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Welcome to Working It, where Racked follows street style into the office. Forget pedestrian khakis and button-downs—these fashionable professionals take dress codes to a whole new dimension. Quick, somebody call HR!
The Birchbox team has been busy this year. They raised $60 million in funding back in April, opened their first brick-and-mortar store in NYC this past July (which Racked NY editors dubbed the best online-to-offline move in 2014, by the way), and have been successfully conquering the men's beauty market by building out Birchbox Man.
Founded by Harvard business school grads who are helping pioneer beauty e-commerce, the four-year-old startup is small but sharp and knows just how to get its customers hooked on the industry's need-to-know products. After the jump, get the team's best beauty secrets and find out why co-founder Hayley Barna wishes the office had one big shared closet.
Hayley Barna, co-founder and co-CEO, is wearing an Alice & Olivia top, Frame Denim jeans, Matt Bernson shoes, and a Lizzie Fortunato necklace.
What are your favorite beauty brands that you've been introduced to through Birchbox?
Oribe, Supergoop, Atelier, and Cynthia Rowley Beauty.
Do you subscribe to any other subscription services?
I've been a beta member of Rent the Runway Unlimited, and I'm loving it. Also, I got my husband a Lego subscription, which has been a huge hit at his office.
How many travel-size products do you own at this point?
It seems like there is an endless supply, and of course I have them stored in Birchboxes!
What would you never board a plane without?
You must stay hydrated on a plane! I'm a fan of Air Repair Rescue Balm and derma e Hydrating Mist.
What's the best way to stay sane while traveling?
Ear plugs for long airplane rides.
What are the essential beauty items in your handbag?
Judging by the contents of my bag, it's absolutely essential to have six lip products at all times.
Who would you swap wardrobes with in a heartbeat?
I wish everyone in the Birchbox office had one shared closet!
What was your first job?
Camp counselor.
Who's your professional role model?
I'm going to go with the obvious, but still totally awe-inspiring, Sheryl Sandberg.
What's the best shopping advice you've ever received?
Personal shopping at department stores doesn't cost anything! And they'll pre-pull great items in your size from the sale rack if you ask them to.
Brad Lande, Vice President of Birchbox Man, is wearing an All Saints denim shirt, a Club Monaco sweater, Acme pants, Junya Watanabe suede boots, Nice Laundry socks, a Shinola watch, and Pura Vida bracelets.
What are your favorite grooming brands that you've been introduced to through Birchbox?
PLANT, OSEA, Ursa Major, and Baxter of California.
Do you subscribe to any other subscription boxes?
Yes, Mantry.
How many travel-size products do you own at this point?
Too many to count. They are organized and labeled by category (face, shave, skincare, body) inside my previous Birchbox Man boxes in a closet near my bathroom.
What would you never board a plane without?
Jack Black Therapy Lip with SPF, Hanz De Fuko Claymation, OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream, Anthony High Performance Vitamin A Face Treatment, and aluminum-free Baxter of California deodorant.
What's the best way to stay sane while traveling?
A wireless connection and a Mac Air to power through emails, Master and Dynamic headphones, and a Kindle with a great book downloaded.
Who would you swap wardrobes with in a heartbeat?
Nick Wooster.
What was your first job?
A technology strategy consultant at Accenture.
Who's your professional role model?
Richard Branson.
What's the best shopping advice you've ever received?
Acquire things you will want to keep for years. Make your purchases meaningful.
Courtney Browne, Corporate Counsel, is wearing Hermant & Nandita's mesh embroidered leather top, a Zara skirt, Wolford tights, Pour la Victoire shoes, Gorjana rings, and a bracelet purchased from an artist in Santiago, Chile.
What are your favorite beauty brands that you've been introduced to through Birchbox?
Caudalie—I love their overnight detox oil, instant foaming cleanser, and makeup remover cleansing water. I also love TheBalm Put a Lid on It Eyelid Primer, MAKE Skin Illuminator, and LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil.
What products would you never board a plane without?
For a long flight, I can't leave without a great lip balm. My personal favorite is Dr. Lipp. I also must have a great face moisturizer and eye cream.
What's the best way to stay sane while traveling?
My Bose in-ear noise canceling headphones are definitely necessary to keep me sane. They're amazing at blocking out any unwanted chatter.
What are the essential beauty items in your bag?
Lots of lipgloss and lipstick. I can count seven in my purse right now, plus a slew of Cynthia Rowley eyeliners. I like having options so I'm always prepared.
Who would you swap wardrobes with in a heartbeat?
Lupita Nyong'o and Kerry Washington, both as herself and as Olivia Pope.
What was your first job?
In high school I used to help out at the front desk at my dad's dental office, answering phones and scheduling patients.
Who's your professional role model?
It's a tie between Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Valerie Jarrett.
What's the best shopping advice you've ever received?
If you have to think too hard about it, leave it.
Bry Crasch, Junior Digital Designer, is wearing a Virgin Blak leopard tank top, Topman sweater and pants, GBX black boots, and a vintage gold bangle.
What are your favorite grooming brands that you've been introduced to through Birchbox?
I have discovered so many awesome brands through Birchbox, but one of my favorites has got to be the Baxter of California men's grooming line. Everything smells great, leaves me feeling clean, and, best of all, their branding is gorgeous.
Do you subscribe to any other subscription boxes?
Nope! I've been a loyal Birchbox subscriber for a long time, but my Yorkie keeps asking me to try Barkbox, so we'll see.
