All new swim you need

The most asked question I get on Instagram is where is my swimsuit from?! In the last year, I won't lie, I've been flaunting my #bikinibody lol I feel good about it and I've found really good bathing suits, so why not?! And obviously, if I find the best swimsuits, I want to share it with all you ladies, so you can flaunt your curves. Here are my top picks for this swimsuit season: 

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Discovering Punta Cana with Air Transat

Who doesn't want some sun in their life? Especially in November when the evenings start earlier. At the beginning of the month, Transat invited me to discover Punta Cana through their top luxury hotels and of course I said yes! I've always loved going on all inclusive vacations once a year, its just the perfect amount of time off to reset your mind, take advantage of the sun, spend some quality time listening to the waves and treat yourself.

For this trip, Air Transat brought together 7 amazing real women who happen to be all bloggers to discover Punta Cana, the Transat way...which made this trip even more special. What was even more amazing is that at every hotel, we did not receive any special treatment but we were treated exactly how a guest would be treated which is: AMAZING! Air Transat flies to Punta Cana everyday from December to April, which means so much time to discover amazing Punta Cana :) 

Our journey started at 6am at the airport. Little did we know that the Transat team had a special treat for us, flying in the Classe Club which means extra leg room, 2x 25kg worth of luggage (winning points for me), priority check-in & much more. Let's not forget the amazing food served on the plane from renowned chef Daniel Vézina, which you can preselect on airtransat.com before your flight, talk about good planning & service! So let me now breakdown each feature of the 5 hotels we visited, why I would go back in a heartbeat & why it was so totally worth it!

Excellence El Carmen

We made our first stop at this breathtaking hotel and I was amazed by the style of this hotel. I absolute adore modern hotels and it is quite rare when travelling down south but Air Transat sure knows how to choose their partners because the Excellence El Carmen is a interior design fanatics dream. We stayed at this hotel for 3 nights and let me tell you why I would go back tomorrow:

• Modern design
• Food is always #1 on my priority list: 12 restaurants, 16 bars & a food truck, the food was beyond amazing
• Loved the layout of the resort, the lobby, the beach, the restaurants, everything was close and it made going from one place to another so easy
• The rooms were super spacious and the turn down service with a chocolate on the bed was just wow 
• Excellence El Carmen had their own coffee shop (already resort goals with this one).
• The Beach was gorgeous, super important for me
• So many pools so little time, you get a more central pool for the party scene and relaxation time with the other pools lounging the room buildings
• Breathtaking spa experience
• Starting at 2 179$ per person

Paradisus Punta Cana

We had the pleasure of spending the day at the Paradisus Punta Cana and I was quite impressed. First and foremost, the resort is huge. Let me tell you more:

• Eco-friendly culture, the resort is surrounded by gardens & lakes which creates a serene and tranquil environment
• Amazing property, so many palapas and place to relax on the beach
• Being greeted by a flash mob was most probably the funnest thing ever, the staff were amazing
• Garden beds, always a winning choice when you want to be outside but still in your room
• Starting at 2 269$ per person

IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Bavaro

I can just say that greeting is clearly the Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro speciality. Upon arriving at the resort, we felt right at home. First things first, when you book your stay at this hotel, you can a personal butler. The butler's role is to accommodate your every need from having wine in your room at 7pm, to having a specific pillow or fruits in the morning, he makes sure that you are not taking care of anything during your vacation and that you relaxing.

• Adults only resort
• Butler service 24/7
• Huge boat in the middle of the resort where cocktail hour is hosted and it transforms into a bar at night
• Very nice beach area
• The layout of the resort is very simple and accessible which is super important for me
• Starting at 2 689$ per person

Paradisus Palma Real

We visited the Paradisus Palma real for a day and but even though we did not get to spend a night here, I was amazed by how grandiose this hotel was and how nice the staff was.

• Smoothie Bar at the beach = Resort goals
• Gorgeous beach, white sand and crystal clear water
• Amazing service and the staff were beyond nice
• Beyond amazing selection of restaurants
•  Starting at 2 259$ per person

Secrets Cap Cana

Last but not least, we spent our last 2 nights at the Secrets Cap Cana. Oh boy oh boy was I impressed. I'm not going to lie, I'm already looking at going back to this resort, here is why:

• Adults only resort
• Modern chic decor and attention to every detail, the resort is absolutely beautiful
• Best buffet breakfast I've had on a resort (and I've been to many many resorts across the Caribbean)
• The restaurant next to the pool is simply delicious
• The rooms are gorgeous and spacious; your family name is written at the door and you can have a party in the shower (so big)
• Hot tub on the balcony
• The beach is so wide, you have so much space in between the beds which I adore in a resort (I don't want to fight for a spot and be scrammed next to other people)
• This hotel is very mature and posh and has everything I would want and more...
• Starting at 2 389$ per person

