Swimwear Review: Lilly & Lime “Stripe” Balconette Bikini in 32GG

Today I would like to introduce you to a new full-bust swimwear line, Lilly & Lime. Lilly & Lime hails from Australia where bikinis are teeny weeny and complexions tanned – but what if you don’t fit into that Aussie stereotype? It’s not a secret that curvy and busty women exist all around the globe and when it comes to a whole continent, Australian lingerie industry still offers very few full-bust bras and swimwear. This is why Lilly & Lime was founded in the first place – to offer cup sized swimwear up to HH-cup for Aussie ladies and women all around the world. Here’s a review of their Stripe balconette in 32GG and full briefs in AU 10.

The Design: Lilly & Lime create timeless classics that suit many tastes and can be mixed and matched together. Their pieces feature bold colours in classic prints such as floralS and stripes which create a great basic swim wardrobe for any D+ gal who enjoys going to the beach. I opted for the Stripe style as I think it’s a nice print and colour that can easily be combined with other swim separates as well. The colour is a very bright mid-blue which is an all-time swim colour favourite for us Finns!

L&L offer three basic swim top options which are the full-cup, underwired halter and the balconette. I have always been a fan of balconettes which made it easy for me to make my pick – there was also the chance of removing the balconette straps, which made my choice even more obvious. Nobody likes a tan line! The shape of the top is very rounded and the cups sport a three-piece cup construction. For such a new brand I am super impressed with the shape the bikini top provides and I am not the only one who has noticed this – there has been a plethora of Lilly & Lime reviews online recently and all have been saying the same thing! (Points for great blog marketing, L&L!)

The Fit: With new brands I have recently been vary about opting for my band size as I am right between bands at the moment. However, I do prefer my swim tops a bit looser to avoid back bulges which is why I went for size 32GG with Lilly & Lime as well and I think this was the right choice. I would say that the 32 band is pretty much on par with most British brands such as Panache, so I would suggest going for your regular Panache size. If there was an option of a 31 band, I would have wanted to try that as the 32 seems a tiny bit loose for me. I would probably not be comfy in a 30 band though, so this is definitely a better option for me.

The cups are exactly the right size for me and deep enough to fit me pretty much spot on. However, if I could change one thing, that would be the coverage: I prefer something a bit more sexy and even though I know it’s not what every full-busted girl wants, it’s something I prefer with my bikini tops. Being quite full-coverage though, the bikini remains super secure and thus very appropriate for some real swimming action. The underwires are great with this brand it seems as they are not nearly as wide as with most British full-bust brands. I would say they are a happy medium between Polish and British underwires, which suits me just perfectly.

Comfort: I don’t really have anything bad to say about these bikinis, do I! I put them through a proper test during my holiday in Split and wore them as underwear for a day when we went hiking in a national park and sat through some long hours in a sweaty car. I had no issues with either of the garments chafing or rubbing me in a nasty way and my only gripe is really with the panties being a tiny bit snug and low for their size.

I went for the panty size AU 10 which is pretty much the same size as UK 10 and US 6. The bottoms were smaller than I thought they would be but then again, I wear both UK 10 and 12 so it’s always a gamble which one is better for me. However, other bloggers had found the bottoms to be running on the small side as well. The fold-over style full briefs were not very high-waisted on me, but I did like the rise when folding the waist band up. If I would have folded it down, these would have looked a bit indecent on me, hehe! Perhaps another bottom style with a proper high waist next time, L&L?

All in all the Lily & Lime Stripe bikini set is something I would whole-heartedly recommend, especially if you like a more full-coverage bikini with a classic look. The sizes with the tops are 28-38 D-HH (yay for 28 bands!) and AU 8-18 for bottoms. The Stripe balconette top retails for 80 AUD and the fold-over bottoms for 30 AUD. If you buy a set it takes the total of your order above 100 AUD and gives you free shipping 😉

Gossard Bikini Review: “Blossom” in 32G

Even though summer is almost over here in Finland and no heat-waves have reached us at all, it is still nice to get yourself a new bikini and/or a swimsuit to celebrate even the mildly warmer weathers. I am not much of a swimmer but when Gossard came out with another outstanding swim piece for this AW15 season, I could not help but fall in love and pursue the lovely Blossom bikini set for myself. Luckily, my and Gossard’s thoughts collided and they were super kind to send me a set in 32G + UK size 10 short bottoms, so here’s a small review before our beach weathers are over!

