Category: career

A look into the new Rom Com “Materialists”: the fashion, the make-up and beyond…

~ Emmie ~ Leave a comment

My genre of choice is not the typical chick flick, rom com genre. It’s well known to be a formulaic critically panned genre. At most a guilty pleasure of smart, thinking people when they want a break from being feminists looking for depth in cinematic art. And here’s where I decided to give Materials a try. After reading a few review summaries about it being not the typical rom com, my interest was piqued. One quiet Tuesday night, I went to see this flick with my kid, and I’m glad I did. Here’s why:

The main character is flawed, but lovable because of these flaws. Dakota Johnson plays the lead heroine well. She plays Lucy, a no-nonsense numbers cruncher when it comes to her career as a matchmaker, living in New York City. She excels at the game of matching people up based on statistics and numeral dating “values”. Her flaws show heavily in that having been raised poor, Lucy now covets the flashy, cushy life that dating an affluent man can afford her. Enter Pablo Pascal as Harry, a handsome rich suitor. At the same time however, she still has feelings for her struggling actor ex boyfriend John, played by the hottie Chris Evans.

After developing the main characters, the film expertly directed by Celine Song, talks about real dating world problems, in a contemporary and realistic way…giving way to a more sober and serious rom com that the typical one. There are some funny scenes; Harry’s nod to male vanity, John’s absolutely horrible roommate situation, and Lucy’s experience listening to her client’s delusional dating expectations. But one of the more pressing topics addressed was that of the physical violence that can exist in a modern dating world where people desperate for love, are vulnerable to get victimized and abused.

Dating violence has always existed in any time period, but talking about it at length in a movie is contemporary. Not enough attention has been placed on the intense burden most single women face today because of the pressure to be married and to have children. It is still seen as the main way women are successful in life. That’s right. Being a woman in the top of her industry or earning a lot means nothing. And the status quo culture is still prioritizing getting a “ring on the finger”.Early in the movie, one of Lucy’s clients has cold feet on her own wedding day, having realized she was unsure WHY she was getting married. A reminder that getting a “ring on it” means more than fulfilling romantic destiny.

These stories in the movie Materialists, go on to illustrate how dating and love are not the same thing. Something that fairy tales and proper young ladies like myself and my upbringing were not allowed to explore. But in this day and age, it’s not a new message being expressed, it’s just a more truthful admission of this fact. In the not so distant past, marriages were politically designed unions to join the assets and reproductive values of two families or “corporations”. The smokescreen of the recent era is to erase that reality and place romantic and soulful completeness as the motive for dating. But the reality is “you can’t have your cake and eat it too”. You have to choose one or the other as Lucy did in this film.

And because this is a fashion and make up blog, let’s talk about it!!! The fashion and makeup was so on point in this movie. Dakota Johnson looked beautiful in almost every scene with hair and make-up that was fresh, feminine and smart. Her outfits matched every scene to the tee, and the male fashion was also on point. Both Pablo Pascal and Chris Evans looked amazing. Both male leads had presented themselves as if Dakota had chosen either one of them, it would have been a win win. Must mentions: Lucy’s thick but perfectly cut bangs, and her long flowing mane stole the show. Her sapphire coloured strapless dress in the first act looked expensive and tasteful, complementing her chestnut brown hair. And as she progressed into discovering her deeper romantic destiny, her frilly floral dress at the barn yard wedding visually showed her free spirited headspace and diversion from the past.

I absolutely love this look! The deep blue dress on light skin, the sleek dark hair and cute sandals. A nod to perfection!
Romantic, effortless and feminine. The quintessential get up for a country wedding, while looking modern and relaxed.
Wonderful hair and make up team on this production. Dakota’s complexion glows, her mauve lipstick so wonderfully compliments her dress, hair and eye make-up!

Are you going to give this unconventional rom com a try? please do! It will not disappoint!

How to make use of old perfumes and scents!

~ Emmie ~ Leave a comment

I started this journal with an entry about perfumes and scents! This was all the way in 2013 when I was working in fashion retail and started learning more about the cosmetics world! There is lots to know about cosmetics and make-up and I feel it continues to be an important tool for self expression in today’s confusing world of hustle and bustle for the bottom line and political power. None of these worldly ideals have the power to make us happy or feel well adjusted with our bodies or with our soul. While the perfect lipstick colour will not make world domination anywhere closer, for most people, feeling good about our appearances is a good place to start. And in that sentiment, a lovely scent that completes our look is also essential. We have to enjoy our image physically to help tackle the daily stresses that our lives put us through. Whether it is political, professional, personal or psychological conflicts, something doesn’t change; we are connected to the public world and the face we put on matters…and even the pandemic of epic proportions that imposed extreme social isolation a few years back has not erased the need for beauty.

This is my current mish mash of scents that I relocated to another bottle!

I went through a troubling break up earlier this year. One that was so difficult it caused me to lose some of my hair, question my ability to deserve a long-term fulfilling relationship and distract me from what matters the most: How to be a happy person. It’s not about who I’m with. Who I am with doesn’t give identity, elegance or a sense of feeling whole. These things are found emotionally within and manifested externally. They are the things that give strength and enable us to be useful and helpful to those we care about. Together with all of my own aesthetic experiences and now that I practice working professionally in the beauty industry as a hair stylist…one thing is constant. It has to come from within first. We have to feel beautiful inside first, before we can manifest this beauty outwards. There has to be a sense of wellness. There has to be respect for our time, bodies and minds first. I feel that you can seek advice from any professional, but to be honest, it all begins with how we view ourselves.

What does my ramble have to do with perfumes and scents? I wonder this myself as I write this. I am saying that we all have that pile of cosmetics that we bought on impulse, thinking they would make us happy, but for some reason, the pile sits as a rarely used collection of dusty intentions. Wanting to feel sexy or pretty or fun has made us buy these things: the beauty industry is guilty of ramming products down our throats. Business and marketing makes us buy it, but that’s not how these cosmetics work…technically it all starts with a connection to ourselves. Even the most beautiful people in the world have had adversities to overcome; failed relationships, cheating partners, addictions and been flawed in the most human way. But it’s about how we over come obstacles that make us unique and beautiful. In that way the dusty perfume collection can be seen as some of the ways we tried to escape our troubles, and soothe ourselves.

Instead of buying new scents to feel beautiful, make a “Frankenstein” scent. Gather unused, uninspired scents and mix them all together into an empty spray bottle! The singular scents that I thought I liked, but later stopped wearing can now have new life breathed into them by mixing them all together! Most perfumes have the same alcohol base. That means different scents can be combined and blended seamlessly. There is no recipe or order. Only that most perfume bottles can’t be uncapped. So it may mean tediously filing another bottle spray by spray by spritzing it in! But it’s worth it to not waste the leftover scents! Blending them all together will make something that smells amazing. Like a rebirth, lifting us from the ashes of our mistakes. It’s a renewal on the smallest most simplest level just by spritzing it on and donning a smile.

This is the spray bottle I’m using. I suggest using a glass one for perfumes, but a small plastic one will do! I will probably decorate mine by putting in small crystals!
From my many years of wearing and blending perfumes, I believe I learned that historically, perfumes and a lot of modern day cosmetics originated in Ancient Egypt! And so did cats! This is Shady.

How I try to look like an off duty model…

~ Emmie ~ Leave a comment

I grew up in the 90’s where the now familiar term “super model” was coined. The fashion model was not only an unattainable example of female physical beauty, but it was also a lifestyle that was coveted by many teenagers in my days. Travel, fashion, culture and a way for young women to make good money was the image the modeling world was trying to show off. We all know later on, that the truth of the industry was far from glamourous; a lot of exploitation, eating disorders and mental health horrors bestowed onto young women that were just barely finished childhood. The pressures of the beauty and fashion world combined to crush the souls of the small percentage of girls that fit the super thin, super tall, and not ethnic look and standard of the runway model.

The trauma of the model culture backlash has since subsided, I feel. Or it could be later in my life as a more experienced woman, I just don’t have the ability to see it as much. But I still remember the fairy tale glamour the modeling industry used to supply me. After two decades of being a mom and living in the biggest city in Canada, traveling and being creative, I feel cultured, educated and worldly. I didn’t have to be a model to get that achievement. As much as the dreams of being a model did charm me in the past, in a way I am glad I never did it. We can find everyday ways to channel our inner diva, our inner model.

One of the fascinating ideas and life styles that I want to adopt from fashion models is the look of when they have days off. Not on the runway. Where once glamourous modelled looks are only suggested by the bare bones look of effortless “cool”. Models on their off days I learned, often have to audition for jobs in what is called “go-sees”. That’s when models often are dressed very basically, very simply…and run around the city to go visit big designers to interview for jobs. In a way, models have to look like a blank canvas, fresh faced, and ready to represent/sell any campaign. They have a daily look that is still polished, but so pure. I like to achieve this look in various ways:

  • Don’t wear make-up. A made up face is a finished, polished product. I like to show my raw potential. So I don’t cover up with any make-up. Just show off a nicely hydrated face. Sunscreen is always flattering because it has a naturally dewy look
  • Have clean, un-styled hair. The reason for this is hair is also a form of expression. So having the hair natural shows texture, colour and potential for different ways of styling. It shows an ability for a range of looks. And that’s exciting.
  • Clothes for go sees are very basic. Tank top and jeans, a white fitted tee, jean skirts. They show off the silhouette of the body without speaking too loudly and distracting from the shapes and forms that already exist. They are casual, carefree clothing. Not sloppy, but not dressy.
  • I try to channel a youthful spirit with my “off duty model” look. I try to show off some humanity, some quirkiness. That’s because I believe even the most beautiful models in the world, are truly very ordinary people. Those that have the right to execute this mundanity in the purest, most effortless way. Daily life in the city as a common person can be very exotic if viewed by top model!
So this is me. My everyday look. Unpolished effortless cool. Would I be hired at a “go-see”? Maybe? haha