Tag: fun

Summer is Here…AKA Bikini Season!

~ Emmie ~ Leave a comment

Living in Canada is like living near the artic. Winters are cold and long Dec.-March and Summers are short and only hot July-August. And well, that means for us, swimwear fashion starts in February/March, before the spring break where there is a scramble to find a bikini for the “escape the cold” vacations in March. We all want to go south to Cuba, Mexico, Dominican Republic…it’s all fair game to those of us frozen by 4 months of winter and desperate for a chance to thaw out. So let’s do the work of bikini shopping. Yes, the swimwear shopping season is upon us, and hopefully it can be pleasant and hopefully we’ve lost our holiday gut! But alas, bikinis can actually be forgiving to weight gain because they are not that confining. But I digress. Let’s talk about what to look for in the best swimsuit for 2022.

For this article, I have focused on bikinis that are easily accessible from known retail chains in North America. Because nobody has time to wait for an expensive designer bikini bought online to be shipped to home, only to find out it’s not gonna work…And I focused on affordable choices, cuz, girl…we want more than one set and we do not want to break the bank!

Before Shopping: Know thy body, know thy style: There are so many styles of bikinis out there and they all do a different things. Some are more athletic, and offer more support for the breasts, some are skimpier, leaving less tan lines and less support. Bottoms can be boyshorts, thong, tanga, strong thong, classic bikini cut..etc. So there is just so much to choose from. I noticed I didn’t have many string bikinis in my repertoire so for my shopping haul, I focused on this style. The classic string bikini was not always easy to find, so I did deviate slightly from this style by buying suits that were just on the skimpy side. Haha, if I want modesty I would go with a one piece anyway! Knowing what general style I wanted is key to finding the best suit for me! So let’s go try on some bikinis:

H & M: Padded String bikini top and bottom with recycled fabric: $40. CAD

Details: Loved the top with non-removable pads because they don’t move around or crease. The padded cups were also slightly contoured and sown into the top triangles, giving it support and shape. It was a classic side tie string bikini bottom with medium cheekiness. and medium front coverage too.

Colour: A delicate floral print with colours in sweet pastels like lavender, pink and yellow…

Pattern: Not overly floral, it was a very fine pattern, reminiscent of floral pjs once had (sweet but sexy?) I liked the gold jewelry on the ties, made it look more expensive.

Overall fit: Very good string bikini, with enough coverage on both the top and bottom to keep it innocently family, but the frills and the string cut makes it more demurely adult. B+

Aerie Eyelet String Bikini top with bikini cut bottoms $54 CAD

Details: Not sure if a cotton eyelet material is that racy (think country summer dress), but something about using it in a string bikini says naughty! In the past I’ve notice Aerie Swim tended to not be that dishy, but this year, their cups got smaller and excess coverage was shaved off for better lines. Also, the bikini bottoms with this set was slightly cheekier that usual too!

Colour: Not white, not lavender, but light lavender? It’s such a cool toned colour that can compliment any tan. It’s also pale enough to make my skin colour look less ghostly after 6 months of no sun.

Pattern: Solid colour bikini with a subtle eyelet embroidery designs are very pretty, and it also has lettuce edges for a feminine softness about it.

Overall fit: Lovely . The size Small cups were padded, but not overly structured, which I liked. The triangles were not overly big, leaving just the right amount of coverage, while maximizing curves. Good deal and good for pool or beach, it sends out a lounge like vibe. A-

Victoria’s Secret Terry Cloth Halter/Bandeau top bikini with High waisted Cheeky cut bottoms

Form: Supportive bandeau top. The decorative gold buckle in the middle makes for a bit of glam. The addition of the halter straps can add more support and visual interest. It has just the right sized cups, but I went with the xs size since VS Swim sizes seem larger in general. I felt a bit more Bond Girl in this suit. It’s more grown up with less frills. The bottoms are nicely high waisted, while having a modest amount of cheeky.

Colour: love the mid toned lavender! It’s a unique colour and so fun.

Pattern: Solid coloured suits are great, especially when it is made of a different material. The focus is shared with the texture of the terry cloth.

Overall fit: perfect amount of coverage and overall the silhouette of the bikini top is flattering and supportive. The high waisted bottom is good as a way to tame that extra pouch all women have under the tummy and the cheekiness is playful with out be distasteful. A

So there it is. 3 excellent bikini sets for pool, or beach For fashion and fit the Victoria Secret Swim rose above the others a tiny bit. But if I was to look for a classic string bikini silhouettes with ties, it would be the H & M bargain. If it was based on which suit was prettiest, it would be Aerie’s take on Eyelet swimwear! Thanks for reading and happy swim suit shopping!

Sultry Nude tones: a flirty Make-up look for Valentines

~ Emmie ~ Leave a comment

Over the years, I’ve sported a lot of make up looks…but for Valentines this year, I was feeling that nothing is more adorable and feminine than a nude palette with a bit of shine, topped off with a matte red lip. It’s romantic, doesn’t appear formal or done up, but looks fashionable and right, with jeans or with a dress. I’m not in a relationship and for those who are at the moment, I am envious of them. I’ve always loved the idea of a holiday for loving, and remember the little cards we’d send to everyone in class in elementary school. As adults, it’s now something so exclusive to couples, something that single people can’t celebrate, but as a single gal, I still want to have fun during this time. So I’ve concocted another makeup look for all the dates that are being enjoyed during this time. I can only imagine.

