the glossarie

eat, drink, and be cherry0

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

we are almost one month from cherry blossom time in our nation’s capital! (for those of you unawares that’s when we recognize the gift of 3000 beautiful and blossomy trees that line the tidal basin in dc and are. just. gorgeous.) french beauty expert l’occitane is celebrating a different set of cherry trees in provence but their pretty-in-pink collection could not be more timely. i’m loving this little hugs & kisses duo that includes a hand cream and cherry-tinted gloss as well as these bath pebbles and solid perfume. there’s absolutely something for everyone, so if you can’t make it to dc to see our pinkalicious spectacular, you can bask in the scent of blossoms abound for a limited time. we will wish you were here!

Posted in body, fragrance, natural beauty | Tagged l'occitane | Leave a comment

simple sugars handmade scrubs2

POSTED ON Posted on February 16, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

rub a dub dub, true happiness comes in a scrub! my latest obsession is a little brand of handmade, all natural scrubs called simple sugars. not only can you get body, face and foot scrubs in incredible scents like pink grapefruit, milk chocolate, rose, and pomegranate but they are insanely moisturizing and gently exfoliating at the same time. each scrub is modestly priced and comes in several sizes including my fave, a travel-friendly 2 oz tub. simple sugars also offers the option of an add in essential oil for those of us that like a little extra luxury in our scrub. but probably best of all you can actually gift six and twelve month scrub-scriptions to your besties, bridesmaids, or other ladies in your life for the ultimate in uninterrupted smoothness.

a little side note: i was so impressed by this product and its genius business model that i looked into it and the creator/owner of simple sugars is – wait for it – 15! her name is lani and she’s a total rockstar in my book. way to go, lani! we think you have a very bright future in beauty and my skin thanks you.

Posted in body, natural beauty | 2 Comments

clinique high lengths mascara0

POSTED ON Posted on February 15, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

but i might like this one the best!

mascara wands come in every shape and size these days. there’s the s-shape, the medieval torture-ball, the elongated medieval torture ball, the brush-comb hybrid, but the latest innovation is called the willow wand and it’s your new best friend.

willow is light as air and designed to follow the natural curve of your eye. couple it up with clinique’s new high lengths mascara formula and the duo stretch lashes impossibly long, even bringing the tiniest ones out of hiding. i will also say that the wand catches the perfect amount of mascara every time, never clumping, plus it’s super easy to flip over and do your lower set. this stuff is the best i’ve found in the lengthening department and the finished look leaves lashes conditioned and flexible so they look like they’re naturally all yours.

at $14 and fool-proof, i’m gonna go ahead and call this one a makeup bag must-have.

post updated april 30, 2018 – just had to pop back in and say that i am still obsessed with this and kind of kicking myself for ever rotating it out of my mascara set!

Posted in eyes, lashes | Tagged clinique, covergirl, givenchy, l'oreal, lancome | Leave a comment

beach babies2

POSTED ON Posted on February 11, 2010 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

you may have heard that we are under a record-breaking amount of snow in our nation’s capital. i know new york, philly, and other cities have been slammed as well so i’ve decided to think spring! can’t think of anything better to bring smiles your way than these sunshine cuties from harajuku lovers. with bikinis and pedicured toes, these little ladies are ready to make the beach their fashion playground, and they smell good, too! from left to right, they are:

love: a fruity floral of nectarine, passionfruit & lemon
l’il angel: a citrus vanilla
“g”: a creamy musk
music: a sensuous floral of pear, apple & freesia
baby: a dewy floral of mandarin, sunflower, and poppy

as for my fave, i’m torn between love and l’il angel. they represent the freshness of summer scent the most to me. want your own? they’re coming to sephora, macy’s, and nordstrom this month but are available now on hsn or zappos.

