the glossarie

maybelline dream pure bb15

POSTED ON Posted on May 2, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

bb creams and i have not always gotten along. they never seem to offer enough coverage and color match is always an issue. historically, i just haven’t found them to be worth the investment – even at the drugstore level. so, when maybelline’s latest foray into bb land arrived on my doorstep, i was hopeful but tentative. this new formulation is made just for those of us with blemish-prone skin. it contains 2% salicylic acid so that it actually treats your skin as you wear it.

here’s why it’s a big winner in my book: the coverage is beautiful, rivaling some of the best lightweight tinted moisturizers and cc creams that i’ve tried. it conceals all of my imperfections without the need for much concealer and it also reduces the spotty redness that i suffer from. maybelline says that the three shades adjust to your skin tone and while i’m never sure how that will work for people across the board, the light sheer tint disappears perfectly into my skin.

the texture is a creamy gel and while i expected it to be drying because of the acne medication it contains, it’s surprisingly hydrating and smoothing. my skin drinks it up and it blends seamlessly. the finish is on the matte side, but i’m thinking that it will be perfect for summer when my skin tends to take dewy to the extreme.

the bottom line is that this lightly textured product is easy to apply and extra comfortable to wear, providing me with all of the benefits of my favorite foundations while keeping blemishes at bay. the formula won’t be right for everyone (and truthfully, it’s not one that i will feel the need to reach for daily, but more for when my skin is freaking out) – but for oily-combination skinned gals who fight the often or occasional acne, this will be right up your alley.

*rumor has it that this product (priced at $8.99 and not supposed to launch until june) has already hit walmart shelves!*

Posted in editorial sample, face, foundation | Tagged maybelline | 15 Comments

the product that started it all12

POSTED ON Posted on April 29, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

as i near this here blog’s five year anniversary next month, i find myself reflecting on the crazy amazing ride that it has sent me on – and one that i am not ready to get off of anytime soon. when i think back over five years of posts (965 to date), there are a few products that really stand out in my mind and, when you think about it, that’s kind of an impressive feat considering how many different things i tear through on a weekly basis!

so, it dawned on me that long before there was a blog, there was a burning beauty addiction that would not quit, and there had to be just one product that started it all. i didn’t have to think too hard to drum up the culprit: lancome baume baiser – a cushiony dome-shaped lip balm that tasted like marshmallows. i found it in the pages of a glossy mag – instyle or lucky – and there was just no compromising, it had to be mine. sadly, it was limited edition from lancome back in 2007 and by the time i discovered it, it was sold out everywhere.

fast forward about 32 phone calls to lancome counters far and wide and one 25-mile drive later, i had snagged the balm and life was good. it’s around then that i realized that things were serious. i had probably spent more time securing that delicious little lip balm that week than i did doing anything productive at work, but boy was it worth it.

so, beauties, it begs the question: can you name the product that started it all? the one that led you on your slippery slope to beauty addiction? i can’t wait to hear your responses!

Posted in lara, lips, skin | Tagged lancome | 12 Comments

tweezerman onyx great grip eyelash curler4

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

lash curlers are a funny thing.

you would think that they’re all the same – two little loops for your fingers to grip, a curved metal crimper, soft cushion for your lashes, and a spring load for pressure. how very different can one be from the next?

the answer: very.

i try a lot of lash curlers and most of them end up pinching the hell out of my eyelid or crimping my lashes into a sharp “L” or “V” shape that is far from natural. most know that i’ve been singing the praises of this chanel curler for awhile now (and a two-year run isn’t too shabby), but it has sadly started to lose its spring, leaving me with a need for something new. so, when i heard that tweezerman created an updated lash curler, i had high hopes – and they were not disappointed.

the quality and comfort here is very good. i like the padded handles a lot, but the most important parts (the silicone pads, spring load, and curved shape) are where this thing really sings. the shape of the actual curler lets you get insanely close to the lash line without pinching and the perfect amount of tension in the spring means that you get great curl without squeezing the life out of your lashes. as an added bonus, the price is nice.

to wrap it up, the quality in construction, resulting curl and just the general good looks of this tool are really impressive. gals who like a lot of lash, and prefer to start with a strong base curl will be very pleased. well done, tweezerman.

tweezerman onyx great grip eyelash curler, $15 >

Posted in editorial sample, tools | Tagged tweezerman | 4 Comments

mark. saint barts collection1

POSTED ON Posted on April 24, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

it’s been awhile since i shared anything new from the mark. camp, but lucky me! i got to spend some time in their nyc offices earlier this month getting my hands all over their saint bart’s collection – and it is gorgeous!

