the glossarie

bliss litens up0

POSTED ON Posted on June 17, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

bliss' lite butter

any bliss fans out there are well aware that the lemon+sage body butter is to DIE for, but it’s also super thick and a bit much on a hot summer day. it remains a cult fave & glossarie staple, but color me thrilled when i heard that they were releasing a “lite” version! this newly trimmed down lotion is still moisturizing and long lasting, but without the greasy butter feel of the original (which in the winter? feels like heaven, by the way!). it actually comes in two scents: naked and lemon+sage. i stricty endorse the lemon+sage since the naked smells oddly like the dentist’s office (surprising from our scent-friendly bliss lovelies, but i can let it slide). body butter lite is packaged in a big ‘ole pump bottle that will certainly last you. hooray for dewy soft summer skin!

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price-happy pretty: part 20

POSTED ON Posted on June 16, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

passionate fruit/sublime strawberry/raspberry rapture/mon cherry/not so blue-berry/mad about mango

continuing on my theme of budget beauty after yesterday’s rave review, i couldn’t wait to get this next product out there! revlon brings us … (wait for it) … scented nail polish! their latest collection of nail enamel not only comes in stunningly bright summer shades, but it’s also tropically scented when dry. fruitful temptations arrives in eight gorgeous colors ranging from coconut crush (a creamy white) to not-so blueberry (a yummy grape).

revlon has long been a favorite of mine for a cheaper polish option. i do not claim to have a steady hand when it comes to the diy mani, but when combined with this little beauty, the final product is literally unstoppable for two weeks. i’m crushing on pretty in papaya and it’s all i can do to resist sniffing my nails!

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price-happy pretty: part 10

POSTED ON Posted on June 15, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

the glossarie is not always about glitzy brands; we can also do drugstore with the best of ’em. i have racked up some serious extra bucks at cvs and decided to browse their beauty aisle for some recession friendly finds. here’s the first drugstore delight that i could not wait to share with you!

l'oreal extra volume collagen mascara

l’oreal is a beauty giant known and loved by all but this time they have truly outdone themselves with the most glam looking drugstore mascara i’ve ever seen. at $5.99 i couldn’t resist the gorgeous tube and promises of instantly plumped up plusher lashes. so, did it deliver? the brush is huge yet still easy to maneuver and the formula is refreshingly light and airy. i am officially on board after a few weekend test drives of blackest black and the results are unbelievable! this mascara (by some wonder of technology i will leave to the experts) actually makes my eyes look bigger? it gives amazing crazy volume and not a smudge to speak of. you can snag your own l’oreal extra volume collagen mascara at any ulta, drugstore or online at tarjay.

stay tuned for tomorrow’s look at makeup for the masses when we review a beauty breakthrough from revlon!

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tokyomilk0

POSTED ON Posted on June 12, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

tokyomilk1 tokyomilk2

tokyomilk3

we all love anthropologie for its stunning array of uniquely charming clothes, accessories, and home accents but lately, i’ve come to appreciate it more for being a true hideaway of little-known beauty brands and products. you may have read my recent post on crazylibellule & the poppies and today, i want to take you on a little adventure into the delicate world of tokyomilk. somewhat exclusive (note the simplistic landing page leading to nowhere) and created by a true artiste, tokyomilk’s line consists of darling miniature perfumes, sweet romantic lip balms, and gorgeous linen-wrapped soaps. creator, margot elena wells is also a stunning illustrator with her own line of note cards — a perfect addition to any of the above for a super sweet hostess gift!

tokyomilk is also available at beautyhabit.com & amazon.com

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golden arches0

POSTED ON Posted on June 11, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

any beauty will tell ya, nobody does brows like anastasia beverly hills. and whilst i opt for a $12 wax job from my fave holeinthewall nail place as opposed to the $25 jobbie at their nordstrom salon, i’m still a believer.

the wiz

for starters, brow wiz (above) has permanently wedged itself into my daily routine. it’s part spooley brush for grooming and part super-fine mechanical pencil for filling in the sparse spots. the trick is to lightly draw short strokes, then brush to blend and voila!

pretty pluckers

for ‘tween wax tweezings, i turn to precision tweezers to pluck the absolute tiniest strays imaginable. anastasia has also made this most undesirable chore nearly painless! (i used to tweeze in traffic, so that probably didn’t help …) together, brow wiz & precision tweezers keep my brows in perfect shape helping to make sure me and my cheapo wax jobs always look our best.

