Shop Beija-Flor | Flattering, Comfortable Denim

Shopping for denim is one of my least favorite things to do (right next to shopping for swimwear.) I've got long long legs, a big booty, and I hate feeling like a knife is going through my stomach when I sit down. Is that being a tad dramatic? Maybe... but really comfortable jeans are hard to find. Then you have ill fitting jeans that fit in the waist but sag in the front or gape in the back. It's just not cute, and maybe it's just me, but it seems like finding a quality, comfortable, flattering pair of denim shouldn't be all that hard to find.

If you've been around my blog for any amount of time, you know that I love affordable fashion, but if there's one article of clothing that I'm willing to splurge on, it's a good pair of jeans. They're the most versatile item in my wardrobe, I wear them the most, and let's face it, if you're dressing casual, you want to be COMFORTABLE but still look good, and that's not always easy to accomplish with a cheap pair of denim.

A few years back, a friend of mine told me that she had a pair of Beija-Flor jeans, and she raved about how great they were. I've been in the Beija-Flor shop a few times to browse, but I hadn't tried on a pair of their denim just yet. A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to shop at their store and get a pair of their jeans for myself, and I thought I'd bring you along and tell you all about the company and their denim!

Beija-Flor is a Greenville, SC based denim company, and it was started by a mother and daughter team, Kathy Moca and Emilie Whitaker. Kathy married a man from Brazil, and the two were inspired by the figure-flattering styles they saw while living in Brazil, and started their own denim company based in Greenville. Their website says, that they "created Beija-Flor's line to work with a woman's curves, rather than against them." They've received great press since starting their company, and even Oprah wears their jeans!

Fun fact - Emilie Whitaker, the owners daughter, ran a half marathon in a pair of their denim. If that doesn't say comfortable, I'm not sure what does! You can read more about that here.

What I love most about Beija-Flor is that they have different styles for different body types. I headed to downtown Greenville on Monday afternoon and met Gina, the Beija-Flor stylist who would be helping me. She started off by giving me an overview of Beija-Flor, and she also gave me the run down on all of the different styles. She then grabbed me a pair from each of their main styles and brought them to my dressing room to let me try them on to see which worked best for me.

I highly recommend taking the time to work with a stylist to find a style that works best for your body. I can be really indecisive, so it was nice to have Gina give me her opinion on what worked best. When I first found out that I was given the opportunity to work with Beija-Flor, I assumed whatever pair of denim they gifted me would not be long enough for my 5'9" physique. If I want my jeans to be long enough, I definitely have to order special tall sizes, otherwise they're just ankle jeans on me. But boy was I wrong. I actually found a pair that was long enough for me, and fit me perfectly. But more on that in another post where I'll share which Beija-Flor style I went with and how I styled it!

Beija-Flor has beautiful tops, denim skirts, and t-shirts to shop from as well! I found that everything in their store was so unique and definitely boutique quality! 

I also that it was really interesting that they offer jewelry made by local artisans. I love supporting local businesses, so I thought that was really nice that they also support fellow local makers!

I also loved their Vanuza Costa jewelry line made in Brazil. It's made out of that golden grass you see in the right corner of the Vanuza Costa sign. It's really exquisite, unique, and I found it to be quite affordable.

I wanted to write this post as the first part of my "Shop Greenville" section that I will have on the Everyday Emily Blog. I want a central location for Greenville natives or tourists alike to reference when they plan to shop our little southern city. So here's a CliffsNotes version of what you need to remember if you visit:

• Beija-Flor jeans are pricey. If you're looking for Old Navy prices, you're not going to find them there. You're also not going to get Old Navy quality. Simply put, you get what you pay for, and if you want well-fitting, high quality denim that makes you look and feel good, look no further than Beija-Flor.
• Be sure to size down. Gina told me from the beginning that you will most likely wear one size down from your original size. 
• Try out different styles. Some of the styles I tried on did nothing for me. Others, I absolutely loved! 
• Be sure to check out the unique jewelry while your there. It's truly beautiful! 
• Ask the stylists to help you. They know the denim better than anyone else, and you should utilize their knowledge and help. 

Whether you're a Greenville native, or you're visiting and plan to stop by Beija-Flor, I hope you find this "shop with me" helpful! Thanks for following along! 

At-Home Teeth Whitening + Tips for Bold Lips

Shirt: Smiliar - Shoes: Similar - Necklace: Similar - Earrings: Lilly Noelle

Maybe I'm the last person in the world to fall in love with this Netflix series, but I have been watching The Crown the past few weeks! Learning about the Royal family has been fascinating, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that one of my favorite parts of the show has been the fashion and style of that time period. I noticed that bold lipsticks are frequently worn by the women in the show, so maybe that's what had me in the mood for a post all about bold lips.

Finding the right bold lip color in a formula that is comfortable for you can be tricky I will admit. Finding a red lip that works with my complexion is a bit tricky. I'm going to share my little secret on how I get the perfect red lip and a white smile to go with it today!

I have found to create the perfect red lip, I need to mix a few different reds to get the right shade. This Laura Mercier pencil is more of an apple red, while this mini Sephora lipstick has more crimson tones. A layer of each left me with the perfect shade to go with this turquoise and red look I created, not to mention it's perfect for July 4th!

Laura Mercier - Sephora

One thing that is an absolute must with bold lips though is a bright and white smile! Reds can tend to bring out the yellow in your teeth, and sometimes that's just not cute. I'm the first to admit that my teeth get pretty yellow, most likely due to my strong love for lots and lots of coffee. When the opportunity came for me to try out the Smile Brilliant at-home whitening solution, I was a little bit hesitant for one reason only - I have really sensitive teeth.

I mentioned this to my contact with the company, and she assured me that is what the Desensitizing Gel is for, and let me just say, that I have not had any issues! I have definitely really spaced out my whitening treatments as well to avoid overdoing it, but you can certainly whiten them every day for faster results if teeth sensitivity isn't an issue for you.

If you've been interested in an at-home whitening program, I thought it would be beneficial for me to give you a quick rundown of why I'm loving this product from Smile Brilliant.

No. 1 - It's accessible! Making visits to the dentist for whitening treatments can be difficult and time consuming. Smile Brilliant ships you a kit with everything you need to whiten your teeth at home. You start by following step by step instructions to create your molds, send them back to Smile Brilliant, and soon you will have your custom-fitted whitening trays delivered back to your house.

No. 2 - It's affordable! Whitening your teeth at the dentist I'm sure would cost you significantly more than what it would be to purchase this product from Smile Brilliant with prices less than $150 for everything you'll need!

No. 3 - You can get results fast! In these photos, I've actually only done a few treatments! I will say that you have to make sure that you have a good bit of time to do your whitening, however you can simply apply and go since you just put the whitening gel in your clear custom trays. The company suggests you whiten before bed, so that you don't feel the need to eat anything post-treatment. Just be sure to plan ahead!

No. 4 - Smile Briliant is giving away $149 dollars in credit on their website to one of my lucky readers (valid for all USA, UK, Australia, and Canadian residents) as well as 15% off for everyone with the code "everydayemilyblog15" on their website! Click here to enter the giveaway, and be sure to use that code for an extra 15% off!

What are you waiting for? Pull out your fanciest lipstick, go fill out that giveaway form, and order your Smile Brilliant whitening kit - you won't regret it!

Tooth Whitening Gel >