the glossarie

jouer anti aging moisture primer0

POSTED ON Posted on February 11, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

in the last six months it has become abundantly clear that a lack of sleep truly does read all over your face. for me, sleep deprivation is coming across loud and clear, in the form of tired, lackluster skin. there’s puff, there’s sag, and there really is a begging for some tender loving care.

these days, my favorite go-to makeup just isn’t cutting it. kind of like an ill-fitting dress, the stuff i once clung to in order to bring an even brightness to my face seems to be highlighting all of the wrong areas. it’s clear that i need a little something extra in order to put my best face forward. i need a primer.

i don’t know about you, but i have historically had a love-hate relationship with primers. while they make my skin look flawless, they tend to create new problems and blemishes by way of clogged pores, perpetuating a vicious cycle of creating and covering flaws. i’m yet to find one that i can use daily as opposed to just when the occasional dire need arises to look flawless.

jouer has changed the game up a bit with their anti aging moisture primer. the difference is noticeable at first touch. it feels heavenly on skin and adds the exact right amount of hydration and complexion perfection. there’s just the slightest touch of pearly shimmer in the formula – only barely visible on the skin, but apparent if you peek at your fingers after smoothing it on. once in place, my makeup goes on seamlessly and has an elevated look. there’s a glow and an evenness to my skin tone that wasn’t there before, plus a liveliness that i’ve been lacking.

this stuff is very good and it has not broken me out in the least. it’s the helping hand that my graceful aging process has been calling for and the perfect boost to my daily routine so long as this lack of sleep thing keeps going. (and unfortunately, i hear that it’s going to keep going.)

jouer anti aging moisture primer, $38 >

Posted in editorial sample, skin | Tagged jouer | Leave a comment

mario badescu alpha-grapefruit cleansing lotion3

POSTED ON Posted on February 6, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i’ve been suffering from a ferocious case of the tiny forehead bumps – for weeks. i cannot for the life of me figure out what is causing them and i have completely overhauled my hair routine (twice) to uncover the culprit. since they’re not terribly visible, i can just feel them when washing my face and applying moisturizer, i chocked it up to hormones and carried on.

then, a week or two ago, a gorgeous box of mario badescu replenishments arrived and in it was a new-to-me toner. i’ve been using these pads religiously with no complaints, but i’m always up for finding something better, so i gave it a whirl and went to bed. unbeknownst to me, this new toner worked all manner of miracles while i slept and – i kid you not – the next morning, all tiny forehead bumps had vanished. my smooth bump-free forehead was BACK!

i thought it might be a fluke, but i had to travel recently and pads are much easier to tote on a flight than a bottle of toner. after a few days away, surprise! the nasty forehead bumps had returned with a vengeance. i didn’t think too much of it, but now that i’m home and have worked the mario toner back into my routine for one night only, i am cured again! (i know – this is a roller coaster.)

the exfoliation powers in this gentle toner know no bounds and there is no itchy or harsh feeling like i have previously experienced with chemical exfoliants. the citrus ingredients rapidly decongest pores and break down dead skin cells (the two likely culprits of my atrocious forehead bumps) for clear, healthy skin. the addition of aloe means that it doesn’t tear up your face while it works and skin is left refreshed and glowing.

yet another win for mario the magician! please tell me you have tried these products – if not, your skin is seriously missing out.

mario badescu alpha-grapefruit cleansing lotion, $15 >

Posted in editorial sample, skin | Tagged mario badescu | 3 Comments

avon big & daring volume mascara4

POSTED ON Posted on February 4, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

it would seem that my baby daughter already has me beat in the eyelash department. she was blessed with her father’s insanely full fan of fringe, the lucky little duck, and i’m sitting over here sparsely lashed and pouting about it.

awhile back i had teased a big mascara round up because i had so many mascaras sitting on the glossarie vanity and i just knew that there were winners among them. i had plans to share the best everyday mascara, the best one for volume, the best one for sensitive eyes, the best one for length, and so on. however, as i tested them one by one, one by one they disappointed me. the clear winner from the massive mountain of mascara’s was avon big & daring. it blew all of the others away.

the sizable tube holds a behemoth brush that delivers lush, plush lashes. the brush itself takes on a lot of product and may take some getting used to, but i can get the look and separation that i like without bringing a lash brush into the equation. you get buildable volume and length that is insane and the staying power is other worldly. no flaking and no smudging, although i will warn that it borders on waterproof. i have found that you can still get it off with your regular cleanser and some gentle determination. this one seems to have no trouble breaking it down. (i’ll do anything to avoid eye makeup remover.)

if you’re in the market for lashes that are nice and plump for less than $10, call your local avon lady (or scoop it up online). i mean, i don’t know about you, i’m just trying to keep up with my five month old…

avon big & daring mascara, $6.99 >

Posted in editorial sample, eyes, lashes | Tagged avon | 4 Comments

l’oreal paris lift blur concealer4

POSTED ON Posted on January 27, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

as much as i love makeup, it’s always nice to simplify. if i can eliminate a tube or bottle from my drawer in favor of a multitasker, well then i’m all for it. historically, for whatever reason, it has always been difficult to find a concealer that works for both blemishes and under eye circles. i’m not sure why since the science behind what you would want in each concealer is mostly similar: something that diminishes dark pigment, adds brightness, and masks the imperfection. under eye concealers, however, are typically too heavy for blemish coverage, drawing more attention to the spot that i’m trying to hide and blemish concealers never quite cut it when it comes to brightening up my under eyes.

