the glossarie

soap & glory a great kisser5

POSTED ON Posted on February 19, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

when jean godfrey-june says jump, i say “how high?” i pretty much live and die for that woman’s “from the beauty closet” section in each issue of lucky magazine. i can trust that there will always be one or more gems of product that i did not know i could live without. this month, that product was soap & glory’s lip balm called “a great kisser” and once again, june did not disappoint.

i’ve been using this balm faithfully each morning to top off my makeup routine and boy am i impressed. this pink pot has several major pro’s over its less-great peers. for one, it smells and tastes like apricots (or maybe peaches?). from there, it has a tendency to melt on to lips and sinks in deep. a trifecta of soothers (mango butter, apricot berry, and lingonberry oil) work to moisturize, protect against winter winds, and hydrate intensely.

after washing my face and applying makeup, this balm leaves my lips feeling immediately moisturized and hydrated. it lasts a shockingly long time (my biggest complaint of all lip balms) and has a sheer coral tint that makes lips look shiny and full. i’d say that this one is totally worth the ten bucks. i think you’ll find a friend for life. or at least, for as long as it takes for me to discover the next best thing in lip balm.

shop soap & glory a great kisser ($10) >

note: i always finish my makeup routine by prepping my lips for color with a moisturizing lip balm. to share some perspective, previous contenders for this highly coveted spot have been smith’s minted rosebud salve, christian dior creme de rose, bobbi brown lip balm, and good old fashioned vaseline.

Posted in editorial sample, lips | Tagged soap & glory | 5 Comments

hourglass aura sheer cheek stain0

POSTED ON Posted on February 18, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i have a new blush love! hourglass’ aura sheer cheek stain is a bit of a game changer. the sheer water-based stain is housed in a stick with a click base and spongy applicator top. it can be tricky to get cream and liquid cheek color to go on evenly, but the lightweight formula is super simple to stamp and blend onto cheeks without the need for your fingers to get involved. (i don’t know about you, but i find that the less i touch my face, the better off i am.) it’s somehow hydrating and gives a gorgeous natural flush but it sets and dries completely leaving no stickiness behind. used over tinted moisturizer, it could not be more perfect for everyday wear and i love the fact that it stays where you put it sans settling into any creases. coming in two natural shades appropriate for a range of skin tones, it’s nice to find something that absorbs quickly and gives a dewy look without actually being wet or shimmery. in short, this blush is just easy – and couldn’t we all use just a bit more easy?

shop hourglass aura sheer cheek stain ($45) >

Posted in blush, cheeks, editorial sample | Tagged hourglass | Leave a comment

show me your lip bomb, nicole0

POSTED ON Posted on February 17, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

name: nicole
internet home: city girl in me
number of products: 8
she says: i’m embarrassed to say this was not staged. i actually had 8 lip products stuffed in my little SJ bag.
the bomb:

revlon just bitten kissable balm stain in crush, $7.49
bobbi brown rich color gloss in dusty rose, $24
bobbi brown creamy color for lips and cheeks, $20
covergirl lip perfection lipstick in rush, $6.99
bite beauty high pigment matte pencil in pomegranate, $24
burt’s bees tinted lip balm in red dahlia, $6.99
burt’s bees ultra conditioning natural lip balm, $3.99
clinique chubby stick in fuller fig, $16

nicole and i met at the ifb conference in 2012 and it was beauty love at first sight. she is a super talented make up artist (she did my face for my head shots that you see around the blog) and an all around sweet-as-sugar girl. nicole’s beauty expertise comes through clearly through her #lipbomb! like most of you, we definitely share an affinity for the three b’s: bobbi brown, bite, and burt’s bees. i miss her terribly since she and her hubby made the move back to nyc, but i’m happy to say that we keep in touch through the ‘net and have even managed to connect in the big city on one of my many business trips. i highly recommend that you take a journey over to nicole’s blog for a full dose of beauty and fashion goodness!

i love seeing your #lipbombs, so please keep sending them to theglossarie@gmail.com.

