As much as I love the beachy waves look, I just can’t do it in the dead of winter. Getting my hair adequately wavy requires air drying, and in the colder months, that means frozen locks and an inevitable head cold. While some New York City women are celebrating today’s soaring temps (it’s 70 degrees here!) by busting out spring dresses and bare legs, I am reveling in the warmer weather with my fave post-surf hair style.
Today is International Women’s Day! To bring more attention to the holiday, new movement #RockTheLips is trying to get one million women to wear red lipstick today. The Birchbox staff is definitely doing its part to spread the word, just take a look at all the ladies of our office sporting crimson puckers—and the men are even showcasing kiss marks on their cheeks!
Tweet at us with a picture of yourself in your favorite red lipstick using hashtag #RockTheLips and we’ll add you to our Pinterest board!
- Rachel
Anyone can wear red lips, you just need to find the right shade.
Photo: Allure
If you’ve ever flipped through a magazine or looked through snapshots of a runway show, chances are you’ve noticed the impossible standard of beauty set forth by the fashion industry. The perfect American woman, it seems, is a size 0 eighteen-year-old with legs tall enough to rival a giraffe’s. And 99 percent of the time, she also happens to be white. For those of us who deviate from the impossible norm (and that’s pretty much all of us), it’s easy to feel like we’ll never measure up. Yet a new study suggests that black women seem to be more immune than others to the images of Photoshopped perfection that surround us.
I’ve always had an obsession with things that sparkle. No, not diamonds (although those are nice)—I’m talking about fashion pieces or beauty products that have glitter, sequin, or some kind of shimmer. While a lot of us associate anything glitzy with the holidays, these items are awesome to bust out in the summer when you can get the full-fledged gleaming effect in direct sunlight. Currently, I am on the hunt for more twinkling adornments. Here are a few of the things that are at the top of my list:
J.Crew Glitter Finish Leather Sandals ($98): Could these be any cuter? I especially love the juxtaposition of a sporty flat sandal with a a feminine silvery finish.
Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss ($20): This keeps lips hydrated and gleaming with tiny bits of gold glitter.
Tatcha Aburatorigami Blotting Papers ($12): Fancy and affordable, these blotting papers are great for hot summer days and the decorative gold leaf flecks are oh so pretty.
Vince Sequin Crepe Top ($295): This boxy tank takes even the most boring pair of shorts or pants and transforms them into something special.
—Meredith
For more great summery finds, visit the Birchbox Shop.
The Soho Effect
n. When the artists who made a neighborhood cool and exciting are forced to move out, because they cannot afford the rents after the area becomes gentrified.
Within the past week I have been hearing a lot of buzz about the up and coming art scene in Detroit. 500 miles away from Detroit, as I sit in the chair at my hair dresser, I over hear a conversation about a couple from Brooklyn moving to Detroit because they were able to get amazing studio space for ridiculously inexpensive rent.
A week prior to my eavesdropping, I came across an extremely interesting article about the DIY mentality overtaking Detroit right now. This article immediately peaked my interest, mainly for two reasons.
1. I am a native Detroiter, so naturally I want to read what The New York Post is saying about my hometown.
2. The title was actually positive “The new Detroit cool.” No, I am not living with my head in the clouds, but it is nice to see positive press every once in a while for the city of Detroit.
Facts are facts. Michigan is undergoing one of the roughest periods in our existence. With the Michigan unemployment rate for the month of May at 13.7% and a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 311 houses, things are looking rather bleek. But I am not here to harp on these sobering statistics. I think we are all well aware of our cities hardships, thanks to TIME Magazine’s, year long Assignment Detroit. Instead I would like to focus on what could be a really positive movement taking place in Detroit right now, the art movement. Could we be on the verge of a gentrification?
The typical steps in an art influenced gentrification go as follows:
First come the hippies, bohemians and hipsters
Typically, hippies, bohemians and hipsters move into poor neighborhoods to take advantage of the low rent on devalued real estate. CHECK, Kevin Krease, my very hipster curious friend who lives in Detroit can vouch that the hipster community has invaded DTown.
Next, comes the ART:
CHECK. Here is a sampling of some of the notable art projects currently taking place in Detroit.
The Heidelberg Project:
Will Copeland is spear heading a new poetry movement in Detroit:
A theatre of experience is being led by Aku Kadoga:
Handmade Detroit is redefining sustainability by building a community around DIY projects.
Then, comes the first round of businesses:
The following local Detroit establishments have become extremely popular by both residents of Detroit and those who reside in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Astro Cafe, Avalon Bread Company, Nancy Whiskey, Rachel’s Place, John K. King, Slows Bar BQ, Le Petit Zinc, Sugar House, Hostel Detroit (and many more).
Lastly, comes the luxury lofts, high end restaurants and retail boutiques.
Is it only a matter of time before real estate prices begin to drive the artists out and we start to see luxury lofts and high end restaurants and boutiques? Some of the most famous examples of The Soho Effect are Soho, NY, Tribecca, NY, East Village, NY, Park Slope, Brooklyn, Williamsburg Brooklyn, Hoboken, New Jersey, Darien Street, Philadelphia, Pioneer Square, Seattle, Bucktown, Chicago, Wicker Park, Chicago, Kings Cross, London.
Will we be next? I guess we will have to wait and see.
The first thing you learn at aesthetics school is that fancy packaging, while lovely to look at, doesn’t do anything for your skin. It’s the ingredients that matter. Since my training years ago, I’ve become a complete snob about skincare. I’m usually skeptical of dermatologist brands because they can sometimes be more expensive without delivering more than the average product. But I am proven wrong again and again — most recently by DDF.
I’ve been using their Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer, and I swear it was created just for me. For one thing, my biggest skin concern is oily skin and pore size (I swear everyone else can see them!). Secondly, I am huge into serums, as they are a straight shot of vitamins for the skin. I’ve been using the pore minimizer as my stand-alone moisturizer and I’m completely hooked. Not only does this product act like a primer, as it fills in pores and fine lines, but it definitely minimized the appearance of my pores. I’d even call it a four-in-one because in addition to being a primer and a pore-shrinker, it also prevents aging and moisturizes with Panthenol (Vitamin B). That’s a rock star product!
—Rachel
Read all about DDF and the science behind their products here.
Catch up on your Skin Rx posts while you’re at it!
