the glossarie

chantecaille sea turtle palette4

POSTED ON Posted on January 14, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

happy friday guys and dolls! are you lucky enough to have three days off in your immediate future? oh, how i love a long weekend. to kick start the end-of-week bliss, i just had to showcase this incredible sea turtle palette from chantecaille. it is one of this week’s best things in beauty as far as i’m concerned.

at $79 it’s a complete splurge, but for three eye colors and one poppy cheek, it’s still a must in my book. for starters, this season is loving versatile charcoal / green and the pretty peach and emerald have me screaming SPRING! best of all, 5% of your purchase goes straight to widecast to help ensure the survival of sea turtles.

all together now: awwww!

if your afternoon could use a little more procrastination, here’s a few other things on my love list this week:

a mascara that gives me lashes like audrey
lauren conrad’s new hue
bobbi’s pretty powerful campaign
stephanie johnson’s entire collection

hope you lovelies have an amazing weekend!

Posted in blush, cheeks, eyes, lids, palettes | Tagged bobbi brown, chantecaille, the daily obsession, vera bradley | 4 Comments

revlon colorburst lip gloss gives sparkle and shine without the sticky0

POSTED ON Posted on January 13, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i am on a drugstore kick! is it just me or is the makeup at cvs getting better and better? pair the awesome selection with their new beauty club and i may never return to the black and white striped mecca of makeup! (not really, let’s be honest … but i am quite impressed)

so, onto today’s pretty product: this gorgeous collection of colorburst lip glosses by revlon that i cannot stop obsessing over. they are luxurious and rich, offering full coverage but keeping very light and unsticky at the same time. at $6, each shade is more vibrant than the next thanks to some shiny microcrystals – making it tough to choose just one to take home! i went for peony, a natural peachy pink, and i’m loving the vanilla scent (some may argue that it’s kind of highschool-ish, but it’s not overpowering and i find it kind of nostalgic). the brush is plush, not like a paint brush style, but flexible and flat. sounds weird, but it’s contoured to your lips so it actually distributes the perfect does of colorburst-iness. better than a bright new accessory, and cheaper, too, these are a great way to add pop to your look. they are available in stores everywhere and online at target.

Posted in lips | Tagged revlon, target | Leave a comment

true match l’oreal super blendable blush0

POSTED ON Posted on January 12, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

newsflash: it’s winter.

urgent breaking news: my skin is sallow!

i am nonstop daydreaming of an upcoming getaway to the mediterranean in may 2011 but until i can sail away to the greek isles, i must get through these next few chilly months. i’m a big believer in bronzer but find that i really only use it when the sun and i operate gravely opposite schedules, like from november – march. in my recent plight to find the best bronzer to weather winter 2010/11 on a drugstore budget, i came upon l’oreal’s true match blendable blush in soft sun. it’s so budget friendly at $9 and is the exact right shade (bronzer should be no more than two shades darker than your natural tone). best of all it’s not shimmery. i’ve been applying it on the fullest part of my cheeks with my favorite angled brush and ta-da! a simple way to beat the january blahs.

Posted in blush, bronzer, cheeks | Tagged l'oreal, sephora, ulta | Leave a comment

this works turbo balm0

POSTED ON Posted on December 29, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

there are many times of the year when i wish that i had magic powers, but none so much as when the wind is absolutely whipping and my hair, skin, and lips are left undefended. it’s no secret that i love a multitasker and in my search for a solution to flyaways, chapped lips, dry skin, and angry cuticles, i’ve re-discovered this works turbo balm. it’s an ultra-luxe all natural, all-purpose balm packed with essential oils. it’s packaged in a tiny tub making it perfect for travel or tossing into your purse – but don’t let its small size fool you – a little goes along way with this mighty stuff. i am yet to find a wintry woe that it can’t solve and will be gifting this mini dose of magic to all my besties in 2011!

Posted in hair, lips, natural beauty, skin | Tagged this works | Leave a comment

happy everything0

POSTED ON Posted on December 24, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

{via lonny blog}

merry christmas eve, beauties! can’t wait to hear what pretty prezzies you all find in your stockings and under the tree tomorrow morning : )

Posted in lara | Leave a comment

perfect your mistletoe pout1

POSTED ON Posted on December 22, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

the first lip product i ever bought (aside from softlips and bonne bell) was clinique’s chubby stick in angel kiss. i loved its effortlessness and the fact that i could slip it in my pocket for school dances (yes, clearly this was criteria for one outstanding product). alas my fondness for its convenience wasn’t enough and clinique has long since retired the chunky lipstick pencils. fast forward to 2011, and i am happy to report that the chubby is back with a brand new look and feel.

