Little (Winter) Luxuries

Since we are under a deep freeze I thought I would post a few of my winter essentials. Nothing like adding a little bit of luxury to warm up your everyday routine.

Using a serum during the winter is a must. This on by Avene is my favourite.

Hanro describes itself as "pure luxury on skin" and that is no word of a lie. From their "Woolen Silk" collection, this luxurious wool and silk warmwear looks and feels like butter. If a girls gotta get her behind into long underwear, let this be it.

Here we have Acca Kappa's White Moss Body Butter, Hand Cream and Nourishing Face Mask. These are all perfect products for adding some extra love to your skin. Which in this weather, will be appreciated.

If you can't tell by now I am obsessed with skin care. Elabloom facial oil is made locally right here in Toronto twice monthly on signature "bloom dates" ensuring it is always fresh. The 100% pure and natural extracts it is made from keep your skin hydrated and permanently glowing. I use this regularly and in the winter mix a few drops into my Olay Restorative Sleep Cream (like I said, obsessed). Moisturizers everywhere have got to try Elabloom. It will make such a difference in your skin!

Soy unsweetened green tea lattes from Starbucks. So good. Starbucks being right across from the store. Also good. Extra hot nowadays don't forget!

Photos from here, here and here.

Keeping it Real

For those of you who haven't yet heard of "Miss Representation" please watch the film. I watched it with my sisters and was completely blown away by the way the media treats women and how this in turn affects how men treat women and how women and girls treat one another. I honestly didn't realize what a terrible state things are in; it was such an eye opener.

Miss Rep and I Am That Girl have gotten together this weekend to lead the "Keep It Real Challenge" aiming to increase awareness on the importance of real beauty and to encourage publications to use REAL instead of retouched images of models. Part of they way you can participate in the challenge is by writing a blog post so I thought I would share how PERT is doing her part! Even if it is small, I'd prefer to play a small part in making a difference rather than be a big part of the problem!

At the shop I try not to display any images if I can help it. You will rarely see catalougues, posters, banners or window displays specifically advertising the lingerie I carry in the store. My sales reps always want to send me press kits full of this material because this is how the brands are helping me to generate sales of their product and I always say no, no and no. First of all, I don't want to waste the paper, and secondly, who wants to shop for lingerie (especially lingerie!) surrounded by giant posters of women they don't look like or identify with? These press images are almost always gorgeous but since it is the lingerie they are trying to draw attention to I'd much rather let it speak for itself. Wether or not a delicate lace is shown on the body or on it's own, one cannot deny the detail, craftsmanship and wonder of this fabric. Women don't need pictures trying to convince us to buy into this apparent sexy lifestyle that comes with having fancy underthings. How we feel in the lingerie we wear should be dictated by how it fits and the experience we have while shopping for it; not by posters reminding us that air, gel and water are going to give us breasts worthy of a pair of angel wings. Does lingerie even exist in Heaven?

Real beauty is just that. Real. So at Pert you get to gawk at the real stuff, try it on if you want and dance around on our pink floor. There will always be something that makes you feel and that feeling could be anything. It could be weary, timid, doubtful, uncertain, curious, interested, surprised, excited, strong, tenacious, impulsive, bold, playful, free or comfortable. All of which are beautiful and triggered not by anything fabricated, but by the fabrics alone.

This is how we are keeping it real at PERT.

Join in the "Keep It Real" challenge here.

Love Buy

Now that the sun is out it's time to shop for our summer wardrobes! Oh what fun! A frequent piece of advice women are given when shopping is "if you don't love it, don't buy it." I am a shopaholic in denial and frequently make all sorts of ridiculous impulse purchases. I have a very difficult time realizing that just because something is "all the rage" or "on sale" doesn't mean I have to have it. I am getting better, slowly, maybe.

This got me thinking, when it comes to underwear shopping, do women follow this advice? As far as lingerie goes, North America is way behind. Europe is really where it's at. Women there dress to the nines both inside and out. But over here it's all about function. Which is important yes, but who really wants to wear a plain beige bra all the time? Women often use the excuse that no one sees their underwear or they're single so, what's the point? I like to think of  this as the non-pert way to go about shopping for your underwear. For instance, a red bra will disappear under white. I know what you're thinking. It does not. But it does. That's fashion and function right there. And since they say it's better to leave some things to the imagination, it's a really good feeling knowing you are in fact walking around wearing the stuff that usually only shows up in thought bubbles. I realize I am completely biased when it comes to all of this. Last time I organized my top drawer(s) I counted something like 45+ bras. But, only 3 of those are beige. Winning! So, next time you're out shopping for a new bra, ask yourself if YOU really love it. I hope you leave with something kinda wonderful.

xox

trep

Proust at PERT!

