Product Review: ELF vs. MUFE High Def Powder

HELLO AGAIN!

To set makeup, a translucent powder is a must.

The latest innovation in makeup is High Def powders-

Makeup Forever (available at Sephora)

came out with the first, a 100% silica weightless dream product.

It doesn't crease, is so fine that it feels like air, lasts forever,

doesn't oxidize, and doesn't cake down makeup.

However, at 24$ a pop, it is quite the investment.

Many other brands have come out with imitation products,

but the most popular is Eyes Lips Face's.

It is a mix of silicate and silica, and at 12$ it is 1/2 the price of the MUFE product

(basic math... not my forte`)

Actually, the product is 6$ but it is only for sale online, so the shipping adds the extra.

Anywhoo, I bought both.

After opening the MUFE, a fairy dusting of product floated into the air, so fine it was unreal.

I dabbed a bit on my skin, and felt like fainting it was so wonderfully silky and airy.

Not convinced, I patted some over undereye concealer

(which ALWAYS creases on my eyes)

and went about my day.

When I got home, I was shocked and thrilled to find that not one bit of product had budged.

I'm not exaggerating.

Then I tried the ELF powder,

most reviews have said that there is absolutely no difference, but I disagree.

It definitely wasn't as finely milled, but it had the same weightless feel.

Because of the slightly grainier texture, it did cake up very slightly,

allow for a teeeensy bit of creasing and had a almost undetectable chalky color.

Compared to any other regular powder out there, it was dramatically better.

It lasted all day, applied easily, and would have been nearly invisible in high def

(as promised!)

SO

I will stick with the ELF for now, but only because of my college budget.

It definitely isn't the dream come true that the MUFE is, but for half the price it is spectacular,

wonderfully transplendent

(annie hall anyone?)

Stay fabulous!

<3

Claire

NEW PERFUME: PURE DKNY

Over break, I told my mom I wanted a perfume.

This week, I got a package.

MY MOM BOUGHT ME THE PERFUME AND SENT IT TO ME.

I have the best mom ever.

I now have Pure by DKNY in my olfactory arsenal!

The scent is created around a vanilla ethically sourced from Uganda,

The box and bottle are 100% recyclable, and the plastic wrapping is compostable.

AWESOME!

Also, it smells like absolute delight.

It says that on top of the vanilla, there is also:

dew drop petal accord, lotus blossom, bulgarian rose, jasmine, freesia, orchid, white amber, and sandalwood.

Geez.

To me, it smells like clouds, snuggles, fresh sheets, tea, and saturday sunsets :D

(lol i'm dying my hair)

<3

Claire

p.s. the SAG awards are tonight- will try and post my thoughts ASAP

p.p.s. the icky webcam photos will come to an end soon, i am getting a new camera charger!

p.p.p.s.

three years. we miss you.

Hairspray And Its Many Glorious Uses

Besides playing a crucial role in holding carefully-teased 80's coiffes (that always sounds like a dirty word to me) in place, hairspray is useful for many other things...

...one being removing nail polish from clothes. Seriously, I'm an idiot and have done it at least twice in the past few months, once spilling teal polish all over my favorite black hoodie...

1) Douse (literally, show no mercy) the nail polish stain, preferably before it's fully dried, with hairspray.

2) Take an old toothbrush and scrub the hairspray right off! Ta-da!

I went to WeHo (West Hollywood, LULZ) last night and had delicious coffee AND a milkshake in the span of an hour. It was glorious.

Honey vanilla latte, ARE YOU SERIOUS.

Strawberries & Fererro Roche. Yes.

What did you all do this weekend?!

-B

Sugar Skull Satisfaction

I've always been kind of entranced by the sugar skulls and motifs associated with Dia de los Muertos- the vibrant colors and cartoon-creepy skeleton depictions, all steeped in culture.

Here's some sweet stuff that draws upon this Mexican holiday for inspiration!

Sugar Skull Laptop Decal- $18.00

Via SoSexedUp

The Four Fridas 5x7 Print- $8.00

Day of the Dead Deep V- $19.00

Sugar Skull Ring- $25.00

Wishing you all a lovely weekend! Nothing quite like popping the contacts out, painting my nails and watching some Arrested Development... :)

-B

P.S. All items for sale here can be bought on Etsy- I can't stress how important it is to support small artists and their businesses! This is as close to guilt-free shopping that you can get besides in a thrift store ;)

Choose Happiness

Hello stylistas!

Wednesday can be a difficult one to get through, no?

It's in the very middle of the week, it's kind of difficult to spell,

and Friday is juuuuust too far away.

To help alleviate your distress,

We decided to put a little love in your day to help you choose happiness,

no matter how rough your week has been!

1) neil patrick harris rocks our world!

2) Some awesome blogs you should check out:

HonestlyWTF

(FAVORITE blog right now, great DIY stuff),

The Coveted

(an inside scoop with the stars of the fashion world),

and Gimme Some Oven.

3) Banana Boat S'Mores. Seriously.

