Choose Happiness

Hi friends and lovers!

From Berit: So my school is really stupid and uses Easter for Spring Break,

therefore I AM GOING INSANE.

So forgive my flaky-ness as of late- my break is still 3 weeks away :(

We're all in the same boat here- so close but so far away from the end!

Here are some things to make you smile:

1) Darling corset tops that are so in right now!

2) PIRATE SHIPS

3) Not being afraid to embrace paleness!

4) Acceptance letters

(Claire's brother got into the University of Washington!)

5) Home-made guacamole. SO GOOD!!!!

6) RALPH MACCHIO!!!!!

- B&C

Product of the Moment: Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

This product is SO awesome-

I really love Clinique, for the degree of quality the price on all their products is amazing!

They recently came out with this lovely bottom lash mascara-

for everyone who loves definition on their bottom lashes,

this lightweight mascara and tiny tiny brush is perfect!

No smudging or accidental spots of mascara that come from using bigger brushes.

And for 10$!

I've been scouting this out for a while,

and I finally broke down and bought it and I have used it everyday.

It is absolutely amazing. Ten stars!

<3

Claire

Choose Happiness

Smile!

Because the we are alive, and life is an incredible thing!

Evidence?

Here you go:

Unconventional love

Banyan Trees

Aqua Eyeshadow

Roald Dahl

A fat, delicious bowl of pho

And the luminous late Elizabeth Taylor

ALSO

Berit's boyfriend is visiting!!!!!

Ahhhhh the wonderful, wonderful world

- B & C

I love natural brows!

I recently opened up Vanity Fair's Hollywod Issue

to a page with Elle Fanning and Haillee Steinfeld

My first reaction was LORDY EYEBROWS

Their ungroomed, untouched eyebrows were a shocker in an industry of perfect arches-

And you know what?

As much as I love a really delightfully groomed brow, I LOVEEEE IT!

Now, young stars have been sporting naturally unruly brows for a while:

(thats Brooke Shields if you didn't already know :D)

But lately the natural, fresh faced look has been making a resurgence in young hollywood.

Carey Mulligan

Ellen Page

Mia Wasokowska

Dakota Fanning

It accents the youth in their features, and I think it's utterly refreshing!

What do you think? Would you ever go au natural?

<3

Claire

How To: Feather Extensions

If you are from the Pacific Northwest,

chances are over the last few months you have seen someone sporting feather extensions.

Long rooster feathers are crimped onto strands of hair using crimping beads,

and once in can be washed and styled like the rest of your hair-

you can even use low heat hot tools on them!

Many salons offer this service, but for up to 20$ a "bead"

Here is how to put them in your own hair at a fraction of the price!

Materials:

*Feathers

Feather Goddess offers the best prices,

and a great high quality selection of colors and styles

I chose white for my hair

*Beads-

available at any craft store,

try and get the smallest ones possible, they will be more inconspicuous

*Crimper- also available from craft stores

*Floss- to thread your hair into the bead

1) Choose your location

2) Fold floss over a few strands of hair, thread your bead onto the floss

3) Using the floss, pull your hair through the bead

4) Thread your feather(s) in- I put two in every bead.

Leave a little extra up at the top so that the feather doesn't break when you crimp it

5) Using your crimping tool, squeeze the bead shut TIGHTLY.

5) Cut off the extra at the top

6) VOILA!!!

Stay lovely!

<3

Claire

A Day in 'Dena

Hi Friends! Today was one of those days (in Southern California, at least) where Spring, even Summer was definitely in the air. Of course, I probably better appreciated such days after long, rainy winters in Seattle, but still...

(Top, thrifted; Jeans; thrifted, shoes, Steve Madden; bag & scarf, thrifted; bracelet, self-made)

We visited the Crossroads consignment shop in Pasadena for the first time... four words: HIGH WAISTED SAILOR JEANS. For $12.

Spent the evening at the Norton Simon Museum (it's free for students and has the most incredible impressionist collection I've ever seen at such a small museum)

What are your plans for this weekend?

Choose Happiness

Hello Lovelies,

On top of it all, with everything going on in Japan, this week has no doubt been a hard one.

Despite it all, here are a few things to smile about:

BOOKS

Pixar Films

Lavender tea

The Walla Walla Windfarm

A Glee-ful kiss

Of course, it does no good to forget about other people's happiness as well,

so here are a few ways to help Japan:

Doctors Without Borders

Save the Children

Unicef

Red Cross

Medical Teams International

Human compassion is an amazing thing.

If thats not something to smile about, we don't know what is.

- B&C

Brushes Part I: Essentials

HELLO!

Brushes are the single most important thing to any makeup artist.

A good set of brushes opens up a whole new world of opportunities and abilities-

EVERYONE needs at least a few good brushes.

They are pricey, but if you are going to spend, always spend on good brushes.

They can make even cheap, bad makeup look amazing.

For convenience sake, this post will be divided into 4 parts:

Essentials, Face, Eyes, and Lips

So what are the essentials for everyday?

A good eye shadow brush, blush brush, and foundation brush:

Eye Shadow

A large, domed, densely fibered brush makes sweeping on eyeshadow simple

and can be used for a sheer wash of product,

or to build up for more concentrated color.

Sonia Kashuk

Blush

A medium sized, domed, fluffy brush for buildable, even application

Ben Nye RB3

Foundation

A large brush makes fast and blended application a breeze,

and can be used for cream or liquid foundation.

Louise Young LY02

If you like powdered mineral foundations (which I personally hate)

A kabuki brush is your best bet for buffing product into the skin

Bare Escentuals

<3

Claire

(read on for part II!)

Brushes Part II: Face

Essentials aside, t

here are lots of other options out there to expand your application possibilities.

There are billions of different styles, but here are my chosen favorites for the face:

Foundation

for quick and easy application and maximum blending power.

Sigma F60

MAC 190

Sephora Collection #47

Concealer

Fluffier natural hair brushes give a more even,

natural finish and are much faster and easier to use

MAC 224

(most people use this for eyeshadow, but I use it for both!)

Blush

I love a smaller blush brush, for more precise application,

with pretty sparse bristling for sheer application that can be built upon.

MAC 116

Highlighter/Bronzer

Domed, soft, densely fibered white goat hair brushes hold onto product

for a targeted but blended application

Cover FX #160

Dual fibered, flat brushes distribute color widely and evenly

MAC 187

Powder

Big and fluffy, but not TOO big and fluffy,

with soft, sparse fibers allows powder to be dusted over a large area lightly without caking.

Sigma F15

<3

Claire

(click on links below for short cuts)

Part I: Essentials

Part III: Eyes

Part IV: Lips