Posted in fragrance | 2 Comments

trendy tips: the neutral mani9

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

{mac love lace, essie mambo, opi you don’t know jacques! & lippmann satin doll}

my favorite nail trend right now is the neutral-shade manicure. it’s everywhere! not surprising that chanel’s spring colors set off a chain reaction that’s carried its way to my own little sister, christina, in highpoint, nc where her current favorite is sephora by opi’s under my trench coat and her roomie, nikkie is loving opi’s you don’t know jacques. my personal fave is lippman’s satin doll and i adored the way sandra bullock carried off a yet-to-be-confirmed color at the golden globes. the thing about a neutral mani is that it leans and lengthens your digits, it’s eye catching without being flashy. looking for your own neutral shade? go for clay-like polishes with mocha or gray undertones and let us know if you fall for any i may have missed!

Posted in nails | Tagged deborah lippmann, essie, mac, manicure, nail polish, opi | 9 Comments

i’m in swatchbook weddings today!0

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

so most of my readers know that this beauty blogger is a bride to be. i could not be more thrilled to tell you that i have just written my first guest post for one of my most favorite wedding blogs, swatchbook weddings. i linked up with fabulous creator, angela, through twitter when (how else?!) she posted a lust-worthy lip gloss to her blog! her request was a perfect opportunity to combine my two current obsessions – beauty products and getting married! i hope you’ll hop on over to swatchbook weddings to read my tips for big day beauty and meet a few products that are wonderful for all, be you bride, married lady, or sassy and single! enjoy.

Posted in eyes, lashes, lips, nails | Tagged clinique, covergirl, essie, nars, swatchbook weddings, tarte | Leave a comment

pretty pair of posts0

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

100% of the proceeds from the heirloom swallow earrings at doyle & doyle goes directly to doctors without borders and their work to help the people of haiti. at $125 the studs come in both white and yellow gold and are a beautiful symbol of hope. if you’ve been wanting to give but weren’t sure how or where to begin, i can’t think of a better way to treat yourself and wear a reminder of all the healing that’s left to be done in the days ahead.

Posted in jewels | Leave a comment

you know you’re marrying a beauty blogger when …1

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

…this is your shower lineup!

ok, so maaaybe i turned him on to kiehl’s in college and recently forced anthony logistics on him under the guise of santa, but mr. glossarie to be (aka steve) has made me so proud. whilst lathering up the other morning i took inventory of his product selection and cracked up to realize that his way outshines mine! my drugstore group of st. ive’s, cetaphil, and john frieda pales in comparison to his professional/department store choices.

but, what can i say? he appreciates a good algae facial cleanser and for that (and many many other reasons) he’s a keeper.

Posted in body | Tagged anthony logistics, kiehl's, redken | 1 Comment

spring break in a brick2

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

it all started with my hunt for bobbi brown’s lip balm spf 15, my go-to winter lip saver, which is sold out everywhere i’ve turned. on my third attempt to land a new silvery tin of relief-offering goodness, i *may* have stomped my feet in frustration causing the lovely lady at the bloomie’s bobbi counter to a) offer to quick-ship me the lip balm store-to-door at no charge and b) seduce me into her chair and make me look like i had gone to cabo on my lunch break. her secret? a new shimmerbrick in nectar from the cabana corals collection. this punched-up peach version of bobbi’s iconic compact is a stunner and for someone who’s skin hasn’t seen the sun in eons, it brightened up my pale complexion for a quick and pretty glow. i snapped one up instantly because for this grad student slash bride-to-be, $38 is in the budget and a trip to mexico is sadly not.

Posted in blush, bronzer, cheeks | Tagged bobbi brown | 2 Comments

stainiac4

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

let me just say that lip stains are awesome. i know because i used to love these felt-tipped pens from the body shop back in highschool. i could swipe that baby on in the morning and still have pretty lips through track practice. sadly my running career was short lived but my beauty obsession has prevailed. and thanks to that little life trade off, i can bring you exciting news like the launch of tarte’s natural lip stains! these are insanely moisturizing, drenching lips in hydration (6000% says tarte and i won’t challenge them) with perfect pigment that lasts forever. the end result is a gorgeously softening lip balm-ish formula that stains your lips. now, why didn’t i think of that?