She kept it tucked away behind her clothes. It was out of sight and certainly out of mind. Her small purple clutch full of makeup was not something she needed here. She hadn’t worn much makeup before the crash and used even less on the island. Everyone had given up on beauty routines once their fate had sunk in and a real camp had been established along with new routines. That was when she stuck her useless bag behind the few possessions she still had.

Claire dug behind the small pile of tops and jeans to find the purple plastic. When she finally found it, she set it on the sand in front of her and opened it. She selected a few shades of eye shadow and a subtle brown mascara. She pulled out a compact mirror and held it in front of her face as she carefully brushed the light browns and golds onto her eyelids.

She hadn’t put makeup on in over two months. Claire was amazed her fingers remembered how. This simple act of preparing herself seemed strange and alien. The more time they spent here, the more it seemed like this was their life. Their routines had begun to change and along with them their mindsets. Now, their old lives seemed wrong, and the island was normal and sure.

She assessed her face in the small round mirror. She liked the way she looked, but something was missing. She reached back into the bag and found a silver tube of lipstick.

The container was in perfect condition and when she opened it, the vibrant red stick was still perfectly formed. She hadn’t used this shade much at all. It was warm as she slid it slowly over her lips. She rubbed her lips together and puckered a few times in the mirror to check its evenness. She took the black hair tie holding her hair loosely behind her face out and let her blonde locks fall around her face in a perfect frame.

She stood and took a deep breath. The compact sat on the ground at her feet reflecting her carefully planned ensemble. She wore a pair of dark wash jeans that had the least sand on them of any of her clothes. Her top was green, sleeveless and sequined. It hung loosely on her so any small breeze would cause it to flutter and catch the sunlight. She walked slowly from her tent towards the camp’s kitchen. Her feet sank lightly in the sand with every step, and a chill breeze ruffled her shirt.

Desmond was sitting on one of the tables staring at his hands folded in his lap. He wore the same unbuttoned blue shirt and tan pants as always, but the usual sweat stains were gone, and his hair was neatly brushed. He turned as she neared and jumped down from the table. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung awkwardly open as he looked from the plain sneakers and jeans over her elegant top past her red lips and stopped on her bright blue eyes.

"You look beautiful." His voice was breathy and soft. Her lips parted slowly over her teeth as she said thanks and looked down to the sand.

The two spoke shortly before taking some food and walking together towards a separate beach. Someone watching could have easily been reminded of a young couple on a first date.