Posted in lips | Tagged bite beauty, bobbi brown, burt's bees, clinique, covergirl, revlon | Leave a comment

mario badescu hair care1

POSTED ON Posted on February 16, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

my hair has been enjoying the benefits of mario badescu’s hair products over the last couple of weeks. i should have known that the master of botanically-based skincare would have another trick up his sleeve! similar to his skin products, mario’s hair line offers multiple options depending on your specific needs, at an exceptional price. i’ve been alternating the simple and mild all-purpose egg shampoo (which doubles as a body wash) with the clean-rinsing chamomile shampoo (great for my oily hair – it doesn’t build up or weigh my hair down) with perfectly lustrous and shiny results. my favorite product by far is the hair rinsing conditioner. it leaves my hair feeling so soft without adding any weight. when you’ve got medium-fine hair without a ton of density like moi, this is a godsend. i also love knowing that i’m using pure and simple ingredients and i can’t get enough of the resulting good hair. let’s just say that these three bottles have quickly become a few of my favorite things!

shop mario badescu hair ($8 – $14) >

Posted in editorial sample, hair | Tagged mario badescu | 1 Comment

february bag + balm0

POSTED ON Posted on February 15, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

bag: liberty floral zip pouch from j.crew, $34.50
balm: figs & rouge cherry blossom lip tint, $9
(bonus!) mirror: liberty pocket mirror, $22.50

this month’s pairing (technically a trio) screams spring! and man am i ready for spring. the liberty of london for j.crew collection has me longing for sunshine-y days and warmer weather. when i spotted this gorgeous pouch at j.crew last week, i had to make it mine. the essential trapezoid shape is so purposeful, plus the floral print is just too good.

i couldn’t share the pouch without including the most darling pocket mirror i’ve ever laid eyes on! also printed in liberty art fabric, it comes in two color ways and has got to be the sweetest way to keep tabs on your lip color fade and flyaways that i’ve found to date.

this month’s balm is a brand newbie from the 100% pure, natural, and organic brand figs & rouge. first of all, it’s a tint in a tube (does anyone else find this to be a game changer?) – beyond that, it’s a shimmering cherry shade that lasts and lasts. it tastes delicious and the moisture benefits and protection from the elements make it worth far more than its $9 price tag.

Posted in bags, lips, tools | Tagged figs & rouge, j.crew | Leave a comment

beauty treats love heart lip gloss palette2

POSTED ON Posted on February 14, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

(photo by kate headley)

happy love day, valentines! i thought that this sweet lip palette was the perfect thing to share with you today. the kind people at 2nd love cosmetics sent it my way and i had completely forgotten how practical it is to keep a multi-shade lip palette in my beauty collection. this group of warm and cool pinks are all super wearable, and i love to dip into the four glittery shades in the bottom row for some added sass. twelve heart shaped glosses in all (meaning that these ring in at a whopping 50 cents each) – you can wear them on their own or combine them for a unique lip look. the texture of each one is cushiony soft giving you the coverage of a lipstick with the comfort and shine of a gloss. i’ve been playing with these and layering them since they arrived finding endless combinations that can’t be beat. (for the smoothest, most precise, and longest-wearing results, i use my favorite jane iredale lip brush.) i’d definitely recommend treating yourself (and your lips!) to this palette of pinks and roses. you and your valentine won’t be disappointed.

shop beauty treats love heart lip gloss palette ($5.95) >

Posted in editorial sample, lips | Tagged 2nd love cosmetics | 2 Comments

rebecca minkoff fall 2013 runway manicure by essie4

POSTED ON Posted on February 13, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

how incredible is this marbled manicure? essie created the look for rebecca minkoff’s fall runway show and i am entranced. not only does the look combine some of my favorite essie shades, but it’s a grouping that i would have never put together. the finished look is a five-color swirl – a mix of chic and edgy that supremely matches minkoff’s rocker vibe. rumor has it that the collection was inspired by the night sky and i think that these intergalactic nails are spot on, don’t you?

