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Cool Designs to Help Save Starving Children - Amazing!

Meet brother/sister designer duo Carmin and Christian Black. They decided to use their creative design skills to help out starving children around the world through the launch of Half United.

Read their story here -

HOW DID THE TWO OF YOU COME UP WITH THIS IDEA?
(Carmin) In 2008 my brother was working to start a men’s clothing line but was not sure how to get it off the ground. Around the same time I was invited by TOMS to participate in their Vagabond program- I drove nationwide with a small group of other 20-somethings to speak at high school and college students about the One for One movement. While on the road it dawned on me that Christian and I could combine forces- he could continue to design clothes and I could run our finances and incorporate giving into the business model. Years later we now have turned our business into a men and women’s accessories brand. Giving back and feeding kids is still at the heart of what we do. We feel like we’re making a difference every day.

HOW IS IT WORKING TOGETHER AS BROTHER AND SISTER? IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU BALANCE EACH OTHER?
Some days its tough. We argue, disagree and bicker like most siblings do. The cool thing is we also make up for each other’s differences. He’s great at graphic design- something I hate. And I love finance, keeping our margins in check and analyzing what’s trending for us is really amazing to me- you can’t run a business like ours without both elements. At the end of the day we are very close and would never stab the other in the back which makes for a very sound partnership.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGNS/STYLE?
Sleek. Sometimes my personal style does not shine through as I fall in the pit of trying to design things that other people would love. However, the more I do that, the more the products get bad reviews. Whenever I design based on conviction and things I love, the response is usually great! Moving forward HU is going to appear a bit more mature and sophisticated but always with an edge and with products that make complete sense for the cause we support.

WHERE DO YOU GET THE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR DESIGNS? Everywhere. From a photo of a sunset on Instagram- I’ll think “when people wear our products I want them to feel the way I do when I look at this photo,” to lifestyle/street style images in magazines, to other designers. Like this Fall we are using a line of colors Prada is featuring on their shoes- we don’t EVER copy but being fashion-forward, and on-trend is a must, and the big players usually lead the charge in defining those things.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY INTERACTION WITH THE CHILDREN WHOSE LIVES YOU ARE SAVING?
From getting to play with the kids we work with at a school garden planting, to seeing a child’s face when we knock on their front door with bags of groceries- all of the reactions to us giving food are exhilarating Everyone needs to eat, and as a child your needs are so basic- love, food, shelter, and education, other than this most things come secondary. For a child, when they are fed enough they feel safe, and secure. Seeing a child’s demeanor change is priceless.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE YOU OVERCAME IN CREATING THIS COMPANY
Constantly adapting to change. Running a business is tough when it involves keeping your people employed and happy. Right now we are looking for seed money and going through this process is taxing. We are having to open our minds to new ideas- things that would appeal to investors, while at the same time funding our mission and keeping our promise to give HALF of all profits to feed children. Business ownership is not for the faint of heart, but I would not trade what I do for working for someone else ever.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT SO FAR?
I would say gaining our accounts with Nordstrom and Barnes and Noble Campus. These accounts not only give us some legitimacy in the fashion world, but they have funded our giving efforts in ways that few accounts ever could. Knowing that the buyers from these national corporations believe in us is an amazing feeling and not one we take lightly.

I SAW YOU STARTED IT WITH ONLY $200. WHAT DO YOU THINK GAVE YOU THE COURAGE TO STICK WITH IT AND GROW IT TO WHAT IT IS TODAY? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS AND FOR DESIGNERS?
We definitely started with a meager $200! Haha, looking back I realize how ambitious our decision really was. In terms of what kept driving us, I knew that God had given me a vision for the company I would one day run. I am NOT saying that I heard from him audibly, or that if someone does not feel a divine inspiration that they wont succeed in starting a business. For me though, I had a peace surrounding the idea that the next phase in my life would involve starting and running my own corporation that would feed children in need. One thing I can assure any aspiring entrepreneur is that if you do not have a peace about starting a company, or if you are only starting a business to make money and your heart is not truly invested in what you are working on, there is a little chance it will succeed. I cannot tell you how many times my brother and I wanted to quit. In the early days we had no money, no prospects, not even quality products, but because I felt this was what I was called to do in the deepest part of my soul, I knew it would pan out. Since day one doors have opened for us through little effort of our own. When a business does not flow naturally, or when you are having to trudge, and strive to make any movement- it may not be the right thing to do. Do not get me wrong, running a business is hard, hard, work. I am exhausted, tired, sometimes frustrated and even feel lost, but just before I throw in the towel God pulls through for us, he shines the light at the end of the tunnel and something happens that propels us forward. The moral of this, you must trust your instincts and rely on your convictions- do this and you’ll likely succeed!

Courtney Milazzo Makeup Artist for Roomiez

Roomiez is a very identifiable film short of a group of 20-something roommates in Brooklyn written, executive-produced and acted in by Janice Park.

Meet the makeup artist Courtney Milazzo as she offers us tips on makeup and beauty as well as behind the scenes sneak peeks of the Roomiez makeup.

Director: Derek Dale
Producer: Ray Blanco
Set Design: Ryan Hahn

Photographer - Bonnie Seto

WHAT ARE SOME MAKEUP LOOKS THAT ARE POPULAR OR NEW NOW THAT YOU LOVE?
I have and always will be a fan of the winged cat eyeliner look with a bold lip color like red or bright pink. I love that it makes you look polished and put together no matter what you are wearing.

The new trend featured this year at many of the spring fashion shows was bright eyeliner. I love the idea of keeping the face clean and adding a pop of color either on the upper or lower lash line. The colors i’ve been obsessing over lately are various shades of teal/aqua and bright purples.

