Don’t sweat it: the truth about “boob deodorant”

Posted on January 26, 2014 by busts4justice

And the first odd beauty story of 2014 is… boob deodorant. Now, I’m no fan of ‘invented beauty issues’, and all of the media I’ve read around the subject focusses on this being another symptom of a culture that spends a lot of time (and makes a lot of money) from inventing new problems for women to worry about, and new unattainable standards for women to be held up to. There’s no question that this is a real phenomena. But for once, I disagree that boob deodorant is a part of it.

Most big boobed girls will understand why this product could exist. Hell, in summers between 1997-2007 I would routinely roll my Sure across my ribs. There are few things more distracting to a class or a night in the pub or a day at work than (no exaggeration) rivulets of sweat running down your stomach.

Why did I stop this weird, desperate behaviour in 2007? Hint – it wasn’t because someone invented a better product than my cotton fresh roll-on. It’s because I changed the bra size I wore from a 34E to a 30G.

When you have heavy breasts, you need to wear a tighter back band than your smaller breasted friends might because you need a stronger anchor to keep them in place. Too loose, and the back will ride up… because the front is being pulled down. This results in breast resting on chest – skin on skin – and just like the sweat you get behind your bent knees and elbows on a hot day, it sweats. Yes, it’s natural – but being a teenager is hard enough already without throwing in wet chest patches and under-dress dripping.

Boob deodorant isn’t like ‘underarm beautifying deodorant’ or the baffling ‘boob wrinkle smoothing bra‘ because it isn’t an invention designed to make us feel crap about something we didn’t realise we had to feel crap about. If you are unlucky enough to suffer from ‘swoobs’, you feel crap about it already. Much like bras with padded shoulders to avoid digging, or over-sizing bra components to avoid overspill, boob deodorant is a salve for the symptom, not a cure for the problem. Throw away your quick-fix gimmicks and everything you think you know about bra fitting. If your underboobs are sweating profusely, a better fitting bra is your key to a dryer, more comfortable summer.

 

 

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Curvy Kate’s Roxie bra reviewed!

Posted on January 24, 2014 by busts4justice

Curvy Kate Roxie Padded PlungeI wasn’t ever a huge fan of Curvy Kate‘s earlier Tease Me/Tempt Me/Truss Me (I made that one up) Showgirl series so I’ve quite enjoyed their recent lines – simple and unfussy styles with the odd mega-plunge for days that need an extra oomph.  Roxie is definitely one of my favourites from this season – a pretty, deep padded plunge bra which gives a killer cleavage in something that serves as a cute alternative to your average moulded plunge.

The plunge is extremely deep which makes it great for low necklines (not to mention my problematic bony sternum, which stops me wearing many of Curvy Kate’s higher cut styles), but the scalloping along the cup stops it from being too severe. I really like the “sherbet” underlay beneath the black – you can’t tell from the pictures but it’s actually a subtle, dusty pink and quite pretty. The back could be a little firmer perhaps, but the cup fits perfectly – and like many of Curvy Kate’s styles the far-apart straps are perfect for broader women (although not so wide that they slipped off my quite narrow shoulders).

I actually love this bra, but I’m not keeping it. It’s the weirdest thing… Roxie is the LOUDEST bra I have ever worn. Seriously. It creaks with every tiny move. On closer inspection, it seems to be the covering the metal on the bra rings and strap lengtheners squeaking against the ribbon straps. Who knows, perhaps it would ease away with wear. But it would drive me bonkers in the process.

Curvy Kate’s Roxie is available in sizes 28-30 D-J, 32 D-HH, 34 D-H, 36 D-GG and 38 D-G.

 

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Boobs on a budget: Just Peachy’s Zara reviewed

Posted on January 20, 2014 by busts4justice

Just Peachy Zara Bra

It’s not easy having big boobs on a tight budget – with decent E+ bras often retailing at the same price as a single broke girl’s weekly food budget investing in them can be extremely daunting.

While (unpopular sentiment alert) I don’t believe that decent large cup lingerie can be made dirt cheap well or ethically – you won’t catch me in Primark these days, let alone lobby them for bigger bras – I do believe that broke girls can and should get the support they need at a price they can afford.

