the glossarie

beauty for brides + makeup brush 1018

POSTED ON Posted on March 12, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

hello! hope you had a great weekend. i’m in two places sharing the beauty love today – come visit :)

(me with tulips, courtesy of the talented kate headley)

pop over to dc photog extraordinaire kate headley’s beautiful blog to see a few shots from a fun beauty photo shoot that we collaborated on together. i’m sharing a handful of important beauty tips for brides (but really, they relate to all of us!).

(powder brush and smudge brush and foundation brush, oh my!)

it was also fun to partner up with my friend liz of so much to smile about. we’re talking beauty brushes over on her blog and she created a little glossarie (!) of brush types complete with their uses and tips ‘n’ tricks for making them multitask.

Posted in link roundups | 8 Comments

introducing “keep it pretty”6

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

i’m a freak for organization. the container store is like disney world to me and i love purchasing things to put other things inside of. boxes, bags, mugs, bowls, vases. it’s an obsession. but, combine this obsession with a love for beauty products and a new blog series is born! welcome to a little column that i’m calling “keep it pretty.”

i love to see how people store and display their beauty products and the blogosphere is a treasure trove of inspiration. i’m looking forward to sharing gorgeous beauty vignettes and how to recreate them, my own little storage and display solutions, and those of other bloggers who i just can’t get enough of.

to kick things off, i’m featuring one of my favorite ways to store things around my condo – anthropologie’s monogrammed mugs. i’ve found about one hundred uses for these since they popped up in store, including making some of my daily products a home inside an “L” that sits on my bathroom shelf.

anthropologie monogrammed mug, $6

trish mcevoy high volume mascara, $30

nars velvet gloss lip pencil in mexican rose, $24

sephora collection classic powder brush, $32

benefit cosmetics stay don’t stray, $26

sephora collection pro stippling brush, $35

blinc kiss me mascara, $24

maybelline eye studio master shape brow pencil, $8

how do you keep it pretty?

Posted in keep it pretty | Tagged anthropologie, benefit cosmetics, maybelline, trish mcevoy | 6 Comments

betsey johnson too too scented nail colour2

POSTED ON Posted on March 10, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

who: you, your best friend, your sister, your five year old neighbor

what: a hot pink nail polish designed by betsey johnson and infused with her too too fragrance. once dry, your nails will smell of fruity, flirty top notes like passion fruit, mandarin, ginger, strawberry – for days.

when: with your favorite chambray shirt, on a hot date, gripping your fab new clutch on girls night out. do you need an excuse for neon pink scented nail polish?

where: limited edition, exclusively at sephora

why: it’s hot pink, designed by betsey johnson, and did i mention it’s scented? (i think it gives it a little something extra, dontcha think?)

happy weekend!

Posted in nails | Tagged betsey johnson, nail polish, sephora | 2 Comments

currently obsessed0

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

did you know that you can stalk all of my current beauty obsessions? it’s true. i’ve been curating an online hotspot of my tried and true favorite beauty products just for you. you can keep your eye on the group of 85 (and growing!) by clicking the currently obsessed link over in the right-hand column of the blog or sign up to officially “stalk me” and your other favorite bloggers. it’s like a constantly evolving online shopper’s dream and a really great source of style inspiration. you can click to purchase straight from the site or save things you want to remember and go back to later in your favorites. pretty fun, right?

while you’re there, be sure to visit a few of my favorite bloggers to stalk:

wishing you a very happy weekend full of very happy stalking!

Posted in lara, mixed bag | Leave a comment

a new signature lip a la nars6

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

i love wearing a fuchsia or red-orange lip as much as the next gal (ok, maybe more than the next gal), but truth be told, i’ve been in search of my everyday signature lip (read: likely not fuchsia or orange-red, or anything in the bold family) for way too long. i finally got my priorities straight and marched myself into sephora earlier this week. i accosted the first black-smocked lady i could find, deeming myself putty in melanie’s hands if she could just prescribe my custom lip nirvana. thankfully, mel was up to the task.

i knew what i wanted: a neutral pink. a pretty, girly one that would go with my daily, somewhat minimalist, makeup routine. we pretty quickly settled on this trio from nars and i’ve had a little more spring in my step ever since. here’s what i’m loving about my mouth’s new wardrobe:

1. the lip liner in tonga is the first lip liner i have ever owned. (yes, yes i know. i should deliver myself straight to beauty blogger jail for that one.) it is amazing! it’s flesh-toned matte and perfect for filling in all over the lip to help lipstick “grip” just a bit longer than it would solo. i even love the way it looks on its own!

2. my new lipstick in catfight is a cool, subtle pink, almost a mauve. it has a slight sheen to it and it’s comfortable to wear. i got five hours out of this baby yesterday! best of all, it suits me to a tee and i can apply it sans mirror, on the go.

and 3. i wasn’t sure the lip lacquer in baby doll was absolutely necessary at the time, but it’s been the difference-maker in the group for me. i can swipe it straight on my lips and go (love that), pop it over the lip liner (love that even more), or use it to finish off the most glammy lip look of all – the triple threat of tonga + catfight + baby doll.

now, i’m not endorsing any of my own bad habits. you can (and likely have) put together a signature lip look for far less than the $70 (eek!) i spent on this one. but i have to say, my new lips are giving me $1,000 worth of happiness.

what’s your go-to lip look? do you have a corresponding duo or trio, or one signature piece? tell me, i’m dying to know!