How many travel-size products do you own at this point?
The number of samples I have in my possession at any given moment could groom and moisturize a small village. I keep them everywhere: under the sink, in my pack, on my person. I'm pretty much always within an arm's reach of something.
What would you never board a plane without?
Ursa Major face wipes are a must when I'm traveling. You never know when you'll need to freshen up in a hurry. My three-ounce Izola flask also comes in handy.
What are the essentialgrooming items in your bag?
Baxter of California deodorant, especially during the summer in New York, 'cause sweat.
Who would you swap wardrobes with in a heartbeat?
Jared Leto. His style is always really chill and original. Is it an option to swap hair as well? I mean, look at it.
What was your first job?
Unless you're talking about the movie theater when I was 16, my first job was as a designer with a venture capital firm called Entrenext in Orlando, Florida.
Who's your professional role model?
Honestly, I'm really inspired by my entire creative team at Birchbox. Never have I met a more talented and absolutely insane group of people. I love them all dearly.
What's the best shopping advice you've ever received?
My friend and fellow designer Alex always says to "buy better things that will last." It's tempting to just grab fast-food fashion because it's cheap and available, but it's better to front a little more money for quality clothing that will last you.
Katia Beauchamp, co-founder and co-CEO, is wearing a Zara top, Madewell jeans, and J.Crew pumps.
What are your favorite beauty brands that you've been introduced to through Birchbox?
Jouer, Oribe, W3LL People, Shu Uemera, Eyeko, and Caudalie.
How many travel-size products?
Not a ton because I travel a lot and use them. No need to hoard favorites because I'm always restocking! I keep them in a drawer under my bathroom sink.
What beauty products would you never board a plane without?
Jouer lip enhancer, Caudalie beauty elixir, and the purse size of Oribe après beach spray.
What's the best way to stay sane while traveling?
Pack all portable charging options you have! Sometimes planes don't have outlets—it's painful when you're banking on it. Go for it with the sleep mask; it makes such a difference in your ability to rest. Do you look a little silly? Yes, but you won't see the look on anyone's face.
What are the essential beauty items in your handbag?
Same as on the plane, plus a bold lip because it can take your look from day to night! I love the Cynthia Rowley Beauty lip stains.
Who would you swap wardrobes with in a heartbeat?
A mix of Alexa Chung and Lo Bosworth. Fun and deliberate, but still casual and not overdone.
What was your first job?
My very first job was on the sales floor at Gap in high school. At the time, it was a highly coveted job in El Paso, Texas—you had to know someone.
Who's your professional role model?
Hillary Clinton. I'm obsessed with her intellect and sense of self. I respect the sense of responsibility she feels to have an impact because she is confident that she is capable.
What's the best shopping advice you've ever received?
I don't know if it's advice so much as a point of view many share that I agree with: Fashion is an important part of how the external world pieces together who you are. It is self-expression, and because of that, it is important to make choices.
Lorelei Orfeo, Senior Manager of Video Content, is wearing an Aritzia suit, Zara shoes, and a ring from & Other Stories.
What are your favorite beauty brands that you've been introduced to through Birchbox?
Oribe: I was introduced to it when I first started working at Birchbox, and it's become a go-to for hair styling products, the fragrance is to die for, and I can always tell when someone is spraying it in the office. Jouer is another brand that Birchbox really introduced me to early on in my career here; their Luminizing Moisture Tint (affectionately known as LMT) is a staple. I'm a sucker for gorgeous packaging...who isn't? Brooklyn-based LAQA & Co. and R+Co are also recent favorites.
How many travel-size products do you own at this point?
Millions? I keep them organized by product type in old Birchboxes, but you'll also find many floating around every room of my apartment, much to my boyfriend's chagrin.
What would you never board a plane without?
Multi-purpose lip balm that can also be used on dry hands and elbows (Air Repair's Rescue Balm), a facial mist (derma e Hydrating Mist), and an under-eye concealer (Dermablend Quick-Fix) for applying right before landing.
What's the best way to stay sane while traveling?
What works best for me is to have a very detailed plan and itinerary, but be ready to throw it out and be spontaneous when things go wrong or opportunities present themselves.
What are the essential beauty items in your bag?
BB cream by Dr. Jart, Benefit's Hoola Bronzer, an eyelash curler, a peachy blush by theBalm, mascara, and a pink lipgloss. My skincare is very important to me, and I'm currently using Shamanuti Activated Charcoal Cleanser, Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre, derma e Hydrating Eye Cream, and Royal Apothic Cuppa Cuppa Firming Tea Treatment Mask. For hair, I alternate between Serge Normant's Meta Silk Shampoo with Shimmer Lights for blond hair and Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask. To style it, I use Number 4 Blow Dry Lotion and Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Oil.
Who would you swap wardrobes with in a heartbeat?
Olivia Palermo: She's always chic, but never boring.
What was your first job?
My first job out of school was at a tiny accessories PR firm.
Who's your professional role model?
I look up to a lot of female entrepreneurs like Natalie Massenet of Net-A-Porter, Soraya Darabi of Zady, Alexa Von Tobel of Learnvest, and of course, our co-founders Katia and Hayley are a continual inspiration.
What's the best shopping advice you've ever received?
To wait a few days before buying a true splurge item. If you're still thinking about it, it's worth the investment. Of course, I'm rarely patient enough for that.
· Birchbox [Official Site]
· Working It [Racked]