Salon International de la Lingerie: Preview of Scantilly AW16 Collection

I am back from Paris! So happy to be back even though it was a great trip – I got to meet not one but three lingerie bloggers this time (hi Astrid, Anna and Cora!) and see so many brands that cannot really be seen anywhere in the UK or Finland. Exciting times! This roundup of SS16 collections is going to kick-start with the oh-so-alluring Scantilly by Curvy Kate, which was one of my personal favourites for this upcoming autumn.

Peek-a-boo in lime green & Invitation in royal blue (Editors note: the ever-so-stunning Laura is NOT wearing the right size in these pictures, but a cup size too small for her – this is because the samples were crafted for another CK model, Lottie! The size range all across the collection is 30-38 DD-HH, S-XL.)

I love Curvy Kate as in my opinion, it is one of the most comfortable lingerie brands out there (this is only a personal preference though). But what really excites me is their naughtier sub-label Scantilly – I have been raving about the aesthetics of this brand for half a year now and I have even written a review of their core style Peek-a-boo (click for the review!). This AW16 season there will be three previous styles (including the breath-taking “Surrender”-basque, YAY!) continuing their journey in the Scantilly storyline, but also four new styles to take the collection a bit further.

The Peek-a-boo is introduced in a lovely new colourway for the autumn season; an amazing lime green which is a lovely unique shade to the full-bust lingerie industry. Not much green has been seen for the past couple of years but this spring it’s actually making its way into the collections of some mainstream brands. The black version of this set will still be included in the collection as a core style but to be honest, I am way more excited about such a unique colour than any sexy black bra out there! “The Invitation” is another style introduced already a couple of months ago – this time however, it will be launched in a more sumptuous royal blue colour which takes the set up a notch with a more luxurious feel to it.

Fixate & Showtime, both in black/cream

The Fixate and Showtime sets are both new-comers in the Scantilly family – they are lovely feminine ensembles with contrasting classic colourways and luxurious feeling texture to them. I am not usually the biggest fan of polka dots but I do like it at times when it comes to cute lingerie. And that’s what Showtime really is – something über cute with some seriously sexy + strappy detailing and a suspender belt to top it all of. The set comes with a more covering short-style brief but also a skimpy thong for those more daring.

The Fixate features a lovely scale-reminiscing embroidery that adorns the lacy non-padded cups but also the matching ouvert-back knickers and the teeny-weeny thong. The style of the Fixate bra is something quite new to both CK and Scantilly – it is a bandless shape which is always quite intriguing fit-wise.

Ignite in copper/black and Unleash in black faux leather

These last two sets are the ones that really stood out for me in this collection – the gorgeous metallic ensemble Ignite and the leather-y show stopper Unleash. Both collections are on the naughtier side of Scantilly – there is nothing sweet or girly about these sets anymore, they are pretty much oozing of sexiness that nobody can deny. Copper is still not very widely used as a contrasting colour in lingerie (at least not in the full-bust market) but what really is not for the shyest about the Ignite, are the open-crotch knickers. Yap, you heard me. Open. Crotch.

My absolute favourite set in the collection is the Unleash though – who is not in for a bit of faux-leather goodness?! The bra is a classic half-cup shape with an amazing rose-gold buckle and there are two sexy options for the bottoms; a strappy thong or a key-hole detail featuring high-waisted knickers. The range also features two novelty pieces to it which include a sheer black smock top and a breath-takingly innovative Tuxedo harness. I am pretty sure the Tuxedo will be a hit product as soon as it launches in late autumn!

What are your favourites from this Scantilly AW16? Also, what are your thoughts on faux-leather lingerie and open crotch knickers? I am itching to know so drop me a comment below, will you!

Happy New Year with Playful Promises – Review of “Juliet” in 32G

Hi everyone and happy Three Kings’ Day! Christmas is finally over and I am finishing off my holidays as well – the uni is starting again on 11th so still a few more days to go. The reason I haven’t blogged for two weeks is because, obviously holiganza happened but also because I have been organizing things for my incoming exchange students. I am taking care of 11 students this spring term and it has already been a hassle so excuse me for lacking the time to engage with you! I am happy to say though that I am back and will start off the year with something super lovely – that is the Playful Promises full bust collection.

