Hand over your money to Bras and Honey! A Freya Deco Rebel Review.

A little while ago I was contacted by online store Bras & Honey who asked if I'd like to review a lingerie set for them. I'd be mad to say no, so here we are!

Bras & Honey stock big cup brands like Freya, Curvy Kate, Elomi and Panache, not to mention a wide range of shapewear from the likes of Spanx, Maidenform and Miraclesuit.

After a quick browse through the site, I chose my staple favourite of a Freya Deco, however this isn't any Deco, this is the Deco Rebel, a much anticipated leopard print Deco! 

The Freya Deco bra is a smooth moulded t-shirt bra offering excellent shape, support and comfort. I wear a Deco every day, no word of a lie, so when Freya announced they were making a leopard print variant AKA the Deco Rebel I was overjoyed!

The Deco Rebel features a nude background in the same shade as their basic nude Deco, but with the addition of a wonderful coral and black heart-shaped leopard print. It has fully adjustable straps (with neon orange bows at the bottom!) and 2 rows of 2 hooks to fasten. The moulded cups and plunge front make it ideal to wear under pretty much anything, and if it's the pattern you're worried about, the Deco also comes in a whole plethora or different colours and patterns. I'm wearing a 28GG in my photos which is a good fit, but you might want to go down a band size and up a cup size if you prefer a firmer band.

The Deco Rebel Thong makes the perfect match for a wild look! It's edged in nude just like the bra and has a little neon orange bow to the centre. I have quite big hips for my size (UK 8) so I need a large in Freya bottoms.

I think it's safe to say that Freya have blown me away yet again with another wonderful Deco, and Bras & Honey have blown me away with their huge range of Freya Decos in stock right now, and some are on sale too! Take a look here.

The Deco Rebel Bra comes in sizes 28-30 DD-GG, 32-36 B-GG and 38 B-G and costs £34 currently. The Deco Rebel Thong is available in sizes XS-XL and costs £10.50. Both can be purchased from Bras & Honey right now! If you love leopard print then go ahead and treat yourself. 

One last thing, you've probably noticed my awesome 'Kitten' necklace I'm wearing in my pics. I had it custom made by Extreme Largeness. They do all kinds of cool and kitsch jewellery and accessories, check them out!

Bras & Honey are having a huge sale at the minute, so be quick and grab a bargain... It's almost pay day after all! 

Thanks for reading,

Le Curvy Kitten 

xxx

Freya's Deco never fails to Delight!

For those of you who already follow me in Twitter and Instagram you're probably already very aware that I LOVE the Deco bra by Freya. I own something like 20 now yet weirdly I've never actually written a post dedicated to them! So here we are!

My Deco collection minus two!

A few weeks ago Freya contacted me asking if I'd like to review a Deco for them, and of course I said yes! After a little deliberation we finally decided on the Deco Delight, a spin-off of the original, this time with pretty lace details and a racer back, as first seen on the Deco Charm from their AW14 range.

My eagerly awaited parcel of joy arrived and as soon as I got my paws on it I tore the box open to find a hot pink paper bag emblazoned with the Freya logo with orange Freya tissue paper oozing from the opening. So exciting! I carefully lifted the tissue paper (wow, I'm really building this up aren't I?) to reveal not only a Deco Delight bra, but Brazilian brief, shorts AND a chemise too! Oh Freya, you really went to town, much love to you!

The Deco Delight range comes in a cosy shade of marl grey with cream lace detailing and tiny cream bows. It's the only colourway available at the moment and it's just lovely. Initially I thought it was made from t-shirty fabric as it's a grey marl, and I'm so glad it's not because I've had that sort of bra before. They tend to cling to whatever you're wearing and don't sit well. I digress, it's not made from that but instead a smooth mix of 64% Polyster, 24% Nylon/Polymide, 8% Elastane and the magic ingredient, 4% Tactel, making Deco Delight soft to the touch. Hurrah!

Unfortunately Freya didn't have a 28GG in stock so we decided to sister size to a 30G. I never sister size on the band unless it's super tight, and particularly not with my Decos since I like a fuss-free fit. However, given the circumstances and the fact I own a Rixie Clip band shortening...thingy... I agreed to try it. So with that in mind, I'll base my review on my 'true' size of a 28GG since I own so many Decos in said size. I'm too honest for my own good. I could have just lied and said it's a 28GG from the offset, but nope.

