Happy Venus Day!
I am very happy to introduce a mini-series here on substack over the next few weeks, exploring what I believe to be elements of beauty, style and living a radiant life. Over the last few years, and the last year in particular, I have developed a deeper relationship with cultivating beauty in my life and prioritising beauty rituals and practices (both yogic/spiritual and purely aesthetic), after a what seems like a lifetime of thinking beauty was a pursuit that was less than, shallow or unintelligent (while deep down, craving it more than almost anything else).
To share a series on substack is new for me, so I’m not exactly sure how it will look. Personal essays and poetic writing will always have my heart, but I do also love to share lists and favourites, this feels somewhere in-between. I recently taught a substack workshop with my friend and it reminded me of how much potential there is with substack, how much more exploring and experimenting I could do, too.
This is a list that could stretch on forever, I’d love to hear if you feel a similar way, or what you would add to this list. Here’s to the nourishment and intrigue of cultivating a life full of beauty.
Elements of Style
Invest in study or learning and stick with it.
Knowledge will never go out of style. Invest in learning about anything you are curious about, even if it is not related to your work or personal growth (these things are important too, but we’re talking about style and beauty here!) Take a training, learn a language, an instrument or artistic style, immerse in history. What did you love as a child? Start there. Let her be fed. A mind that continues to learn remains young and alive. Especially when that learning isn’t directly related to your work. One of my favourite books, Every Day A Good Day describes this perfectly, depicting the lives and the minds of women well into their 80’s studying the art of tea, and how their ongoing devotion to learning keeps them young and radiant.
Move your body daily.
Prioritise walking. Stretch on the floor in the evenings while you watch a film or talk on the phone. Jump up and down, shake your limbs whenever you stand up from the computer. I believe yoga and traditional dance classes are some of the best ways for women to move, they are ancient and survived the test of time for a reason, however: the best kind of movement for you is one you actually enjoy and look forward to (most of the time at least). Your body is beautiful and it is designed to move: gently, confidently, with diversity, and often. Listen to her call. Side note: combine study & movement in one place with The Daily Rest Studio ;) ;) Here are two complimentary practices, if you like!
Learn what make-up suits you.
Just a reminder that wearing make-up doesn’t make you shallow or less of a natural beauty. Your make-up might be curling your eyelashes and a dust of bronzer. It might be a red lip (I wish this was me, I’m still looking for a way to make it work). For one of my friends it is almost always a glowy face oil and a fresh frangipani behind the ear. Go to a makeup store and have your makeup done, or ask the staff 1001 questions. Go to another store and do it all again. Notice what you like. Notice any overlaps. Ask them to show you how to do it yourself. I did this as part of my colour analysis back in late 2023 and I found it extremely valuable. I like to wear a little make-up but I never took the time to prioritise learning what actually enhanced my features and suited me, because I didn’t see it as a valuable use of my time (hello internalised misogyny, you strike yet again). As a very pale skinned, but muted redhead, a lot of makeup has me looking like a clown. I bought a lot of popular products over the years I didn’t end up using because of this. I am a huge fan of brown mascara and a eyeliner and choose eyeshadow shades in soft brown, pink and gold. It makes buying and applying make-up so much easier and more flattering. I personally like korean and japanese brands as they are subtle and softly pigmented. Ilia and rms beauty are also nice options available internationally.
Find your style signatures.
