the glossarie

too pretty to use2

POSTED ON Posted on March 12, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i can’t get enough of this garden-inspired blush by guerlain. it’s beautifully on trend and, along with its soft pink and peachy goodness, i just adore the pattern. it’s definitely one of those things i would splurge on, open up and stare at occasionally, but would never so much as stroke it across my cheekbones for fear of ruining its pretty print. (and then i’d probably just resent it for being a $50 unused blush and not a lovely new top from anthropologie, but i digress.) alas, this is why it lives at dillards.com and not in my makeup bag. it can, however, live in your makeup bag and i can live vicariously through you. so snatch it up! and tell me all about it.

Posted in blush, cheeks | Tagged guerlain | 2 Comments

travel pretty2

POSTED ON Posted on March 10, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i have got some crazy travel coming my way in the next few months. it reminds me that toting around my beauty goods is no easy task, but i especially dread traveling with my signature scent! why why must they come in ornate and delicate glass bottles?? it’s not exactly breaking news that atomizers are a great solution to this little dilemma but … have you ever tried to fill one? it requires a funnel and rarely ends well for me. gross.

travalo to the rescue with their new travel atomizer, a beauty innovation to behold! it’s airplane approved, thumb sized, super easy to fill sans funnel, holds 50 sprays, and even has a convenient little window on the front so you can see when you are running low. need your fave fragrance with you at all times? these babies are available in the US through lucky scent for $18.

Posted in fragrance, tools | 2 Comments

blush me, baby2

POSTED ON Posted on March 9, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

these new blushes from cargo landed in my inbox last week and i just had to share! those chunky oversize tins are most likely familiar to my fellow fans of beauty since cargo has been offering bold blushes for quite some time new. if you haven’t been so lucky as to try their fantastic cheek enhancers, you’re missing out on a makeup artist fave known for its sheer almost moist powder formula that glides over cheeks for a beautiful, natural finish. new for spring is this quadruple threat up above.

they are, from left to right, amalfi (shimmering hot pink – not for the faint of heart), key largo (tropical punch – gorgeous and intense), laguna (tropical melon – sunkissed glow sans spf), and cannes (soft peach – so pretty and SO spring 2010). it’s nearly 65 degrees in dc today and these blushes are pushing me right over the edge into spring fever! bring on the flip flops.

Posted in blush, cheeks | Tagged cargo cosmetics | 2 Comments

a natural step for h&m2

POSTED ON Posted on March 8, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

trendalicious mega retailer h&m has increased their dedication to organics and, with their customer in mind, they have developed a line of organic skincare. h&m kept it simple with two scents — raspberry & melon and lavendar & mint — and just 11 items comprising the whole collection. the offerings (a body scrub, shower gel, hand cream, body lotion, lip balm, and gorgeous cotton cosmetic bags) range in price from $4.95 to $7.95 and can be found in stores this month.

h&m is not the first clothing guru to dive headfirst into beauty. american eagle and forever21 have also entered the game but something about this line has really caught my eye!

Posted in natural beauty | 2 Comments

hey dude skincare2

POSTED ON Posted on March 5, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

what is it with men and their skin? they rarely wash it, never protect it, and they’re already behind the 8-ball due to the necessary evil of daily shaving. i don’t expect them to be interested in it but it’s about time someone simplified a line for our menfolk.

enter, hey dude (no, not the beloved nickelodeon tv show. lord, did i have a soft spot for ted!), a creative collection of quality products to keep things easy on the skincare uneducated. i am in love with the tough guy packaging and clever names like “young dude 4ever” wrinkle reducing moisturizer, “pale face” sunblock, and “clean skin” cleansing gel. brilliant! the website itself is also geared towards taking the fear factor out of shopping for skincare. it offers tips to decipher your skin type and then a list of suggested products keeping it fool-proof.

i’m positive it’ll have your (cow)boy singing yippie ki yi yay.

