Beauty: Marc Us!

Guest Beauty Blogger: Baubi J. Huff

Beauty

School has started which gives us an excuse to revamp our look for fall.

Beauty 101: Marc Jacobs is at the head of the class!

(Marc Jacobs launches his long-awaited beauty line at Sephora on August 9) 

The packages are sleek, the products beautifully colorful, and the whopping 122 pieces of innovative fun break down into four groups: 

• Smart Complexion (gel foundations, powders and pen concealers)
• Blacquer Eyes (gel waterproof eyeliner)
• Eye-conic Palettes (eyeshadows) and 
• Color-full Makeup (gel lip gloss, gel lip sticks, blush and nail polish)

I had serious attention issues looking over the entire collection, but the nail polishes are what grabbed me! 

The bottles are very Marc (yes, we are now on a first name basis): fashion forward, multi facetted, rich in color & high-end looking.

I'm enamored with all 24 polishes!  There's “Sally” my green goddess (almost black until the light hits and the emerald frost gleams!) and “Petra” a raisin color infused with a micro silver glitter. Seriously, these polishes will have you at first coat! (Extremely pigmented, go on smoothly, no streaking, fast drying & a high lacquered finish.) 

Sally and Petra are coming home with me I proclaimed! But, I needed something to compliment them. My eyes immediately found eyeliners and eye shadows that matched these beautiful polishes. (Usually, I don’t keep my eyes and nails in conjunction with each other but I think thats the way Marc intended it to be.) 
I picked up Intro(vert) Highliner, which compliments Sally (the green goddess) it glided on my hand smoothly and evenly, thanks to the gel qualities. I also tried Ro(Cocoa) a beautiful brown.

I thought to my self, “Done and done” its hard to find a great eyeliner that doesn’t smudge, goes on smoothly & effortlessly and did I mention waterproof. 

Marc Jacobs has done it again. 

The new look for fall: keep your nails and eyes in harmony with each other. Bright and Sassy, Classic and Nude, Dark and Vamp.  
What's your pleasure?

Thanks to Marc I feel like I'll be at the head of my class with my new, refreshed, fall look. 

People, there is something for everyone (including men!).

Who are you going to be this fall?

“I like the transformative qualities of fashion and fashion to me is not just clothing, it’s handbags, it’s shoes, it’s clothes, it’s hair, it’s makeup, it’s fragrance, it’s the whole ritual of making those choices, of enjoying the ritual, of making the choices that will tell the world who you want to be that day.” Marc Jacobs

Baubi J. Huff is a lover of high-fasion, self-proclaimed product junkie, and jewelry designer in San Diego, California. 

Product Spotlight: Hermes

Don't have a horse or saddle?

We fancy these as accent tables anyway.  

Happy Friday Everyone.
XO,
G3QDesigns

Book Review: Casual Vacancy, J.K. Rowling

Literature
Guest Blogger: Tayler Morrissey

Yes. 

I know what you are thinking, and the answer is yes, this is the same J.K. Rowling that wrote the fabulous Harry Potter books. And yes, I will fully disclose my love and admiration for this young adult literature.  I love her magical series so much that I admit I was a tad reluctant to even begin A Casual Vacancy, Rowling's first foray into adult fiction. I was afraid that if the book was horrible with all its non-magical mundane it would somehow ruin Harry Potter for me as well.

An irrational fear? Yes. And, thankfully, also completely unfounded.

The Casual Vacancy is a wonder in its own right. But it is not Harry Potter. It is not even in the same galaxy as Harry Potter. And that is a good thing, because the little town of Pagford has enough problems of its own.

Review:

The first thing that happens is Councilman Barry Fairbrother dies.

It happens as suddenly and as simply as that, but the repercussions echo relentlessly through the sleepy town. Fairbrother's newly empty seat on the Pagford Parish Council exposes dark and deep-seated rifts within the small community, and the charming countryside houses with sweet names like "Ambleside" and "Hilltop House" seem to transform overnight into dens of secrecy and duplicity.

