Jon and I love to travel and we’ve been so blessed in our lives to already have experienced some of the most beautiful places both in the US and abroad. I grew up going to Portugal almost every other summer because I have family that still lives there, and before my grandparents passed away it was so important for us to make the trip to spend time with them. Both of my parents grew up in Portugal – I’d love to tell their story, how they met, when they came over to the US, etc. because it’s so inspiring and amazing, but that will have to be a whole separate post since I will have a lot to write about! For now I just wanted to highlight that I grew up going to Europe and it made me appreciate the luxury of travel at a very young age. Jon had similar experiences growing up; we went to Italy with his family a couple of years ago and it was remarkable to say the least. Jon and I both have such a big appreciation for travel and experiencing different cultures and I think it all stemmed from our upbringing and how our parents raised us. “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” I love that quote and it’s exactly how I feel every time I travel; I come back with a new perspective and memories that continue to shape me further into the person I want to be.
There’s nothing I get more excited about than swimsuits, the beach and summertime! I wore some of my all-time favorite swimsuits on our vacation to the Dominican and I couldn’t wait to share them all with you guys! I’m also sharing my beach essentials – things I could not of lived without, especially underneath the hot Caribbean sun! So keep on reading to see each of my swimsuits, fit and sizing information, prices, and more!
I’m going to go in the order that I wore each swim because I kind of wore them strategically haha! If you think I’m weird just hear me out; I don’t know about you guys, but usually when I go on vacation I’m not all that tan. I do use self-tanner on certain occasions, but when I’m going on vacation to somewhere tropical I plan on getting a tan so I don’t bother with a self-tanner. Therefore when planning the first swimmy that I was going to wear I made sure that it was one that wouldn’t create crazy tan lines (strapless is always the best for this and doing a two-piece as opposed to a one-piece), and one that wasn’t white or another color that I think looks better on me AFTER I develop a tan. Hence this first one that I’m sharing: a simple, black, two-piece, with an off-the-shoulder, darling top! I’m so obsessed with this top— it’s so feminine and has stretchy smocking, which makes it very flattering. I have it in a size x-small and it fits true to size. I covered up with this maxi sarong that paired perfectly with the swimsuit and, viola! That was my first beach look on day one.
SWIM TOP: J.Crew | SWIM BOTTOM: Target | SARONG: Asos (similar here) | EARRINGS: Amazon | SUNNIES: Quay | BAG: TopShop (similar here)
Guys, I can’t say enough good things about this one. First of all it’s only $25.99 for the top AND bottom. Yes, you read that right. Less than $26! Steal. I found it on Amazon and it’s a Prime item so you get 2-day shipping, as if this deal wasn’t good enough. To top it all off, this suit is such an amazing dupe for a much more expensive version (also linked below) that goes for $158! The brand Tularosa makes the original version of this swim, and don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing quality and the mesh on it is a little better, but who’s going to argue when this one from Amazon looks identical for a fraction of the price?! If there’s one swim you buy from this post it should definitely be this one, you won’t regret it. They also have it in red but I personally like the black one better. I ordered a size 4 – the bottoms run a bit large but overall it fits great and I absolutely love it.
SWIM TOP & BOTTOM: Amazon | KIMONO: Target (similar here) | EARRINGS: Amazon | BAG: TopShop (similar here) | SUNNIES: DIFF Eyewear | SANDALS: BELLA VITA
Day 3 called for a pop of color! Cue this adorable hot pink swim from Express. I loved the color and it almost looks like a suede texture in person because of the shimmer – it’s super cute! I liked the simplicity of it and the style of the top since I didn’t have anything like it. They have it in multiple colors and a few other textures. It fits true to size; I have an x-small in the top and small in the bottoms.
SWIM TOP: Express | SWIM BOTTOM: Express | HAT: Brixton | EARRINGS: Amazon (Baublebar has similar pair) | SUNNIES: DIFF Eyewear
Finally on day 4 after getting a good tan I brought out the one-piece swimsuits! It was actually July 4 when I wore this beautiful red number to make me look a little festive for the holiday. When I first saw this swim online I knew I had to have it! I love anything that’s unique and stands out, and this suit fit the bill. The flowers on it are so darling and they add the cutest detail. It made me feel “extra” and I loved every minute of it haha! The red color is gorgeous and the fit was true to size (wearing the size 2).
