the glossarie

beauty essentials4

POSTED ON Posted on August 7, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i get a lot of questions about my beauty essentials. inquiring minds want to know about the must-have products that i can’t live without and the parts of my routine where i tend to splurge instead of save. when it comes down to it, these products work extra hard to keep me looking polished and pulled together – even if i’m feeling like frazzled mess!

the facial exfoliators
everyone should make a solid investment in one or two treatment products that tackle their specific skin issues. my skin needs chemical exfoliation to stay clear and i have found mario badescu glycolic foaming cleanser ($15) to be my best friend in the shower and somme institute transport pads ($58) are the perfect thing to use after washing my face at night. both products remove dead skin cells and keep my pores fresh and clean.

the tinted lip balm
i know – i’m like the poster child for tinted lip balms, but there’s a reason for that. the right one gives enough color to pull your look together while keeping your lips nice and soft. for me, this baume in love from lancome ($26) teases out the natural pink in my lips and is equal parts casual and sophisticated. it keeps me looking in control when i’m on the go and i can swipe it on without looking in a mirror.

the cure-all concealer
coverup just won’t cut it. i need something super reliable that’s going to zap dark circles and hide the occasional breakout while treating my skin issues at the same time. this workhorse from miracle skin ($36) hydrates, treats, protects, and color corrects while also smoothing and minimizing fine lines. it matches my skin perfectly and plays very nice with my favorite foundations.

the everyday spf
i’ve had my share of on-again-off-again relationships with moisturizers over the years, but after having a questionable mole removed last year, i knew that it was time to settle down with an spf that i will actually apply daily. this one from mario badescu ($26) isn’t greasy, sticky or pore-clogging making it a cinch to commit to. a little goes a long way and my skin looks forward to drinking this stuff in each morning.

the reliable polish
when it comes to the polishes that i actually buy and keep in my medicine cabinet (as opposed to those that i borrow from the salon shelf ), i look for something that is easy to apply and lasts all week long. deborah lippmann’s formula cannot be beat. two thin coats are all that you need and her timeless nude – aptly named naked ($18) – manages to look both classic and cool at the same time, a total no-brainer.

what are the things that your makeup bag couldn’t make it through the day without?

Posted in concealer, face, lips, nails, skin | Tagged deborah lippmann, lancome, mario badescu, miracle skin, somme institute | 4 Comments

summer shakeup4

POSTED ON Posted on August 6, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

there is no question that preparing for my first baby has really shaken up my summer. it’s evident everywhere i look – from less frequent blog posts to the products that are taking over my test lab (yes, that’s nipple butter), and even my drink of choice.

if a milkshake was my first trimester vice, my third trimester has been all about the classic arnold palmer. my go-to has been Starbucks Teavana® Shaken Iced Black Tea Lemonade™ (but if you prefer, they also have Teavana® Shaken Iced Blackberry Mojito Tea Lemonade™ or Teavana® Shaken Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade™ – talk about delicious mocktails!). i can get it from the drive-thru and it has saved me from more than a handful of afternoon slumps as this babe continues to grow.

while previous summers have been all about the beach, traveling and rooftop drinks, this summer has been consumed with preparing my life to welcome our little miracle. thankfully, pregnancy has not been one drop of the drama that i expected. i feel stronger than i have ever been and amazed by the fact that my body is creating life. i have to believe that this is one of the most incredible things that i will ever do and i am trying not to let the magnitude of what i am accomplishing escape me.

my head used to be consumed with ideas for product reviews, strategies on how to grow my sales territories (the day job) and how i’m going to approach to the anthropologie tag sale. don’t get me wrong, that’s all still in there, but i’ve found myself making room for contemplating things like how i will instill confidence in my daughter and ultimately give her the right to choose her own path.

to celebrate the shakeup, i have been saving summer inspirations on pinterest:

it’s an unbelievably exciting time and i’m grateful for every day of this wild journey to motherhood. i wish i knew how this life change will affect the glossarie, but for now i intend to continue business as usual. i cannot wait to share the news of our little one’s arrival with you very soon!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Starbucks through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated by POPSUGAR to write a post about Starbucks, all opinions are my own.