When Anna from Playful Promises contacted me this late autumn and told me about her upcoming DD-G collection, I was so excited – PP is a brand I have been loving and drooling over for a couple of years now and as they were out of reach for me because of the size range, they left my heart broken in million pieces. Imagine my joy when they announced the size expansion! Anna was kind to offer me a set from this new collection and as I had been lusting over the strappy lingerie trend for a while, I decided to go for the sexy and edgy Juliet. Here’s how I like the complete set!

Design: I had such a hard time picking a set from this fantastic collection as Playful Promises really nails it with every single design they do. And I am not kidding – you know when most brands come up with a couple of gems a season but this brand is something else. Each set is a carefully crafted piece of seduction that speaks to me personally on so many levels. When I saw the Portia on eg Becky from Becky’s Boudoir I went instantly nuts and was sad I couldn’t catch them all – but you mustn’t be greedy ya know 😉

I have loved the strappy Dom lingerie trend when it first came in fashion and even though some people are predicting it to finally see its end, I am really loving these sorts of designs still. I was happy to see Playful Promises translate the style to a full-bust collection and I think they hit jackpot with Juliet – the clean styling and black colour of set emphasize the carefully placed straps that adorn the bodice and upper bust area. The bra comes with a separate harness that goes over the bra and can be tossed if it does not suit your ensemble of the day. I personally haven’t found many dresses that would compliment this bra that much but I have a red little number on the way that just might be it.

The bra cups are constructed of three pieces with two vertical seams – which is actually pretty unusual for a G-cup bra. Most brands refuse to use this pattern as it is not seen as the most supportive one – which I beg to disagree on. I really like how PP uses this sorts of style to create half-cup like look but unfortunately, there is still some work that needs to be done on the shape. I personally feel it flattens and widens my bust a bit which is something that Anna and her design team could still look into. I prefer a very rounded look to my bust and this is why I would love to see this style tweaked just a bit.

Fit: With new full-bust collections it is always a bit of a hassle to find your perfect size and fit. As PP does not go above G yet, I decided to sister size down from 30GG (which I still sometimes wear in addition to 30H) to 32G. I was aware that PP might come a bit small in the band like most vintage inspired / reproduction lingerie brands which is why I was quite certain the band wouldn’t come up too loose. And I was right – the band is very tight and the 32 only stretches up to approximately 31″ which is my exact underbust measurement (I should probably cut down on my back weights at the gym, sigh…) at the moment. If you are between band sizes, I would definitely suggest sizing up. The band is a rather rigid sort of power mesh which is why I don’t see it stretching out too easily either.

The cups are pretty much true to size and fit the same way as with most British full-bust brands – quite wide and shallow that is. This does not personally suit my breast shape that well and I would love for PP to experiment with just a smidge deeper cups to achieve a better fit for so many girls like me. However, I know that there really are wide and shallow girls out there as well and this could be a great fit for them. I am just being greedy and wanting this brand to fit me amazingly so I can buy all the pretties, haha!

The wires are not super wide like some British underwires so I definitely don’t have a problem with them going too far in my armpits. The cups are also pretty low-cut meaning the wires are not chafing me anywhere. The centre gore of the bra floats a bit off my sternum but not horribly so and if the cups were just a teeny bit deeper, I am sure this would be fixed (though I am not too fussy about floating gores, I actually hate when they tack me too hard and pinch me in the sternum!)

Comfort: As I did mention before, the band is very tight on me which is why it’s perhaps not the most comfy on me yet. This is because I have not gotten much wear out of the bra for not getting my creative juices flowing and pairing it with enough outfits. I am sure however that after a few more wears the band will loosen up and feel more comfortable. In fact, it is better for the band to be a bit too snug at first, so it will still be supportive after you “break it in”. The materials are lovely on this set and I love how good quality they feel on – the metal parts are sturdy and the garters of the girdle are “real” garters which actually hold up your stockings.

The straps of the bra are quite wide and placed well so they won’t fall off my shoulders easily; they are also half-adjustable but still quite a good length so I could see this working on someone a bit taller or shorter than me (I am 5’6 for reference).The underwires of the bra are very flexible meaning they move nicely with my body while being active throughout the day.