4) Freaking amazing tattoos.

also:

cookies straight out of the oven

a perfect shower temperature and water pressure

touching up nail polish every night to make a manicure last forever

pinks "fuckin perfect" video

patchouli

learning to knit

squirrels

taking time to be lazy

reorganizing a bookshelf

a favorite pair of boots

naturally curly eyelashes

when cars stop so you can cross the street

the prospect of and opportunity to study abroad

loving parents

dandylion wishes

<3

B & Claire

DIY: Turban-Style Headband

Turban-style headbands or headwraps are in the limelight right now in the fashion world, and I think they're AWESOME. They can add a chicness to anything... or be used to cover up hair that needs to be washed (I can attest to the latter)!

From right to left: Milly, Issa, Vena Cava S/S 2011

Turban-style headwraps can literally be worn on any type or length of hair- worn over the crown, under the hair like a traditional headband, with a low-slung bun, the list goes on... so let me show you how to make one of your own for under 5 bucks!

1) Start with two lengths of fabric that when doubled over will read from the center of the crown of your head to the nape of your neck.

2) If you're working with a fabric that has

raw edges (polyester/spandex blends are great because you don't need to give them hems), double the width of these pieces of fabrics so that you can run a seam down the raw edge and turn them inside-out. I made mine about 5-6 inches wide so that when I sewed them into "tubes" they'd be about 2.5 inches wide.

3) After you've finished with your two "tubes," iron them with the seam in the very center. This way, it will always be against your head and not facing out when you wear your headband.

4) Lay the two pieces of fabric criss-crossed over one another with the seams facing up.

5) Fold them over one another and pull, this will be the general look of your headband with the "knot" in the center. Next time I'm going to taper the ends of the fabrics down so that the fabric at the base of my head will be thinner and more comfortable.

6) This next part can be done any way you wish, really. I used two pieces of elastic because my headwrap is pretty wide. Just make sure you take the stretchiness of the elastic into account so that your headwrap will both stay on your head but not be too constricting.

7) Ta-da! I look kind of stoned but I promise it was just the flash ;)

Here's a closer look at the knot.

This whole project took about 40 minutes. The fabric cost about $1.95 for 1/4 of a yard (I still have fabric left over) and the elastic was about $2 for a few feet of it. Totally affordable, and if I can use a sewing machine so can you!

Any questions my loves?! Please share your comments, critiques, and of course creations of your own!

-B

Sunday!

Cannes Filme Festival. Givenchy.

I want to BE Natalie Portman.

This dress is a masterpiece.

<3

Claire

Kristen Stewart

I have been threatening to post on her for ages, and here it is.

The thing is, I adore her.

She is 100% honest,

I love her acting (maybe not so much in twilight...)

and she has killer style..

forever in tiny dresses and sky high heels,

she sticks to silouettes that flatter her slender figure and colors that suit her pale skin,

but always mixes it up in new and interesting ways.

she wears a vast variety of designers and her face wears makeup beautifully.

And yeah, I know, she sucks at public speaking. But so do I :D

Doo.Ri Valentino

Temperly London Proenza Schouler

J. Mendel

i think she rocked this harder than T.Swift aka permasmirk

that poor little lass just loves to wear J. Mendel and try to compete with style stars)

Elie Saab Reem Acra

(she got hated on for this, but i like it)

Jenni Kayne skirt Guishem

Giuseppe Zannoti boots

Herve Ledger Dolce and Gabbana

And, of course, she is the queen of the LBD- but again, she mixes it up.

Plus, you can't hate a classic.

Roland Mouret um.. idk who designed this,

but look at those jimmy choos!

Prabal Gurung Marchesa

J.Mendel Rock & Republic

(Berit loves this dress)

Azzaro Versace

Herve Ledger Elizabeth and James

in fact, she has become so reputable for her LBD's

that Gucci CUSTOM MADE this one for her.

I have such a big friend crush on her

<3

Claire

Product Review: Korres Lip Butter

Just bought the Mango scented one

Absolute heaven.

It conditions BEAUTIFULLY, and also exfoliates a little...

My lips have been so happy since I made the investment :D

(I live in the dry dry wine country of Walla Walla!)

The texture is thicker and creamier than a lip balm, but sheerer and lighter than a lipstick.

Korres is an earth friendly brand, so that means no parabens or icky fillers.

Visit their website HERE

There is a tinnnnny hint of color, delightfully yummy smell and it lasts for a long long time.

At 10$ a pot, it is a pretty good deal for such an awesome product.

Other flavors are Guava (WANT!), Jasmine, Pomegranate, Quince, Wild Rose, and Plum

I tried them all, they all smell and look gorgeous.

I give 5 stars!

<3>

Claire

Michelle Obama!

Just a few days ago President Hu Jintao of China arrived in the states to talk business with our president. Wanna know what the ever-so-stylish Michelle Obama wore to the state dinner?

Alexander McQueen (as designed by Sarah Burton)!!!!!!!!

I have always loved the current first lady's sense of style, but she just gained so many respect points in my book!!

This is one of my new favorite fashion blogs- it follows in detail the fashion forays (and diplomatic deeds) of First Lady Michelle Obama.

Sorry for the hiatus, I've never been terribly great at transitioning back and forth between school and home. Oh, and also that I have hundreds of pages to read between classes. That too.

Love you all, hope the new year is treating you well!!

-B

P.S. Here's an article from NYMag discussing the many reactions (political and fashion-related) to Mrs. Obama's dress, including the sentiments of Oscar De la Renta.