SWIM: Asos | SHORTS: Forever21 (similar here & here) | HAT: Brixton | EARRINGS: Amazon (Baublebar has similar pair)
The next one-piece that I wore (which, by the way, I’ve definitely turned into a big fan of one-piece swimsuits) is my favorite! The back of this swimsuit is so gorgeous and it totally steals the show! I initially bought this suit in black and wore it on a girls trip to Aruba earlier this year. I loved it so much that I came back and bought it in white too. The ruffle details add the perfect touch to make this swim irresistible! The best part?! It’s LESS THAN $40! The material is great, it’s comfortable, it fits true to size (I have a size x-small), you just can’t go wrong with this one! The back is all you need to see to fall in love with it! Highly, highly recommend this one.
SWIM: Target | SHORTS: Levis | HAT: Brixton | SUNNIES: DIFF Eyewear
This next swim is the one that I was most excited to wear. I saved it for the end of the vacation because I wanted to be nice and tan 🙂 It was love at first sight with this one. I saw it and immediately clicked “Add to Cart,” especially since these Tularosa swimsuits have been selling out FAST. This one is currently sold out but you can special order it or just wait until they restock it because they often do. They have so many different color and pattern combinations of these swimsuits (linking some of my favorites below) and they’re so worth the price tag! The high waisted bottoms are so flattering and comfortable – I could wear this swim on repeat all summer long. I especially loved the colors, they just scream summer and mimosas, am I right?! The top does run a bit small (I’m wearing a size x-small and kind of wish I ordered the small) and the bottoms fit true to size (wearing a size xx-small). If you’re looking for the cutest swimsuit ever that’ll give you all the attention and compliments while making you feel comfortable and looking amazing, this one is it!
SWIM TOP: Tularosa | SWIM BOTTOM: Tularosa | SUNNIES: DIFF Eyewear | If this swimsuit is sold out because they do sell out quickly, Tularosa has so many other color and style combinations; this one & this one are some of my other favorites!
On the last day I went back to an off-the-shoulder, two-piece swim, but this time I chose a white one since at this point I had a nice tan going. I also wanted to even out any tan lines I had from the other swimsuits. This bandeau ruffle top is so pretty; I love anything with ruffles if you haven’t noticed already! I mix and matched with these scalloped bikini bottoms. Again, I love things that add a unique look like ruffles, scalloped edges, pom poms (or as Jon would call them “cotton balls” haha!), etc. I have a size small in both the top and bottoms. They fit true to size and come in a few other colors.
SWIM TOP: Express | SWIM BOTTOM: Express | SHORTS: Asos | SUNNIES: Amazon (these are amazing dupes for the designer Karen Walker sunglasses)
Last but not least I wanted to mention the products that I used to protect my skin and avoid sunburns. This was the first time in a while that I went on vacation and didn’t get burned! I used to never burn when I was younger – I have my grandmother’s Portuguese skin so I tan very easily. As I’ve gotten older I’ve started to burn more easily since I don’t spend as much time in the sun. It’s so important to protect your skin so I have been searching for the best SPF and I finally found it! Guys, the Sun Bum products are SO GOOD. I recommend the cream though, not the sprays. In order to have the best protection you have to apply the sunscreen BEFORE you get dressed and go out into the sun. To be honest I didn’t reapply once I put it on in the morning, but I think that also speaks to how great the Sun Bum SPF really is. I honestly did not burn at all and still got a good tan, it was amazing! I will never go to the beach without wearing this SPF. My lips burned when I went to Aruba in February so I wanted to make sure I had a good SPF for my lips. I did a little research online and came across this Supergoop lip balm with 30 SPF in it. I wore it everyday under my lipstick and it worked like a charm! My lips didn’t burn and they stayed super moisturized all day long. Highly recommend these products!
Also, if you missed my last blog post make sure to check it out here!