the updated lip crayon now swivels up so that it never needs sharpening (brilliant!) and houses the most delicious and moisturizing lip color balm i’ve come across in a long while. the problem with color balms is that they either don’t moisturize or they are too sheer to be worth anything in my opinion. clinique, however, has got a game changer on its hands with this one. each shade is more gorgeous than the next and can be applied with a light or heavy hand for more or less pop. i shockingly avoided my go-to pinky beige (fuller fig) and went for a juicy berry (super strawberry) that i’ve been sporting nonstop since i scooped it up at nordstrom this past sunday.

final verdict? i really can’t give this luscious lippie more of a seal of approval!

where to find: it’s mostly out of stock on sephora and i didn’t see it in stores, but you can score one (or more!) for yourselves at clinique.com and clinique’s department store counters.

Posted in lips | Tagged clinique | 1 Comment

blown away2

POSTED ON Posted on December 21, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

need a last minute gift for a lovely lady in your life?

i am in love with this blown glass makeup brush from anthropologie. slightly impractical but totally necessary at $48 and i still cannot get enough of its stunning, colorful handle. it’s actually handmade from a glass company in columbus, ohio and i am very surprised that they knew enough to use premium goat hair for the bristles – only the very best in my opinion. it’s one of those pieces that would look simply amazing just laying on someone’s vanity and would brighten any beauty’s day before even using it to sweep her favorite powder over her cheekbones.

like it? need it? hurry scurry to anthropologie today to get 25% off all purchases!

Posted in tools | Tagged anthropologie | 2 Comments

hello!0

POSTED ON Posted on December 21, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i know. i took an inexcusably long leave of absence but your emails and tweets have nudged me back to the point of happily returning. it’s nice to be missed! there was a good reason for my disappearance (see below – that’s my new hubby : )) and it had been so long that i overwhelmed myself with how to get back into the swing of things.

i promise i’m back for real this time and while i figure out what to make of this little blog – a relaunch? a redesign? an expansion? – i will continue posting products for my fellow beauty obsessed readers!

lots of love and happy holidays,

Posted in lara | Leave a comment

hug a scientist today0

POSTED ON Posted on September 28, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

the glossarie took an unannounced siesta due to the wedding planning crazy taking hold of this beauty blogstress, but we are back and very excited about this new release from the folks at living proof.

i may be the only girl who reads every line of allure magazine, including the technical bio-speak that explains all of the latest advancements in the beauty industry and how science (which i always hated) paves the way for pretty. you can thank me later for digesting all of that complex talk and breaking it down into one simple post, but the long and short of it is that new full thickening mousse is lightweight and provides hold without being sticky thanks to the serious smarts of a scientist or two.

i am a firm believer that creams and lotions do not volumize, no matter what they claim. gels and mousses are where it’s at if you’re after the fluff factor so in my eyes, living proof has got it right with this new, lighter formula. it’s available now only on qvc.com and fully launches in 2011.

update 1/13/11: the wait is over! living proof full thickening mousse has landed at sephora

Posted in hair | Tagged living proof | Leave a comment

a beautiful zen awaits you at the still point2

POSTED ON Posted on August 18, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

(all photos borrowed from owner, sara damelio)

a couple of weeks ago, i was invited out to the still point in takoma park, md for a natural manicure and pedicure. the spa is nestled on the edge of the down town takoma park area in a big, beautiful old house. it’s instant heaven when you step inside and i was really taken with their selection of eco beauty in the sitting area. i was greeted by annie who settled me into a super comfy arm chair and popped my toesies into a stone tub filled with warm water. she was an absolute DOLL and a complete pleasure to chat with while she whipped my legs and feet into the best shape of their life using a salt scrub and skincando’s combat-ready balm. we topped the look off with priti polish in a poppy watermelon pink (i didn’t catch the name — shame on this beauty blogger, i know!) and moved over to yet another cushy seat for my manicure where annie shaped my nails into perfection.

now, not only did the manicure last for two weeks straight (a total testament to eco-friendly polish’s ability to keep up with its chemical-packed counterparts!), but i removed the polish on sunday night and today, 20 days later,

my nails have never looked better.

i am still in shock and awe over how healthy and incredible they look and how strong they feel. i don’t know what sort of spell miss annie and the still point spa have cast over these hands of mine, but rest assured i will be returning for another dose of their magic.

so, if you are a dc lady in the market for a sweet escape, you absolutely must call my friends at the still point and be sure to ask for annie!