harrumph.

in a recent journey across the blogs, someone recommended l’oreal visible lift blur – from the drugstore. i had to try it, so i scooped it up on a target run in the fair shade. i instantly appreciated what it did for my dark circles – lightness! brightness! flawless application! it goes on featherlight yet completely hides the blue-ish tones and takes the edge off of any puffiness. lift and blur are the perfect descriptors here – this concealer is giving me back the firm and bright-eyed look of my youth. you need it.

then, on a whim, after developing a monster chin zit (ugh, need i remind the universe that i am nearing 33 years of age?), i dotted my concealer brush into my new friend from l’oreal and patted it onto the offending blemish. holy crap! it vanished and some sort of light-deflecting magic was left in its place. it didn’t irritate or dry out my skin and it lasted throughout the entire day.

i’m just going to say it: that this concealer officially solves all of your problems and for less than $12 there’s no reason for it not to live in your beauty drawer.

l’oreal paris visible lift blur concealer, $11.99 >

Posted in concealer, eyes, face | Tagged l'oreal | 4 Comments

love your curls2

POSTED ON Posted on January 22, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou7CyPtkpng&feature=youtu.be

oh, dove. you’re really tugging at my heartstrings with this one.

the love your curls campaign was designed to encourage women and girls to celebrate and take pride in their curly hair – something that i fail to do, always. with baby lou in the picture (curls pending – baldish at the moment), it breaks my heart to think about her feeling frustration, anxiety or dislike towards any single part of her. admittedly, this video was a bit of a wake up call and a reminder that the littles in our life look up to us. it’s important for us to set the stage and instill confidence in them. dove has nailed this message and done it in such a sweet way that it has me thinking hard about (sigh) giving the flat iron a rest…

do you have curly hair? does your daughter? i’d love to hear how you #loveyourcurls!

ps – curly hair favorites here, here, and here

Posted in hair | Tagged dove | 2 Comments

bareminerals complexion rescue tinted hydrating gel cream1

POSTED ON Posted on January 21, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i do love it when a brand knocks itself off of the beauty pedestal!

until very recently, i didn’t think buxom (technically under the bare escentuals umbrella) show some skin foundation could be topped. as i have inched closer and closer to the end of my tube, panic started to set in. would i repurchase the same foundation? has something better come onto the scene since march of last year? (i would surely hope so, but fruitless product tests and endless sephora sampling have proved otherwise.)

as fate would have it, i repurchased my beloved show some skin the very week that my friends at bareminerals released complexion rescue tinted hydrating gel cream. when my sample of complexion rescue (in shade opal) arrived, i tore into it and rubbed a little on the back of my hand to see what the fuss was all about. standing at my kitchen island, i actually uttered “wow.”

from the hand test i could tell that this was going to be a game changer and now that i’ve been applying it daily, i can tell you that this is more than just a crush – it’s a full-on love affair of the long term variety, and here’s why:

bareminerals has create a gel formula that makes this more-than-a-tinted-moisturizer blend invisibly into my skin and feel like the most heavenly moisturizer. coverage is buildable, light to medium, so you get the natural, dewy look of a top-notch foundation with a lightweight and super hydrating feel. i have applied complexion rescue with my fingers (not my favorite), with this brush (even less my favorite) and settled on my #1 foundation brush to be the best vehicle. using something with dense bristles will give coverage that’s more even and you’ll be shocked by how very little of this stuff you need to cover your entire face.

as with any foundation, hop along to sephora to grab a sample to make sure that a dewy and moisturizing formula is going to work with your skin type. i’m predicting that this winter launch is going to make a lot of ladies (and their skin!) very pleased.

bareminerals complexion rescue tinted hydrating gel cream, $29 >

Posted in editorial sample, face, foundation | Tagged bareminerals | 1 Comment

la roche-posay physiological cleansing gel6

POSTED ON Posted on January 20, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

leave it to me to get totally fired up over a face wash, but if you only knew how much i dread washing my face before bed you would understand. i have searched far and wide for the best evening face wash, preferring something that can be smoothed onto a dry face, will dissolve my washable mascara without rubbing and tugging, and can be rinsed clean with water. i have been using this one for awhile now and i like it, but my feelings haven’t been strong enough to warrant a blog post (a telling sign).

when i read about la roche-posay’s cleansing gel (physiological** cleansing gel, that is) i knew i had to have it. reviewers commented on its “milky, pudding-like goodness” and touted it as “the best cleanser i’ve ever used.” um yup, sold. it landed on my doorstep from the lovely people at la roche-posay and i have used it every single night since.

