This weekend marks the official start of summer, which means that Birchboxers have plans to kick back, rest up, and hopefully bask in some serious sunshine. We asked several of our staffers where they’re headed (stay-cations sound as enticing as traveling) and the must-have product they’re bringing along. Here’s what relationship manager Deepica had to say.
I’m so excited for my stay-cation in the city this Memorial Day weekend. I’m ready to hang out in Central Park and do my nails with my favorite summer shades, the Zoya Blogger Collection. I also plan to do some shopping, visit a few museums, and treat myself to a personal spa day with my Borghese Fango Delicato mud mask (major hydration for dry skin).
Aside from a mask, another great treat for the skin is a good scrub.
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.
There’s been a lot of buzz around the Zoya Birchblogger Collection and with such delicious shades, who can’t help but fall in love with them? This trio of jellies each works fantastic on its own, but they’re also great layering, color blocking, and doing all kinds of cool nail art. I got inspired the other day and thought I try the ultimate Birchbox manicure. Click through for details!
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Fina-freakin-ly! Our Zoya Blogger Collection is now on sale, but only while supplies last. If you’re not up to speed on this limited edition trio, here’s the deal: each shade is the creation of a blogger we know and love. We’ve got a stunning coppery pink courtesy of Capitol Hill Style, a gorgeous grapefruit from The Small Things, and a to-die-for tangerine thanks to Eleventh Gorgeous.
Not only are these the “it” shades for spring and summer (trust us), but the jelly formulas are incredibly versatile. A few coats produces a semi-sheer color, but we also plan on using these lacquers to layer over other opaque shades to really punch them up. To check out these hues in action and the inspiration behind each, visit our dedicated Pinterest board.
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You may have noticed this before, but we’re Hunger Games obsessed here in the Birchbox office and we’ve been sitting on pins and needles waiting for the movie’s release on March 23rd. (Lest you doubt our commitment, we’ve already bought our boatload of tickets for a team viewing on premiere night!)
In the meantime, we’re satisfying our Hunger Games addiction with the new Capitol Colors collection from China Glaze. We snagged a few of the shades from the line that’s set to debut this month, and we cannot speak highly enough (or obsessively enough) about these lacquers. I’m personally in love with Riveting, a micro-glitter orange that’s given my nails a fiery glow.
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The Show: VPL
Makeup: Romy Soleimani with Ellis Faas and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics for Beauty.com
Hair: Bob Recine for Phyto, Amika, and Beauty.com
Nails: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics for Beauty.com
The Vibe: Geometric shapes and hard lines with a pop of the unexpected. To match fall’s VPL line, which is filled with strong graphic shapes and sexy silhouettes, lead stylist Bob Recine created a slicked down look, but added a free-falling crown piece for flow. To achieve the style, Recine dried hair with an amika dryer, the parted hair at the center or on the side. He then pulled away a triangular section of hair at the crown (to be released later), and combed down the sides. Products that were essential were Phyto’s Volume Mousse to get the right texture and Phytolaque Soie Hair Spray, which were spritzed on brushes to add shine. “You want that diamond finish, which is not wet or glossy, but more glassy” said Recine. Side sections were then tied into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck, and covered with the top portion of free hair that was then combed out and flat-ironed with an amika straightener.
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Photo: beautyhigh.com
As if celebs don’t already have it good enough, at this year’s Grammys, stars will receive manicures using 24K gold polish. Red Carpet Manicure, the first line of at-home gel polish, has developed an exceedingly precious set of lacquers just for the occasion: Amor 24. The colors, with cheeky names like I Can’t Believe It, My Thank You Speech, Award Winning, and It’s Champagne Night, all contain a healthy dose of real 24K gold in their formulas.
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Photo: glamour.com
More fun polish news for February! (Aside from the Hunger Games collection, which we are waiting for with bated breath.) The ladies at Glamour are reporting that Laura Mercier will soon release an all new line of shades for this season—the first full range of colors in a number of years. While Mercier has had a few one-off shades here and there, like the glittery dark purple Twilight, this is the first entire set that she’s released in a while.
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Photo: Beauty High
More news from the Hunger Games nail polish front: Elizabeth Banks (in full Effie Trinket mode) is now appearing as China Glaze’s spokesmodel for the much-anticipated line of polishes.
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Deborah Lippmann polishes available on birchbox.com
One of the best ways to gauge the health of our economy is to delve into data on consumer buying behavior. The New York Times recently brought a few new optimistic facts to my attention. For one, people are sobering up (or at least going top shelf), because sales of cheap spirits have stabilized after soaring during the recession. Woohoo! Less exciting, but also a great sign, cardboard box sales are up and apparently that is a “strong indicator” of economic rejuvenation. However, there were also some ominous clues, one being that nail polish sales were up.
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