"Why is such an ordinary looking bra your absolute favourite?", I hear you ask. I shall tell you for why my dear readers! It's what it DOES to my boobs. Hello cleavage! Not to mention it's perfect under almost ANYTHING. Seriously, I wear a Deco every. Single. Day. They're really comfortable, supportive and with the addition of the racer back clip on the Deco Charm and the Deco Delight they're super practical. I'm hoping to see the racer clip featured on the basic black and nude colours in the future as this would open up a new realm of clothes shopping for me as I've ALWAYS avoided racer backs for bra strap reasons.

Normal straps...

 

...Racer straps! (Apologies for the wonky clip!)

So on to the products! The iconic Deco bra is a t-shirt bra with its smooth moulded cups and with a wide range of colours/patterns available each season. For me it's a winner because It is padded, wearable with almost anything and comes in my size! Sorry for those who it doesn't fit, but I'd recommend getting in touch with Freya to show you're interested in a wider size range. The only way they'll know more sizes are in demand is if we all tell them. FYI the Deco Delight (and most of the Deco range) comes in 28-30 D-GG, 32-36 B-GG and 38 B-G. I only have two small gripes about the Deco; the band is a tad too big but not so much that it creeps up my back, and I sometimes get a little spillage, however that's down to my badly behaved boobs(!) rather than the bra itself. For those of you with firmer boobs this shouldn't be an issue. If you like a firmer band, go down a band and up a cup (if you can) when ordering for a better fit, although I can't say I've experienced any problems to write home about in my usual band size. The Deco Delight Moulded Bra currently costs from £34 depending on the retailer.

The Deco Delight Brazilian briefs(?) are really quite lovely. They share the same cream lace and bow detailing and on the backside the lace runs across each butt cheek, which is apparently what makes them a Brazilian brief. Think something between a thong and a normal brief. I don't like to show my cellulitey butt on my blog as you may or may not have noticed, so I'm afraid you'll have to make do with product pics! I wear a large in undies for reference. The Deco Delight Brazilian is currently priced from £13 depending on the retailer and come in sizes XS to XL.

The Deco Delight Shorts again share the lace and bows and are again a large. If you're wondering why I wear a large when I'm a UK size 8, it's because I carry my fat around my butt/hip area so to wear a small would be muffin tops ahoy, which I just can't deal with on myself. I prefer the shorts to the Brazilian as they're a bit comfier. I've realised I don't have a lot to say about undies, so enjoy the pics! The Deco Delight Shorts cost from £13 at the moment, depending on where you buy them and come in sizes XS to XL.

Last but not least (I tell a lie, I like this the least) is the Deco Delight Chemise. The chemise has a hidden support panel inside with an elasticated band, which is nice and comfy if you're slobbing around. 

I found it didn't offer enough support and that my Bravissimo nightwear was better as it has much more structure and padding, although that tends to have a weird shape to it, so it's the lesser of two evils. I found that the elasticated band was far too stretchy and I probably would have been better with the XS instead of the S. That said, it's comfortable enough to sleep in. 

The chemise is dual sized from XS-L in either a B-DD cup or E-G cup and costs from £34 currently. Here I'm wearing it with the Deco Delight Bra underneath, which I think makes the prettiest combo. I imagine throwing on some chunky knitted socks and a big cardigan with these to curl up on the sofa with my boyfriend. Ahhh, bliss!

Are you addicted to any particular items of lingerie? Do you need a bra in every colour ever made? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Le Curvy Kitten

xxx

Bravissimo's summer 2013 selection

My recent Manchester trip meant another visit to full bust specialists, Bravissimo to try some of their new summer stock. I was somewhat spoilt for choice as there were so many pretty colours and patterns everywhere I looked.

The bra I was most looking forward to trying was the Freya Deco in Flamingo print, £32. I ADORE the kitsch flamingo print and the moulded cup Deco is my go-to bra. I tried this in a 28GG, what I thought to be my 'true' size, but it was unfortunately too small in the cup by one cup size. The band was okay, not too tight and not too loose but a little more loose than a 'true' 28 band. I might need to buy this in a sister size as I love it so much! The Deco Flamingo is available in size 28 DD-GG, 30-36 D-GG and 3 D-G. Matching shorts and briefs are £12.

