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!

A Very Pink and Red Valentine’s Day Lingerie Lust List!

And apparently a post with a very long headline, hehe. So, it’s that time of the year again – Valentine’s Day is around the corner. And guess what? I am actually spending it with my boo this year – what a shocker! I have been with Mr. M for 2 years and two months now and not once have we spent the Valentine’s Day together since I have spent my Valentine’s in UK for the last couple of years.

This time, I am visiting the Paris tradeshow which is held a couple of weeks before Moda, meaning I will finally get my cheesy date this year! I am also big on V-day gifts cause hell, who doesn’t like gifts? I certainly do and am looking forward to getting something for my Mr Right from my Paris trip. When it comes to gifts for myself on Valentine’s, I do love a bit of lingerie. Here are a few examples of cheesy V-day lingerie a pink princess like myself would enjoy!

Scantilly “Invitation”

I am in love with Scantilly and I suppose everyone around here knows about my big crush already. But the collection reeeeaaally screams Valentine’s Day (or night?) date and would be something most full-bust girls would dream of receiving on a romantic and sexy holiday like that. I have reviewed the Scantilly “Peek-a-boo” set before and already have my eyes on the Surrender basque and the lovely pink “Invitation” which is the perfect demi-cup pink/black bra under a low cut dress. I am also pretty damn sure any guy/girl would be lucky to see this worn after the hot date! Scantilly goes up to HH-cup at the moment and can be bought at Brastop and Figleaves.

x
Cleo by Panache “Kali” Babydoll

Cleo makes lovely options for young women with full-busts and just in time for Valentine’s Day, they have come out with an amazing shade with the Kali babydoll. The babydoll might be a cheesy option for V-day with its hearts embroidery but who said cheesy was a bad thing? I personally love the deep raspberry hue of the babydoll and the amazing thing about it is that it goes up to J-cup. You can get the babydoll and a matching low-cut brief at Bravissimo and the babydoll itself sets you back £37 – not bad, huh?

Comexim “Rita”

Ordering from Poland is always a bit of a hassle as the bras are usually made-to-order and thus take a bit more time to ship. Luckily, there is still time to make that order if you are in the mood to treat your girl with something a bit more special. Processing the order can take up to 10 days but after that, the set should arrive in no time, no matter if you live in Finland or USA. The Polish brands are also usually great value for the money – this particular Rita bra sets you back at 35$ which is not bad for something that has on-point construction and a stylish design.

Curvy Kate “Tease” babydoll and bra set

This is probably one of my ultimate lust-list sets as it was the first well-fitted set I got when I was 18. I am so glad CK brought this colourway back as it is definitely one of the most gorgeous ones ever seen – and for once the red is not paired with black. I am also loving how they turned the Tease into a ruffly sweet babydoll which will be perfect for this Valentine’s Day. As this colourway is already technically last season, you can now get it at a reduced price almost everywhere. Brastop has a pretty good selection of prices available, so I would check there first.

Samanta “Anvers” in A470

If you are buying for a basics-loving lady but still want to treat her for a little bit of pink goodness, why not try another Polish brand, Samanta. Samanta has been reviewed here on 2COP many times and this particular set is called “Anvers” will be the next one reviewed on the 31st of January. This set is breathtakingly pretty in flesh and features a lovely smooth finish which is perfect under sleek t-shirts and jersey dresses. To give your a spoiler on the fit of the bra in A475, Jo said that it might actually be her best-fitting bra ever. Quite a compliment, huh?

+ A MANDATORY SPLURGE

Vollers “Lusso” Waist-Training Corsets

Not every gentleman/lady has the money to splurge on a well-made waist-trainer but in my dream world, there would be such corsets to everyone! I have been lusting after a proper waist-trainer for months now but I am not sure which company to go to – I don’t want to get anything rubbish that will wear out right away and in the worst case scenario, would hurt my body some way. I have heard that Vollers is a very reputable corset company so what better brand to add on my lust list? The pink Lusso corset is a perfect option for long-torsoed gals like me and IF you would happen to have the dough to spend, it would be yours for £155.

