the glossarie

in my bag of tricks: coterie3

POSTED ON Posted on September 11, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i am so excited about the upcoming launch of coterie, a new flash sale website dedicated to the very best in beauty. i had the chance to get early private access to the site and shop their first campaign by butter london. if it’s just a taste of what’s to come, then i am fully confident that it’s going to whet my appetite for quality cosmetic steals online. i’m looking forward to working with the coterie team to bring you some special offers once the site launches. for now, make sure to sign up so that you don’t miss a minute of the action!

Posted in 1 | Tagged coterie | 3 Comments

on my lips5

POSTED ON Posted on September 9, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

seriously, how many pink lip products does one girl need? it would seem that the answer is no less than six. my collection, top to bottom:

bite beauty luminous creme lipstick in fig, $24
bite beauty honey lip lacquer in gamay, $24
occ lip tar in memento, $15
hourglass opaque rouge liquid lipstick in canvas, $28
nars lip lacquer in baby doll, $24
urban decay super saturated high gloss lip color in naked, $19

clearly, pink lips are my vice – what’s yours?

Posted in lips | Tagged bite beauty, hourglass, nars, occ, urban decay | 5 Comments

what i’m wearing: wedding guest6

POSTED ON Posted on September 8, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i’m headed to baltimore this evening to celebrate the wedding of one of my beautiful friends. the main event is taking place at the george peabody library and i’ll be donning this pretty maxi from anthropologie. i’m topping things off with accessories from my two favorite employers: a minaudiere from hobo (coming soon!) and egg-shaped drops from anna beck. in the beauty department, i’ve got deep, dark green tips courtesy of essie stylenomics (and a manicure that i got last weekend in nashville – still has not chipped!), big bold lashes from clinique’s new mascara (yes, i’ve blogged it twice this week, yes that means it’s incredible), and a slightly subdued lip achieved with urban decay’s super-saturated high gloss lip color in naked.

are you wearing anything new this weekend?

Posted in accessories, jewels | Tagged anna beck, clinique, essie, hobo international, urban decay | 6 Comments

guest gloss: 101 things i love6

POSTED ON Posted on September 7, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i’m over on johanna’s blog today showcasing my five fall faves. johanna is taking a break from blogging as she loves on her sweet new baby lola. hop, click, jump over to 101 things i love to learn more about this fall fivesome!

Posted in link roundups | Tagged benefit cosmetics, butter london, chantecaille, hourglass | 6 Comments

another pretty face: olivia munn10

POSTED ON Posted on September 6, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

(image via)

i am having an olivia munn moment and i cannot get enough of her in this look from the do something awards. combine an adorable hot pink alice + olivia number, a ponytail, and a winged eye, you get a sweet and sassy grand finale that i just had to recreate.

get that perfect winged edge with nyx the curve liner. the ergonomic shape makes it possible for anyone to master liquid liner. achieve lots of lash with clinique high impact extreme mascara. it layers on nice and thick staying put for hours upon hours, and dissolving in warm water. olivia’s cheeks are donning the most gorgeous flush which you can do with sephora microsmooth blush duo in guava glow – allowing you to customize and luminize. finish things off with a pop of pink gloss. i really love butter london’s lippy in primrose picnic for its moisturizing capabilities and the subtle stain that it leaves behind.

do you like this look as much as i do?

Posted in another pretty face | Tagged butter london, clinique, nyx, sephora collection | 10 Comments

dove style+care frizz-free shine cream-serum2

POSTED ON Posted on September 4, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

all hail my latest hair obsession – and, get ready for this, it costs less than $5.

dove’s new style+care cream-serum is a tiny godsend for my heat-damaged hair. one pump of the pearly product is plenty for my shoulder-length locks and i felt an instant difference when first running it through my hair. it smoothed my waves and unfurled my snags, perfectly prepping things for a blow dry. blow drying was faster than usual and my hair was smoother, less wavy when i was done. to finish, flat ironing was a total breeze. i’m usually still fighting with my waves at this point, getting hot and frustrated while i work to smooth things out. with the dove cream-serum, my straightener glided through, cleaning up the kinks with very little effort.

the finished result is super light-feeling, shiny, soft and swingy hair without a hint of grease. dove really brings out the best in my hair, without weighing it down. the style also holds longer than with other products and i can easily get through two full days without washing or applying dry shampoo. (this is a small miracle!)

i’m beyond in love, here. who knew that such good things could come from such a little investment?

dove style+care frizz-free shine cream-serum is available in drugstores and grocery stores for $4 – $5. i had a hard time tracking it down, so check here to see where it’s sold in your ‘hood or buy it online here.

