Part 2: Bust boosting bras for bigger busts - spotlight on the Freya "Deco"!

In my last blog, I wrote about the best cleavage-enhancing bras for smaller busts and this time, my focus is on bigger busts. Although busty ladies may not want a padded bra, there are options out there for enhancing those curves! For the bigger busted lady, a bust-boosting bra may be more about shape and lift, whilst creating a gorgeous silhouette under clothing!
I've been wanting to blog about this bra for a long time, so this post seems the perfect place to do it. The bra I am talking about, was the first ever bra that I bought after I was re-measured in Bravissimo as a 28FF. Since that day, this bra continues to be my favourite bra and is an absolute staple for any larger busted lady! The best thing, is that starting at a 28 inch back and going up to a GG, it really encompasses a wide range of sizes...I am, of course, talking about the Freya "Deco" bra (£30).

The "Deco" comes in lots of great colours, but black and nude make for very versatile shades that will be perfect for the vast majority of your wardrobe:

If you're looking for something a little bit more eye-catching, then the "Deco" also comes in charcoal, lupin, pomegranate and most recently pistachio:

Freya have also brought out 'Frida', 'Lydia' and recently 'Carly', which are based on the same design as the classic "Deco":

As a moulded plunge bra, you can expect the "Deco" to be extremely flattering, giving a great rounded shape and superb uplift. All versions of the "Deco" are totally seamless under clothing, giving a stream-lined shape and fabulous cleavage. To top it off, this is one of the most soft and comfortable bras ever and ideal for everyday wear, as well as for a night out! The straps are relatively wide, which is perfect for supporting larger cup sizes, but wouldn't work so well under thin-strapped tops or dresses.

Size-wise, I must mention that I (like many other people who have tried this bra) find that the cups are on the generous side, so you may need to size down - I bought a 28F, although I am a 28FF in most bras that I buy. The Bravissimo website reviews also mention that the back size for the "Deco" comes up a little loose, although I did not find this to be an issue myself. (Just a few pointers, if you are thinking of buying the "Deco"!)

I really can't recommend this bra enough. It is one of the few bras that I can really see myself purchasing again and again. Here is my current collection - my favourite has got to be the Frida!

I have also heard that Freya is bringing out a concealed padding version of the Freya "Deco" for this Autumn/Winter - this may not be for everyone, but is certainly great for those that like a bit of extra va-va-voom! Another "Deco" to look out for this A/W is the "Taylor" bra - I am certainly adding this beauty to my wishlist:

That's all for this time..I think a Part 3 is definitely in order! There are some other great bras that I am keen to review for bigger busts, so stay tuned for more reviews!

Love,

Kitty xo

Part 1: Bust boosting bras for smaller busts

Petite or buxom in the chest department, every girl likes a bit of a lift now and again. Whether it's a padded bra to boost your assets, or a bra which gives a great rounded shape, there is a lot on the market at the moment whatever your bra size.

I've decided to share some hints and tips for finding a great bra to enhance your curves. This post is Part 1 of my blog series, which is dedicated to finding the best cleavage-enhancing bras for smaller busts. Brace yourselves, ladies, you're in for a treat!

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Boob-boosting bras for the smaller chest

I've said time and time again, that there is absolutely nothing wrong for a girl to wear a padded bra. Although the media tend to highly criticise padded gel and foam bras for being "false advertising", a primary reason for buying a padded bra is to make women feel good about themselves. The great thing about a padded bra, is that it is a great alternative option to surgery for smaller busted girls who want a bigger cleavage. If a padded bra restores confidence to women about their figures, then I am 100% for that. The good news is that there are tonnes of bras on the highstreet to enhance a smaller bust...

The XXX Triple gel bra (£25) from La Senza, for example, has caused such a storm that La Senza has recently brought out triple gel bikinis. The triple gel comes in a variety of colours and patterns; from black, white, red and purple to zebra and animal print - in sizes A-DD. The bra has multi-way straps and claims to be "ultra light", boosting your assets up two whole cup sizes with its foam and gel padding concealed in the cups! If that's not an extreme boosting bra, I don't know what is!