The co-ordinates to this set are equally lovely as the bra itself – I love that the set comes with a high-waisted panty which is my preferred style of knickers but also with a lovely vintage-style girdle. Both of them have little peep-holes at the back which is a great design detail and suit the set well. I got both the panties and the girdle in a UK size 12 but I can see that there is a slight size difference between them – the girdle comes up a bit snugger than the knickers and I easily could have sized down to 10 with the panties. I think this might be because the girdle is a smoothing garment as well and needs to suck your tummy in a bit to create a desired silhouette. All in all, I love both of the co-ordinates and they are perfect for everyday wear for being simple in design and creating a clean line under pencil dresses and other sleek clothes.

If you would like to get some extravagant full-bust lingerie for yourself, do check out the Playful Promises full-bust collection on their online store. The prices are a bit higher than your average full-bust bras and everyday panties but then again – this is not your average lingerie. The Juliet harness bra (comes in sizes 28-36 DD-G) sets you back at £65, the high-waisted knickers (UK sizes 8-16) at £25 and the girdle (sizes 8-16) at £38.

How do you like the new Playful Promises full-bust collection? Do you think boudoir brands are in need in the full bust market? Let me know in the comments! xx

The Perfect Christmas Babe – Review of Scantilly “Peek-a-Boo” in 30H

When I first got to know Scantilly at Moda Exhibition, I fell head over heals in love with the whole range. It was something completely new that no full bust brand had ever done before – something sexy yet still sophisticated that came in both small back sizes and big cups. Erotic lingerie has been huge after the whole 50 Shades phenomenon burst into the scene but there were definitely audiences that weren’t reached for too many years. First core sizes, then plus, but the fuller bust brands never really took the plunge and so many women were left hanging and disappointed.

Today, I am finally reviewing the Scantilly “Peek-a-Boo” set which is available in both red and black. Lumingerie, who are longtime 2COP supporters and a local lingerie e-commerce shop, were kind enough to gift me a set for review so here’s how I liked my first Scantilly underthings!

Design: I love how this set makes me feel! I went for the red Peek-a-Boo set as I love how appropriate it is for this particular season. What a perfect stocking stuffer! The construction is quite different from any Curvy Kate bra I have ever tried (Scantilly is a CK sub-label, if you didn’t know) as the cups are made of FOUR parts, with two vertical and one horizontal seam. The three lower cup parts create a great rounded look to the bust but also lift my girls a great deal.

The style of the bra is a very traditional balconette, meaning the centre gore of the bra is quite high. The gore itself features a lovely key hole detail which actually sits very nicely on my sternum – which is not something that key hole gores usually do! I am not sure if this has something to do with my particular rib cage and bust shape but I am really digging the sexy detailing. The cups are very much see-through which is an absolute upside for me but could be a turn-off to some who want to stay more modest – this however, is not what the set is going for obviously, so no gripes there!

Fit: Curvy Kate is one of those brands that usually fit me pretty consistently so I was quite sure that a 30H would be my perfect size with Scantilly as well. As Lumingerie storage locates in my home town I was lucky enough to get trying these beauties in a couple of different sizes before opting for the right one. I did try a cup size up, so a 30HH, but the other cup wrinkled a bit more with that one, so I decided to choose my regular 30H. There was not a big difference between the two sizes but I did notice that the bigger cups were instantly a lot wider and thus did not fit me properly. I would suggest going for your CK size, with Peek-a-Boo at least (the All Wrapped Up bra was a bit smaller and I fitted well in a 30HH).

What I have always loved about Curvy Kate is their extremely comfy bands. They are amazing at making just the right size bands for me; as most of you know, I am between 30 and 32 at the moment (I think I measure around 30,5-31″ under my bust) and the Peek-a-Boo 30-band stretches pretty much up to 31″ which is great for comfort. The band features three hooks and eyes which makes it all the more supportive and sturdy. This time I was very pleased with the wire-width as well – usually CK is a bit too wide for me but this time the wire width is quite average so pretty much perfect for me. The cups run true-to-size and are on the shallower side but not horribly so – I only get a bit of empty space at the bottom of the cups.

