A Royal Wedding

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I honestly didn't care much about the Royal Wedding before it all went down.

True, I was excited about the dress, but other then that I was pretty ambivalent about it all.

However, Thursday was Steve Carell's (and his character Michael Scott's) night on the office- and that I DID care about.

Having grown quite close to the show over the years, I cried. A Lot.

In fact, I was so sad that I couldn't really sleep.

So I got up and was doodling on Youtube, when I realized that the Royal Wedding was on.

Of course, once you start to watch, there is no way you can stop.

Especially after a dress like that.

Designed by Sara Burton for Alexander McQueen,

According to the Official Website of the British Monarchy (LOL I know...):

The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. The lace design was hand-engineered (appliquéd) using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s.

Individual flowers have been hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace has been used throughout the bodice and skirt.

The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar. The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. The train measures two metres 70 centimetres. The back is finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops.

Beyond perfect- it suited the occasion, and she was positively radiant.

Add to that a hairdo by James Pryce and Richard Ward, a soft tulle veil held in place by a Cartier tiara, custom made earrings by Robinson Pelham, handmade Alexander McQueen heels, a castle, and a prince, and you get a fairytale.

She really did look like a princess.

I feel like a totaly cliche, but I am utterly obsessed with her now!

AND SHE DID HER OWN MAKEUP.

say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

It has to be said that she is unfairly beautiful naturally

(as are the rest of the females in her family... damn genes...)

Sister Pippa Middleton (amazing name...)

Mom Carole Middleton

But regardless of natures blessings, she knocked it out of the park with the makeup.

The smoky eye and matching flushed pink cheeks did exactly what bridal makeup is supposed to do- look like everyday you, but better.

I actually did a little dance, she was so pretty and I was so overcome with happiness!

As for the rest of the wedding, I found it lovely but very formal.

Mostly I just wanted to steal Prince Harry because he is adorable. Ginger!

Oh! and the bridesmaids and pages were PRECIOUS.

Besides her grand entrance, the next best part was watching them do their vows.

Because, really, thats what the whole thing was about- their marriage!

Plus, Prince William (or, as he is known now, the Duke of Cambridge)

was making the cutest, trying-not-to-smile face the whole time.

After the official affair, Miss Cinderella donned another Sara Burton dress

for the reception at Buckingham Palace.

Well, thanks to the Office and the British Monarchy

It's always nice to celebrate the wonderful things in life.

What did you all think?

<3

Claire

Old and boring? Not so much!

I love badass, fashionable mature women.

Just because you are not 20 anymore doesn't mean you can't rock, or be sexy, or have to knit!

Pass this message on to those lovelies of a more dignified age :D

And remember, you are lovely lovely lovely!

<3

Claire

Makeup Removal

HAAAAAY LOVELIES!

HAPPY EASTER!

Now, properly removing your makeup is essential.

Having fresh, clean, hydrated skin is fabulous,

your pores won't get clogged and your skin will be able to breathe!

Big Don'ts:

*further clogging your pores with icky removal product.

*irritating your skin with stingy ouchy remover and harsh scrubbing and stretching

*leaving anything behind, because that's just nasty.

Try this:

Wash your face. Wet a cotton pad with some toner or some water.

Wipe your skin down.

If the cotton pad comes off with makeup still on it,

you need to revise your makeup removal routine.

Eyes:

Always remove your eye and lip makeup first,

it makes removing the rest much easier and efficient.

(no colors running together, no mixing of consistencies- like mascara and foundation)

The skin around your eyes is so thin and so sensitive,

leaving makeup on is irritating and can lead to stye's-

which is basically a zit in your eyelid.

EW RIGHT??!

Technique:

Wet a cotton pad completely with remover,

place it over your eye, gently press and wiggle for a few seconds,

slowly pull down over the lashes.

Repeat until the pad comes off clean.

For hard to remove waterproof mascara,

delicately hold onto your lashes with the pad and wiggle.

Clean up any extra with q-tips and some remover.

The absolute best eye makeup remover in the world:

A french pharamaceutical brand,

comes in a huge bottle that lasts you forever-

impossibly gentle, mild, and non irritating,

gets everything everything everything off.

only available in France or online,

get it online at amazon or monguidesante

Lips

You don't need to deep clean your lips, since there are no pore to get clogged.

Just be very gentle and make sure to rehydrate them.

Technique:

First gently blot several times onto a tissue until no more product comes off,

then put a jelly textured lip balm over your lips and work it in really well with a q-tip.

Do this until there is no more color on your lips and your lips are lovely and soft.

You can use vaseline but I love using my Smiths Rosebud Salve

$6.00

Available at Sephora

Skin: Hot Cloth Cleansers

These come with a muslin cloth which works as an amazing exfoliant

and also a super super great makeup remover.

Technique:

Massage the product all over dry skin, and after really working it into the skin,

get the muslin cloth wet in hot water and polish the product off.

Then do a final rinse with cold water to seal the pores.

Splurge:

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish,

This has won tons of awards, and was the first cleanser of its kind

Is really gentle on the skin,

and dissolves makeup as well as any other grime on your face easily.

The product will also last you a very long time.

$25.oo

Available at the Liz Earle Website

Steal:

Boots No.7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser

From the British drugstore Boots, this works just like the Liz Earle,

but for much much less money!

