My Thoughts on Ordering Lingerie from Shein.com

April 2, 2020 Bodacious Betty

Like many of you, clothing ads populate my facebook feed. Lacy, trendy, shiny, and oh-so-irresistible. I resisted buying from Shein in particular because I was sure that the clothes were similar in fit to something you order off Wish or Aliexpress.

But I’d had several people tell me that they order regularly from Shein and the sizing is true-to-size. I’m often asked for recommendations on where to buy lingerie, and Shein is very reasonably priced (read: cheap), so I figured I would order some and save you all the heartache of spending five dollars, only to have your haute couture hopes and dreams dashed to smithereens.

My Take: I ordered one size up, a 1X, to keep this in my client closet. I usually ask that clients bring their own wardrobe with them to sessions for a couple of reasons. One is that you come across more confidently on camera in something that you know looks good on you as opposed to something random, and the second is that I don’t have room for a large client closet, so I have to be really selective with the pieces that I do buy. This comes in two other colors besides black, but black is flattering on every skin tone, so I played it safe. This does have a considerable amount stretch to it but seems to fit more like a large.

Fit: More Like a Little White Lie than a Full-On Scam I love bodysuits and teddies because they flatter every shape and size, and while this one was no exception, the cups only give the illusion of underwire. However, the fit was very true-to-size. This is truly a budget piece, and would benefit from some built-in spandex and underwire cups for extra support.

Sexy Enough. I love scrappy, harness lingerie, but I have to admit that I was truly terrified to try it on; past experience with cheaply made lingerie has left lasting scars. Like the mesh bodysuit above, it lacks underwire so there’s no support. Ordered a size 1x, it appears to be true-to-size, as it was a bit big. It photographs ok, but wasn’t my favorite. I actually had to fix the “cups” in post-processing; the fit was a bit roomy on me at a size 1x, and the cups moved with me as I posed.

Versatile and Pretty. This was the piece I was most excited about as sheer robes can often be worn as swimsuit coverups or dusters. Again, I ordered up one size, and would say this piece runs a tad small as it fits more like a large.

Sheer mesh pieces are also some of my favorite lingerie. It photographs well since it’s so sheer that the light goes through it but still offers enough coverage to help hide perceived flaws like belly rolls and cellulite.

Final Verdict: Well, you do get what you pay for. Sometimes, it’s fun to buy inexpensive pieces to try on a new trend or style. These are not well-made pieces with the most flattering fit. They are cheaply constructed, and will get the job done if you are on a budget. The sizing is a bit inconsistent, but they do offer free returns.

Backless and Strapless Bra Reviews: Bunny Ears and Misses Kisses

January 22, 2020 Bodacious Betty

As a boudoir photographer, I see plenty of lingerie and bras as sponsored posts in my Facebook feed. I was dying to know if these backless and strapless bras would work with some of my lingerie and plunge tops.

First up, are the “bunny ears”. They have a sticky silicone lining on the back. You place them on your breast and use the two tabs at the top, the ears, and pull up to give lift.

They do actually lift the girls a bit, but I also felt like they flattened them out a bit too. They ended up looking wider. With a traditional bra, the girls are lifted and shaped into cups but even though I bought the size that corresponds to a “D” cup, they still don’t give enough coverage to actually give the girls proper shape. They look decent enough in profile and could actually work with the right piece of lingerie for a bit of support. Sometimes, some is better than none.

Looking at my boobs straight on with the bunny ear bra on, it almost looks as though I’m not wearing anything at all. Taking them off wasn’t nearly as painful as I thought it would be. Holding my skin in one hand and pulling slowly with the other minimizes any discomfort.

On Humidity: I feel like these would immediately come off with a bit of boob sweat but it’s January in Florida and was 39 degrees this morning. No humidi-titties today!

