the glossarie

clinique almost lipstick in luscious honey10

POSTED ON Posted on December 18, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

clinique is launching eight new shades of its beloved almost lipstick formula (of black honey fame, which i know from this post has many a glossarie reader fan!) in january. if that wasn’t excitement enough, they’ve put one lonely shade, called luscious honey, on presell today and tomorrow only. it looks to be a delightfully springy, punchy berry color that i know i’m going to need to get my hands on.

the almost lipsticks are sheer and glossy, so lots of your natural lip color shines through when you wear them, making them friendly to all. luscious honey is on presell december 18th and 19th for $15 (and free shipping!) then it disappears until the full launch in january.

are you going to snag one?

are you dying to see the other seven shades, or is black honey enough almost lipstick for you?

Posted in lips | 10 Comments

ole henriksen rub’n’buff salt scrub2

POSTED ON Posted on December 17, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

the most wonderful time of the year can be the worst for your skin. a body exfoliator is a basic necessity, but it can be tough to find one that’s not too harsh and that also leaves you feeling clean. (i’m addicted to lather, i don’t know about you.) so when allure’s catherine o’neill tweeted that she couldn’t live without this scrub, i knew that i needed to give it a try.

believe me when i say that this big tub of scrub will turn your shower into a little spa.

before we even get down to the nitty gritty, let’s talk scent, shall we? the combination of lemongrass and lavender is oddly energizing and calming at the same time. bottom line: it smells delightful. the sea salt works to deep clean and exfoliate skin while the creamy texture surrounding the scrub is moisturizing and leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. it actually gives my skin the softness that i’ve been looking for from a hydrating body wash so that i don’t need to douse myself in lotion post-shower – a most welcome and unexpected quality in a scrub. it rinses completely clean and the ginormous jar will last you well into spring. it has also done incredible things for my dry winter hands.

this is great for anyone who likes to feel refreshed but whose skin needs a little extra love during the freezing cold months. it’s pure pampering and, like cat, i’m starting to wonder how i lived without it!

ole henriksen rub’n’buff salt scrub is $48 for 28 oz.

ps – check out a few of my holiday wishes / gift ideas (this scrub among them) in refinery29!

Posted in body | 2 Comments

kate spade doodles pen necklace5

POSTED ON Posted on December 16, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

if you are a born in the 80’s child of the 90’s, you watched ghostwriter. best of all, because of your timing, you got to watch hector (aka william hernandez) on the greatest show ever created and then watch him again on his stint in the real world philadelphia house. amazing.

anyway, the long and short of the matter is, that if you watched ghostwriter, you wanted a pen necklace (image here). bottom line. end of story. a pen necklace is actually a very practical item since you never know when you’re going to need to make a list, or sign an autograph, or solve a crime using magic ink. us ladies of the 80’s (and gents, i suppose) have kate spade to thank for not only reinvigorating the pen necklace, but making it amazingly chic.

kate has created a very grown up version of the pen necklace in gold. but if $78 is too steep a price to pay to relive a childhood fantasy, she also has a sweet sale version in red for $27.

Posted in jewels | Tagged kate spade | 5 Comments

guest posting: holiday tradition & wish list at mimi+meg0

POSTED ON Posted on December 15, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i absolutely love this time of year! there are so many fantastic gift guides flying around the blogosphere and i’m honored to participate in meg’s round up of super talented ladies. her take includes the sweet sentiment of a favorite holiday tradition, so click on over to learn more about my picks and silly christmas-obsessed family:

holiday tradition & wishlist: lara

Posted in link roundups | Leave a comment

on my lips8

POSTED ON Posted on December 14, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

i’ve been layering my ultimate favorite clinique black honey with my new go-to nude, nars chelsea girls, for a super pretty lip look. not only is a little layering great for keeping lips moisturized this time of year, it also keeps color from falling flat and gives a soft prismatic effect.

now, off to find some mistletoe…

Posted in lips | Tagged nars | 8 Comments

pretty gifty: birchbox subscription5

POSTED ON Posted on December 13, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

by now the world knows that you can get a handful of deluxe beauty samples delivered to your door for ten bucks a month through birchbox, but did you also know that you can GIFT subscriptions? what a fabulous freakin’ idea!

gift subscriptions can be purchased for as short as three months for $30 or as long as a year for $110 (one month free!). just imagine the delight in knowing that you’ve given the gift that keeps on giving – and keeps on giving high-end skincare, makeup, fragrances, and hair products, at that.

fun fact: beauty brand jouer created a custom color gloss for december’s birchbox and it looks good on everyone. just one of the unique and incredible benefits of being a birchbox subscriber.