Posted in skin | 2 Comments

beauty in the wild5

POSTED ON Posted on March 4, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

eco-friendly luxe is in for spring and sonia kashuk is leading the charge. she has created a stylish collection for target made with nature’s most beautiful elements and the best of the bunch is this out of the woods brush set housed in a chic cork clutch. the handles are genuine bamboo and each brush is made of a natural/synthetic combo that’s both innovative and organic. so now makeup lovers can powder their noses (and eyelids and cheeks) with a guilt-free conscience!

i’ve found kashuk’s brushes to rival the professional ones at sephora but at a fraction of the price. the set is available at target stores this month for just $19.99!

Posted in natural beauty, tools | Tagged sonia kashuk, target | 5 Comments

embrace your inner grace3

POSTED ON Posted on March 3, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

{top row: heavenly light pink illuminator, amazing grace shimmering face powder, go with grace face brush; bottom row: angel kiss lip gloss, art of blushing, amazing grace coloring book}

philosophy has finally answered the prayers of their fragrance followers and created a set of cosmetics to expand its line of classic “amazing grace” scents and products into “the color of grace.” they have outdone themselves this time if you ask me with this beautifully understated (and pink!) collection. it’s all perfectly coordinated and almost ballet-inspired, bringing out my true girlishness. love!

my fave from the group is this soft & sheer eyelighting shadow duo — the most gorgeous nude and a chocolatey brown that was born to be smudged into the lash line. it’s effortless and the end results are brighteningly beautiful.

also loving the shimmering face powder (which is scented with amazing grace!), angel kiss gloss (the perfect muted pink), and the art of blushing (you know me and multicolored cheek color!). i’m a smitten kitten!

Posted in mixed bag | Tagged philosophy | 3 Comments

one luxe lippie2

POSTED ON Posted on March 2, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

don’t we all deserve to be spoiled?

well, exclusive and exotic jeweler belmacz is putting their money where your mouth is with a line of lip balms available at barney’s. “glow” is flecked with 24k gold making it beautiful jewelry for your lips! it comes in a gorgeous coral orange, a sweet candy pink, a deep berry, and clear. it can be worn on its own for a unique twist on a boring old gloss or layered over any lipstick for a bit of extra glam. i’m on the fence with whether this one is the ultimate indulgence or too silly for my taste.

so what do you think: will you opt to bling out your pucker? tell us!

Posted in jewels, lips | Tagged belmacz | 2 Comments

zenlightenment2

POSTED ON Posted on February 26, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

it’s march on monday, people, and here in dc, we haven’t seen the grass in weeks. i am ready for things to bloom and for it to be sundress season, already! laura mercier is getting me just the teensiest bit closer to the serenity i’m searching for with her limited edition zen face palette. i mean, have you ever seen something so lush and gorgeous? it’s a perfectly coordinated combo of four eye colors, four lip glazes, and one perfect blush. each product was chosen for its nature-inspired shade and i must have them all, especially that mint green peeking out of the top left. at $60, it would make a great gift or serve as the ultimate seasonal splurge.

consider yourself zenlightened.

Posted in blush, cheeks, eyes, lids, lips, palettes | Tagged laura mercier | 2 Comments

happy head of hair0

POSTED ON Posted on February 23, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i suffer from the limp locks and if there’s a new volumizer on the market, it’s got my name all over it. i resisted living proof’s full as long as i could because i live in a land where even lightweight lotions and creams don’t volumize, they flatten. (and they also make my forehead break out like crazy!) i have actually long been a believer that the only thing that volumizes is mousse because it’s light and fluffy and that’s what has worked for me. being the biggest skeptic may have made me the perfect person to review living proof full thickening cream because i assumed i would hate it.

but, boy was i wrong. this stuff is amazing! a little goes along way (we’re talking less than a dime size dollop) it smells better than my favorite perfume — i kid you not, i want to bathe in this stuff — and it fattens my hair up like none other. it also has a smoothing and detangling quality that my favorite mousses cannot compete with leaving my hair soft, pretty, and smell-erific. better yet, no pesky forehead pimples to speak of.

so there you have it. i am living proof and i am on board!