Loulou's views

These last few weeks have been the busiest ever, and Christmas was an absolute magical time spent with family and friends. We hosted several times, enjoyed Christmas Eve at my parents house, and Christmas Day at home before heading to the in-laws for more festivities. It was a perfect holiday season, but it's not over yet–New Year's Eve is coming up and it's time to start thinking about what to wear to ring in the new year! After all, it's a big night–we're saying goodbye to 2019, and welcoming a new decade into our lives. Who's ready for 2020? I know I am! 2019 was a great year filled with many memories, including a summer in Paris and Greece, winter break in Bahamas, and focusing on work and family. Now, it's time to look forward at all the things 2020 will bring, but before that how about figuring out what to wear? I recently partnered with DressYou  as a brand ambassador, and I found so many great pieces of clothing and accessories for all occasio...

How do you feel about shopping for swimwear? For some, it can be a less-than-pleasurable experience. I personally love shopping for swimwear because it means I'm heading towards water—and nothing makes me happier than swimming in the ocean or a pool. Going on vacation, especially in the winter, makes me excited—and so does finding the perfect swimsuit to wear while I'm enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. I feel confident in my body, and love wearing bikinis and one-piece suits. I believe there is a perfect suit for everyone, and that everybody should have the confidence to wear what they feel great in when they're on vacation. (And all the time, really). I love being a Brand Ambassador for Swimco  because they carry so many swimsuit brands. I quickly found out that shopping for swimwear online with Swimco is an easy and fun experience, because of the wide variety of suits they carry, and because of the excellent customer service. Swimco is a Canadia...

With the festive season officially underway, I put together my 2017 holiday gift guide just in time for you to hit the mall. I featured some amazing products on CTV yesterday, but didn't have enough time to talk about everything on-air, so all the details are here to make your holiday shopping a breeze. For the beauty lover: Clarins:  Clarins is one of my favourite skin-care companies. The  12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar is the perfect gift to give someone to start celebrating the holiday season early, because they'll receive a little gift every day for 12 days. It contains two full-sized products and 10 discovery-sized products, which are much larger than sample size. It’s exclusively available at The Bay and on  www.clarins.com . It retails for $92, with a  value of $174.   The Essentials Winter Palette:  The Essential Eye Palette by Clarins is a holiday exclusive with sales going to support indigenous commun...

Now that spring is in the air, it's time to to start shopping and making room in our closet for colourful dresses, wedge-heeled sandals, and fun accessories that can take your outfits from day to night effortlessly.  I love changing up my outfits with fun accessories, from sunglasses to necklaces and bracelets–and there's no better way to add cute and stylish pieces to your wardrobe than by shopping Stella and Dot. Whether you've hosted a Stella and Dot party or just attended one, I'm sure you've left with quite the haul–and it's so easy to do, because everything is so affordable... and super cute! I love the huge selection of necklaces, bracelets, and rings Stella and Dot offers. And no matter your style, you'll always find something you love for yourself, or to gift to a friend. (And, bonus: if you host a Stella and Dot party, you're guaranteed to score some beautiful pieces for yourself at no cost). A night in with your favourite girlfr...

There are certain items every woman should have in her closet. These essential pieces (the building blocks for any wardrobe) will never go out of style: black and nude pumps, a little black dress, a great beige trench coat, a pencil skirt, a white button-down shirt, a perfectly fitted T-shirt, blue jeans, and a leather jacket. I have been obsessively looking for a stylish and practical leather jacket , so when I received an email a few weeks ago asking if I wanted to review a leather jacket by  Page Thirty , I instantly said yes. I was a little apprehensive at first because ordering online can sometimes be stressful, but I received the jacket I selected within days, and it fit like a glove. I chose the black bomber leather jacket , Frankie. Although pricey, it's a leather jacket you'll wear season after season and it'll become the jacket you can keep in your wardrobe forever. Page Thirty is a fairly new company out of California w...

I just got back from a hot and sunny vacation in Miami. One week away from winter (and all the snow) was just what I needed, except now, all I'm thinking about is my next getaway, even though summer is nowhere in sight.  One thing I love about travelling is all the shopping I do before I go away... like shopping for a new bikini or bathing suit, even though it can be stressful since the choices are endless. I loved partnering up with  Swimco , because this Canadian company knows swimwear well–after all, they've been in the business since 1975 and they're one of the largest swimwear retail chains in North America. Shopping Swimco online is an easy and fun experience with great customer service available to help you find just what you're looking for. They have a huge selection of women's, men's, and children's swimwear and beach accessories, and even though you're faced with a huge selection of swimwear options, it's easy to narrow down your se...

Shopping is a great pleasure of mine—as long as I'm not shopping for something specific the night before a big event. I always find the greatest dresses when I'm not looking for something in particular, but when it's time to find a dress for a special event? Forget about it—there never seems to be anything perfect in stores, and it can be an overwhelming process that stresses me out. Thankfully, Rent Frock Repeat —the store where you can rent designer frocks for a fraction of the price—collaborated with me and helped me find the perfect dress to wear to Boobyball. I wanted to wear a long gown, but didn't want to buy another long dress that would just end up sitting in my closet looking pretty on the hanger. The beauty of working with Rent Frock Repeat is that you can truly go as wild as you want for your special event, while knowing you didn't break the bank for your special night out.  Also, it is a great way to ensure you're not in the same dress as someon...