Although the bra seems to be everything a smaller chested girl could ask for, the bra does have its pitfalls. I have tried the bra on myself in a 32DD (which is a bit small for me as my real size is 28FF) and I found that it gives a very exaggerated shape - a little bit like you have fake boobs - and it is not desperately comfortable. I don't think that the extreme boost of the XXX would be as much of an issue for A-C cups, but I feel that perhaps D and DD cups may find the padding a little bit too excessive. Personally, I would definitely prefer something a little bit less over the top, but if you're looking for an extreme lift, this bra certainly does what it says on the tin!

If you are not a fan of such an XXX cleavage, there are many alternatives available in La Senza. I would be more inclined to recommend the 3-way gel bra (£18), which gives you a bit of oomph, without making your boobs look inflatable! Another option would be the La Senza ITEC bra (£25), which is totally seamfree, very soft and uses graduated foam padding to give a more natural cleavage. La Senza's soft Cotton lace bras (£10) are an inexpensive example of more natural padding and the Lulu lace bra (£16) is great, as the padding can be removed.

Aside from La Senza's cleavage enhancing bras, Ann Summers have launched their Kissing Cleavage - Instant boob job bra (£25 and A-DD), which is a top contender for La Senza's XXX Triple gel bra (and was brought out around the same time.)

The difference between the La Senza XXX and Ann Summers' Kissing Cleavage bra lies primarily in aesthetics. In my opinion, the Ann Summers' bra is sexier and more glamorous, with its lace covered cups in an array of pretty colours. The Kissing Cleavage bra is available in red, pink and nude (all with black lace) and more recently, orchid and teal (with white lace). Ann Summers claim that this bra boosts you up one-two cup sizes, using "innovative, lightweight ‘bean bags’ inside the cups".

I have tried this bra on in red in a 32DD (which is my favourite of the colour combinations) and I think it looks a lot nicer on than the La Senza XXX bra, as the padding feels a bit less extreme. Not only is the 'bean bag' padding softer and more comfortable than the La Senza integrated gel/foam padding, but the padding can also be removed! The bra is multiway, making it much more versatile for different outfits. All in all, if I were to recommend an extreme boost bra, for cup sizes A to DD, it would be this one!

This brings me to the end of "Bust boosting bras Part 1." Next time, I take a look into finding great boob-flattering bras for the larger bust..and don't you worry, busty ladies, there will be no extreme padding involved! We all know that smuggling melons under clothing is not a good look!

Until next time!

Love,

Kitty xo

Curvy Kate - 'Tease me' bra review!

With such an array of sexy lingerie available nowadays, from Ann Summers to Agent Provocateur to Coco de Mer, women have a lot of choice when it comes to injecting a bit of seductive glamour into their underwear drawers. The only problem with these brands, is that they often don't cater for a wide enough range of  back sizes or larger cup sizes. Since finding out my correct bra size (28FF), I was worried that finding 'sexy' bras for a small back size and bigger bust would be a next to impossible task...until I stumbled across 'Curvy Kate'.

'Curvy Kate' is a fairly new brand, created in 2009, providing lingerie for cup sizes D to K. Their philosophy is to give "curvy women a wide choice of beautiful lingerie that fits and flatters their fabulous figure". 'Curvy Kate' is well known for using 'real', curvy women, who more accurately reflect the shapes of their customers. Aside from striving to promote a healthy and realistic body image for women, they "target the young fashion conscious customer", whilst still appealing to older ages.

A company that boasts good fit and are on the cutting edge of fashionable and sexy underwear? Count me in!

I was particularly taken by the 'Curvy Kate' "Showgirl" collection, which features stunning, stylish designs, such as the 'Tease me' and 'Thrill me' bras. The collection is available in a wide range of sumptuous jewel colours and are complimented by lace, bows, ribbon and frill detailing. Very boudoir and just what I was looking for!

('Thrill me')

('Tease me')

The 'Tease me' bra in a gorgeous emerald green really caught my eye. The green is beautifully set off by black piping and lace netting over the main body of the bra and cups. With sexy, balcony cups and such attention to detailing, this bra would make any girl feel like a modern day pin-up!