talk about an instant vacation, these six products are begging to be tossed into a beach tote and taken somewhere warm. (preferably by the sea!) each piece was inspired by the sparkling waters and shimmering sands of saint barts in the caribbean and the result is a definitive island feel that both my vanity and my beauty routine have been missing.

starting with the hero of the group for me, island beauty face compact is almost too pretty to use. (almost!) it delivers a peachy pink, bronzed glow that has been warming up my winter foundation shade while still looking completely natural. this is one of those products that will have a home in my makeup bag all the way until labor day.

moving on to the eyelids, (because why should your cheeks have all the fun?) island eyes eye color palette includes every shade that you could possibly need this summer. from shimmering champagne to chocolate brown in the neutral department, to stunning blues and greens which blend beautifully for an unexpected smoky eye that would make even the most glittering mermaid jealous.

for your body, mark has created a très cool shimmering body lotion – think of it as a hydrating luminizer – that will bring life back into sun-starved arms and legs just in time for wedding season – and an exotic and glam eau de toilette spray that is rich in coconut and frangipani. layer the two together for the ultimate in island living, even if you’re not leaving the couch.

to top things off, mark gives us that’s beachy texturizing surf spray. sprayed onto wet hair, you’ll enjoy effortlessly soft waves, bouncy volume and texture without crunch. i love this stuff! for your nails, i’m crazy about the latest nail this look mini lacquers in azure (a trend-right cornflower blue) and nudist (the exact right beige to show off your new tan).

i’m going to go ahead and call this mark’s prettiest collection yet. they thought of everything, head to toe, and the resulting products are as pretty in the package as they are on your skin. you’ll surely want to scoop these up – and don’t blame me when you find yourself dreaming of the islands.

ready for your own instant vacation? mark. is giving away products from the saint barts collection signed by lucy hale! enter here every day until april 27th.

Posted in blush, body, bronzer, cheeks, eyes, fragrance, hair, lids, nails | Tagged mark. | 1 Comment

mac patentpolish lip pencil6

POSTED ON Posted on April 22, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

the chubby lip pencil is nothing new, and just when i had been starting to feel like i had tried them all and that they were all the same, mac up and changes the game. their new patentpolish lip pencils are refreshingly new and exciting for three reasons:

one – the tip is actually chubby (not just the pencil!) and perfectly shaped to cover lips in a few swipes. it’s a snap to fill things in with such a broad and rounded color stick – i love the way these apply.

two – the color pay off is rich and opaque, which means that the sheer, semi-lackluster coverage that you’re used to in a pencil like this is a thing of the past.

three – the finish is shiny like a gloss, but as smooth and comfortable to wear as a moisturizing lip balm. i can put it on bare lips with absolutely no fear of dry out.

sometimes my affection for a product is as simple as one-two-three, and mac’s patentpolish is a perfect example. someone has finally nailed the pencil product in a way that makes it wearable as an everyday lip. if you scoop these up, you’ll be applying them over and over – and if you see me out and about, the shade i can’t get enough of is called fearless.

mac patentpolish lip pencil, $20 >

Posted in editorial sample, lips | Tagged mac | 6 Comments

sally hansen triple shine0

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

i’ve spent the last four days in the outer banks of north carolina attending the wedding of a college friend. sadly the weather was pretty miserable, but that didn’t stop our friends from celebrating to the fullest extent. and while my toes may not have seen much sun or sand, my penchant for gold gladiators meant that they were more than on display all weekend.

before leaving town, i booked myself a pedicure (my first of the season! does anyone else let their toes “breathe” in the winter months?) and i brought sally hansen triple shine in reef-raf with me. something about the watermelon pink felt so perfect for a spring wedding and based on my experience with sally hansen, i knew the formula would not disappoint.

after the first bright and shiny stripe, the nail tech looked up at me and said “wow, nice polish!” which i took as the highest possible endorsement. when she was done, i took in my beautiful pink toes, which were practically glowing. the glossy color wore amazingly well throughout four days of activities (which included much ducking between the raindrops in flip flops – i did not pack well for the weather).

now that i’m home, my pedi is still going strong, even after taking a pretty hard beating on a joyously crowded reception dance floor. i took triple shine for a test run myself, dousing my fingers in red snapper and hello! check out that shine:

sally has once again delivered salon quality at the drugstore price and i’m in love with the way that these polishes paint and perform.

this post was sponsored by refinery 29 and sally hansen, a brand that i love and have used for years.