The Design: I have to say this style appealed to me the first time I saw it at Moda six months ago and still, it is one of the most beautiful prints I have seen in the swimwear scene in my whole life. Blue hues are a huge trend for next autumn/winter season which is why the colour seems very appropriate as well – however it is a lovely lighter vibrant shade which also suits summer very well. I am a fan of blue myself as it suits so many skin tones and looks usually much better than black yet still being classic enough to suit most tastes.

The Blossom style comes in two different top and bottom styles, from which I opted the bandeau plunge (£46) and the frilly shorts (£16). However, if you would like something a bit more revealing and a little less heavy-lifting appropriate bikini top, you can always try the same set with the triangle top and the brazilian bottoms. I like my bikinis a bit more covering (aka comfy) and both the bandeau top and the short bottom suited my tastes well. The top is very similar to the construction of my Sienna swimsuit (click for the review!) with the plunging neckline and push-up pads. The extra oomph is certainly guaranteed with this style!

The Fit: As Gossard seems to be very consistent with their sizing, I decided to go for my regular 32G and size 10 bottoms (US size 6). This was definitely the right choice even though as with other Gossard swimwear I have tried, the band of the bikini top was a bit tighter than I am used to. Again, it is much easier to put the top on while wet as the materials get stretchier! However, if you are just looking for a cute bikini to sunbath in, I would suggest going up a size from your regular Gossard band size (the 32 band stretches up to roughly 30-30,5″). Also the band is pretty narrow which is something I would revise a bit when it comes to the top – the security is still there but the narrow band seems to create a few extra bulges on my back which is not something I fear immensely but feel a bit “meh” about.

The cups of the bikini run true to size for Gossard (one cup size bigger than with other British brands) even with the push-up padding which usually leads into overall smaller cups. My boobs fit in the cups well but the structure of the cups seems to be more suited for a full-on-bottom shape as the bikini top gives me “two cakes on a plate”-cleavage in addition to the regular one. I don’t mind this at all, but for some FOT gals this might be too much.

The bikini bottoms are just the right size for me so I would go for the same size as with your regular Gossard knickers. Gossard bottoms usually run a bit large-ish so if you are between sizes, I would recommend sizing down. The shorts cover my butt really well and look flattering on, even though shorts are sometimes not the best look on me. What would actually be a great addition to the bikini set would be a choice of high-waisted ruffle bottoms – at least I would buy them in a heart beat!

Comfort: Even though I was a bit hesitant about the comfort aspect of the bikini top (I had some uncomfortable chafing with Sienna), the top is actually fantastic when swimming and stays on comfortably like a dream. I took this baby to a test-run in a nearby public swimming pool and it stayed on really well while doing laps. Swimwear is after all all about the practicality and this bikini set definitely ticks the box. Also, this time there was no chafing whatsoever and I could comfortably swim for a good half-an-hour (could have done it for much longer as well but I’m a lazy swimmer, haha). The halter bikini straps are removable, which is why it is super important for the top to be sturdy if you fancy a strapless look to your bikini. Also the bottoms stayed on well while swimming, which is why this bikini set is a sure winner for all full-busted and even smaller busted ladies out there.

The bandeau plunge comes in sizes 30-38 A-G and the bottoms XS-XL. If you wanna snatch this beauty up at a discount, you can get 20% off with the code PAYDAY20 – how awesome is that? The code applies site-wide and ends 12th of Aug, midnight in GMT.

Have you had a chance to wear a bikini or a swimsuit this summer? Which one has been your favourite so far? Let me know in the comments so I can check your fave picks out! 😉