I purchased the 'Tease me' in both a 28F and 28FF, as sometimes fit can vary a lot between brands. I actually found there to be a lot of difference between the F and FF - the 28F was a bit small in the cups for me, but the 28FF was a bit too big and didn't give the desired shape. Cheryl from 'Invest in your Chest' has also spoken of this exact same sizing incongruency between the 28F and 28FF of this bra. I am not sure if this is an issue across the sizes, but if anyone has any comments on this, I'd love to hear from you. Another point to mention, is that the band was a little looser than some of my other 28 backed bras, so if you are a small 28, you may find the band to be a little bit loose on you.

All in all, I'd say that the 'Tease me' bra scores very highly in aesthetics, but a few improvements could be made to the fit. Despite not achieving a 'perfect fit' from this bra, I was so enamoured by the beauty of the 'Tease me', that I decided to keep the 28F. I'm now on the look out for the 'Thrill me' bra from this same collection, as I'm interested to see how the sizing compares to the 'Tease me'...and who wouldn't be tempted by such a 'thrill'-ing collection?

Love,

Kitty xo


(Update: I have recently been informed by Becky Mount that a few changes have been made to the 'Tease Me' model for more recent Curvy Kate collections. I would definitely like to try a newer model of the 'Tease Me', to see if they have corrected the sizing/fit incongruency found between the 28F and 28FF of this bra.)

Lingerie lust-haves for Spring/Summer 2011!

There are so many beautiful bras on the market at the moment for larger cup sizes, that I wanted to share my top 5 bras of the moment that are bang on trend for Spring/Summer 2011. It was certainly a hard job to pick just 5, but I hope you like them as much as I do...

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Cleo 'Eleanor' bra



(Purple 'Eleanor' bra, £25)



Spring/Summer is all about eye-catching tones, so inject some summery brights into your underwear drawer with this lovely lacey bra available in purple and lime from Bravissimo. This bra would make a great 'everyday' bra, but the semi-sheer panels on the cups make it a little bit sexy too. With subtle floral embroidery and pink bow detailing at the centre of the cups, this bra is super girlie and totally fashionable. At £25, this is definitely on the purse-friendly side of prices for larger cup bras, so I might have to snap this one up pronto! This bra is bound to look great with a summer tan too..bring on the sun!

Masquerade 'Rhea' bra

('Powder' Rhea bra, £33)

The 'Rhea' bra by Masquerade is bang on for the 'Mad men' trend and this sumptuous balconette is very 'victorian' in style. This bra is certainly for elegant and classy ladies who love a bit of boudoir glam. Bravissimo also stock an exclusive to Bravissimo purple 'Iris' version, which updates this bra for a modern, fashion-forward audience. You'll have to be quick though, because both colours of this bra are selling like hot cakes! This bra may be a little pricey, but it's beautifully designed and is a timeless classic for your underwear drawer.

Freya Monet 'Tea Rose'  bra

('Tea rose' Monet bra, £29)

This summery half-cup bra from Freya is a new take on their classic 'Monet' print. The 'Tea rose' features a very Spring/Summer watercolour floral print. The coral-y pink lace trim around the edges of the bra sets off the vivid pink/purple tones on the cups. The material also looks comfortable and the style looks very bust-flattering. If this doesn't get you in the mood for Summer, I don't know what will!

Curvy Kate 'Thrill me' in Azure Plum

(Azure Plum 'Thrill me' bra, £29)

Curvy Kate's 'Showgirl' collection has gone down a storm with all lingerie lovers looking for a bit of va-va voom and sexiness. Curvy Kate brighten up their Autumn/Winter collection jewel-tones for Summer with 'Azure Plum' and 'Peach plum', both of which would look great with a summer tan. The bra is satin and lightly padded to give shape and support and the black ribbons and embroidery add some modern pin-up glamour. I am very keen to try this bra out for myself! With the ruffle knickers, this set is a knock-out!

Freya 'Loretta' bra



Vintage blue 'Loretta' bra, £30

The Freya 'Loretta' bra is an underwired plunge, featuring floral and paisley print with subtle lace-embroidered mesh panels and a little bow and gem charm in the centre of the cups. The detailing on this bra is just spectacular and the combination of the blue and cream is very 'vintage' style and sophisticated. This is another classic bra that will be worn time and time again!

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I hope you enjoyed my lingerie lust-haves for Spring/Summer. What do you think of my picks? Are there any bras that you want to buy for S/S11?

Love,

Kitty xo