WHAT ARE SOME SKINCARE TIPS?
For me there are three major ones:

1) Always wash your face. Whether it’s once or twice a day, I think it’s particularly important to wash away all the dirt and oil that has been collecting on your face throughout the day. It keeps skin looking young and prevents skin from breaking out if you are prone to acne.

2) No matter what your skin type, I think it is really important to moisturize. Moisturizer is a personal choice depending on skin type, but I believe everyone should do it (yes, even the people with oily skin). By keeping your skin moisturized, you’ll actually find that your makeup will go on much smoother!

3) Always use sunscreen when you are going to be outside. I cannot stress it enough! Using sunscreen will help prevent premature aging and wrinkles, skin discoloration, and skin cancer. I always apply a light lotion with SPF along with SPF foundations in my everyday face routine and I make sure to apply sunscreen to the rest of my body.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU SEE WOMEN MAKING WITH THEIR MAKEUP?
The biggest mistake I usually see is people using too much product. Only use as much product as you need (whether it is foundation, blush, or even eyeshadow). I always start with very little product and then continue to build up to the coverage I would like. Anytime you put too much unnecessary product on your face it can cause the product to start looking “cakey” or can cause creasing.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A MAKEUP ARTIST?
I’ve had a passion for makeup for as long as I can remember. I have fond memories of being little and playing dress up and always finding my way into my mother’s makeup. Throughout my adolescence it was always something I loved to do, I was constantly trying new products and occasionally a friend would let me put it on them. But it wasn’t until after college that I decided that I really wanted to pursue becoming a makeup artist. I would see the artists at MAC cosmetic stores and see artists on television creating beautiful looks and I thought, “hey, maybe I could do that.” I fell in love with the idea of being creative and helping people feel and look amazing with makeup.

ANY BRANDS OR PRODUCTS YOU LOVE?
There are so many. But I think if I had to narrow it down, my two absolute favorite brands are MAC and NARS. First of all, MAC has the best range of colors around. They cater to every skin tone and every makeup preference. Whether you like bold and trendy looks or you tend to go for the more natural look, you can find the colors to help you achieve that look at MAC. I particularly love their lipsticks, eyeshadows, and the mineralize skinfinishes (which are gorgeous baked mineral powder compacts). NARS is another brand I love, mainly because of their highly pigmented blushes (ie orgasm) that look good on pretty much every skintone and they have a great line of eyeliner pencils and lipsticks as well.

And just so I can mention a drugstore product that is easily accessible, I am really loving the new Covergirl clump crusher mascara. If you like long, defined, and thick lashes, this mascara is for you. I rarely buy high end mascaras, I think the best ones can be found in the drugstore and this one is definitely my new favorite.

THE FILM - ROOMIEZ

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PERSONALITY OF EACH CHARACTER AND HOW DID THAT INFLUENCE YOUR CHOICES FOR THE MAKEUP?

Jen:
Jen is a very fashionable and cool hipster, and she is kind of the leader of the group. Her look included some thicker black liner and smoky brown tones for the eyes and just a little bit of bronzer on the cheeks. The thick liner gives her a cool edge and the smoky brown shadows help blend everything for a put together look that requires little effort.

Kelly:
Kelly is a fabulous over the top character with great fashion sense and the desire to look amazing at all times. For her I really played up the makeup and did a bold black winged eyeliner, with some bronze & gold eyeshadow and bright lip color. I switched up the lip color for her different scenes between a couple of vibrant pink colors and a bright red. I wanted her character to look very trendy and current so I went for this popular eyeliner shape.

Molly:
Molly is very girl next door and a natural beauty at that too. She’s very casual and has a pretty laid back style about her as well. For this character the look was all about focusing on her skin and making her look as natural as possible. I focused on making sure her skin was slightly dewy and added just a little bit of a peachy pink blush to her cheeks for a natural flush. For the eyes I decided to do a basic black liner smudged out with a medium brown eyeshadow. I blended her eye makeup to look very subdued so that her skin would be the main focus.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DOING A CHARACTER’S MAKEUP ON SET AND A PERSONAL CLIENT?
When you are doing makeup on multiple characters for a shoot there are a lot of time restraints. You have to work really fast on each look so that you can continue on to the next character before filming starts. You also have to do a little more research on each character, and because of this you get to be a little more creative with the look options based on their clothing and personality. With personal clients, you usually have a longer period of time to work on the makeup and you really cater to the client’s wishes for the look.

DID YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LOOK/CHARACTER FROM THE FILM? IN TERMS OF THE MAKEUP?
I absolutely loved Kelly’s makeup because it is exactly the kind of look I wear most of the time. If I have no idea what kind of look I want to do in the morning this is usually my go to. It’s so simple to just do a winged eyeliner and throw on any shade of lipstick i’m gravitating towards that day.

OF THE MAKEUP YOU DID FOR THE FILM CAN YOU GIVE WOMEN SOME TIPS FOR ACHIEVING EACH OF THESE LOOKS AT HOME?
how to do winged eyeliner. - Both Molly and Jens’ looks are very easy to achieve. All you need is black eyeliner; you can use cream, gel, or kohl pencil (whatever your preference, just make sure it can be smudged). Take a thin eyeliner brush (i personally prefer to use the thin angled eyeliner brushes, the thinner the better). Trace a thin line above the lashes. Then you can take a domed brush or small shader brush and dip it into a medium to deep brown shadow (preferably a matte eyeshadow), and sweep this color across this liner you placed above the lashes. Using a small amount of product and making sure to blend is key with this look. If you find that you’ve put on too much eye product you can take a fluffier crease brush and sweep it back and forth to soften the shadow.