Showing posts with label Beach Coverup. Show all posts

Cruising Outfit Inspiration: Key West and Cuba

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Our cruise to Cuba is finally on the horizon after being cancelled due to Hurricane Irma back in September last year. The weather forecast isn't looking great but I'm praying it's not accurate as it's been the past few weekends.  These are some outfit ideas for the trip to hopefully prevent me from over-packing but I can't make any promises there.

Summer Essentials


When I think of summer, I think of weekend days lounging by the pool and a few trips to the beach for some sun, sea and sand. Luckily I already have a few trips planned so I'm excited about that! With the weather almost being summer-like here, I have my favorite essentials ready to go.

Packed Beach Bag
I have a beach/pool bag that remains packed with some essentials all year round. Can I go to the pool or beach all year round? That would be a no. But why unpack everything when I can have my beach bag ready to grab and go for that one perfect weather day.

Here's what's in the bag:
* his and hers beach towels
* waterproof bluetooth speakers
*  SPF sunscreen
* SPF tanning oil spray
* Lip balm with SPF
* hand sanitizer
* small body spray
* small hair brush
* a fedora hat



Swim Suits & Cover-ups
Of course some good fitting swimsuits and cover-ups are needed and, from the name of my blog, you can probably tell I'm all about cute bikinis and just swim wear in general. PHAX Swimwear, a fashion focused swim/surf brand out of Colombia, contacted me about their brand hitting the shelves in the USA and asked if I would be interested in ordering some of their products. Of course I was interested!



I chose a beautiful jade-colored bikini to go with the Samburu cover-up from their Spring 2016 Ortulivo Beah Lookbook. I can tell that all of these pieces are great quality because of the super soft material. Their swim suits contain LYCRA fiber which helps the material to move and stay true to your shape to get that perfect fit.

PHAX is offering my readers a generous 30% discount at checkout with the coupon code: shopmartinisbikinis

 

What I really like about PHAX swim wear and clothing is that their product line is very fun and vibrant which is perfect for summer. Everything is also hand made (from cut to stitch to embroidery) so that's pretty impressive! I get nervous ordering swimwear and underwear online because you really need these things to fit perfectly for your body. Thankfully the sizes for the bikini top and bottom piece were perfect. The cover-up (pictured below in blue) I ordered a small but it runs more like a medium. The good thing is loose fitting cover-ups are comfortable so it doesn't need to be returned.

 

Sunglasses
I have a few pairs of sunglasses that I rotate depending on the outfit and occasion. My current favorite are these Michael Kors Aviators pictured below. They have purple mirror lenses which you can't really tell from the photo.



Hydration
Never leave home without some cold water or sparkling water bottles to stay hydrated and if you're looking for some spike in your refreshments, I'd definitely recommend Skinny Girl Cocktails. They are all light and refreshing but I happen to love the Mojito and  Cosmo cocktails.



Waterproof Flip Flops
I mean this goes without saying. Comfortable shoes in general are always needed throughout the year but when it comes to summer, cute flip flops are a must. My current lust are these beauties from Tory Burch which are also waterproof.

Activities & Fun
If you're heading to the beach or the pool some entertainment might be needed. This could be reading material or water/land activities and sports such as volleyball or racket ball. Whatever peaks your interest, make sure to pack it in your beach bag so you don't get bored.


What are your summer essentials?



The PHAX products were provided to me complimentary in return for my honest review of the products. All opinions stated above are honest and accurate based on my true experience.

Swim Lover's Holiday Gift Guide


Luckily Florida doesn't stay cold for very long so beach/pool weather is usually in our favor. As you can probably tell from the name of my blog, I'm a big fan of swimsuits and beachwear in general. The holidays is the perfect time to stock up on some new suits for the year ahead and I usually pick up a thing or two for the husband and my girl friends as gifts.



SwimOutlet.com contacted me to review their online store and merchandise and of course I agreed. I purchased the Volcom Wild Marks Bikini top and matching Brazilian cut bikini bottom for myself and the Rusty Men's Boardshorts for K with the gift card they provided. I have to say the material of the bikini is so incredibly soft you can tell it's great quality. Actually same goes for the shorts. I also love that they kind of (not on purpose) match each other.



From growing up in the Caribbean I've always been a fan of good quality swimsuits and beach clothing that will withstand the salt and sun. Luckily SwimOutlet.com carries most of my favorite brands including Vix, Betsey Johnson, Volcom, Roxy and Kate Spade just to name a few. I picked some faves for Him and Her that would be perfect for gifts or just to gift yourself.

Gypsy Road Kimono / Wrap Bikini Top , Bikini Bottom / Pineapple Kaftan Cover Up
Free Spirit Dress / Jaime Bikini Top, Bikini Bottom / Pineapple Paradise Tank

Desert Fringe Crochet Shorts

Pineapple Paradise Beach Bag


One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six

Garmin VIRB X Action Camera

They offer a whole lot more than just fashion swimwear like for competitive swimmers, techies, kids, and water sports such as surfing and water polo. The fashionista in me naturally drifted to the beach clothing and bikini sections of their online shop.

If you're looking for gift ideas, SwimOutlet.com's Holiday Gift Guide is a good place to start as they offer some great ideas for different types of swimwear and equipment. I also like that they offer free shipping on purchases over $49, which always helps to cut the cost of shopping online.


Turqouise Coverup


The warm summer months are the perfect time to enjoy family getaways and beach trips which calls for cute swimsuits and, of course, coverups. This Mikken pullover coverup in mermaid blue was too pretty to pass up and the price tag was very affordable. The crochet material is light and airy with a cute pom pom trim on the sleeves so I've loved wearing it out to the beach and pool this summer.




Colorful Coverup


If you follow me on instagram (emilyalisonb), you might have seen my sneak peak post about dabbling in fashion blogging so today I'm bringing you my very first and not very established fashion post! I really don't consider myself a fashion blogger. In fact, I'm quite the opposite ~ I feel fairly awkward in front of the camera, I don't have a signature pose, and I tend to smirk instead of smile but I decided to suck it up and give it a serious try only because I want to showcase some beautiful and affordable summer clothing I recently purchased.

This chevron-print swimsuit coverup is one of my favorite coverups for summer days at the beach or pool. The semi-sheer material is light and airy and provides great coverage and I love the plunging neckline.