Posted in hair | Tagged dove | 2 Comments

stephanie johnson fall collection2

POSTED ON Posted on August 31, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i’m drooling over the new fall goodness from my most favorite cosmetic and travel bag designer, stephanie johnson. she has brought some gorgeous new prints and fabrics to her classic styles this season and i want them all. these are just a few of the things on the top of my list – which one do you love best?

ikat love: the sumatra collection is super fresh in black and white with lime green trim. it’s all kinds of pretty in the small zip-top cosmetic, don’t ya think? i love this size for toting everyday beauty essentials.

not so basic black: the nolita collection is super sophisticated, but that pop of periwinkle liner and shiny gold hardware really give it some edge. i can’t get enough of the way it dresses up my favorite sj shape, the katie folding cosmetic. two compartments keep makeup or chunky jewelry organized for travel and it doubles as a clutch for an evening out.

batik floral: the jakarta print evokes stained glass windows and travel to far away lands. after watching this video on makeup brushes, i’m bulking up my collection and keeping them safe in an alonso pencil case.

jewel toned pouches: stephanie’s malibu collection is a batch of crinkle patent done in fun colors. i’m fairly obsessed with the deep jewel tones she went with this season (navy, forest green, plum, teal) and her pouches are the most versatile little solutions. i used my large flat pouch as a beach clutch all weekend, keeping my iphone, lip balm, hair ties, etc. all in one place and sand-free. it even looked great with my sundress when we stopped for a post-beach drink. i love that you can add a wristlet option to any of these, making them even more practical (as if that’s possible).

rainbow zigzag: oh, turin collection, how can i resist your zigzaggy goodness? if ever a more fun group of cosmetic bags existed, i am yet to find them. i am head over heels for this whole group, but the fiona dome cosmetic and i go way back to my first piece of stephanie johnson ever purchased. the size is just right for stowing my nail tools and best-loved polishes, plus i completely adore the tassel.

think you’ll be bringing any of these into your collection this season?

Posted in bags, tools | Tagged stephanie johnson | 2 Comments

this or that: golden bib necklaces10

POSTED ON Posted on August 29, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i’ve had my eye on this stella & dot stunner for a bit now, but the $130 price tag is tough to swallow. i mean, that’s a lot of makeup. i’m thinking i can get a similar effect with this penny-pinching aldo number – what do you beauties think?

Posted in jewels | Tagged aldo, stella & dot | 10 Comments

bite beauty honey lip lacquer7

POSTED ON Posted on August 23, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i can get behind anything that the bite beauty team puts out. i love that the line is dedicated exclusively to lips and more importantly, i love that they do lips so well. they’ve already got me covered with a go-to lipstick, balm, and tint – now i can add the perfect gloss to my collection.

the problem with lip gloss in general is that while it gives a great finish, most of them pack no punch in the staying power department, but thanks to the addition of manuka honey, bite’s gloss isn’t going anywhere. your lips will feel the difference right away and you’ll notice the way that this stuff grips on to them (yet somehow does not feel sticky), locking in moisture. you get balm-like feel, glossy look, and a stain-like finish with none of that tacky weirdness.

bite really nailed it with these lovelies – and their glass tubes make them look like a million bucks. the wet look lasts for a couple of hours and even as the shine dulls down, you’re left with a good stain-y pop of color so that there’s less need for touch up – highly impressive performance from an all natural product.

bite beauty honey lip lacquer is available at sephora for $24.

Posted in editorial sample, lips | Tagged bite beauty | 7 Comments

bobbi brown intensifying long-wear mascara2

POSTED ON Posted on August 21, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i can’t stand mascara smudges and i find that everything smudges on me. it’s right up there with lipstick on the teeth on my list of beauty pet peeves – making me look far less polished and put together than i’d like and it drives. me. crazy.

bobbi’s new mascara was seeming too good to be true when i read about its sleek little brush (love!) and long-wearing formula. when it arrived, i made haste to apply two coats and head out for a 4-mile walk in the 90+ degree heat, figuring if it could stand up against those sweaty elements, then maybe it was a keeper. i returned home slightly sunburned and a little worse for the wear, but my lashes looked fabulous with not a smudge to speak of.

in true bobbi fashion, the formula glides on to lashes and the smaller, fine-bristled brush really grabs on to every lash, making it especially easy to coat the ones at the corners. it gives a natural finish with an enhancement to length and definition. it’s not a dramatic volume-maker, but the clump-free long-wear and ability to remove it with warm water have really impressed me. i have found very few mascaras that can meet my high expectations, and this one does it beautifully.

i can’t say (yet) that it’s overtaken my top shelf mascara, but i feel confident that i have a seriously good replacement should the trish mcevoy factory go down in flames. (yes, i have concerns about these things…it’s a wonder i don’t stockpile more beauty products in anticipation of a cosmetic apocalypse!)

bobbi brown intensifying long-wear mascara is available here for $24.