Thursday 4 October 2012

Review: Kiniki - Tan through bikini

I was sceptical that a "tan through" bikini wouldn't work, especially after reading some reviews on tan-though swimwear in general. I was also worried because it doesn't have any support in the bikini top and that it would be too see through. I had thought about purchasing one for some time, but I was really unsure, so I always put it off. I am very good at spending hours just looking online, researching, even putting it into the basket but then deciding not to purchase..........but......

.......I decided to take the plunge.

I found Kiniki on Ebay, so it worked out slightly cheaper this way, making the decision slightly easier too. The idea of these bikini's is the Transol fabric allows the sun to pass through. There a lots of tiny holes in the material and I have posted a picture of what they look like further down in this post. When looking at it up close, you would think that when you had it on you would be able to see through it, but you cant and I think this is because of the patterns and design on the swimwear.

Key Information
Where to buy: Kiniki Website or Kiniki Ebay
Price: I paid £24.90 for mine. However its RRP £57.80. (They often have some good deals on their website and their Ebay)

This is the bikini I bought:

  You can also see this poppy bikini on Kiniki's website
 

It took me a while to decide which design to choose, as there are so many pretty designs to choose from. I got mine in a size 06/08, which was perfect for me, as I am usually a size 6 or 8 in clothes. You order the top and bottoms seperately, so if you are bigger on top and smaller on the bottom, or visa versa, you can get what sizes suit you best. I chose the tie side (tanga) bottoms but they do offer them in the brief style aswel.

When I received it (they were super fast in their delivery, by the way) and tried it on, I straight away knew that I didn't like the fact it wasn't supportive. It has no padded under layer to the bikini top, although I did know to expect this, because it wouldn't be able to tan through it, I was worried I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing it.

 
 
I wasn't sure if I would feel too self-concious to wear it on holiday, but I took it with me anyhow. For the first few days of holiday I wore my other bikinis. Then I decided to wear my Kiniki bikini. Not being the most gracefully gifted up top, I was both worried and conscious that it wasn't enhancing what I do have. After deciding to just see it through and wait to see the results, I was pleasantly surprised.

I had no tan lines!!

Ok, so you could see where I had been wearing my bikini because the skin under it doesn't tan the same as the bare skin. But it wasn't as noticeable as having an outliune of bikini imprinted on my skin. Bearing in mind, I wasn't expecting a miracle, with no tan lines whatsoever, the contrast was definitely more blended and less harsh.

There are micro holes that enable the sun to tan through to the skin

The tan lines I hate the most, are the ones on your bottom. I always put my halter neck ties down, so I don't get those tan lines, but it's impossible to not get the pant tan lines on your bottom, unless you a) wear a thong or b) go nude. And neither these are options for me, so when I started wearing my Kiniki bikini, I got slightly addicted.
 
I bought mine in May this year and I have wore it on both holidays I have been on. I even wish I bought a new one for my holiday in August, as I ended up wearing this one nearly everyday. I did decide before holiday that I wouldn't be doing much tanning, as I got pretty dark from the last holiday in June but you know what its like, when the sun is there beaming down, how can you resist.

What I will say is, that it does take some getting used to. I would strongly advise putting your suncream on before you put on your bikini as it's alot easier this way. I would also recommend, making sure you keep reapplying, especially on the more sensitive areas (under your bikini top).

I have been tanning in normal bikinis for many years, so I don't think you would be able to not have any tan lines beacuse of this fact. Also these areas are usually covered and have been covered for many years, so it would be hard for the skin to go the same colour as your exposed skin. That being said, I think the results were great. Probably even better than what I was expecting.

In Summary...I think Kiniki swimwear is wonderful! I am very pleased with the way it looks, the style and most importantly the results. I think the price I paid was reasonable and probably equal to what I would pay for a regular bikini. They do have a large range of styles and designs, from swimsuits to dresses, wraps to swim shorts for men.

Have you tried a tan through bikini? What are you thoughts on them? If you have any other questions, feel free to post them below and I'll get back to you.