here’s why it’s so good. the cleanser works like a cetaphil or a cerave, but it’s way, way better. for one, it’s thicker and it feels more luxe, but it’s not as heavy and greasy as this cleanser. you can just tell that the science that goes into this cleanser is doing wonderful things for your skin when you smooth it on. it adheres to the day’s makeup, sucks out all of the dirt and grime and melts away my mascara in less than a minute. after rinsing, my face doesn’t feel tight and doesn’t look red so my sensitive skin is left feeling pampered, not abused. it smells kind of like a spa treatment and it has already made an impact on my skin’s clarity. if you suffer from acne, your skin is going to love this stuff so much more than whatever harsh regimen you’re already using.

if you have a face, do it this one favor and grab yourself a bottle of this gorgeous and gentle cleanser. it’s going to make you and your skin very, very happy.

la roche-posay physiological cleansing gel, $21.49 >

**from what i can gather from webster, the term means that this cleanser works with the way that your skin normally functions (i think)

Posted in editorial sample, skin | Tagged la roche-posay | 6 Comments

dior addict lip glow coral3

POSTED ON Posted on January 19, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

to say that i loved this ‘into the gloss’ post on tinted lip balms would be an understatement. it’s more like i identify with it at the very core of my being, because that’s how serious i am about tinted lip balm. i wear it everyday and i try every single one that hits the market – and there are a lot of tinted lip balms on the market.

so let’s get down to brass tacks: which tinted lip balm is the best? while fresh makes a very good case (with twelve shades!) for having this category cornered, i’m going a bit more luxe and giving top marks to dior addict lip glow.

i had kind of considered this one case closed, not believing that dior could be beat, but it turns out that the brand has bested themselves. sephora has an exclusive with the coral version of my favorite tinted lip balm and dare i say, it’s better than the original. the coral shade is an extra fresh take and a welcome update for those of us who prefer orange tones over bright pink. the formula is just as moisturizing as the original, but the color is warm and has a vinyl-like, almost juicy finish. for a daily lip it’s neutral, but lush, perfect for every occasion and perfect for this dreary time of year.

i haven’t separated from mine since it landed on my doorstep (after a very patient wait for a sephora.com restock) and just this morning as i was putting it on, i was reminded how much i love it. it’s the ideal pop of color and it feels so comforting on my winter-ravaged lips. it’s the type of makeup i live for – something that looks like a stiletto, but feels like fleece leggings.

dior addict lip glow coral, $33 >

Posted in lips | Tagged dior | 3 Comments

r+co death valley dry shampoo6

POSTED ON Posted on January 18, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

if 2015 isn’t** going to be the year that i break up with my blow dryer and flat iron, i am at the very least vowing to treat my hair like royalty. in order to handle my rapidly thinning hair (i actually have postpartum bald spots! eff you hormones.) with kid gloves, i need to find one badass dry shampoo so that i can make it an extra day between washings and fryings.

the issue is that since all, i repeat all, of my hair is falling out at the crown and around my hairline, my head has been getting greasy much faster than it has in the past. rather than start showering everyday (seriously, who has time for that?) i have been on the warpath hunting for a dry shampoo that can handle this level of oiliness.

fast forward to the ray of sunshine in this gloomy setup.

r+co has really won me over with death valley. i get volume and body and not a lick of white residue while it zaps oil on the spot. this spray is actually making me love my second-day hair more than my freshly showered style and i also don’t get any of the weird itchy feeling that i normally get with dry shampoos. it might be the absolute best thing going in dry shampoo and i’m so happy that someone has finally gotten it very right.

r+co death valley dry shampoo, 29 >

**i have already tried and failed…anyone out there a curl expert willing to give me a major style intervention??

Posted in editorial sample, hair | Tagged r+co | 6 Comments

sebamed q10 age defense cream0

POSTED ON Posted on January 12, 2015 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

did you know that your skin has an optimum pH of 5.5? this is the level where it seals in hydration and can better protect itself from environmental stressors that cause damage. there are a lot of ways that you can bring balance to your skin, but all you really need to know is that achieving this balance is the key to a more beautiful face. in layman’s terms? maintaing the right pH balance means less fine lines and pesky crow’s feet.

sign. me. up.

my skin pretty much always exhibits one of the main symptoms of being unbalanced: acne. simple exposure to the elements causes my pores to clog and it’s no picnic. my pH balance has to be out of whack, but how did it get that way? the likely causes are my tendency to be too harsh on my face, using water that’s too hot and over-exfoliating. the good news for me is that it’s actually pretty simple to get things back in line, and that’s where seamed q10 comes in.

this cream is magic. not only does it bring my skin to that perfect 5.5 pH, it’s bringing everything back to basics and science says that a few weeks of regular use will calm my skin problems, help my face to properly absorb hydration and repel things that irritate it. since adding this luxe lotion to my morning ritual, i’m experiencing skin that looks and feels healthier. science also says that it’s helping all of my other products to work better, helping my skincare investment to turn a tidy profit to the tune of glowing skin.

if i haven’t bored you with all of my newfound beauty knowledge on pH, all you really need to take away is that i’m highly impressed with this workhorse of a beauty jar – and i’d bargain that anyone on the cusp of aging skin will agree.

sebamed q10 age defense cream, $25 >