Comfort: As I said before, I think Curvy Kate and thus Scantilly as well, make the best bra bands for me personally. I have a pretty prominent rib cage meaning very rigid bands can cause me both skin irritation and too much pressure on my bones. The band is wide and stretchy yet sturdy enough to feel good quality and nothing that will stretch out too easily. The bra straps are fully adjustable but quite short for a change, so I am not sure if very tall and long-torsoed women would find the bra comfy (anyone have any experience on this?). The straps are also placed quite widely on the shoulders which is actually my only gripe with this bra. I am not particularly petite regarding my shoulders but still, I have some chafing around the armpit area as the straps touch it while moving my arms.

The Peek-a-Boo set comes with two bottom options: the open-back brief and the regular one. I loved the idea of the naughtier panty option (forgive me, Santa!) so I did request for it in size Small for the co-ordinates. The Scantilly knickers come in double sizes, meaning the Small is a UK size 8-10 which sounds a bit skimpier to me than they actually are. I would say the Small is about exactly size 10, meaning I would have perhaps preffered something between Small and Medium. The knickers fit me well though and I am very happy with how surprisingly comfy they are, regardless of the open back that made me a bit hesitant at first. Do give these babes a try if you can – they are so unique and the style is very flattering in flesh!

If you would like to try the Scantilly “Peek-a-Boo”, head over to Lumingerie as they are now shipping FOR FREE to EU countries in addition to Finland! The Peek-a-Boo bra sets you back at 66€ and the open-back panties at 33€ which is a bit higher than usual Curvy Kate sets but still very reasonable for the unique styling and lovely quality materials. I must say this set is absolute lust-list material and many ladies would be happy to receive it as an Xmas gift 😉 (Hint hint, ladies & fellas!)

Suomeksi: Moikka moi! Enpä ole pitkään aikaan kirjoittanut suomeksi, mutta nyt häätynee, kun on kyseessä niin spesiaali tuotearvostelu – varsinkin kun tämä setti on niin helposti saatavilla ihan täältä kotosuomesta! Ai niin, ja hauskaa itsenäisyyspäivää kaikille 😉 Nyt onkin jo se aika, kun moni leidi ja herrasmies miettii siellä kotosohvalla, että mitä sitä shoppailisi sille rakkaimmalle ja tässä olisikin hyvä vaihtoehto pukinkonttiin: kauniita alusvaatteita joulunpunaisissa sävyissä!

Kyseessä on tällä kertaa yllänäkyvä Scantillyn “Peek-a-Boo”-setti, jonka Lumingerie ystävällisesti lahjoitti minulle arvostelua varten. Settiä on saatavana sekä perusmustana kuin tänä herkullisena punaisena, joka valikoitua tällä kertaa omaksi suosikikseni. Setin sain brittikoossa 30H eli 65H ja alushousut valkkasin koossa S. 

65H on minulle melko tyypillinen koko britti-merkkien kanssa, joten olin tyytyväinen kokoluokitukseen myös Scantillyn kohdalla. Scantillyhän on siis Curvy Katen tuhmempi pikkusisko, joten oletin myös istuuvuden olevan samaa luokkaa. Yllätyksekseni eroja kuitenkin löytyi – Scantillyssa kupit antavat mielestäni pyöreämmän muodon rinnalle ja kaarituet ovat hiukan kapeammat kuin Curvy Katen liiveissä. Molemmat ominaisuudet miellyttivät itseäni kovasti ja itselleni liivit istuivat todella hyvin. Sanotaanko kuitenkin se, että istuvuuteen näyttäisi vaikuttavan huomattavasti rinnan kiinteys ja rintakudoksen jakautuminen – kiinteät ja “yläosasta” täyteläiset rinnat ovat tämän mallin kanssa ehdottomasti yhteensopivimmat!

Jos jotain miinuspuolia pitäisi setistä etsiä, olisi sellainen todennäköisesti ainakin joillekin vartaloille ko. rintsikoiden olkainten sijainti ja pituus. Olkaimet ovat aika lyhyet, joten jos olet erityisen pitkä, voivat ne olla sinulle liian kireät jopa täysin löysytettynä. Pienemmille tyttösille ongelmana voi puolestaan olla olkainten kaukainen etäisyys toisistaan: liian leveälle asetetut olkaimet voivat hiertää kainalon seutua ja aiheuttaa näin lievää ihoärsytystä.