Posted in lips | Tagged nars, sephora | 6 Comments

sheswai nail lacquer + my sunday to do list:9

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

sheswai nail lacquer + the half moon manicure

(left image via)

all cozied up with my coffee, two bottles of sheswai, and a pack of super classy reinforcement labels to take a crack at this flipped french mani. what do you think? i’ve been doing more research into the tricks behind nail art and was floored to find how achievable some of it is – even for someone as untalented with a polish bottle as i.

sheswai is my new lacquer or choice, and not just because the bottles are the cutest thing you’ve ever seen – but that certainly doesn’t hurt. for starters, the color run is chic and playful with names like yowza, fersure, totally, and stoned, but the fun continues far past the beautiful shades. sheswai’s formula is free of the bad stuff (formaldehyde, toluene, dbp’s) and it goes on beautifully with the very first coat. i have the shakiest nail polishing hand on the planet, and this polish looks better after one wobbly coat than any other brand does after two. i’m not kidding when i say that it almost feels like my nails are painting themselves because the finished look is so smooth and glossy. shades are true to their appearance in the bottle and for the look above, i’m running with pretty orchid pink sugar kiss (it’s got a little sparkle!) and oh-so-perfect honeyfox, a cherry red with a touch of orange. at $16, these beautiful bottles are not cheap, but some things are worth the splurge.

if your nails (and your vanity) are longing to be dressed up, you can find sheswai online, at spirit beauty lounge and anthropologie.

Posted in editorial sample, nails, natural beauty | Tagged anthropologie, nail art | 9 Comments

ole henriksen african red tea exfoliating lip salvation + lovely links1

POSTED ON Posted on March 2, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

wanna whip your lips into shape? meet your new best friend.

ole henriksen african red tea exfoliating lip salvation is one of a kind. on the surface, it’s a thick cranberry-hued balm, but dab some on your lips and rub ’em together – you’ll feel just the right amount of grit working to eliminate dry patches and dead skin. this stuff is the coolest, because unlike other exfoliating lip products, this one stays on your lips. the gritty texture is so fine and subtle that it doesn’t bother me in the least, and the surrounding balm is so luxuriously emollient that it feels pretty heavenly on my winter-parched pucker. it also offers up a subtle red tint that perks my fair maiden face up just a bit. the unique formula makes it perfect for a morning application (hydrates, tints, preps and primes your lips for any later lip products) or for leaving on the night stand (i cannot tell you how good this feels after a day of wearing drying lipstick or gloss – it truly is lip salvation).

ole henriksen african red tea exfoliating lip salvation is available in stores and online for $15.

a few lovely links

make your blowout last four days? quite possibly with these tips from the beauty department.
follow the pantone color report with these picks from make up for ever
a little intrigued by these cleansing pads for big girls
bookshelf styling has become an art form! loving this combo of inspiring stacks + a few suggestions for additions to your personal library.
recently discovered this etsy shop and trying to hold back from buying absolutely everything in it

Posted in link roundups, lips | Tagged ole henriksen | 1 Comment

featured on chevrons & stripes!3

POSTED ON Posted on March 1, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i am so completely tickled to be featured on sarah lederman’s chevrons & stripes this morning. i’m a longtime fan of sarah’s blog and we connected recently through the twitterverse after i fell in love with her home feature on glitter guide. she and i have lots in common when it comes to girly aesthetics (i basically want to fly her to dc and have her make over casa ramos immediately.) and chevrons & stripes is a really beautiful spot on the web. it’s one of my favorite sources of inspiration – you must add sarah to your daily reads if you’re not already following along. now, clickety click on over to see my picks for her “the it list” series!

Posted in lara, link roundups | 3 Comments

estee lauder mad men color collection12

POSTED ON Posted on February 28, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i haven’t fallen prey to the mad men television phenom, but there’s no denying that the beauty during the 60’s era was ultra feminine and completely irresistible. the looks portrayed on the show are powerful, allowing the women to ooze confidence, but in the girliest of ways. they do put their faces on in front of a vanity table, do they not?

estee lauder has hitched their wagon to the amc hit and created a two-piece color collection capturing the true heart of the mad men beauty look. packaged up in vintage estee boxes straight from the 60’s (with a slight modern twist), the lipstick and creme rouge duo are to die for. each comes swathed in its own gorgeous golden case and slipped inside a gold fabric cover for protection. they just don’t make ’em like this anymore, girls.

the lipstick in cherry is a deep, satiny red with fuchsia undertones and the creme rose in evening rose is a blendable berry. both products will look as amazingly elegant on your lips and cheeks as they do when you pull them out of your handbag. be prepared for some oohs and ahs from your fellow lady friends if you add these lovelies to your lineup!

the estee lauder mad men color collection is limited edition and now available online.

Posted in blush, cheeks, lips | Tagged estee lauder, mad men | 12 Comments

best in beauty: oscars 201212

POSTED ON Posted on February 27, 2012 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

the red carpet royalty brought some very good face last night. from the nails, which seemed to be either vampy dark (almost black) or completely nude (clear polish was everywhere!) to the malibu barbie waves on stacy keibler, to that signature pink lip on michelle williams – i was in high beauty heaven.

i’m giving best face to jessica chastain who was stunning in a fierce cat eye, tousled pinned-half-back hair, and even her essie mani in berry hard. she looked absolutely beautiful. nods to natalie portman for her 50’s inspired look and milla jovovich for those red lips and pink blush, as well.

best hair goes to the mara sisters who could not have been more uniquely different. rooney slayed in her structural bang and bun, and kate went for a softer look in her messy side-do and sparkly adornments.

my favorite manicure (and cocktail bling!) was on the mitts of kristen wiig who sported chanel’s black satin to offset her nude dress. kind of makes me crave black nails all over again.

what did you think of the looks last night? any favorites that i missed?