Posted in lara, mama bear | 4 Comments

tarte colored clay tinted brow gel6

POSTED ON Posted on August 4, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

this new brow’scara from tarte turns even the most unruly brows into shapely arches – extending the time that i can get away between threading appointments. you might think that tinted brow gels are tinted brow gels, but there are a couple of things that this product has going for it that set it apart from my previous favorite.

the brush is impossibly tiny and thin, bringing much needed precision to the process. (it makes me want to toss my spoolie and never look back!) because the bristles are close together the gel does not clump up in spots, it just gets smoothed evenly onto each individual brow hair subtly filling in any sparse spots and taming the hairs. the brush wand is also soft and flexible so it works with the natural shape of your arch and texture of your hair to get things going in the same direction – it doesn’t just force the hair into a sleek shape. the whole process takes all of ten seconds and the remarkable change that it makes to your entire face is seriously impressive.

ladies who like their brows to look natural will really appreciate the way that this tinted gel enhances what you have, making vast improvements on pigment and shape. aside from keeping things looking great in an instant, the formula includes peptides that condition brow hairs and best of all, the look lasts all day long because the colored clay is resistant to water, sweat, and oil. that’s a whole lot of brilliance in one slim tube – bravo, tarte!

tarte colored clay tinted brow gel, $21 >
(30% off until 11:59 pm TONIGHT with code FANDF
during tarte friends & family event)

Posted in brows, editorial sample, eyes | Tagged tarte | 6 Comments

momma bear makeup tips from jamie greenberg4

POSTED ON Posted on August 1, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i adore mark celebrity makeup artist jamie greenberg. we are yet to meet in person, but my obsession with her you tube channel makes me feel like i know her. along with being uber talented, jamie is also kind of a super mom. i constantly stalk her instagram for the occasional peek of her cutie daughter leni, so i wanted to tap into her momma bear expertise and have her give me some much needed advice for keeping my makeup fresh while i wait for my own mini me to arrive.

i’m embracing it as much as i can, but what is your best trick to help deflect attention from my expanding belly?

try to deflect with bold makeup choices, i think a bold lip is first and foremost. also, i love a statement necklace, drawing attention to your neck rather than your belly!

it’s hot! how can i look polished without literally sweating my face off?

less is more – groomed hair and minimal makeup make it easier to navigate the heat. try carrying blotting sheets with you, this way you can constantly touch up your skin without piling on makeup over and over again. i also love those little fans that they sell at bed, bath & beyond for an instant cooling effect!

sleeping is a challenge (and I hear it’s only about to get worse!) – what are your favorite tricks for disguising tired eyes?

i’m really into lash extensions or fake lashes because they instantly open up your eyes. plus, they create a full look when you’re so tired you don’t have much time for any other makeup!

i was not anticipating the sun spots and skin pigmentation that come with pregnancy hormones. any advice on how to combat this pesky problem?

a good concealer that you can dab on naturally so it just covers the pigmentation, but blends evenly into your skin. the good thing is that the spots will go away after pregnancy. remember to use plenty of safe SPF so you don’t attract any more sun spots!

post-baby, how can i look presentable and pulled together in as little time as possible? what areas should i concentrate on, what is ok to skip?

messy hair is a clear giveaway that you’re tired and there’s a newborn at home, so if it’s possible, spend time perfecting your hair. curl your lashes, apply mascara and a cheek and lip tint – applying minimal makeup will save time you can spend on your hair. you will look polished and it won’t take much time! also, a top knot is an easy style that always looks chic!

finally – just because i’m obsessed – how can I make my eyebrows look like lucy hale’s?

let’s be honest, lucy was born with perfect brows.

damn. well, a girl can dream.

if you’re craving more from jamie (and you should be) – please check out her you tube channel. i promise you will be hooked after watching my two favorite videos – the one in which she gives her 89 year old grandmother a makeover for her daily trip to the grocery store and the one where she lets her adorable daughter leni do actress marla sokoloff’s daughter’s makeup. (hilarious!)

many thanks to jamie for her kind advice. one week and counting down to baby gloss…

Posted in mama bear | Tagged mark. | 4 Comments

emma2

POSTED ON Posted on July 30, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i am in love with this photo of emma watson. i’m not sure how recent of a snap it is, but her makeup is just spot on perfection. i also happen to think that she is one adorable class act of a human being, someone i would totally love to have a latte (or perhaps something stronger) with – however, it could be totally embarrassing when i show up having perfectly recreated this face.

to start, her tapered brows frame her face beautifully without taking over. whoever filled them in has mastered the art of concentrating color in the inner corners and leaving the edges soft and natural. i do still love a bold brow, but there’s also something to be said for this kind of subtlety. i would use a matching brow powder and my favorite brush to get the look on my own.

