Loulou's views

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...

Sometimes, getting dressed for work every morning can be more challenging than fun. Although closet is full of clothes—countless dresses, pants, and sweaters—often I feel I have nothing to wear, and finding the perfect outfit in my closet isn't always easy. As much as I look forward to waking up each day, getting my children ready for school, and heading downtown to work, trying to decide what to wear can be frustrating. I recently discovered roz + loki , a company that designed a truly innovative and high-quality dress shirt that's the perfect addition to a stylish outfit for the work day... and after-work dinner and drinks. These shirts come in a variety of styles and colours (I love the black one I received) and they are the perfect addition to any woman's wardrobe; they are comfortable, form-fitting, stylish, and made with Supima cotton that resists pilling, fading and tearing, and 10% lycra for that form-fitting look. Best part? The...

I have enjoyed every minute of this September heat wave, but today there was a chill in the air and it's clear that fall is back, much to my dismay. As much as I wish summer would last forever, I'm going to embrace the good things that come with fall: enjoying the colours of the changing leaves, leaving the windows open for that early morning breeze, and transitioning my closet to fall–I love comfy sweaters and skinny jeans, dresses worn with tights, and knee-high boots. All types of boots, actually. Putting away the summer wardrobe is never easy, but having some great boots to take you through the change of seasons makes it a little less painful. My favourite stores to shop at for boots and shoes for fall include Nine West, Ecco, GEOX, Aldo, Le Chateau, and Call It Spring. Here are some boots I'm loving: ECCO: For high-quality boots that will last longer than the snow on the ground, ECCO is where you want to shop. Guaranteed style, comfort and warmth for winter ...

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...

If you're still looking for the perfect gift to give this holiday season, you should consider giving something unique, something designed in Canada, something practical, and something timeless—like a new watch from Medium Watch Co. What is Medium Watch Co.? "We are a collaboration of designers, innovators, entrepreneurs, athletes and artists that appreciate the details. We value the tools of our trade and the accessories that define us. Through careful craftsmanship and customization of the products that we choose, we are making a statement about who we are." I recently received a gorgeous watch from Medium Watch Co . and love the sleek design and the choice of watches that are available for men and women. I had a hard time choosing which watch I wanted, but went with the black and rose gold mesh watch . It's perfect and I wear it almost every day. I love that Medium Watch Co. is designed in Canada and customized worldwide. Medium Watch Co. focuses on c...

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...

The thing I love most about fall isn't the gorgeous, changing colours on the trees or the fact that there is a cool breeze in the air every morning—for me, it's all about the boots. And, oh , the boots this season! There is something for everyone, and it is so easy to pull off a stylish look with the right pair of boots no matter the occasion. The must have boots this season? Well, there are a few, from the lace-up boot, to the ankle booties, and of course, the wedge heel—not just to be worn in the summertime. What's most important to me is comfort and style, and I found some great boots from some of my favourite stores that are both stylish, on-trend, and comfortable. Trust me, you need comfort when you're working all day long and keeping up with the kids before and after school! I was on CTV Ottawa Morning Live today talking about what's hot in boots for fall, and I showed some of my favourite looks from ECCO, Geox, Aldo, and Le Chateau. Here's...