Posted in nails | Tagged sally hansen | Leave a comment

hourglass ambient lighting blush7

POSTED ON Posted on April 18, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

ah, blush.

my very first beauty love and favorite product to this day. i love it so much that i like to save it for last, after my brows, lashes, even lips are done and watch the magic happen as it awakens my entire face. over the years, i have learned that the right shade creates life and glow, irregardless of shimmer in the formula. since my biggest pet peeve is a blush that falls flat, you can only imagine how thrilled i was to discover hourglass’ revolutionary powder that’s actually designed to bring depth and dimension.

hourglass has fused its well-loved ambient lighting powders with stunning blush shades to create this multidimensional color product. it sweeps on with ease, blending beautifully and delivering a soft-focus to the face that simply brings all of the attention to all of the right places.

what looks semi-scary in the pan actually results in a natural finish and is surprisingly hard to overdo. my current favorite is radiant magenta, but next on my list is ethereal glow – the perfect cotton candy pink. (so springy!) these blushes are super special, along with being heads and shoulders above other baked and marbled options. while $35 may cause some beauty addicts to cringe a bit, the velvety long-lasting effects make this one worth every penny.

hourglass ambient lighting blush, $35 >

Posted in blush, cheeks, editorial sample | Tagged hourglass | 7 Comments

kerastase elixir ultime crème fine6

POSTED ON Posted on April 15, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

forget everything you think you know about hair oil, because kerastase is changing the game. inside this gold tube is a product that has the weight of a lotion, but the deeply nourishing powers of a rich oil. crème fine is a hair treatment that falls somewhere between a leave-in conditioner and a serum, bringing instant health to hair of all textures and thicknesses. so high is the praise for this product, that i have spoken with girls who use it as a curl cream and those who use it as a straightening lotion, ladies who employ it as a pre-styling treatment, and those who reserve it for an after-styling balm. it’s a true multi-tasker and it hasn’t failed any of us yet.

i have personally taken to using it as a blow-in styling treatment and the effects are mega gorgeous. a dime sized amount distributed through damp hair, pre-blow dry results in smooth hair that is weightless yet full of shape and volume. oh, and the shine? is out of this world. i’m most impressed with the manageable and easy finished look that looks effortless (it truly is effortless) and polished at the same time. this product plays extra nice with my flat iron and leaves hair looking and feeling just as good on day two without any added grease.

i’m telling you, this is the good stuff. so, if your hair is begging for softness, strength, and smoothness (and really, whose isn’t?) then this gold tube is holding your new best friend.

kerastase elixir ultime creme fine, $42 >

Posted in editorial sample, hair | Tagged kerastase | 6 Comments

first aid beauty age delay dual repair eye cream2

POSTED ON Posted on April 14, 2014 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i like a no nonsense eye cream.

i’m lucky enough not to be suffering any major woes – just a minimal combination of dark circles, crow’s feet, and fine lines underneath. (par for the 32 year-old course, i suppose) to keep things from progressing, i apply an eye cream nightly and i look for something that’s nourishing and preventative. since anything that lengthens my evening routine is likely to get skipped, in order to keep me on track it’s also important that my eye cream blend in easily, completely and fast.

first aid beauty has created the perfect eye cream for me. it delivers all of the essential anti-aging benefits without any irritation and i’ve been most impressed with the way that it brightens, strengthens, and keeps puffiness at bay. this eye cream is all business, but it doesn’t stop there.

when it comes to application, the pump operates like a dream and you can get the exact right amount that you need so that no product is wasted. (those who have had frustrations with other pumps will totally know what i mean, here!) secondly, this product vanishes completely into skin, and without much effort. i don’t know why this is so satisfying (or important) to me, but i love how this blends easily into the under eye area and saturates the delicate skin without requiring much rubbage.

until situations call for something more serious, this eye cream will be taking up permanent residence on my sink side. three cheers for simple and effective beauty!

first aid beauty age delay dual repair eye cream, $40 >

Posted in editorial sample, eyes, skin | Tagged first aid beauty | 2 Comments

pür minerals color correcting primer2

POSTED ON Posted on April 12, 2014 by maggie moore BY maggie moore

confession: i’ve never fully appreciated primer, or felt the need for it in my makeup routine.

but alas, pür minerals color correcting primer has turned me into a believer. it’s super sheer and easy to apply. after i moisturize, but before i apply makeup, i spread it over my whole face and the effects are incredible. i’m so impressed with how it evens out the color and texture of my skin, and somehow manages to moisturize and mattify all at once. i’ve also noticed it really makes my makeup last throughout the day (like, from iced coffee through extracurricular cocktails).

pür minerals’ take on primer will easily balance out all skin tones and temperaments (including those who are most sensitive). it clears, and calms, even taking the edge off of blemish redness which means your foundation has less work to do. this oil-free formula has quickly become a part of my daily makeup routine, and i’m starting to wonder why i ever doubted primer in the first place.

pür minerals color correcting primer, $31 >