I am a collector of fine things, especially designer handbags and sunglasses. Women (and men) can never have too many pairs of gorgeous shades to wear, because sunglasses are the perfect accessory to any outfit. I easily justify the cost of new sunglasses by wearing them every day—no matter the season. I've had the pleasure of partnering with SmartBuyGlasses several times and received some gorgeous shades to review from their site. I'm always so impressed with the quality of the shades I receive, since SmartBuyGlasses sells a variety of designer shades from Gucci to Ray-Ban to Tom Ford and Fendi. (And Burberry, Dior, Persol, Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, Prada and so many more). SmartBuyGlasses offers the largest selection of sunglasses, eyeglasses, and ski goggles online, with over 180 brands. The only hard part will be deciding which pair of glasses to go with—I can spend hours browsing through the sunglasses and deciding on which pair to go wit...

Fall is officially here, and as much as I already miss summer, I am so excited for all the wonderful things that come with fall—especially shopping for new clothes like sweaters, leggings, and boots. Dressing for fall is the best, because there are so many different ways you can style your outfits, like layering tanks and tees with cute knits, wearing leggings with big cozy sweaters, and rocking a cute dress with tights and boots. I love finding new pieces I can wear to work, to parties, and when I'm out on the town with friends on weekends. The truth is, I had never thought about shopping at Walmart for clothes, but I kept hearing about how great Walmart's private apparel line, George , is—great pieces at ridiculously affordable prices. Being the shopaholic that I am, I decided to venture into the clothing section at Walmart, and I was totally surprised by the great pieces I found for fall. I left with three entire outfits—including jewellery—for just under $100. I can't...

You may say I have a thing for sunglasses—I have a lot of designer shades that I love wearing, no matter the season. They're a necessary accessory, after all. I'm always looking for a new pair, and even though I have many, I always need more. It's an addiction. A healthy one, though! I was approached by the team at Sicky Eyewear to review one of their incredibly cool and stylish pair of shades, and of course I said yes.  I'm loving them hard and after only a couple of days, I've had quite a few people ask me where they were from and how they could get a pair, too. Creator  John Hildebrand  was a photographer first and created Sicky eyewear when he felt disconnected from the brands of sunglasses he was seeing on store shelves. He set up studio in his Malibu garage and created his brand, using his nickname—Sicky. The rest, as they say, is history. (Well, let's just add here that Sicky creates the highest-quality eyewear on the market, and they're made in...

I'm pretty consistent with my style, and although I'm always shopping (it's an addiction I've come to accept) I stick to the basics, usually—for summer, that means cute heels and wedges, little dresses, (mostly black) and jeans with tank tops. Oh, and anything Free People. Two trends I'm absolutely loving right now that have made a huge comeback are off-the shoulder tops and chocker necklaces. I've gone crazy shopping for off-the-shoulder tops and chokers. If you're looking for off-the-shoulder tops, check out Nordstrom Ottawa. (And what better time to shop than this weekend, during their famous Anniversary Sale—the big sale starts on July 22nd, so get there early.) The 90's are back in a big way right now, with off-the-shoulder tops and dresses and chokers that everyone is wearing right now. I picked up three chokers from Aldo this week, two black and one brown, and I love wearing them with my off-the-shoulder tops, dresses, and tank tops. Th...

I'm a girl who can't wear flats. Seriously, for some reason, even walking the streets of NYC for hours on end—or Disney World, or Athens—is more comfortable for me if I'm in shoes with a little bit of a heel. Of course, the shoes have to be stylish, too. When I used to think of stylish shoes Hush Puppies didn't instantly come to mind, but after trying some of their new boots and heels, I've been pleasantly surprised with the results. People are always surprised when I tell them my favourite pair of high-heeled leather and suede boots are Hush Puppies. Style and comfort together is key. I'm glad Hush Puppies asked me to work with them in getting the word out about their new line of shoes for summer, and I'm even happier that I get to give away a pair of shoes to YOU! I know you'll love Hush Puppies just as much as I do. I can't wait for you to discover why this shoe company is renowned for their comfy shoes and fashionable trends. To en...

Mother's Day is a few days away, and I'm excited because I'll just be coming back from New York City, which means I'll be receiving extra love and hugs from my two boys. Although being away from them is hard—even if it is only a couple of days—the welcome I receive when I'm back always warms my heart. Being a mom is truly the best gift of all—and spending time with my children is always something I cherish, on Mother's Day, and all the days. Being a mother means so many things, and to me, it is the most amazing experience. Even though being a mom is one of the toughest jobs in the world, it's what life is all about, after all. If my boys are happy, I'm happy. It's that simple. Every day has its challenges, but life is filled with a greater purpose when you're a parent. This Mother's Day, I'll be doing all sorts of things I love with my boys. My top three favourite things to do on Mother's Day? 1. Going out for lunch with my ...