I have been inspired by Vanity Fair (who regularly features this on the last page of their magazine) and the lovely Coco & Lowe ladies (who are featuring it as a series on their blog) to begin the new year by answering the Proust Questionnaire. I have heard of this before but never done it, and I thought it would be fun to be all reflective and pensive this Saturday morning. A good way to start off the new year! Marcel Proust was a french novelist and essayist, his most famous work "In Search of Lost Time," is considered one of the greatest works of fiction. Proust once answered a series of questions and based upon his enthusiastic responses they have become popular as a form of interview and recognized or known as the "Proust Questionnaire." So, with my glitter tea in hand (yes, glitter tea!) off I go! Thirty-five questions, thirty-five answers!

Sophisticated Seduction from David's Tea

This deep dark Chinese tea is like a gorgeous starry night, glimmering with gold and silver sugar crystals that shimmer as they steep. Take a sip and the slow suggestion of cinnamon will warm your body. Your toes will tingle and your mind will turn to fireworks, falling stars, late-night seduction. It’s basically magic.

The Proust Questionnaire

1. What’s your idea of perfect happiness?
I have a few answers for this. A Big Mac –McDonald’s dates are truly wonderful. Something as simple as a cup of tea and a romance novel. I think perfect happiness exists in wanting what you’ve got and having the freedom to make your own choices, decisions, and shaping your life into one you want to live.

2. What is your greatest fear?
That one day the world will be taken over by garbage. Seriously people, please recycle.

3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Indecisiveness

4.  What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Insensitivity

5. Which living person do you most admire?
My Mom and my Great Grandma Grace. This was her 100^th Christmas, she has a firm grasp on reality and an iPad.

6. What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying things that I don’t need. My latest obsession is Sabre Cutlery. Yes, teaspoons.

7. What is your current state of mind?
A combination of worried, curious and inquisitive.

8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Moderation.

9. On what occasion do you lie?
When I feel the truth needs to be stretched ever so slightly.

10. What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My butt/hips. I think they’re disproportionately huge compared to the rest of me and I think my arms are too long.

11. Which living person do you most despise?
I’m not sure I could despise anyone. I think it’s more of a not understanding or not agreeing with why certain people do the things they do. Actions can lead to anger but anger also fades.

12. What are qualities you most like in a man?
ambitious, open-minded, good listener, trustworthy, chivalrous

13. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Non-judgemental. Rare I think, a lot of women are calculating.

14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Love, Like, Fun, Yummy, Sweet
"Oh dear" "I’m being a grandma" "it’s basically a disaster"  "so cute"

15. What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Probably my work and my family, my siblings in particular are high on that list.

16. When and where were you happiest?
Most recently, the day Pert opened!

17. Which talent would you most like to have?
Probably dance. I miss classical ballet training.

18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
To be more realistic, I am very naive.

19. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Actually opening Pert! Once it’s taken off and I know I’ve got something good going and can make a living running hopefully a few stores (big dreams!) that will be my greatest achievement. Until then, I’ve got work to do!

20. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would it be?
The woman in Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Imagine the 21^st century version of her? Totally cool.

21. Where would you most like to live?
I actually think it would be neat to live out of a hotel...one of those boutique hotels in New York, just for a few months or a year.

22. What is your most treasured possession?
My polar bear stuffed animal whom I call “Beer”.

23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Having nowhere to call home or a family.

24. What is your favourite occupation?
Entrepreneur, I love the creativity behind it, and teacher because there are few good ones who actually care about their students and want to make a difference.

25. What is your most marked characteristic?
I’m not sure, I have been told I am very animated. Does that count?

26. What do you most value in your friends?
I actually have few close friends but I love that they understand me, respect me, want to be around me. Even if I don’t see them often it’s as if we never were away from one another!

27. Who are your favourite writers?
Charlotte Bronte, John Irving, Meg Rosoff, Thoureau and Shakespeare

28. Who is your hero of fiction?
Jane Eyre

29. Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Hmm...

30. Who are your heroes in real life?
My Dad and My Brother. They are both the sweetest people and I love them to death.

31. What are your favourite names?
Jaybie, Lilibet, Wallace, Trenton

32. What is it that you most dislike?
Waiting.

33. What is your greatest regret?
Losing friendships

34. How would you like to die?
 peacefully and glamorously

35. What is your motto?
Smile, Miss. (My Dad always says this to me. Honestly, I can’t fake it, whenever I think of this, all worries fade away and here I am with this stupid grin. So cheesy).