Alix Earle and Anastasia Karanikolaou’s Vacation Pics Prove the Power of the Perfect Pink Two-Piece

While pastel pinks are always dreamy, don’t count out the majesty of a marvelous magenta moment.

Alix Earle was photographed by Yu Tsai in Jamaica. Swimsuit by Bamba Swim. Skirt by Blackbough Swim. | Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Alix Earle and Anastasia Karanikolaou just reminded fashion fans why the perfect pink bikini is a must for every seaside wardrobe.

Starting with Karanikolaou, the internet personality and Better Half podcast co-host shared a collection of snapshots from her trip to Italy on Wednesday, Aug. 12, captioning the carousel “never ending summer 🌺.” In each photo, Karanikolaou sported a classic triangle-cut string bikini in an eye-popping hue that walked the line between traditional red and marvelous magenta.

In the cover snapshot, Karanikolaou soaked in the sun on a luxurious-looking boat while reading Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. The golden sunlight further highlighted the unique shade of her swimsuit while showing off the textured fabric and metallic tassels. She accessorized the look further with a delicate cream-colored lace cover-up in other photos, adding some jewelry for more sparkle.

Of course, we weren’t the only fans of this gorgeous seaside style, with plenty of the content creator’s 10 million followers more than happy to applaud her latest look in the comment section of the sultry photo set—including a familiar face to the SI Swimsuit family. “Perfect,” the aforementioned Earle penned. Meanwhile, another fan simply added, “Raspberry dreams 🎀.”

And hey, speaking of Earle: the four-time SI Swimsuit star—who was selected as one of four cover models for the 2026 issue with her beautiful Botswana photo shoot—also got in on the pretty pink trend this week.

Shortly after Karanikolaou shared her own magenta moment on Instagram, Earle posted her take on the color on Thursday, Aug. 13, while vacationing alongside the podcast host in Italy. There, the content creator showed off the underrated shade in a short video, revealing she’d styled her dark pink two-piece set with a coordinating crocheted maxi dress.

See SI Swimsuit models style radiant raspberry two-pieces

Truth be told, while we’re always a fan of a dreamy pastel pink color here at SI Swimsuit, darker hues of the go-to color tend to be overlooked—and that’s a shame, considering just how magnetic a marvelous magenta can be! And this passion for dark pink had us thinking back to all the similar looks we’ve seen in the annual issue over the years. Thus, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to round up just a few of our favorite two-piece styles that absolutely embrace the “raspberry dream” vibes seen in Earle and Karanikolaou’s latest Instagram drops.

Scroll on to see just how dynamic the color pink can be, and for some SI Swimsuit model-approved style inspiration.

Brooks Nader was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Trina Turk. Bracelets by Alexis Bittar. | James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Christen Harper was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Svn Swim / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Katie Austin was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Gonza. | James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Hailey Clauson was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by NAU BIKINIS. | James Macari/Sports Illustrate

Bethenny Frankel was photographed by James Macari in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Swimsuit by ViX Paula Hermanny. | James Macari/Sports Illustrated

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