Next I tried the Cleo Maddie, £26. I chose this moulded bra to try as it looked like a good substitute for the Freya Deco. Again in a 28GG, and again too small in the cup. The band is nice and firm too, much more true to size than the Deco. I don't normally have any luck with Cleo bras, but this one impressed me enough to buy it in a 28H without even trying it on first! I got the matching shorts £14.50 in a size 14 which are exactly the same as a Freya Deco short in a Large. The fit is similar to the Smoothie bra by Curvy Kate in that it's not a mega cleavagey plunge like the Deco but more of a low centred balcony. It has a higher central gore, which means it encases my breasts better than a Deco, meaning no spillage towards the centre of the cups. I do wish I could find a happy medium. The only negative point I have to say on this bra is that the fully adjustable straps are quite thin. I've not worn it yet so I'll have to see how that pans out when I do.

Possibly the prettiest I tried was the Retro Bloom by Bravissimo, £32. The colour combination of yellow, blue, lilac, coral and red trim are perfect together. The bra is a lightly padded balcony with fully adjustable straps. I had no fitting issues with this in a 28H, and the shorts in a M (£16), but I didn't buy this as I was only really looking for a moulded everyday set. It's a really lovely set and I hope to see more like this from Bravissimo in the future. Pease excuse the red marks across my stomach where my tights has been sitting!

Another hotly anticipated set for me was the Hello Dolly set by Freya. £32 for the bra, £12 for the shorts. I LOVE the Russian doll print and folk-inspired trim in teal, red and mustard. This is a 28GG and I thought it seemed a bit large in the cups when I first put it on, but once I'd 'swept and scooped' I filled it out nicely. The shorts I tried were a Medium, but would have been better in a Large. It's a real shame this bra isn't padded, or better still, a Deco, as I don't wear unpadded bras, so again I chose not to buy this one. If you are a fan of unpadded bras and cute prints, then don't miss out on Hello Dolly! 

Again, excuse the red marks across my stomach!

I also tried on two bras from the newest fuller bust brand, Tutti Rouge, but I'll be writing a separate post on them shortly.

So what do you think of Bravissimo's summer picks?

By the way...I WON!

Totally forgot to thank you all for voting for me in Brastop's Cover Girl competition. I won! 

If you're a Brastop customer, you have probably already received your copy of their magazine with me on the front and an exclusive interview inside! Eek! Exciting stuff! If you're not a customer, you can read the magazine online here, but (at the time of writing this), 'my' issue is not online to view yet.

So here's what the finished product looks like, along with the postcard that was sent out to customers for my Model Of The Month win back in January.

Thanks again, I wouldn't have won without your support :)

Help me WIN! (And see me in pants again!)

Back in January you may recall me winning Brastop's Model Of The Month competition for December. On May 4th I attended a professional photo shoot for the overall Covergirl competition with 4 other Model Of The Month winners. The winner gets to feature on the front cover of Brastop's summer issue of their magazine.

As I knocked on the door of the London house, I could hear lots of girly giggling! I was greeted by Becky Mount, one of Brastop's resident bloggers, with a huge hug! Firstly the hair stylist got to work on my stubborn hair, setting it in large rollers...

Arrgh! No make up!!

Then I had lots of free time to roam around the unbelievable £5 million house(!), so I took a few shots, naturally:

Then, after snacking on cake, crisps, etc, I was whisked into make-up. Soon after that I got to try out my first lingerie set of the day, the Freya Erin. I loved this set but sadly it's not availible in my size. All 5 of us girls were then asked to do some fun shots, such as all five of us piling into a wardrobe, using kid's toy cakes as makeshift boobies, that kind of thing! We had such a laugh, I had tears running down my face!

All five of us all glammed up and ready to rock! Good luck girls!

I must admit, being around these 4 gorgeous girls (and they really are stunning) made me feel so old! I think I managed to hide my 30 years though. Or should I say, the make up artist did! After the fun shots I was asked to change into three different sets for my individual shots. The photographer was he lovely Alison Webster, the same one I'd met last year for the Curvy Kate Star In A Bra 2011 top 10 shoot. A fun (and manic) day was had by all, and the 5 hours I was there flew by way too fast! I could have stayed in that house for a long time just exploring each floor!

Here are a few of my shots from the day:

Curvy Kate Emily in Lavender

Curvy Kate Princess in Pink

So....Now the important part. Time for your input! 