This is my favourite part. Letting go of trying to be in fashion can be a true revolution. Your style signature might be a fresh flower in your hair as above, a certain colour palette you stick to (most of the time), or fabrics and shapes you gravitate towards. This is not meant to be prescriptive or limiting, but freedom inducing. This has helped me leave the house (most) days loving how I am put together without tearing my whole wardrobe apart. This doesn’t mean you have to wear them forever (breaking the rules is part of the fun). But it gives you a base to work with so you don’t end up spending a ton of money on clothes, and still feel like you never have anything to wear. Again, I invested in colour analysis as a starting point, and she advised me on fabrics and cuts, too. I base most of my outfits around slim fitted, ankle or mid-calf length dresses and skirts in silk, or cotton. I have a black silk skirt I have quite literally worn 4-5 days per week, for the past year. In summer I pair it with ballet flats, in winter, with two layers of thermal stockings, a heat sticker over my lower back and black leather boots. My personal style signatures include: long silk skirts, fitted cardigans, velvet ballet shoes, natural fibres, delicate and minimal jewellery with gold, pearls or muted pinks, sheer fabrics, crochet, interesting sleeve details, wrap tops and cosy knits. Some brands I love are silk laundry, friends with frank, sezanne, st agni and posse. For a long time I tried to wear everything I thought ‘looked cool’ and honestly, I gained so much confidence when I stopped looking at others and allowed myself to fall in love with what actually suits me (even though I used to think it was boring)(it now feels the opposite)!
Learn to Rest.
A rested woman is a sensual, confident woman. I know we can never be perfectly rested 100% of the time, but this is not the point. Perfection is never the point. Making the choice to take a moment in Rest, even when we have a million things to do is a huge offering of self respect. Try a guided meditation in the morning, or ten minutes of legs up the wall before bed. A bath with no phone. A few minutes of left nostril breath when you get home from work. It doesn’t have to be long to make an incredible difference. It’s the choice you make (most days) that builds in your system over time, and teaches you how to choose to value your energy, your time and your body.
Prioritise physical and mental hygiene.
Exploring yoga philosophy deeply was the first place I learnt to see physical hygiene practices as a ritual. Moving to Japan, a country with an extreme focus on hygiene has been an interesting evolution. I will share all my current rituals in an upcoming piece in this series soon. One of the best ways for me to practice mental and energetic hygiene is my yoga and meditation practices as well as prioritising learning, as written above. This keeps me away from too much scrolling and consuming useless or uninspiring content. If I want to zone out and leave the harsh reality of the world, getting lost in a great fiction book leaves me feeling so much more inspired (and rested) than watching something mindless on netflix or youtube. It should go without saying, but of course, I still scroll and watch mindless stuff, but I do see truly a radical difference when I choose to replace the majority of this with reading and learning instead.
Carry a book, kindle or notebook and pen in your bag.
A follow on from the point above, carrying a book is the best way to stop a scroll if you’re someone who uses public transport, or likes to take solo cafe dates. Usually I’m carrying at least 2/3. It makes you, and your life more beautiful. End of story.
Make your home a sanctuary.
A house fit for AD doesn’t have to be it. It is truly revolutionary, the difference a few flowers can make to your home, or taking the time to rearrange your space seasonally, create an altar, change out your lightbulbs so they don’t blind you, put a little rose water in your spray mop to clean the floors. Moving overseas showed me you don’t need a huge amount stuff to make your home feel special. Invest in one or two things you adore (if you can) and the rest is really down to light, movement, energy, sound currents and scent, I swear!
Prioritise time for your art.
Your art can be anything. Drawing, painting, writing poetry no one ever reads. Learn how to make mochi. Make things with your hands. Get lost in fiction. Craft a beaded necklace for a friend. Steep a herbal body oil. Create a notion page for your creative projects and actually use it. Journal. Dance. Make a zine. Start a substack. Just keep making good, beautiful, terrible art. Try to actually finish it, even if it’s not what you thought it could be. Make something else. Keep going.
More on style & beauty from the deep rest salon.
Okay I’m going to stop here, for now.
I would love to know what you would add to this list, and anything here you would like to see me expand on. And if you feel you’re ready to re-immerse yourself in the call, practice and celebration of beauty, it’s the perfect season to join The Daily Rest Studio.
Have a beautiful Venus day, wherever you are in the world.
With love,
Emmie xo
Lovvvveeee… beauty for both inside and outside 🦢
one to add to your red lip search, Violette FR Bisou Balm, a sheer colour that you can layer for a more gentle and muted approach 💄
also looking forward to the next instalment xx
Beautiful reminders (as always), Emmie. Look forward to the next one. 🌸😘
Ps. For me, rose oil is an everyday essential— it doesn’t just smells divine but it also reminds me to soften.