Looking for a Bellini Bikini review before copping some new suits for the summer? I’ve got you covered.
As I packed for Tulum earlier this month, I realized that I must own at least 40 swimsuits.
To be fair, I do live in LA where it’s bikini weather more often than not, but this still seems absurd. The good news is, I think it makes me pretty qualified to continue writing reviews of bikini brands.
Today we’re talking about Bellini Bikini. The British Columbia-based brand is founded by Zahné Theron and aims to create timeless styles with regenerated fibres for a super comfy, buttery soft fabric + fit.
Bellini Bikini is a small brand with a small selection, but it gave me a chance to forego options-paralysis and choose a suit that is a bit of a different vibe for me. I selected this olive green kini because I don’t own any suits in this color and I know it’d look great with a tan (and with palm trees and foliage for IG pics tbh—was I wrong?).
I also noticed that because the top of this suit isn’t a traditional triangle bikini and it had unique sleeve detailing, it looked cute as a shirt too. I paired it with a jean skirt for running errands during the day or grabbing vegan pizza (see below), because it was way too hot in Mexico to wear a shirt (and I wanted to get all the sun rays I could).
The Good:
Their website wasn’t lying when they say “buttery soft,” this fabric is so soft and comfy—which is key when a suit is made to go up your butt a little bit
Because the fabric is so soft, I feel like the suits end up being super flattering in that they don’t cut into your skin and create an unflattering “muffin top” effect. Even though the top was a bit small on me (I got XS in both), I don’t think I look or feel like a stuffed sausage in it because of the fabric. The fact that the straps are super adjustable helped too.
They offer a full refund if you return your unworn suit within 30 days of placing your order—but it’s final sale if you buy anything on sale
By shopping with Bellini Bikini, you’re supporting a small, eco-friendly, and female-founded business!
The Bad:
If like me, you don’t like logos, you might not be super happy with the logos on the back of both the top and bottom of this suit (and their other ones)
Shipping is kind of expensive ($10 for US + CAN), but you have to understand the small business struggle
I hope this Bellini Bikini review was helpful to you! Feel free to let me know any questions you may have in the comments section.
Want to read more of my honest reviews? Check these out:
Do blue light glasses really work? Or are they just a marketing ploy? Keep reading for my Jim Halo brand review where I talk about my experience with blue light glasses and highlight some of my fave styles from Jim Halo.
While working my first full-time job out of college, I had a lot of tragic realizations. First off, I spent two hours a day on the subway. Second, by the time I got home I was way too tired to do anything. Third, after staring intently at my laptop for 8 hours a day (it was a “working lunch” culture), my eyes f-ing hurt.
The crazy thing is, eventually my eyes stopped hurting, which was almost worse because it meant that my eyes grew accustomed to staring at the blue light emanating from my laptop (and probably my phone) for so long.
Luckily, I’ve been able to cut down slightly on my blue light usage, or at least take lunch breaks. However, I do notice that some days my eyes are more sensitive (or just burnt out) than others, and that’s when I call in my blue light glasses. I should probably preventively wear them every day—legit putting mine on as I type this—but I often forget unless I’m just looking for some fashion eyewear to add some pizzaz to my outfit.
I’m not alone. In fact, the sales of blue light glasses have more than doubled during the pandemic, according to NPR. This is because most of us are probably staring at screens more than ever (although TBH, I feel like my blue light consumption has stayed relatively the same).
I’ve tried blue light glasses from a multitude of brands, and the latest brand I’ve tried is Jim Halo. They offer lots of fun blue light glasses styles, and trendy sunglasses as well.
Admittedly, I tend to reach for my blue light glasses for style rather than utility, so the look of my blue light glasses is super important to me. If they’re cute, I’ll wear them more.
I find myself rocking the Sandra glasses more often because they’re super comfy, so I try to remind myself to wear them while working or even before bed while I’m scrolling on my phone (because blue light exposure before bed makes it harder to fall asleep!) They also kinda make me feel like a pin-up girl from the 50’s or a sexy secretary, which is an added bonus.
In terms of the actual blue light protection, I do notice a difference when I wear these glasses. Weirdly, sometimes the eye issues I have manifest in the morning rather than after prolonged exposure. I just wake up feeling like the light from my phone or computer is too bright—kind of like a blue light hangover? So, when I wake up with a headache, I pop these glasses on and they do make it feel easier for me to look at a screen.
These come in yellow frames with blue temples (apparently that’s what the straps on a pair of glasses are called), if you’re looking for something funky. If you have to wear a boring uniform for work, these can be a fun way to show some personality. Or, if you’re wearing pajamas while working from home, they’ll make you look more official.
Whoever said glasses were nerdy clearly never saw these. Take a cat eye and make it more modern + edgy, and you’ll get these cool-girl glasses. The purple ones are extra fun, but you also can’t go wrong with black and gold. I picture these with a slicked back high pony and something sleek + chic.
But wait, do blue light glasses really work?
A study by Dr. Mark Rosenfield at the College of Optometry at State University of New York found that the feeling of tired eyes that can’t handle anymore screens isn’t actually from the blue light, it’s from the way we’re using (and abusing) screens. Most of us would probably feel relief from these issues if we just took more breaks from our screens. And no, I don’t mean taking a break from work on your computer to scroll TikTok. I mean actually doing something where you’re not looking at any kind of screen.
