How to party at Pride

Dear reader: you don’t really need a guide telling you how to party at Pride. Not any more so than you need a guide telling you how to party at a regular time of year, that is. All you really need is:

• A group of friends that lifts each other up and looks after one another,
• A full-bodied appreciation of your own existence, even just for one day,
• And a venue that not only celebrates the queer community in June, but all year round. 

Magnum x Nails Inc Cookie Duet – Classic Chocolate chocolate dip over Glazed Almond

Magnum & Nails Inc review: Chocolate-dipped, chocolate scented goodness

The first collection in this post isn’t specifically queer, but it has a very inclusive, queer vibe. Nails Inc has a collection out right now with Magnum (the ice cream, not the condoms), and y’all… It’s fantastic.

The Magnum x Nails Inc collection features a gorgeous wide brush design, two must-have brown nail polish shades, and the perfect polish consistency. (Other lovers of brown nail polish will know that it’s hard to find even one great brown shade in a collection, much less two. If you’re searching for a dark nude shade, Classic Chocolate and Glazed Almond are great!)

Nails Inc polishes are about $20 here in Canada, but they apply like a $30 or $40 product. Each shade is easy to apply with a formula that dries quickly and does a great job of self-levelling. 

Now, on to the gay shit: these polishes are chocolate scented when they dry. No, I’m not kidding; yes, it’s just as good as you’re picturing in your head right now. They smell like chocolate scratch-n-sniff stickers and they’re the perfect conversational opener for sapphic flirting while you party at Pride.

Magnum x Nails Inc Almond Duet – Glazed Almond swatch & photo

Threads Pasties: What to wear to Pride 2022

Getting dressed for Pride can be intimidating, but at the core of queerness lies a beautiful allowance to subvert expectations. If you want to go to Pride in a rainbow dress and glittery eye makeup, that’s perfect. Go for it! Your other attendees will love it.

That being said, if you want to attend in comfy beige slacks and a dress shirt, that’s just as suitable for a Pride event. I’ve never really liked the feeling of wearing a lot of colour, which can make me feel awkward in queer spaces. But a community that wants to love you for who you really are isn’t going to expect you to dress a certain way just to fit in, and that rule applies to Pride events, too.

Two of the very queer looks I’ve been loving this month are (1) a white dress shirt tied over a bralette and (2) a simple, skin-tight beige dress.

For tight dresses, Threads Invisible Nipple Stickers are a new product in my life that have been unexpectedly wonderful. They’re soft and reusable, and I don’t notice them at all when I’m wearing them—unlike single-use adhesive pasties. I’m a free the nipple! person, but honestly, I don’t want my nips rubbing up against things 100% of the time. Threads are a comfortable, affordable option that look and feel seamless, and my only ask from them as a company is that they release darker shades soon so our whole community can enjoy them.

Parade Cotton Plunge Bralette: What to wear to Pride (continued)

For tied dress shirts, I love a little bralette moment peeking out. Parade’s Plunge Bralette is a new addition to my wardrobe and I couldn’t be happier with it. (Well, I could if they came out with a model with bra hooks, but it’s still pretty great).

Soft, unpadded, and wire-free, the Plunge Bralette offers lift and support through a stretchy hidden band on the interior of the product. I have mine in black, because of course I do, but Parade has so many cute colours and prints that would be perfect for Pride spaces. They use diverse models as well—models that actually look like their consumer base, with rolls, moles, and hip dips—which makes each Parade purchase feel great.

Clarins Lip Oils & Physician’s Formula Diamond Liquid Eyeshadow: What to wear to Pride (it never ends)

You know I can’t do a roundup without adding a little makeup! theNotice, after all, started as a makeup blog—ages ago.

I’m going to be honest: I’m not wearing a lot of makeup right now. I haven’t in ages. It’s basically just Marcelle Precision Liquid Eyeliner, a bit of foundation, and a Clarins Lip Oil. But I still have a couple things to talk about!

For starters, right after I found the lip product love of my life, Clarins up and discontinued it. Thankfully, the Lip Oil line hasn’t been fully cancelled; it’s just been repackaged and relaunched with new shades. The updated line is just as comfortable, juicy, and hydrating as the originals. Pictured here are 03 Cherry and 04 Pitaya, which do a pretty solid job of displaying that some of the formulas are a little more fluid and sheer (Pitaya) while others are thicker and more pigmented (Cherry).

PS: For anyone wondering how to replace my beloved Blackberry, the new 10 Plum is the shade that you’re looking for. The two aren’t identical, but they’re close enough because of their sheerness that I’ve barely noticed the swap!

On the eyes, I’ve been popping a little Physician’s Formula Mineral Wear Diamond Melt-allic Liquid Eyeshadow on the lid. The Melt-allics are difficult to blend without another product, but they wear well and add an instant, long-lasting duochrome to the lid. They’re often on sale for around $9 CAD at Shopper’s and are very similar to the cult-favourite Stila Magnificent Metal Glitter & Glows, but are less chunky (and notably less than $31).

Playing after Pride: Lora DiCarlo Carezza & We-Vibe Nova 2

You really can’t cover Pride without talking about pleasure nowadays. So, I have a few recommendations for you: one for safe sex, two for sensation, and two for personal pleasure.

I’ve been testing the Lora DiCarlo Carezza for an upcoming sponsored post for Luxury Vibrators, and it’s… very interesting. I’ll get into it more in my upcoming review, but essentially, this toy is a dual purpose one: it offers both finger-tapping sensation and suction sensation, depending on how you use it.

Another toy that I’ve been testing is the gorgeous We-Vibe Nova 2, which is my first Nova model. It’s a rabbit vibe that flexes rather than reaches, so it’s supposed to be a good “fit” for more people than a standard rabbit. Honestly, I haven’t been reaching for either of these toys often—always in favour of my Womanizer Premium, recently—but they’re pretty unique if you’re searching for a new toy to try!

The assumption of Pride, however, is often that you bring someone home with you to celebrate. (Not always, though!) Be them a new boo or an old friend, here are a few final items to tie up this post.

How to party at Pride – the cooldown: Province Apothecary Lover’s Oil, Jems Condoms, Hereward Farms

First up, we have Jems condoms: a safer sex option that comes in cute green packaging. Made from latex and packaged with 100% silicone lube, these vegan condoms contain no other preservatives or ingredients. If you can use silicone and latex, they’re a great option that’s otherwise allergen-free.

Next, we have Province Apothecary’s Lover’s Oil, a Canadian classic that’s great for massages and intimate lubrication. Lover’s Oil cannot be used with Jems (or other latex condoms), but it has a light, woody fragrance of rose and cedarwood to set the mood. Province Apothecary is donating a portion of their sales this month to SOY Toronto, a community development program for queer youth in Toronto.

Finally, to finish your evening, we have a little bath bomb from Hereward Farms, who is donating a portion of their sales this month to buying Pride flags for students at a local school in Orangeville, Ontario. The lavender used in their bath bombs is grown in Ontario, so pop one in the tub and enjoy your locally-soured rest & relaxation!

What are your Pride plans this year?

—

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were supplied by PR for editorial consideration only. Some of these links are affiliate links. More of them probably should be, but I am tired and I would rather nap. 

Happy Pride! I love you!