Some of you may be familiar with the Misses Kisses backless/strapless bra. It’s meant more for cleavage enhancement than the lift of a traditional bra. It has a wire bar, with two adjustable paddles. The smaller the boob, the more the paddle will be turned in toward the chest. The larger the breast, the more the paddles will be turned outward. There are silicone pads that are placed on both the paddles and the inside of the pads in order to prevent the bra from slipping.

As you can see from the above photo, I definitely got cleavage enhancement. My problem, in addition to being a larger chested woman, is that I also have equally large areolas. Even pasties don’t cover them suckers up; I had to photoshop the remainder of them out for purposes of this blog post. 🤣 So, unfortunately, with the Misses Kisses, my areolas show along with my cleavage.

In addition, I get this weird cup overflow in profile. I tried adjusting the pads to no avail. It’s possible that I didn’t fit myself correctly and have written in to the company with a photo for feedback on fit.

I did try this on with a teddy that has a keyhole neckline and it looked decent in profile but my areolas would have been showing without the pasties. So, if you have small boobs and small areolas, the Misses Kisses should work great for you.

On Moving About: I did notice that if I leaned over with the Misses Kisses bra on, it felt like the girls were going to escape. They did shimmy a bit so expect to do some adjusting if you need to bend over at all in it.

I also noticed a jiggle while walking in it on, but I’m not sure if that would have been noticeable to anyone else. The bra did stay in place for a few dance moves, so if you plan on wearing this to a wedding, you’re probably safe doing the Cupid Shuffle, but you might avoid doing “pegging” or the “bend over boyfriend” dance.

On Sitting: I felt the wire bar but it wasn’t obtrusive or painful in any way.

If it does indeed turn out that I didn’t fit myself properly with the Misses Kisses bra, I’ll do an update.

And yes, I did try on both the bunny ears and the Misses Kisses at the same time for both lift and cleavage. It wasn’t pretty and I wouldn't recommend it.

Update

I sent my photos to the Misses Kisses customer support team to ensure that I had proper fit, and they suggested the following: “Try twisting the front of the pads up a little higher to the edge of the nipple. The pads act as a fake breast and should round you out on the side. For larger breasts, I often have women swap the left pad to the right paddle and vice versa. Angle the fuller part of the pad to the nipple. There should be no gaps and no indentation. “

That did make the bra look better under clothing, but overall, I find it weird to get used to while wearing it and will likely only save it for special occasions.

The Incredible Shrinking Woman

January 17, 2020 Bodacious Betty

Meet Lezette. She’s on my team here at Boudoir Betty, and she’s sharing her story of massive weight loss. Just a little over two years ago, on December 11, 2017, she underwent a gastric sleeve. She was 348lbs and wearing a size 30.

Lezette said it hurt to move; she “couldn’t even make it to the mailbox”. She was also a diagnosed diabetic, and suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Today, she’s no longer diabetic and says PCOS isn’t an issue.

Lezette shrunk down to a size 7/8 but still found herself struggling with body dysmorphia due to excess skin. She said she felt like a deflated balloon. We finally set the date for her session after she healed from her surgery to remove the excess skin. Her transformation is nothing short of amazing.

After the session, Lezette said, “I've been struggling with my body image since my surgery. I'm being completely honest and words cannot express how many times I have looked at my photographs to get myself in a better head space. These photos are not only tasteful and artistic but they are so empowering to me.”

We’ve scheduled another session for Lezette after she’s healed from her breast reduction surgery so that she can continue to document her journey. Congratulations Lezette, on deciding to make a change and following through with it. I’m honored to be a part of the journey and the healing process.

The Craziest Items Clients Have Ever Brought to a Session Part 2

January 7, 2020 Bodacious Betty

It’s time for round II of craziest/coolest things clients have ever brought to a session. If you aren’t familiar with Round 1, go HERE.

An Irish Kilt: She’s a little bit school girl here, and a whole lot of Irish. I guess you could say she’s got the luck 🍀 of the Irish! Did you know that not all kilts are Scottish? Yep: https://www.lochcarron.co.uk/blog/scottish-irish-kilts-difference