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blonze! have more fun :)1

POSTED ON Posted on June 10, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

blonzer: (n) the perfect combination of blush, bronzer and touch of shimmer for those of us that prefer not to go nuclear with the faux tanner when, let’s face it, this porcelain skin would never turn that color anywhere near naturally (see below for this season’s shining example)

bobbi brown illuminating bronzing powder in maui

so summer is here and i have been hunting for the perfect pick-me-up blush. last night, on a kiehl’s mission at nordy’s for the boy, i spied six big shades of sensational summer blonzer at bobbi brown. the world’s most sweet & adorable makeup artist talked me through how bobbi wanted to recreate the sunkissed sexiness of pink noses and cheek apples that come from a bit too much poolside sitting sans sunhat. perfection! we used a blush brush to apply antigua (soft healthy pink) to one cheek and maui (a darker pop of coral) on the other. the result? i was thrilled to find that they each added a wash of glow (not glitter – yay!) and can be brushed on top of my current blush or used on their own for a subtle brightening effect. i settled on maui after much deliberation and can’t wait to sport my new blonzed look!

bobbi brown’s illuminating bronzing powders are $33 each and come in jumbo palm sized pans sure to last you through this summer and longer. better yet?! bobbi is currently offering 25% off through tomorrow, june 11th.

Posted in blush, bronzer, cheeks, tools | 1 Comment

lush lather0

POSTED ON Posted on June 9, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

fizzy flavor for your bath water

i am in dire need of one of those last for hours, nobody dare interrupt me, get lost in a book until my fingers are pruny baths. the kind that calls for some sort of luxurious, skin pampering product to set the tone for full body relaxation. enter vanilla mountain from lush. if you’re unfamiliar, lush is the boston-based handmaker of fresh, organic cosmetics including everything from skincare and fragrance, to hair dye and deodorant. while i am a long-time fan of their honey trap lip balm (intoxicating combo of white chocolate, orange, vanilla & honey = oh-em-gee YUM!), this time it’s this generously oversized bath bomb that’s got me rushing home to run the tub. lush bath bombs literally burst into a fragrant fizz once they hit your pre-run bath, their essential oils scenting the water resulting in soft, fragrant skin. vanilla mountain tops my list for two reasons: 1) i happen to share a life with one of those boys who is obsessed with the smell of anything vanilla or cupcake-y and 2) it’s so delightfully huge that i can smash it into pieces and extend it over multiple baths!

what makes you rush to lush?

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celestial shadow0

POSTED ON Posted on June 8, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

Vincent Longo Sun Moon Stars Eyeshadow Trio - Heroine Divine

it’s no secret i’m into beauty that gives me more for the money. i like high-end brands as much as the next gal, but i’m on a grad school budget which does not allow for triple-figure sephora sprees (sad, i know). this eyeshadow trio from color master, vincent longo, makes me gleefully happy and comes in 13 combinations! my personal pick is heroine divine, whose pinky neutrals are sure to make any green or hazel-hued peepers POP. the shadows are creme powder and built to compliment one another so that you can’t go wrong! if you are tragically eye makeup challenged (like – ahem – me!) the pots also come complete with guides to perfect placement ensuring a beautiful application and eliminating color combo frustration.

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tarte frXtion sugar exfoliator + lip balm duo0

POSTED ON Posted on June 8, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

tarte cosmetics' fRxtion prescription

i’ve long debated the need for a lip exfoliant. i mean, can’t you just brush them with your toothbrush and call it a day? perhaps. but once in awhile, a product comes along that’s so brilliant, such a multitasking force to be reckoned with, that i have to share. the glowing compliments for tarte costmetics fRxtion begin with its uber wallet-friendly price point of $11. from there, i’ve got to spotlight its high tech packaging with pop-out mirror (worth keeping in your purse just for that!). as for the product itself, this two-faced tube sports a naturally gentle sugar crystal lip scuff on one side and a soothing vanilla lip balm on the other.

how to use: after you scuff, follow up with the balmy goodness full of aloe vera, jojoba and wheat germ oils, chamomile extract and Vitamin E. the result is perfectly exfoliated, healthy lips which will keep your glosses and ‘sticks from feathering and drying out. hooray!

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beauty in bamboo by clinique3

POSTED ON Posted on June 5, 2009 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

limited edition bamboo pink collection

clinique is one of those brands that has remained consistently classy, consistently high quality since i started wearing their colour collections in highschool. it’s the brand my mom is loyal to and thus i think that loyalty just tends to trickle down. having brought us timeless products such as almost lipstick in black honey and dramatically different moisturizing lotion, they have also managed to remain surprisingly current with new products such as new high impact curling mascara and long last glosswear spf 15.

now, clinique brings us a stunning, bamboo-inspired collection for summer 2009! not only are the colors fresh, pretty, and perfect for june, but each product comes in an adorable sculpted silver case. we’re not surprised at all that collection was inspired by one of clinique’s best selling lip colors (and a personal glossarie fave) bamboo pink — it’s a pearlized dusty pink that literally looks good on everyone! not to be missed from this limited edition look are: