Tag: fun

Get Ready with Me for a Date Night:

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

Getting ready for “date night” is a really basic beauty ritual that needs no explaining, in my opinion. We all do it, primp and preen and get our skin glowing for that special someone. But there is actually a lot more to it that flexing our vanity and grooming muscles. There is an order and logic to it. It’s a process, so let’s talk about that process. I will start by talking about my emotional state recently and how getting ready for this one date was so interesting to me.

So I do have a boyfriend. I guess that’s what he is, considering that it we’re monogamous and it’s pretty regular that we see each other. And it’s really difficult making time for each other with our busy adult lives. And the future is always uncertain, in terms of the longevity and meaning of the relationship. I recently feared a lot of things after some revealing text messages from my boyfriend. And I didn’t know how to deal with them. I am a hairstylist in Toronto; my day to day consists of taking care of the business of looking good, and not much else. So there it was–a wall of emotions that floored me and I didn’t know what to do for days. But as a date night with my beau approached, I did what I had to do. What I always knew how to do…prep and get ready. And believe it or not, the process of selfcare and beautification really made me feel more secure of myself and what I want and was therapy in a way.

After showering I love to just relax in my robe and plan my next beauty moves. Usually it involves grabbing a tea!

The Ritual of Getting Ready:

  1. Facial Pampering: I like to do this the night before a date, or the morning of. It’s exfoliating with a gentle face exfoliator. I used Deciem’s Lactic Acid. Then applying a mask. The exfoliating makes the skin cleaner by removing dead skin cells so that it can absorb the nutrients of a moisturizing mask and expel toxins trapped within. It’s also creating the ideal canvas for make-up application. Also the best time to do my nails is the night before!
  2. Cleansing face, body and hair: I like to do this a few hours before the date: I do the whole enchilada; shampoo, condition my hair, shave, brush my teeth. After all the cleansing, don’t forget to moisturize with a nice light body lotion.
  3. Blow Dry and Style hair. My hair style depends on the formality of the night. After being apart for a while from my beau, I needed to have a more carefree, low maintenance look. This was because I wanted to create a more relaxed vibe between us after the awkwardness of the previous week and the messages. So I opted for a tousled look without flat ironing or curling. It was very natural. To achieve this I just blow dry and add a bit of serum for shine and de frizzing.
  4. Decide on outfit: Do this before putting make up on. Even if I don’t dress until right before the date, I still need to know what colors I’m working with. After choosing the appropriate outfit, for this one night I chose a lace turquoise body suit spaghetti strap tank and flare jeans. Casual but stylish attire to match my mood.
  5. Make up time: I decided since few colours didn’t clash with turquoise I would wear a smokey beige shadow with a bit of shimmer. It was perfect. Subtle, but alluring none the less. Liquid line with a pen, my usual day to day make up. Blush, brows, and lots of mascara.
I’m a fan of mascara. I truly believe that is there is one make up arsenal that really makes or breaks a look, it’s the mascara on lashes!!
Tada! The finished look. Is it possible that something so subtle and easy looking took about 2 hours? That is the mystery of getting ready!

By the time I got picked up by him, I was looking fine. Not overdone…even with all the work and prep it took. I enjoy the process. By the end of out date, after a hard couple of weeks second guessing our relationship, it felt nice that at least I always knew how to put on a good show; even if the future is uncertain with my beau. And well…it’s who I am to put my best face forward.

Stay warm and stay stylish this winter!

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

So, it’s officially winter soon in the northern hemisphere, and well it’s not really favourite season of mine when it comes to fashion. Imagine the scene: sweatpants, and sweatshirts to hide gained weight from not going outside; roomy clothes for eating copious amounts of snacks while binge watching the lastest netflix series drop. And the all too familiar feeling of being frost bitten whenever wearing something fashionable and going outside for any length of time. That is how it’s like being in one of the coldest countries in the world. I live in Canada and thankfully I’m in the city of Toronto which is as mild a location as it can get here. But still, looking good in the winter needs a bit of finessing. Here is my list of fashion staples to survive a few cold winter nights in or out!

Look at all the sweaters of different colours and textures so easy to have some fun with style while staying warm!
  1. Winter Fleece lined tights: Nobody wants to wear sweatpants all winter, but they are so warm and comfy like a hug. But I feel that fleece lined tights give the illusion of dressiness while also having the softness and stretch one gets from sloppier clothes. Buy a few colours and styles and then wear them with skirts and dresses that still make a statement in the dead of winter. Fleece lined tights also fit so well in boots, and are actually pretty warm for a fitted bottom attire!
  2. Cute Sweaters: Ok, so what makes a sweater cute? So many things, my dear, so many things! Colour. Don’t go for black or white. But go for intersting colours like kelly green, coral, blush pink, mauve. These colours are unique in the clothing world and will make a statement. Cut: drop shoulders make a frame look petite, crop sweaters show off the waist (hopefully not ruined from overeating) and fitted long turtleneck sweaters look great with leggings. Interesting necklines like lacing. Just make sure it doesn’t look frumpy and it’s already a hit fashion item.
  3. Cute lounge wear. I cannot stress this enough. A lot of living in Canada is about staying at home. So cozy slippers, warm socks, boxy shorts, and plush cute robes! Stuff to wear around the house is important and all about fashion with a healthy dose of cozy. I like to keep it classy and not like a pajama party. My silk kimono is a great way to cover up a set of jammies warmly.
  4. A Wide Variety of Winter Jackets: It’s a long winter here in Canada. So it’s best to have two or three. They should be different styles ie. parka, peacoat, wool, and even puffer. But the key is to make sure it fits. An accentuated waist tie coat looks better than a shapeless blob draped on the body. And colour is important too. In Canada, we don’t get a lot of light in the winter, so any jacket colour that isn’t black is ideal. Even though dark colours can be attractive, navy can always be a substitute for black.
This is an example of cozy cute attire. A soft oversized sweater on top of a cute flowy dress and fleece tights! Super comfy and not one bit frumpy!