I have posted a valentines make-up look several years before, and if that is of interest, the link is here. It’s got smoky plums as the theme. But this year, I wanted to do something a little bit racier. I was actually inspired by the playboy bunny’s make up. Subtle nude tones, very glam black liquid liner and mascara, red matte lip. Ultra flirty and feminine. Bedroom eyes. As I was creating this year’s Valentines make-up look, I also realized this is a version of the cat eye, French girl, retro pin up look. It’s just a classic. So here goes.

This is the start of any good make-up, and flawless base. Highlighting can be a great way to make the face look more luminous in photos.
  1. Apply a good foundation on lightly moisturized face. Medium to heavy coverage is best for photos. Then apply and highlighting concealer in certain spots: forehead triangle, under eye bags, nose bridge, chin etc…then blend with a beauty sponge, powder to finish and set.
  2. Next, define the eyebrows with a pencil or powder or gel. Put on the eyeshadow base. I like to use a slight shimmer on my bottom lids for more cute glow. A skin coloured shadow for the top lids work great as a base. Next add a shimmery taupe shade all over the lid. Take a dark tan colour shadow for the crease and outer edges of the lid. blend with a fluffy eyeshadow brush.
  3. Draw in a cat eye line with liquid liner on the top lid. I like to use felt tip pens for control and thinner lines. The line should not be too thick or too thin. It should also extend past the corner of the lid lifting up ever so slightly on a slant.
The eye make up is almost complete. Notice the subtle tan and nude tones. Use a slight shimmer shadow for a romantic sheen.

Finish with a good 1 or 2 coats of volumizing mascara, and ample amount of blush just on the tops of the cheeks. Do not over blush, keep the colour in the area of just the tops of cheeks. And voila, the finished look should be polished, flirty, elegant, and fun. Perfect for any Valentines Day date night.

Do I scream flirty or what? I feel pretty classy in this make-up, and that’s the beauty of it. It just works for any occassion, really.

How I had Winter Fun up North, when the Pandemic took away travel options..

~ Emmie ~ Leave a comment

Everybody who knows me, knows I can’t stand the cold. I am not a winter person. Even as a born and raised Canadian, I can’t skate, ski, or play hockey….all of the things that would make winter worthwhile. Without an interest in winter sports, all I have to look forward to as an urbanite in Toronto winters are slushy dirty snow, traffic accidents, public transit delays, a sun that sets at 5pm, and the depression constant darkness brings. It’s a season that gives me nothing, other than a gut from over eating out of boredom, and the lack of the ability to get outside for fear of being frozen. So for travel ideas if given a chance to chose in a non-pandemic travel world, one would find me on a white sand beach, or walking down big city streets, or soaking up culture in the finest museums internationally.

With the start of this year’s holiday season, it was also the start of another variant of Covid, and again the usual patterns of hibernating, being bored at home was all too tempting. But having time off work put pressure on me to think outside the box. Avoiding the stress from all the international travel restrictions, I instead planned a trip up North to a small cottage town called Bracebridge in Muskoka, a very picturesque area of Ontario that I never explored before. And thus launched the idea that maybe I could have fun this winter. Think trees, a lovely winding river and quietness. My son and I enjoyed days in with a magnificent view and cozy comfort food at the Inn’s pub. What I learned was winter could be beautiful and starting the New Year seemed positive. Travelling to remote areas in the winter has it’s perks, and while it’s no tropical paradise, it was relaxing and replenished me somehow.

On a hill with a bridge. Overlooking the river, my inn was just in the buildings behind.

Why Leaving the City for a Northern Getaway Worked:

  1. Traveling out of the city to a remote small town meant I didn’t have to get on a plane to go somewhere new and unexplored. And while Muskoka area was not too different from Toronto climate (albeit much colder), just the fact that getting there didn’t rely on delays, stress and customs at an airport, made it enjoyable. A two hour bus ride was all it took.
  2. I was by the beautiful Muskoka river and it was quiet and serene: Toronto doesn’t have big areas of peaceful water. It’s busy and hectic to get down to the harbour front and cold and windy to be near Lake Ontario during the winter. It’s hard to enjoy winter in the city. But it was pristine up North.
  3. “Baby it’s cold outside”: Just like the Christmas song implies, I didn’t need to be outside to have fun up North. I invested in a gorgeous suite that overlooked the river on a ravine. It was cold outside so after an afternoon of hiking around outside, I could return to my suite and just hibernate all night by the faux fireplace while enjoying Netflix and the view. Being inside and aiming to isolate never felt so right.
  4. The locals up north were friendly: Toronto is a grumpy city. Forget that we are supposed to be “nice Canadians” we just aren’t. So when I get random “happy new years” greetings from locals and staff it’s actually really nice.
  5. Because small towns are less populated, there is less adherence to strict Covid methods, such as I was barely screened for vaccination when dining, and there was just a calmer outlook when in public.

All in all I had fun up North in the small town of Bracebridge and that surprised me, considering I going somewhere colder and more remote based on pandemic restrictions. But this trip proved that sometimes being in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of winter can be fun.

On a steel bridge in Bracebridge feeling the small town charm, forgetting the cold!