$10.00

Available at Target

Skin: Cleansing Oils

I have raved about these before

They offer the most intense way to cleanse, they literally dissolve EVERY bit of makeup,

but because they are an oil they really moisturize and sooth the skin.

Technique:

Massage it (like REALLY massage it) in big smooth strokes for about 2 minutes,

then add a little bit of warm water and massage in,

and continue to add more and more warm water

until the oil emulsifies into a milk and you can rinse it off with warm water.

Finish off with a hot washcloth all over the skin.

Splurge:

NUDE Cleansing Facial Oil

36$

available at Sephora

Has officially replaced Shu Uemera as the best cleansing oil out there.

(organic!)

Steal:

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

This is not as thick as others I have tried so it is easier to remove,

and you get more product for the money

$5.00

Available online at the DHC website

Skin: Lotions

If you don't have access to a sink

Bioderma is also great for removing face makeup.

But for an alternative, try a cleansing lotion-

Technique

massage into the face for a few minutes

then wipe off.

My favorite?

Clarins Cleansing Milk

Leaves skin smooth and lovely, smells nice, and is very mild

$30.00

Available at any department store

or FeelUnique.com

(free international shipping!)

Questions? Ask in the comments!

Stay Lovely!

<3

Claire

On Trend: Spiked Punch

Spikes aren't just for punks anymore! While pyramid and circle studs are common lately, spikes are a few steps farther up the badass staircase. I mean... spiked Burberry trenches? OH YES.

Here's some affordable options for "spiking" your look:

Rachel Rachel Roy Crystal Tip Spear Earrings- $38.00

Spikez Ring by KLxTL- $15.00

ASOS Long Metal Spike Earring- $10.76

Gold Spike Necklace by okalexk- $10.00

What do y'all think?

-B

"Balenciaga and Spain" at the de Young Museum

Hi everyone! I've been lucky enough to have spent my vacation in the Bay Area, with many trips to San Francisco on the glorious public transportation available.

On Tuesday my mom and I checked out the "Balenciaga and Spain" exhibit at the de Young Museum, containing a showcase of some of Balenciaga's most famous 20th-century designs. Coming within inches of the silk-taffeta and hand-embroidered creations that influenced designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Givenchy.

Below are just a few snapshots taken off the web -the great thing about seeing his pieces in a museum was that the exhibit offered many insights into the religious (one beautiful sheath gown embroidered with crystals actually featured a crown of thorns pattern) and Spanish cultural influences on Balenciaga's designs. Art, in my opinion, is often more greatly appreciated when inspiration and influence are taken into account.

I wanted to walk out of there with every dress stuffed under my arm (respectfully and reverently stuffed, of course)! On a personal note, two weeks from now I'll be in Seattle for summer break... it doesn't even seem real that I'm already half-way through college. Someone pinch me! (not really)

-B

Choose Happiness

We are back!

and with lots of things to choose to be happy about!

1) Peeps S'Mores!

2) The brilliant Albert Camus

3) Drives through the beautiful outdoors (This was taken on Saturday on a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway)

4) The AWESOME Kansas City Library

5)Paula Deen Riding Things, a hilarious blog on tumblr!

6) Follow:

I (Berit) have only 2 weeks of school left... yet it could not feel farther away! Forgive the shitshows our lives have been lately, summer is coming and we will be giving you the attention you deserve!

Love Love Love,

B & C

MAC Viva Glam

Hey lovelies,

MAC recently came out with their new Viva Glam lipcolor- codesigned by Lady Gaga.
Now you all know how I feel about Lady Gaga (meh) but this is actually awesome
Viva Glam is fantastic because it donates 100% of the proceeds to the MAC AIDS fund.
These recent lipsticks are really beautiful for a paler skin tones,
but watch out for new colors debuting in a few months!

(you should also check out the new MAC limited edition wonder woman collection-
I LOVE the russian red lipstick!)

<3
Claire

New Favorite Picture Book: Rumors I've Heard About Anna Wintour

By Lisa Hanawalt. Check it out.

-B

DIY Shredded Shirt

Shredded tees have been on the scene for a while now, but I wasn't too sure about how I felt about them -most are super grungy looking, something I wasn't sure I had the guts for. Plus, such shirts are really expensive considering they're just de-constructed.

(This top, although really cool, is for sale on Etsy for $58.00)

After beginning to clean out my stuff to make moving out in a month (WEIRD) easier, I found a few old t-shirts and decided to give it a go with the help of this tutorial, which got rave interviews by everyone in the crafting community. Watch it -she explained it better than I ever could!

The process is really easy, but takes a few hours, so this is a good project to do while you're watching a movie.

This is the second shirt I shredded, the first was a polyester-cotton blend and was a little harder to do. This one is 100% cotton and took about 2 hours. Experiment with stripes and the looseness of shredding depending on what look you want!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

-B

Transformers Dresses

I recently found this video of a runway show,

from British avante-guarde designer Hussein Chalayan's 2007 collection, and it is insane.

Take a look, there is technology in the clothes that actually allows it to transform into a completely different look before your eyes! Watch out for a special surprise at the end!

4

What do you all think?

<3

Claire

p.s. it has been SO SUNNY in Walla Walla lately,

and it is killing me that summer is so far away!