nails. (And it’s even more frustrating when you’ve shelled out money for the manicure.)
I had given up on polished nails years ago since my hands are in water all day shampooing my clients. I also happen to be very crafty, so projects at home would inevitably always take their toll on my polish. I had tried everything, from Axxium to Shellac manicures (which I enjoyed), but I didn’t want to take the time and money necessary to maintain them.
Recently though, I discovered a nearly chip-proof at-home formula for polished nails that lasts me five days! And if it lasts me that long, you will no doubt get a lot more mileage out of this manicure. Read on for the chip-free nails in six steps.
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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.
My nail polish obsession means that I’m not a true color loyalist, but I must say that I am so smitten with NARS’ Endless Night lacquer that I am sure I will wear it multiple times this season. This seductive hue is described as “black grape” and and is much more subtle than the other glitzy glittery polishes that are so popular this time of year. Warm, rich, and dark, this almost-black purple is a great alternative to a deep traditional red and I am positive that this plum shade will be a huge trend this winter.
Would you wear this sexy shade?
For other great polish ideas, visit the Birchbox Shop.