What the blue light glasses can be good for is preventing disruption of your bodies’ light cycle. I mentioned this earlier: taking in blue light before bed can make your body think it’s not time to sleep yet.
In terms of blue light’s effect on our bodies and if glasses help or not, it’s still kind of difficult to say. The high-rate at which we absorb artificial blue light each day is new, and while a 2018 study found that this blue light may cause future damage, there isn’t quite enough research to really know.
Unfortunately, many of us like to catch up on texts, Instagram posts, or Tinder before we shut our eyes for the night, so you might want to try keeping your blue light glasses by your bed and wearing them while you doom-scroll yourself to sleep.
The Bottom Line:
While it’s uncertain how much blue light glasses may prevent eye damage, they definitely won’t hurt! I personally like to wear blue light glasses for the accessory and styling benefits, and if they help my eyes in the process, that’s an added bonus!
I hope this Jim Halo brand review was helpful to you! Feel free to let me know any questions you may have in the comments section.
Whether you love it or
hate it, Valentine’s Day is unavoidable. Even if your partner says she doesn’t
care about V-Day, she still wants something from you. If you’re casually seeing
someone, please at least send them a sweet (or cheeky) Happy Valentine’s Day
text! Doing this won’t make them fall in love with you and chain you down, I
promise.
While flowers and
chocolates are a fool-proof gift for just about anyone, here are some more
creative and unique V-Day gifting options for your boo, yourself, or your platonic
friends—including a 420-bouquet, a pleasurable online course, lingerie, a V-day
themed sex toy, and more!
Every girl loves
flowers, even if she doesn’t admit it. Once a guy asked me if I liked flowers,
and I told him I’d rather receive something that doesn’t die in a week. When he
sent me flowers after I had a bad day, I still loved it and really appreciated
it. If basic roses aren’t your thing and you happen to be dating a pothead,
these 420-friendly bouquets from Lovepot are so fucking cute. Plus, they offer
dry bouquets that’ll last you forever!
FYI, the nuggs in their
bouquets are THC-free, which means they’re legal to ship to wherever you live!
If you’re in LA or Vegas, you can shop fresh bouquets too.
If you’ve been boo’d up for most of quarantine, you might be running out of activities to do together. You can only re-watch the Star Wars series and bake bread together so many times.
Pleasurespot is offering a fun “Gift of Pleasures” gift card that gives you six months of access to their online school, so you have time to complete their courses like “Sensual Massage For Him” and “Taoist Breast Massage” in between all your Zoom meetings and bread-baking. You can also totally just gift your partner a one-off course to start things off slow. Sure, this is kind of a gift for yourself because hopefully your partner will use some of their newfound massage skills on you, but it’s also great for ~intimacy bonding~.
The Pleasurespot instructor performs a massage on a real person, so the tutorials are realistic and lifelike. Since it’s online, you can enjoy total privacy while learning the course content. Pleasurespot courses teach special techniques developed by their instructor—Integrated from Thai, Marma, and Classical massage, Taoist pressure points, and gentle touching. Audio files make it easy to use as a hidden help in your ear if you know the techniques but still need a reminder for the order of performance—your partner doesn’t have to know!
Ya’ll know how I feel about lingerie as a gift for a holiday (if you don’t, see here), but I think lingerie is a good gift for someone you just started seeing or as an addition to another gift. I also love buying lingerie for myself for V-Day nearly every year. This year I went for this red lace romper from Hidden Intimates. It’s totally different from anything I own and I love that it’s comfy while still being sexy. It’s also stretchy and something that will fit decently on most women, which is a plus if you don’t know bae’s exact bra size.
You may be wondering, why the heck did Ashley put a back shaver on her V-Day gift guide? Well, you know when you date someone and get so comfortable that you end up doing weird things for them? I used to shave my ex’s back for him. That’s when I knew I was down bad. But the thing is, we were long distance, so I wasn’t always available to shave his back for him. So, lo and behold, he eventually asked his housekeeper to do it for him during the times I didn’t visit him for a while (that poor, poor woman).
Is this weird AF? IMO, yes. This same ex once sent me a tool to help me apply lotion to my back when we were apart, because he’d always do that for me before bed. If we were still together, I would totally send him this back shaver. It may not be the most romantic gift, but guys love practical shit anyways.
IMO, a sexual gift is a great option for someone that you semi-recently started seeing, because it shows you care without making it too serious. Or, if you’re long distance and you know your partner is missing your touch, a toy is a fun idea for their self-pleasure sessions or to play with together over Facetime. I’m kind of obsessing over this V-day-themed glass toy from Monsieur French. It’s pretty enough to leave it completely out in the open on your coffee table and pass it off as décor.
If your boo is trying some crazy quarantine diet, but you still wanna get something sweet for your sweetheart, check out Smart Sweets. They’re a brand dedicated to providing yummy candy that’s completely sugar-free, and with lots of plant-based options too! You can build a box with your partner’s favorites—think red twists (like Twizzlers), sweet fish (like Swedish fish), and lots of sour options too!
I love all things love, tbh, and I love reading about why we feel the way we do (the good and the bad). This book has been on my wishlist for a while after my former therapist recommended it to me when she realized how interested I was in the psychology of love. It’s a big book, and it’s an equally good gift for a lover, a friend, or for yourself. Even if your giftee isn’t the biggest reader, I think it’s a pretty book for a coffee table too.