Honestly, this was my very first time visiting Punta Cana and it certainly won't be the last. Transat has such an amazing selection of hotels in Punta Cana that it would be hard not to go back and experience what this amazing destination has to offer. Every time I want to book a vacation these are the factors I take into consideration when booking a resort: food, beach, resort layout & service and these 5 hotels offer all of this and more. Coming back to winter in Montreal was hard to say the least, hence I'm already looking for a new destination for our December holidays ;)

*This post was created in partnership with Air Transat. All opinions are my own.

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Summer dressing with Reitmans

Montreal weather can certainly play tricks on us and the minute the sun shines, we get so excited. Well, no kidding after 6 months of winter, we better be happy! For myself, summer is my favourite time, it’s my birthday, it’s travelling season and it’s the best time to rock dresses. As girls, we have so many options of beautiful dresses in the summer and they are the perfect no-fuss fashion clothing item.

Two weeks ago, I made a little trip to Reitmans to take a look at their summer dress selection and I was so pleased. I’m not going to kid you I think I’ve passed the age of tight and short dresses and that is what I love most about Reitmans dresses: they are work-friendly, family brunch friendly and can still be sexy if you want too. I walked-in the store with a plan: find the perfect LBD. I was looking for a looser fit little black dress that is not too short and that can be worn at the office and for a date-night and that is exactly what I found. The open-shoulder details add that perfect touch of sexy classy. This Reitmans little black dress was made for the perfect date night with my love in New York City last week and I know I’ll be wearing it again this week at work with loafers ;) What more can a girl ask for?!

Who says summer, says vacation!!! Reitmans is currently hosting a giveaway where you could win a 7 nights all-inclusive trip to Varadero, Cuba for two at the Melia Peninsula Resort courtesy of Air Transat. To participate, all you have to do is publish your best summer look on Instagram by tagging @reitmans add adding the hashtag #reitmansreally. Good luck babes!

But wait, we really cannot go about summer without the perfect jumper can we?!

xox

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Under the sun

Every year, I find myself going to the Caribbean for a little trip and every year I tell myself that I need to discover other parts of the world but I always end up on a Caribbean island. I’m pretty sure my body is programmed to be under the sun and close to a beach. That being said, this year, it’s a very YOLO trip to Barbados that fulfilled my Caribbean needs ;) What do I mean by YOLO? Well, my sister and I hoped on a flight and off we went to go meet up my family for the long Easter weekend. I packed very last minute for this flight but one thing is for sure, my main priority is always my skin. When exposing myself to the sun, I always bring these essentials. They literally are in a separate cosmetic bag that I keep in my vanity at home and grab when I know I will be exposing my skin to rays. There are basically 3 things you need to keep in mind, protect your skin, hydrate your skin and moisturize your skin. 

Chaque année, je me retrouve sur un avion, direction: les Caraïbes pour un petit voyage. Chaque année, je me dis que je dois découvrir d'autres endroits dans le monde, mais,  je finis toujours sur une île dans les Caraïbes. Je suis persuadée que mon corps et mon cerveau sont programmés et s'arrangent pour être sous le soleil et à proximité d'une plage, au moins une fois par année. Cela étant dit, cette année, le voyage était très improviste, direction les Barbades. Voyage très improviste, car ma sœur et moi avons booké un vol et nous sommes allés rencontrer ma famille pour le long week-end de Pâques. Bien évidemment, j'ai fait ma valise à la dernière minute, mais une chose est sûre, ma priorité principale est toujours ma peau. Lorsque je sais que je serai exposée au soleil, je m'assure de toujours apporter mes produits indispensables. Ces derniers sont littéralement dans un sac cosmétique séparé que je garde dans ma vanité à la maison et que je ramasse dès que je sais que je vais exposer ma peau aux rayons. Il faut essentiellement garder à l'esprit 2 choses; protégez votre peau et hydratez votre peau,

