Living Your Best (love) Life: How To Find Real Romance This Summer

Summer isn’t just for sundresses and rooftop parties. It’s also prime time for new connections, according to relationship expert and matchmaker Spicy Mari. She’s sharing some vital The Spicy Life and relationship coach for Netflix’s The Love Experiment and Paramount+ series Love Allways, has coached countless singles and couples toward healthier connections using her signature S.P.I.C.Y. Fundamentals: Self, Passion, Intimacy, Communication, and saying Yes. This summer, she says it’s essential that singles distinguish between fleeting summer flings and purposeful dating that could lead to love.

If you’re wondering what “your pizza” means and has to do with love, stay with us. “It’s the roadmap I use with my clients to find their ‘purpose mate,’” Mari says. “Think of it like building a pizza. The crust is your foundation—those five core values you need in another person to trust they’re a good human. The sauce is how they treat you: do they affirm you, show up for you, respect your boundaries? And the toppings, well, that’s the superficial stuff—looks, >position yourself to meet those people. “If you want someone who’s into health and fitness, you can’t just keep going to Pilates with your girlfriends,” she says. “Go to the gym, ask someone how to use a machine, make conversation. If you want someone who’s career-driven, be at networking events. Go where the energy matches your goals.”

She’s also a firm believer in being proactive: “Closed mouths don’t get fed. If you see someone attractive, don’t just smile—compliment them, but take it a step further. Say, ‘Did you wear that shirt for me?’ That’s playful, flirty, and it makes your intentions clear.”

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