Rowling proves herself again an able storyteller. She introduces us to a vast array of characters, all of whom are wonderfully human: complex, motivated, flawed. The townspeople of Pagford struggle with political scandal, marital infidelity, substance abuse, addiction, poverty, and a whole spectrum of emotional and physical abuse. The Casual Vacancy meditates on the ties that bind us together, how we create and navigate our social relationships as families, coworkers, school mates, communities, political bodies, and neighbors. That is not to say, however, that this is a heartwarming tale. Yes, some relationships are based on love of some kind and degree, but many more are the uncomfortable product of obligation, old habit, or exploitation. While I found this novel to be engrossing and realistic, some of the darker scenes were mildly disturbing and it seemed almost as if Rowling were overreaching a bit on the "adult" factor.

Bookended by death, Rowling's newest novel is an interesting exploration of how we both build up and destroy meaning in our own lives. Through a structure of interwoven stories, we see how connected our human lives really are, especially when we remember that all the actions in the story are simply the great ripple effects of a whole community learning to cope with the aftermath of just one man's death. 

The Bottom Line: While I enjoyed The Casual Vacancy's vivid characters and gritty story line, those looking for a light read or a restored faith in humanity should look elsewhere.

Tayler Morrissey received her degree in English from University of California, Santa Barbara.

Bangs, Bangs, Bangs

Featured Guest Fashion/Beauty Blogger: Bonny Trejos

Summer is almost over and fall is nearly here.    

Whether your hair is long or short. 

Wavy or straight.  

This season is all about the bang.

Bonny Trejos is a Stylist at The Canyon Salon, Westlake Village, California. 

Lusting: Lighting

Pretty much lusting over this lighting, etc.  shop.  Everything is handcrafted, everything is packed with style and taste.  

Next interior project?

I love each piece, below are some of my favorites!

Have a blessed weekend everyone!

~ Brooke & Laura

Plum Raspberry Galette

By: Guest Blogger, Olivia Beckman of Bakery Sixty Five

Galette: a French term used to describe a flat, 

round or free form crusted cake.

How To: Pie Dough-

3 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of vegetable shortening 
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup water
 
How To: Galette Filling-
4 medium sized plums
1 cup (8 oz) raspberries
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch or tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 egg
Raw sugar

Dough Directions-
Put the flour, sugar, salt, vegetable shortening, and cold butterinto a food processor and pulse 11 times. Turn the food processor on again and add the ice cold water, mix until dough ball forms. Chill for 30 minutes before using.

(makes enough dough for 2 galettes or pies)

 
Filling Directions-
Cut your plums into eighths, and gently rinse the raspberries 

place them both into a medium sized bowl.

In another bowl mix the sugar, cornstarch (or tapioca flour), and vanilla. When combined add to the fruit and mix gently. Let this stand for 10 minutes, in the meantime get your pie dough split 
into two even balls (Save one for a later date!). Roll out your dough into a 12 inch round. Place the dough onto some parchment paper and slide onto your baking sheet. Gently place the fruit on top of the dough leaving a 2 inch perimeter around the edge. Fold the edge of the pie dough up onto the fruit. 

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.



Olivia Beckman is Co-Owner of Bakery Sixty Five in Ventura, California. 
Contact: bakerysixtyfive@gmail.com

HGTV Star Finale Design

We were afforded the awesome opportunity to stay in the suite designed by this years HGTV Star.  The  suite, at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort, was styled by runner-up, Jeribai Tascoe.  

Our overall impression was that the colors in the room were soothing, the furniture layout made sense and encouraged relaxation and that, for the most part, it flowed with the rest of the resort.  The only place we felt it fell short was the accessories.  But, given the time and shopping constraints who are we to play Monday morning quarterback?!

Enjoy the photos!

Love the pop of color in the mirror but not sold on the style or size!

This is where the accessories really got me.  But, then again, who knows if this is how they were arranged for judging!  I love the use of the wall paper behind the shelves.  Mirror would have been fantastic and would have really brought the beautiful outdoors in (there are panels of french doors on the opposite wall looking out onto the palm tree laden golf course!)

This lamp was my favorite piece in the whole place!

Entry way.  What kind of statement is this making? Potpourri in a bowl....hmmm...

Uh-mazing textured metallic wallpaper!!!

Tell us what you think?