All these 5 essentials allow me to always allow me to secure my skin. First off, I always rely on a strong SPF like this Vichy Idéal Soleil 50 because the Caribbean sun is the strongest and you do not want to burn. Secondly, I always always use a serum under my SPF and my ultimate product of life (not even kidding right now) is the Kiehl’s Hydro-Plumping Serum. I swear I’m not exaggerating when I say that this product goes with me everywhere. I apply it in the morning before my day cream, at night right before my night cream and throughout the day when I’m by the pool or the beach right before re-applying my SPF. Sadly, I’m running out and I’m dreading that last pump. Lastly, after-sun care is usually something people forget but it’s super important to moisturize your skin after sun exposure even if you don’t have sunburn, your skin needs that extra moisture. For this matter, I rely on two products: the LaRoche Posay Posthélios (that I’ve been using for years and years) and the Bioderma Photoderm Après-Soleil SOS, which soothes the skin instantly. We cannot forget the face, for this purpose I use the Bioderma Cicabio cream that will soothe and repair irritated skin. This certainly wasn’t my last trip to the Caribbean but we’ve got other cool plans for this year ;)

Ces 5 éléments essentiels me permettent de toujours protéger ma peau du soleil. Tout d'abord, je compte toujours sur une forte FPS comme celui de Vichy Idéal Soleil 50, car le soleil des Caraïbes est beaucoup plus fort. Deuxièmement, j'utilises toujours un sérum sous mon SPF et mon produit ultime de la vie (ce n'est même pas une blague) est le Kiehl's Sérum Concentré Hydro-Repulpant. Je vous promets que je n'exagère pas lorsque je vous dis que ce produit me suit partout. Je l'applique le matin avant ma crème de jour, le soir avant ma crème de nuit et je peux ré-appliquer oute la journée lorsque je suis près de la piscine ou à la plage juste avant de re-appliquer mon SPF. Malheureusement, je suis à court et je redoute le moment où je vais prendre la dernière pompe. Enfin, le soin après-soleil est généralement un soins qui est souvent négligé, mais, il est super important d'hydrater votre peau après l'exposition au soleil, même si vous ne souffrez pas de coups de soleil, votre peau a besoin d'humidité supplémentaire. Pour cette question, je compte sur deux produits: LaRoche Posay Posthélios (que j'utilises depuis des années et des années) et le Bioderma Photoderm Après-Soleil SOS, qui apaise la peau instantanément. Il ne faut pas oublier le visage et pour cela, j'utilise toujours le Bioderma Cicabio qui va venir aider la régénération des cellules d'une peau abîmée. Ce ne sera probablement pas mon dernier voyage dans les Caraïbes, mais nous avons d'autres plans très cool pour cette année;)

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How I get my bronze on

Since coming back from vacation, the number one question I get all the time is : how are you still tanned? My skin has always retained a tan for a very long time, I can keep tan lines for a full year but I obviously need a bit of help to keep up the bronze look. Here are my tools :

1. The Body Shop Mango Body Scrub: you need to exfoliate before any self tan application, it's the key to success if you ask me!

2. Burberry Fresh Glow Fluid: Secret #2 - Add a primer with radiance to your foundation and you get that instant vacation glow. 

3. Clarins After Sun Moisturizer Self Tanning: this is pretty much the secret to extending your tan. You apply this cream post-vacation or post-sun-exposure and the tan just continues while your sleeping because of the self tanner it contains. Also, the fact that it's moisturizing helps your skin keep the tan on. No streaks, no orange color.

4. Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning: the secret to the tanned face. For me, the body part that looses the tan the fastest in my skin...such sadness ;( By applying this product on my face before bed, I am sure to wake up with a tanned fresh face in the morning.

Depuis mon retour de vacances, la question qui revient le plus souvent est: comment es-tu encore si bronzée? Ma peau a toujours gardé mon bronzage pendant très longtemps, je peux garder des lignes de bronzage pendant presque un an de temps, mais il est évident que j'ai besoin d'un peu d'aide pour maintenir le look bronzé. Voici mes outils : 

1. The Body Shop Exfoliant Corporel Mango : il faut toujours exfolier avant d'appliquer des produits bronzants, c'est la clé du succès selon moi!

2. Burberry Fresh Glow Fluid: Secret #2 - Rajoutez une base de maquillage avec de l'éclat au fond de teint et on obtient le glow instantanée de vacances. 

3. Clarins Baume Après Soleil Rehydratant Auto-Bronzant: ce produit est pas mal le secret de mon bronzage. On peut appliquer cette crème post-vacances ou post-exposition-au-soleil et le bronzage continu pendant qu'on dort car le produit contient un auto-bronzant. De plus, le fait que la crème est super hydratante permet de garder le bronzage beaucoup plus longtemps. Pas de lignes, pas de couleur orange.

4. Clarins Eau Lactée Auto-Bronzante: le secret pour le visage bronzé. De mon côté, l'endroit de mon corps qui perd son bronzage le plus rapidement est mon visage...tristesse ;( En appliquant cette crème sur mon visage le soir avant de dormir, je me reveille avec le plus beau halo. 

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