In high school I used to swagger up to make-up counters, ask a bunch of questions, pretend I was going to buy something, then sheepishly ask for some samples. Which I usually got, but not without feeling rather undignified after the whole process. (Full disclosure: I still sometimes do this.) Enter Birchbox, a new beauty e-commerce site with a few unique twists, which just launched this September. For $10 per month or $110 per year, Birchbox will send you a pretty pink box full of deluxe, oversized samples once a month. Samples span all product categories including fragrance, make-up, skin care, and hair care. The premise is that the founders want you to be able to try a carefully curated batch of higher-end products before you invest. If you like a product, you can then buy the full-sized version directly from Birchbox. To encourage loyalty, they will give you rewards points for ordering from them, referring friends, and answering surveys. The points can be used towards future purchases. To round it all out, Birchbox offers editorial content on the site in the form of short articles and videos. Plus all samples arrive with write-ups and how-tos which the company likens to “opening the latest magazine and having the featured products pouring out.”

I just dyed my hair pink. It’s the perfect moment in fashion to do such a silly thing--we noticed the pink hair trend a few weeks ago and the Telegraph just did a piece on Charlotte Free, the pink-haired model who’s walked everywhere this season. So I decided to take the Pepto-Bismol plunge. When people look at me quizzically, I’ve been telling them, “Oh, I did it for a story.” Just like Holly Millea, who is my beauty editor idol. (She’s the one who writes about her “Beauty Adventures” for Elle--she’s been practically maimed in the pursuit of beauty. I love her.) I’m lucky to have a job where such experimentation is allowed, nay, encouraged. But the truth is, I’ve always wanted to try pink hair. When Gwen Stefani had that pink 70s feathered ‘do, I was smitten. Now I finally had an excuse.

If you have any hair at all on your head and live in a cold climate, you’ve probably experienced that most annoying of hair situations: static. All of a sudden the ends of your hair are flying away and it feels like all hydration has been sucked out. We’ve discussed ways to deal with this here at Fashionista, but nothing seems ideal. Leah knows girls who use Static Guard. I recently rubbed Vaseline Intensive Care lotion onto my ends. It got rid of the static, but you can imagine what my hair looked like then. A quick online search revealed that you should use a dryer sheet. I was skeptical. I decided to ask an expert for tips on how to deal with this tragic problem. (OK, OK I know it’s a decidedly first-world problem. We’re not curing cancer. Or seeking democracy.) Anyway, Kristina Reynoso at the Warren-Tricomi Madison Avenue Salon here in NYC was kind enough to provide the answers.

Ponytails are the new braids. From New York all the way through Paris—the ponytail reigned supreme during the fall 2012 season. Obviously the pony is a perennial favorite, but it had a particularly strong showing this season. But the style can be more challenging to reproduce than it seems. On the catwalk, it’s a high-fashion look that reads casual and low-maintenance. But on the sidewalk, it has the potential to come across quite lackluster, horribly humdrum, and soccer mom-ish. That’s where we come in—a few of our favorite designers (in collaboration with their amazing runway hair stylists) have found easy and interesting ways to retell the age-old pony tale. Here, ten quick tips for the prettiest, fashion-forward, DIY ponies ever, straight from the fall 2012 runways.