moving down to that teensiest of cat eyes and those lush black lashes, i would try using a very thin black liquid liner. to emulate emma, i would take it just beyond a tightline on the top lid, flicking it out into the corner of my eye (not beyond) and then carrying it about a third of the way under my bottom lash line for a touch more definition. for blacker than black defined lashes, i’d reach for my favorite precision mascara – it never, ever clumps.

finishing things off with that sweetly pink lip is a piece of cake. my go-to shade from nars (called catfight) is a semi-matte nude mauve. when polished off with the very slightest touch of cotton candy gloss, my lips are looking as good as lucy’s. (did anyone else love my week with marilyn?) oh, and if you want the story on emma’s to die for tribal pearls, they are dior – but i am planning to score my own more affordable version from baublebar.

do you love this look as much as me?

Posted in another pretty face | Tagged anastasia beverly hills, baublebar, clinique, nars, urban decay | 2 Comments

clinique chubby stick cheek colour balms + baby tints3

POSTED ON Posted on July 28, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

summer has me craving color, but i like to keep things super lightweight in the heat. clinique has delivered some real beauties in their two new chubby stick collections – one for cheeks and one for lips. they pair together beautifully and i’ve been changing up my combination daily, yet to discover one that i’m not fully obsessed with.

the moisturizing cheek colour balms pack a lot of punch. the formula is an oil-free gel that the fibers in my stippling brush grip right onto, giving a ton of color payoff once it hits your cheekbones. (i found myself needing to hold back a bit on application, so be warned if you are heavy handed!) once in place, these feel like nothing at all, look natural, and they wear all day long with no fading or smudging. i’ve been alternating amp’d up apple (definitely nude, not at all red) and robust rhubarb (true peach) most frequently and i’m very much in love. clinique has easily created my new favorite cream blush.

the baby tints are a fresh take on clinique’s popular chubby sticks. they are lighter, more moisturizing, and they go on sheer, turning into a super pretty tint that develops after you apply. now, i often have a bone to pink with “blooming” lip colors because they tend to go neon and unnatural on me. while these may be a bit more of a luxe price point for a sheer, tinted balm, clinique has really nailed the subtle “blossoming” lip phenomenon. each one of these is prettier than the next and i am finding them to be the perfect finishing touch to everyday summer makeup. my advice? go play with these asap and find your favorite(s)!

Posted in blush, cheeks, editorial sample, lips | Tagged clinique | 3 Comments

laura mercier smooth finish flawless fluide3

POSTED ON Posted on July 25, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

leave it to the makeup gods to deliver one helluva perfect foundation just as i am squeezing the life out of my current tube and feeling at a complete loss of where to go next. i didn’t know quite what to expect from laura mercier’s latest, but the blogs have been raving so i had a feeling it would be good – and boy, is it ever.

this is one of those instances where you think what you’re using is top notch, until you discover something better. smooth finish flawless fluide combines all of the best parts of my two most recent favorite foundations. in concept, it’s very similar to bareminerals bareskin, but it improves dramatically on some of the shortcomings. once you shake it up to activate the ingredients, the consistency is far less watery than the bareminerals version and it goes on with a more medium coverage (still build-able). i find that it sits lighter on the skin and because it’s less sheer, imperfections virtually disappear but the foundation is still undetectable on skin.

it leaves my skin smooth, does not hug fine lines and appears very slightly matte (so perfect for summer). it hasn’t irritated my pores at all, even in the sweaty heat, and i don’t have a single breakout to speak of. i think the true testament is that every time i have caught myself in the mirror while wearing it, i have been taken aback by how good my skin looks. (and that’s not something i’m often saying to myself!)

anyone looking for a lighter-than-air summertime foundation will fall fast for this stuff. since the formula is a bit nontraditional, i would recommend giving it a solid test in-store before committing to a tube, but i think you and your skin will be pretty pleased.

laura mercier smooth finish flawless fluide, $48 >

Posted in editorial sample, face, foundation | Tagged laura mercier | 3 Comments

lush tea tree water7

POSTED ON Posted on July 23, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

in a word, this toner from lush is gorgeous.

tea tree water is designed to keep oily and spotty skin clear, and while most toners making these claims smell medicinal and can be drying, this one borders on aramoatherap-eutic. the formula is rich in juniper berry (clearing) and grapefruit waters (balancing), absent of alcohols (drying and irritating), and antibacterial so it banishes blemishes, without being harsh.