And there it is. 4 fashion staples that can get any fashionista through the winter in the simplest way. Did I forget any tried and true items that make long cold winters just a bit more fun? Let me know in the comments below and stay warm as we head into the long winter months!

Summer is Here…AKA Bikini Season!

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

Living in Canada is like living near the artic. Winters are cold and long Dec.-March and Summers are short and only hot July-August. And well, that means for us, swimwear fashion starts in February/March, before the spring break where there is a scramble to find a bikini for the “escape the cold” vacations in March. We all want to go south to Cuba, Mexico, Dominican Republic…it’s all fair game to those of us frozen by 4 months of winter and desperate for a chance to thaw out. So let’s do the work of bikini shopping. Yes, the swimwear shopping season is upon us, and hopefully it can be pleasant and hopefully we’ve lost our holiday gut! But alas, bikinis can actually be forgiving to weight gain because they are not that confining. But I digress. Let’s talk about what to look for in the best swimsuit for 2022.

For this article, I have focused on bikinis that are easily accessible from known retail chains in North America. Because nobody has time to wait for an expensive designer bikini bought online to be shipped to home, only to find out it’s not gonna work…And I focused on affordable choices, cuz, girl…we want more than one set and we do not want to break the bank!

Before Shopping: Know thy body, know thy style: There are so many styles of bikinis out there and they all do a different things. Some are more athletic, and offer more support for the breasts, some are skimpier, leaving less tan lines and less support. Bottoms can be boyshorts, thong, tanga, strong thong, classic bikini cut..etc. So there is just so much to choose from. I noticed I didn’t have many string bikinis in my repertoire so for my shopping haul, I focused on this style. The classic string bikini was not always easy to find, so I did deviate slightly from this style by buying suits that were just on the skimpy side. Haha, if I want modesty I would go with a one piece anyway! Knowing what general style I wanted is key to finding the best suit for me! So let’s go try on some bikinis:

H & M: Padded String bikini top and bottom with recycled fabric: $40. CAD

Details: Loved the top with non-removable pads because they don’t move around or crease. The padded cups were also slightly contoured and sown into the top triangles, giving it support and shape. It was a classic side tie string bikini bottom with medium cheekiness. and medium front coverage too.

Colour: A delicate floral print with colours in sweet pastels like lavender, pink and yellow…

Pattern: Not overly floral, it was a very fine pattern, reminiscent of floral pjs once had (sweet but sexy?) I liked the gold jewelry on the ties, made it look more expensive.

Overall fit: Very good string bikini, with enough coverage on both the top and bottom to keep it innocently family, but the frills and the string cut makes it more demurely adult. B+

Aerie Eyelet String Bikini top with bikini cut bottoms $54 CAD

Details: Not sure if a cotton eyelet material is that racy (think country summer dress), but something about using it in a string bikini says naughty! In the past I’ve notice Aerie Swim tended to not be that dishy, but this year, their cups got smaller and excess coverage was shaved off for better lines. Also, the bikini bottoms with this set was slightly cheekier that usual too!

Colour: Not white, not lavender, but light lavender? It’s such a cool toned colour that can compliment any tan. It’s also pale enough to make my skin colour look less ghostly after 6 months of no sun.

Pattern: Solid colour bikini with a subtle eyelet embroidery designs are very pretty, and it also has lettuce edges for a feminine softness about it.

Overall fit: Lovely . The size Small cups were padded, but not overly structured, which I liked. The triangles were not overly big, leaving just the right amount of coverage, while maximizing curves. Good deal and good for pool or beach, it sends out a lounge like vibe. A-

Victoria’s Secret Terry Cloth Halter/Bandeau top bikini with High waisted Cheeky cut bottoms

Form: Supportive bandeau top. The decorative gold buckle in the middle makes for a bit of glam. The addition of the halter straps can add more support and visual interest. It has just the right sized cups, but I went with the xs size since VS Swim sizes seem larger in general. I felt a bit more Bond Girl in this suit. It’s more grown up with less frills. The bottoms are nicely high waisted, while having a modest amount of cheeky.

Colour: love the mid toned lavender! It’s a unique colour and so fun.

Pattern: Solid coloured suits are great, especially when it is made of a different material. The focus is shared with the texture of the terry cloth.

Overall fit: perfect amount of coverage and overall the silhouette of the bikini top is flattering and supportive. The high waisted bottom is good as a way to tame that extra pouch all women have under the tummy and the cheekiness is playful with out be distasteful. A

So there it is. 3 excellent bikini sets for pool, or beach For fashion and fit the Victoria Secret Swim rose above the others a tiny bit. But if I was to look for a classic string bikini silhouettes with ties, it would be the H & M bargain. If it was based on which suit was prettiest, it would be Aerie’s take on Eyelet swimwear! Thanks for reading and happy swim suit shopping!