to get the look, apply each shade to the nail in small dots and then swirl the colors together with a thin paint brush (or nail art tool if you happen to have one handy!). seal it off with a top coat and strut your stuff.

colors include as gold as it gets, penny talk, go overboard, blue rhapsody and aruba blue.

shop them here >

Posted in nails | Tagged essie | 4 Comments

simple signs “girl” of the moment, allison williams8

POSTED ON Posted on February 12, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i am so excited about simple skincare’s new partnership with allison williams. from her high-strung “girls” character marnie to her hilarious portrayal of jillian the eye-patch girl on “the mindy project,” i just can’t get enough of williams’ approachable nature and jaw-dropping beauty.

little did i know that my adoration was about to deepen with her revelation that she too suffers from sensitive skin.

as the new spokeswoman for simple, allison has revealed that she struggles to find products that don’t make her skin inflamed, red, dry, or make it break out. (tell me about it, sister!) as an actress, she puts her skin through a lot and she has stressed the importance of what you put on your face at the beginning of the day and what you use to take your makeup off at night as being key players in her skin’s clarity and calmness.

to hear more about why allison loves simple so much and to claim a coupon for simple products, click here.

this post was created in connection with my appointment as an ambassador in the simple® skincare program.

Posted in another pretty face | Tagged simple | 8 Comments

almay smart shade mousse makeup0

POSTED ON Posted on February 11, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i consider myself a bit of a foundation naysayer. i want all of my flaws masked for a perfectly poreless finish that doesn’t look like i’m wearing makeup. oh, and i also don’t want to feel like i’m wearing makeup. it’s a constant struggle.

i’ve loved the almay line for a long time. it’s always touted by my derm as the best possible makeup brand for sensitive and breakout-prone skin. so, when i was flipping through instyle a couple of months ago and saw the new almay foundation teased, i waited patiently for it to hit drugstore shelves. after scooping it up at target a couple of weeks ago, we have become fast friends.

i’m always leery about shade matching makeup (it’s good in theory, but for some reason it never works out quite right) but the 100 shade (light) has been doing a bang-up job of matching my skin tone more perfectly than most foundations. there are four shades in this lineup, so i’m not going to be so bold as to say that there’s something for everyone but i’m definitely impressed with the match on me. this stuff is light as air, yet heavy on coverage, and it somehow goes on to feel like you’re wearing nothing at all. it gives my skin a smooth, even appearance that has been working as a great base for a variety of makeup looks without looking cakey.

there are a couple of caveats, though. the first is that since the mousse goes on white and then “transforms” into your ideal shade, it can be very easy to overdo it on coverage. i got the hang of it after one application though, and it’s been a breeze since then. second, you’ll find that the finish on this is almost powdery which leads me to believe that it might not be so friendly to those with drier skin. the rest of you light-handed, combination-oily gals will definitely enjoy the silky texture and flawless finish with a drugstore price tag.

shop almay smart shade mousse makeup ($11.89) >

Posted in face, foundation | Tagged almay | Leave a comment

show me your lip bomb, elizabeth0

POSTED ON Posted on February 10, 2013 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

name: elizabeth
number of products: 5
she says: couldn’t live without any of them!
the bomb:

fresh sugar lip treatment spf 15 in berry, $22.50
fresh sugar lip gloss in sugar flirt, $18
kiehls lip balm #1, $7
elizabeth arden 8-hour lip protectant, $19.50
estée lauder all day lipstick in spiced cider, $18.50

i plucked elizabeth’s lip bomb from the pile of many for several reasons – not the least of which is its seasonal appropriateness. two lip balms known for their richness and healing, a tinted lip balm, a gloss and a lipstick both beautifully berry in color – it all sums up to one wickedly winter’esque #lipbomb. beyond that, the single thing on my shopping list this weekend has been elizabeth arden’s 8-hour cream and as i popped into my inbox this morning to put this post together, there it was staring me in the face! so thanks for the nudge, elizabeth. this girl has a date with the beauty counter.

if you want to see your #lipbomb in the glossarie, send it over to theglossarie@gmail.com.