A Colorful French Manicure
If anyone knows how to do a proper French manicure it’s, well, the French. And leave it to them to also update it in a simple, yet eye-catching way. The lovely ladies over at Joliebox show us how to create a colorful twist on the classic manicure. Cute, n’est-ce pas?
For another modern French mani, try diagonal french tips with the help of a little scotch tape and a bright poppy polish.
—Bre
Want more nail inspiration? Check out our ongoing Mani Monday series.
We used to default to glitter polish whenever we wanted to wear something eye-catching on our nails. Then we met the new breed of holographic polish, and we were instantly smitten (ok, more like borderline-obsessed). Made through a top-secret process in the lab, holographic polish emits a multidimensional rainbow effect when exposed to light. It sounds a little sci-fi, but the results are just plain pretty.
In this month’s issue of the Birchbox Magazine, we interviewed Color Club chemist Michael Di Meo to learn why this covetable polish is so difficult to create. Read on and get excited to try this gorgeous nail art trend!
—Mai
We’ve got plenty of pretty polishes in the Birchbox Shop.
Our Morning Beauty Routine, Game of Thrones Character Deja Vu, Natural Haircare, and More: Reading List
We know you don’t have oodles of time to browse through everything on the Birchbox blog and in the magazine each week. Here’s a short list of the top blog posts, articles, videos, and news you need to read this weekend.
- Our Early Morning Beauty Routine: Mornings can be rough, but they don’t have to be! Grab your morning tea or a smoothie and watch Birchbox editor Candice walk you through her easy breezy routine.
- The Things He Carries: Coachella Packing List: The second weekend of that giant music fest in the California desert is almost underway. If you haven’t packed yet, here’s Birchbox Man’s goof-proof guide to surviving the (sartorial) insanity of Coachella.
- Holy Holographic!: Goodbye glitter, hello holographics! The multidimensional rainbow sparkle effect is showing up everywhere and we’re adopting the trend on our nails for a futuristic look that’s still totally wearable.
April is already halfway over! Have you read through this month’s magazine yet?
You Showed Us Your Awesome Manis and How to Wear Incoco Nail Strips
If you follow us on Instagram or Pinterest, you’ve probably seen that pretty manicures aren’t hard to come by at Birchbox HQ. But while we’d love to spend hours in the salon each week getting intricate nail designs on each of our ten fingers, sometimes we just want our nails to look pretty and polished without spending the time on a full manicure.
Enter Incoco nail polish appliqués: polish strips that have zero drying time, last up to 14 days, and are super easy—and quick—to apply. One of our co-founders has even confessed to applying them in the back of a New York City taxi! A few weeks ago, we Instagrammed several Birchbox staffers wearing a different Incoco mani each day around the office, then we asked our Instagram followers to share their Incoco manicures with us. Click through the slideshow above to see the unique way our subscribers wear their on-the-go nail strips.
—Juliette
Want to rock your own Incoco strips and not sure how? Check out our handy tutorial on how to apply nail strips.
Logistics Coordinator, 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 slot on our blog to wax poetic about all things manicure (and pedicure!) related.
Hello, spring! The mood-lifting effects of longer days and warmer weather have put a bounce in everyone’s step here at Birchbox HQ. The skirts are flowing, the shoulders are bare, and the polishes are vibrant—which of course means that our Operations Team (@BirchboxOps), a.k.a. Special Ops, has started rocking the bright mani trend. Here are a few of the springtime lacquer looks that have made a star appearance in the office:
Read more
As much as we love nail art, we’re better at admiring designs than coming up with them ourselves. That’s why we’ve enlisted Anna Norman, the smarty pants behind Glitter, She Wrote, to be a regular contributor. Every Monday, she’ll be sharing her latest lacquer inspiration—you won’t be satisfied with plain ol’ polish again.
Sorbet shades, greens, and pale neutrals are at the top of the list this spring, but if you’re looking for something a little different, you’re in luck. Almost every nail polish line is featuring textured or special-effect lacquers this season, and they are seriously fun. Here are my four top picks.
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I’m a self-confessed nail polish addict: My instagram is full of shots featuring my latest designs, and I’ve been known to use random household items to create nail art in a pinch (stray stud earrings are great stand-ins for toothpicks). Lately, I’ve moved beyond your average cream polishes into textured or effect formulas. Magnetic, liquid sand, holographic – I want them all! The newest addition to my ever-growing collection? Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish.
After seeing the aptly named Poppy and Peony both indoors and out (check out the GIFs below), I’m definitely putting them to regular use this spring. We could even end up being nail twins because some of you will receive a bottle in your April Birchbox!
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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.
In addition to all things nebula-inspired, metallics always make my heart skip a beat. I rocked the look above this past New Year’s Eve and kept the gilded theme going with bold treasures by LAS Jewelry, VeraMeat and TOMTOM. (I don’t have the exact shade name, sadly, but it’s by Color Club and I received it in a Birchbox a few months back.) Besides making an instant statement, what’s rad about this trend is that it’s a great way to rock bling sans actual jewelry, which is necessary for a writer like myself. (Try typing for hours with fussy rings on and you’ll see what I mean.) If you’re ready to give your digits a futuristic upgrade, here are a few of my favorite shades of the aluminum foil-inspired variety.
Read more
The 3 Coolest New Nail Trends from Fashion Week
Over the last few fashion weeks, nails have become just as important as the hair and makeup. This past season was no exception and we were delighted by all the bold colors and creative designs that we spied. After taking it all in, we’ve narrowed down all the incredible looks to our top three favorites. Will you be trying any of these trends?
1) Studs: Deborah Lippmann for Kate Spade NY
The bright pink talons at Kate Spade NY perfectly matched the Pop Art-and NYC-inspired fall collection. We’re definitely picking up some metallic pyramids to affix to our nails ASAP. Plus, we can almost guarantee we’ll be seeing more almond-shaped nails on celebrities and trendsetters this fall. In fact, Deborah Lippmann called it the “nail shape of the season.”
2) Oil Slick Motif: Essie for Rebecca Minkoff
These multi-tonal oil slick nails were not only pretty—according to the lead manicurist Michelle Saunders they were so easy to do that one of the models did her own nails. Click through to see how to get the look yourself.
3) Picture Framing: Color Club for Charlotte Ronson
The nails at Charlotte Ronson’s show are always inspiring. Remember last season’s wave nails? This season, nail artist Simcha Whitehill (aka Miss Pop) created picture frame nails that really stood out. Whitehill gave us the deets on creating the look ourselves and having tried it with some success, we feel confident that with a little practice, this style isn’t too hard to do.
—Lorelei
Want to get inspired for spring nail looks? Take a look at our 10 favorite designs from the spring 2013 shows.
![Keira Knightley as Coco Chanel, Spring’s Standout Lip, and More
Keira Knightley has been tapped to play Coco Chanel in an upcoming film directed by Karl Lagerfeld celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first Chanel boutique. [Refinery 29]
What’s the must-have beauty trend this spring? A superbright lip. [BellaSugar]
Spruce up your strands with these seven natural hair products that add some mega shine. [Well + Good NYC]
Here are the eight ways you might be ruining your nails. [SheFinds]
—Charisse
Get the most out of your beauty sleep with these brightening overnight facial treatments.
(Photo: Chanel)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/6f42f444a2adf13844a7d710c3ecf498/tumblr_mjxd04ZeZ71qbz3xno1_500.jpg)