Posted in pretty gifty | Tagged birchbox | 5 Comments

pretty gifty: tools + tresses11

POSTED ON Posted on December 12, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

1. sonia kashuk holiday kabuki, $12 – perfect for dusting that new translucent powder or for achieving the most natural blush look

2. limited edition paul & joe luxury pouch, $55 – the guys have outdone themselves with this year’s clutch, it’s chic and embroidered, with a golden turn lock – begging to be taken out on the town

3. l. erickson bow barette, $34 – so sweet for dressing up that plain old pony

4. julie hewett cheekie brush, $28 – for use with cream blushes, make a check-mark motion from the apple along the bone for a natural glow

5. bumble and bumble pin tin, $15 – a variety of hair and bobby pins for the holiday hairdo’ista

6. emi-jay hair ties, $6-$11 – the original bracelet/hair tie hybrid

7. bobbi brown party collection mini brush set, $60 – four petite brushes in a sleek carrying case

Posted in hair, pretty gifty, tools | Tagged bobbi brown, bumble and bumble, emi-jay, julie hewett, paul & joe, sonia kashuk | 11 Comments

pangea organics turkish rose & white tea eye cream3

POSTED ON Posted on December 11, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

there are a dozen different reasons to add an eye cream to your routine: to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, to firm, fade dark circles, eliminate puffiness, improve tone and texture, or nix dryness, to name a few. as i approach the big three-oh, i’m striving to protect and nurture the skin around my eyes as much as possible and prevent early signs of aging. i don’t want to pack a lot of extra chemicals on to my face unnecessarily and i want something that’s easy to use everyday. not too tall of an order, right?

of course it’s no secret that there are more eye creams on the market than reasons to use them, so finding one that suits your needs is no easy task. many of them are one-note wonders that take care of puffiness or chip away at dark circles, but few really work to nourish and improve the skin. i have tried tons and finally found a favorite.

the turkish rose & white tea eye cream from pangea organics is full of antioxidants that help to firm and rejuvenate the eye area. it’s a dream to apply (always with the ring finger) and feels instantly soothing. the combination of fair-trade ingredients work to regenerate cells and also act as an anti-inflammatory to keep the designer bags away. i’ve found that it brings the exact right amount of moisture to the eye area and i’ve seen the skin around my eyes brighten and improve in texture with use. it’s a bit spendy at $55, but i’m willing to invest in something that i use nightly and leave on for hours.

one tiny tube movin’ on in to the makeup drawer!

what are your eye woes? do you have an eye cream you love?

Posted in eyes, skin | 3 Comments

a signature necklace to never take off2

POSTED ON Posted on December 10, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

do you like my new necklace? i treated myself at a recent stella & dot party and i’m loving its daintiness.

a little back story: my parents gave me a two-tone cape cod bracelet for my mba graduation and because it needs to be screwed on/off, it’s been on my wrist ever since. i have never left jewelry on permanently before and thought i would hate it. in truth, i love that i don’t have to think about it and i have a (very) mini arm party going before i even put on any extra bling!

so, along the same concept, i’ve been searching for a simple, tiny necklace that i can just leave on 24-7. i was really thrilled to add it this my jewel collection. the necklace has three clasp options for varying lengths and the arrow is a small and symbolic reminder for me to be brave and take risk.

now to explain to my husband why i don’t sleep in my wedding rings, but this golden bauble gets full-time status…

score your own ‘on the mark’ necklace ($49) or plenty of other pretty at stella & dot.

Posted in jewels | 2 Comments

pretty gifty: something scented0

POSTED ON Posted on December 9, 2011 by lara ramos BY lara ramos

1. kiehl’s musk essence oil, $26 – the ultimate in unisex scents in a cool, concentrated format

2. lollia relax little luxe eau de parfum, $9 – treat your true love to any of lollia’s lovely perfumes in new, bitty bottles

3. chantecaille roll-on, $68 – each tube arrives in a coordinating faux-croc pouch for perfect portability

4. provence society perfume bottle, $18 – a new home for a favorite fragrance, with a magic wand (or glass dropper, whatever your fancy) for glam application

5. ferragamo bloom solid perfume, $42 – so girly and sweet!

6. chloe solid perfume necklace, $60 – for the lady who wants her signature scent always close at hand