Figleaves‘ Just Peachy range is definitely catering for the younger, student tastes and budget – with styles retailing for about £20 (and often in the sale/made cheaper by Figleaves’ frequent 20% off offers). I’ve tried a couple of them before – their non-padded balconette is great and while Daisy ran a little small in the cup it was a solid bra for the price.

Zara, in Zebra, is similar again – snug in the back and good in the cup (although still fractionally on the small size – you couldn’t wear her on ‘fuller’ days). She gives a nice, natural shape – not too trussed up – and the zebra print is subtle and classic, with a gentle scalloped lacing on the cup that makes it a little bit more special for an every day bra. She’s also surprisingly soft – often cheaper bras can be tellingly scratchy, but Zara is comfortable. Another cracking bra from Figleave’s own range, available in sizes 30DD-38G.

Remember – whatever your budget, if properly care for your bra your investment will go further. Hand wash, air dry – and never so much as show it to a laundry appliance. You’ll save a fortune in the long term.

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Masquerade’s Antoinette reviewed

Posted on January 17, 2014 by busts4justice

Antoinette

On paper (or, you know, Internet) I love Masquerade. Panache’s luxe offering always delivers on style and I usually spend their seasonal sneak peeks wishing away whole pay packets. It’s boudoir without being too bordello, and the construction is always fantastic.

Like all Masquerade, Antoinette is another soft, gorgeous, well crafted piece of lingerie. The bandeau shape is unusual and super-flattering, giving a heaving cleavage that reminds me of… well… I can’t think. You try similes with this pair of distractions staring back at you in the mirror.

I suspect Antoinette is a great match for a woman with a broader frame – the front centre is quite wide and the straps the were widest set apart I’ve reviewed in a very long time. The back is firm and the underwire tracks nicely, however the cup is slightly small at the top giving me a prominent quadraboob when viewed from the side (if one can escape the epic view from the front). It’s by no means a perfect bra for me but I can’t help but be tempted to keep her. Perhaps that’s why it’s called Antoinette… who cares what the head is doing when you’ve got a rack like this?

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time I’ve had trouble with Masquerade’s sizing. Although Medina was spot size wise, the (even more beautiful, sigh) Capela ran far too big in the cup for me. Now with Antoinette I’ve run the full gamut of fit nuances; not a problem when you have time and a helpful assistant in a well stocked store, but not ideal when you’re ordering from overseas. I suspect Antoinette will be reluctantly returned. After I’ve looked at her for a little bit longer, natch…

Masquerade’s Antoinette comes in sizes 28D-38G

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Tempted or tangled? Figleaves Boudoir’s Carmen reviewed

Posted on January 13, 2014 by busts4justice

Figleaves Boudoir Carmen Bra

This first review of 2014 didn’t get off to the greatest of starts. As I tucked myself in to Figleaves Boudoir’s Carmen – the first trendy Marlies Dekkers-esque “strappy” style bra I’ve ever tried – the only words that came (screamed) to mind were OHMYGOD BRA CAGE. It took a few moments to realise that – seasoned bra reviewer that I may be – I was trying to put the damned thing on inside out. Oops.

Carmen did work slightly better the right way round – but although it didn’t feel like my boobs were entrapped in a PlayDoh fun factory, unfortunately it wasn’t exactly a perfect match either. In a 30G the cup was extremely narrow, so at the side the underwire was resting on my breast tissue tracking about an inch away from where it should have been. At the same time the cup fabric, which is actually constructed from two totally separate overlaying layers of mesh, was about a half-size too big – so the neat lines you see in the image above became something rather mangled and unappealing indeed. Tightening the straps did help, but there was still significant puckering and distortion. For a bra who’s raison d’être is to look awesome without clothes on top, it’s a bit of a miss.

Such a shame. I love the design of this bra, and Figleaves have made an affordable version of this dramatic, glamourous trend – but this fit was just way too wide off the mark for me. If you’ve tried a similar style in another DD+ brand I’d love to hear about it.

Figleaves Boudoir’s Carmen is available in sizes 30B-36G. All photos from Figleaves.com

Figleaves Boudoir Carmen Back

Figleaves Boudoir Carmen Detail

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