Kaiken kaikkiaan Peek-a-Boo vaikuttaa minusta laadultaan, istuvuudeltaan ja mukavuudeltaan kuitenkin oikein ihanalta setiltä. Vaikkei istuvuus olisi juuri sinun rintojesi kanssa se paras, on setti joka tapauksessa loistava vaihtoehto vaikkapa vain omaksi tai puolison piristykseksi 😉 Jos haluat napata setin jo ennen joulua, kannattaa se tilata nyt, ennen kuin joulupukki on vienyt kaikki koot muille naisille! Rintsikat kustantavat 66€ ja alushousut 33€, mikä on mielestäni ihan kohtuullinen hinta näin laadukkaista ja uniikeista alusvaatteista. Lumingeriella on ilmaiset postikulut, vaihdot ja palautukset, mikä tekee tilaamisesta todella helppoa meille suomalaisille. Tuotteet tulevat myös parissa päivässä, joten kokoakin kerkeää vaikka vaihtaa ennen aattoiltaa!

Introducing Scantilly: Curvy Kate’s Naughty Sister!

You may have bumped into Scantilly already – she is a frivolous little thing Curvy Kate came up with to satisfy their customers’ more specific needs, that is erotic full-bust lingerie. I did not include Scantilly in my Moda roundup post last time when they were first released to the crowd as I felt there were enough bloggers already raving about the new range. This time however, I am early in the Scantilly bandwagon and will show you all six styles at once. The first three sets, telling the stories of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, will be launched any day now and the next three sets will be launching in November – just in time for my birthday! Also, there is a lovely naughty little story/competition I will tell you all about in a minute… So tag along!

  
From top to bottom: Peek-A-Boo, Pounce, All Wrapped Up

First, I really need to address that traditionally ‘erotic’ lingerie has never really intrigued me – I am not sure why as it seems to be the thing for many women out there and has exploded massively after the 50 shades phenomenon came alive. To me, traditionally sexy lingerie has just felt a bit boring and sometimes even cheap – the materials are usually quite tacky and the fit is poor, which is not an option for someone who writes about lingerie on a weekly basis! However, I do like the idea of having something special when you just feel like a total babe and perhaps, it is this sweet spot that the Scantilly range touches in me. It does have the same sexy feel to it as some more mainstream erotic brands but the materials and the execution just seem a bit more sophisticated and interesting to me.

The Scantilly range will be released biannually just as with the regular Curvy Kate collection but each drop will include three styles to continue a certain story that can be read in the brochures (which are super limited, sorry Anna for stealing this one! I am a horrible person…) which will come together as a writing competition in the end. First six styles will come with a story about each weekday with the Sunday left to mystery – this is where you come in! All Scantilly fans have the opportunity to write a story ending of their own which makes it all more interesting and seems like a nice way to engage customers in a fun way. I certainly will be taking part and perhaps… publishing my story ending here on the blog as well 😉

The first three styles of the Scantilly range, called Peek-A-Boo, Pounce and All Wrapped Up are fantastic designs to start the collection with and I pretty impressed with the unique and fun ways that Scantilly embraces the whole erotic theme. Of course, I am a fan of suspenders which is why this collection makes me particularly happy (although I never seem to wear them really…)! Also, the Peek-A-Boo set features a lovely open-back bottom which I adore. Nothing is done in trashy way and I have to say, I would adopt any of these babes in my lingerie collection in a heart-beat!

  
Top to bottom: Peek-A-Boo, Invitation, Surrender

With the next three styles the Scantilly girl goes even a bit wilder with some lovely reds, straps and see-through materials. It is no secret or wonder which one of the new November styles is my favourite – the boneless Surrender-basque is definitely something different in the full-bust scene! However, the red Peek-a-Boo and Invitation are both stunning designs as well and again, both come with the infamous open back bottoms. To be honest, from the red and black Peek-A-Boo sets I would probably go for the red one as black is not really my thing. Also the pink shade of the Invitation hints of innocence when the half cup shape of the bra leaves a bit more on the show.

The Scantilly range has a bit narrower size range than Curvy Kate but still goes from DD to HH which is very impressive for such a new collection. Also, if the collection turns out to be a success, the cup sizes will definitely be extended in the future. How do you feel about Scantilly and which of the styles is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below! xx