aside from loving the ingredients and the scent, i am absolutely obsessed with the packaging. why don’t more brands package their toners in a spray bottle? at night, i can douse a cotton pad before sweeping it over clean skin and during a rushed morning, i can use it instead of washing my face by spritzing it all over and gently blotting with a tissue. it’s genius!

best of all, my skin really loves it. the toner is lightweight and refreshing, it’s soothing and it softens my skin without being greasy. i’ve been using it daily with no complaints from my sensitive face and, better yet, my skin is responding by staying calm and clear.

win, win, win.

lush tea tree water, $9.95 – $21.95 >

Posted in editorial sample, skin | Tagged lush | 7 Comments

weekender essentials0

POSTED ON Posted on July 21, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i may have just a few short weeks left before our little chickadee makes her debut, but you had better believe i am soaking up every drop of summer before she arrives.

on a day when i’m planning to sweat it out poolside, i don’t bother with deep cleansing. cetaphil gentle skin cleansing cloths are the perfect thing to refresh and prep my face for my favorite facial SPF from equitance. i love how it glides on, brightening and moisturizing as it dries quickly. then I coat my lips in coola liplux which protects while soothing and improving any previous sun damage.

since relaxation is the name of the game before our lives change forever (in the best possible way!), i pack up my turkish towel from sabun home, aviators, and my kindle. i’m currently reading diane keaton’s ‘let’s just say it wasn’t pretty’ and i absolutely love it. the theme of the book centers around beauty and diane’s wisdom is priceless – and funny!

out and about, I keep clarins sunscreen care oil handy. it’s water-resistant, non-greasy, and you can use it on your hair. everything is left silky smooth and it also protects against the drying effects of salt water and chlorine (along with the harmful effects of the sun). for lips, fresh’s sugar lip treatment in tulip is a pool bag must, just be sure to keep it in a cool spot (like actually in the cooler).

i take a less fussy approach to hair in the summer heat and this trifecta is just the ticket to letting my natural curls run a bit wild. whether i’m dousing my head in the shower, pool, or ocean, my cricket comb is always close at hand and so is mark. surf spray. the comb gets out all of my snags without pulling out any precious strands and the spray gives gorgeous texture and volume that’s not crunchy or dry. if all else fails, i keep a mane message hair tie on my wrist and whip things into a curly pony.

after sun, my routine is simple. cetaphil gentle skin cleansing cloths come to the rescue once again to remove all of the sweat and sunscreen from my sensitive skin. they are effective and ultra soothing, giving me a clean canvas to work from. once my skin is clean, i rub lierac silky serum onto my face and neck. it works to repair and moisturize my sun-kissed skin, leaving things smooth and comfortable.

voila! my weekend skincare ritual, from day to night.

how do you care for your skin in the summer?

Compensation for this post was provided by Galderma via AOL Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Galderma or AOL.

Posted in skin | Tagged cetaphil, clarins, coola, cricket, fresh cosmetics, lierac, mane message, mark. | Leave a comment

boscia all-in one b.b. eye brightener0

POSTED ON Posted on July 19, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

you know when you need to take your day way into overtime without missing a beat? in my case, this day looks something like: wake up early, knock out a few hours of work, go to the hospital to visit with brand new baby niece (squeal!), sit on the highway for way too long fighting traffic coming home, grocery shop, and then attend a barbecue block party meeting all new neighbors for the first time – all while looking glowy, happy, energized, and not the least bit 37 weeks pregnant.

yeah. it’s a tall order.

by the time i got halfway through that agenda on wednesday, i was wearing the day all over my face. my eyes were looking sad and tired, but i was not about to settle for that. i reached for this boscia b.b. eye brightener and used my ring finger to apply it liberally under each of my eyes. it’s a combination brightener and hydrator so it glides on like an eye cream and brightens (concealing slightly) like a tinted highlighter. bottom line: it made one very tired me look perky and awake in an instant.

this is not going to take the place of your under eye concealer, but it is definitely something you will want to keep in your bag whenever you need an afternoon boost. it layers nicely over concealer or foundation and really just works to smooth, lift, and tighten while giving a little burst of light to your worn-out eyes. considering that i tested it on quite possibly the tiredest, puffiest, most sleep-deprived eyes on earth, i feel more than confident that it will seriously impress all of you.

boscia all-in one b.b. eye brightener, $38 >