All I need you to do is CLICK HERE and LIKE my photo. This photo in fact:

Freya Flamingo Bikini

Voting ends on Friday 18th May 2012, So if you'd like to see me on the front of Brastop's magazine, please take a few seconds to vote for me. I'd really appreciate it if you could also share the link after you've voted to help me even more! Since I missed out on winning Star In A Bra last year and id't get chosen this year, I'd love to win this competition.

All the gorgeous lingerie featured in this post is available from Brastop.

Please cross all fingers and toes for me, and VOTE VOTE VOTE! Thank you! <3

xxx

Titty fittin' time!

The sky was grey, my belly was rumbling for dinner, yet the call of Bravissimo was strong. Off I went, camera in hand with an idea of what I wanted to try. The Manchester store is very small and only has a few sizes out, so I grabbed what I like and what other bloggers have raved about and headed up to the fitting rooms, where I was met by a lovely fitter, Laura, who sized me up at a 28H.

She showed me into the fitting room and went off to see what she could find in my size from my selection. First up, the £23 Juna bra by Cleo. I tried a 28GG and a 28H in this, the former being a little small in the cup, the latter a little big. My issues with this bra were that the straps were a little too wide set for me and the lace gaped so much that it seemed as though it was meant for the next cup size up! Laura said I appeared to be between sizes. I was quite disappointed about this because I was looking for a new everyday bra to replace my badly fitting (but well loved) Freya Decos. You can't really tell the difference between the sizes here. In fact, I couldn't tell which size the middle photo was...

Next I tried the Porcelain bra in nude, £26 by Panache. This is a 30G as it's not made in a 28H, and I knew the 28G would be too small. As expected, the band is too big, and the straps are too long, as is the case with a lot of bras I try. The cups were too small for me too.

Laura soon realised I was a total pain in the arse and bought a different everyday bra out for me to try, the Fantasie Smoothing Seamfree in Nude, £29. The one pictured is (I think) a 30GG. Laura suggested I tried this and mentioned 28H, so I'm guessing she chose this as an equivalent size. I stupidly didn't check the label, sorry guys! There is a very similar style here for £23. To be honest, I don't know the difference other than the little bows on the straps. Anyway, as you can see, it's far too big, and I don't think I'd like it even in the correct cup size either. It's not the kind of moulded cup I like as it pushes the breasts too far apart, as opposed to the Freya Deco that pushes them together. I'm sure that given the correct size I might be tempted to give this one a try for those days when I don't want a cleavage.

For comparison, here's what a Freya Deco looks like on me. This is a 30G, which is not ideal as the back is so large, but since Freya haven't released their much coveted 28GG, this will do for now.

Finally for the bras, the stunning Vava by Miss Mandalay in Jade Animal. At £35 it's a little more than I'd be happy to pay, but the beautiful colour and quality really make you feel a million dollars. This bra is true to size in the back but runs about a size small in the cup. I tried a 28H on first as I thought I was a 28GG, but as you can see from the photo below, it was too small and I was bulging out.

Laura then brought out a 28HH (which I must admit scared me a little!) that fitted beautifully, but not as I personally like a bra to fit me. I felt it spread my boobs across my chest, which some women don't mind, but as I said before, I prefer them pushed forward and together. All in all, this bra is beautiful and luxurious, but the shape is just not for me. Here's one last photo of the 28H and 28HH side by side. The 28H looks good from the front, but remember the photo above.

Time for bed, and what better to wear than a nightdress with an in-built bra, right? Wrong! The Moulin Rose nightdress at £45 is quite an extravagant buy for something to sleep in, so I was hoping it would be spot on. Unfortunately not. I tried on a 28GG/H, which was fine, but the overall fit was not flattering at all. This was not helped by the overly long straps and the fact that the three buttons at the back are IMPOSSIBLE to fasten. I struggled to open them with the damn thing right in front of my face! I'm not giving up hope on Bravissimo's nightwear as I've heard many good things, so try it for yourself, you might be surprised!

Bravissimo is well worth a visit, the staff are really helpful and know their stuff, down to the size discrepancies in various shapes and brands. y only issue with the Manchester store is that it's very small and doesn't stock a lot in my size, but Laura said she could order my size in if I wished. I promised Laura I'd mention her as she was wonderful, I just hope she gets to read this!