Here’s my wishlist for this upcoming Valentine’s Day! What is on your list? Also, what are your plans for the V-day? 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

The Best of the Best – Moda AW15 Lingerie Roundup

As we are already approaching Moda which is no more than a month away, I decided to put together a roundup post for you of my absolute favourite styles for this upcoming season, introduced last February at Moda. Me and luckily Jo as well are visiting Moda in August again and I want to share some of my faves before the new Moda posts start rolling again! I know I haven’t been as active with my new collection introductions lately but please forgive me, it has been a very busy spring with my new job and bachelor degree research (I am now finishing it up, it’s about body image & eating disorders). However, here are some brands and new AW15 styles that really impressed me a few months ago – I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Ambra Lingerie

Ambra is an Italian lingerie brand which still remains as a luxury-focused family business in the town of Alba (interestingly the home town of Nutella as well!). The silky garments are designed and produced by hand in Italy which makes Ambra an ethically-aware lingerie manufacturer and a supporter of local employment. Even though local production always takes the prices up a notch, I do believe the production process itself is something that needs to be considered when talking about real product value. Also, the Ambra lingerie is made mostly out of silk and high-end Italian lace which makes the garments look and feel gorgeous to the wearer. The size range is still rather small but they have introduced F-cups only recently and the way is up if the demand is there! I fell in love with the delicate style above, rocking a bold combo of gold and dark purple which is a rather unusual combination for next AW season.

Millesia

Millesia is a French brand founded in the 90’s and has since aimed to create feminine yet strong styles to please women’s luxury needs in the A-D category. Even though the brand is new to me personally, I was struck by its personality and strong sense of aesthetics. The new collection was a seducing combination of fine details, lace and bondage vibes which makes it look interesting even though we have seen the 50 shades style in lingerie for a couple of years now. The set above was one of the more clean-cut yet powerful styles of Millesia for next season and I sure would love to see it produced in bigger sizes as well.

Freya

The old Frey Frey and I were not the best of friends when I entered the full-bust world a few years back. Everyone else was raving about their fit but it turned out that my FOT boobs were not too happy in most of their bras so I left it to that and turned to the likes of Curvy Kate instead. However, recently the Freya designs have improved to the level that I am super intrigued to give them a go again, even just for the looks sake. This lovely little number is called Minx and it is available in various bra styles with a size range of D-G with plunge balconette and padded half-cup styles and GG-K in the balconette style. The pic above features the first-mentioned and I am in love with the key-hole detail at the gore!

Evollove

Evollove is a fairly new D-G brand with young-ish target market and reasonable prices. I have had the chance to try Evollove bras at the Mimi & You boutique I visited last time I was London and even though the brand goes “only” up to G, they are a great option for someone looking for fun everyday bras at budget. The style above is one of their amazing longlines which are a plenty compared to other British brands in the same size category. In addition to creating sassy youthful styles for women in their 20’s, it is also a great brand to look for age appropriate bras for young girls in their early teens – this brand knows how to do a good cute floral which is something that appeals to almost any tween + their moms 😉

Gossard

Oh mighty Gossard, you seem to seduce me every time and this time was no different. The good news is, they are also bringing back more up-to-G styles again! I am so smitten as last season of Gossard was a bit of disappointment for me size-wise. This time I will have a few lovely styles to choose from, including the Desire range pictured above. Longlines up to G? I’ll take it! Also, there seems to be a fair amount of high-waisted options and suspender belts on offer, which makes a true pinup gal like myself jump for joy. What seems to be the highlight of this upcoming season will however be the classic Gossard “Gypsy”-style, brought back from the 80’s to today and renewed. No doubt I will be trying that bad boy out!

Scantilly

As Curvy Kate’s new sub-label Scantilly has been splattered across the internet already, I settle with bringing you my favourite style from the collection: the Pounce. Even though the whole small collection was completely on-point and amazing, something in this leopard lover speaks to me with such volumes. Maybe it’s the suspender belt? I don’t know but heaven’s Lord this collection is something needed in the full-bust scene! It embraces the 50 shades trend so well with a sophisticated touch that I am only left swoon and hoping to get to try these beauties asap. The sizes go up to HH so small-ish compared to other CK styles but we can definitely expect bigger cups in the future!

Signature

Signature was first introduced on 2COP about a year ago when I encountered the brand at August 2014 Moda. The brand is a sub-label to After Eden which is already a rather well-known brand across Europe, including Finland where it is sold as a house-hold name in big department stores. As After Eden only goes up to DD, the brand has given birth to a new baby in both bigger band and cup sizes. The band sizes start at 32 and end at 44 which is a fair size range for such a new brand. Also, the cups are rumoured to run large which makes it a winner instantly! My fave from the collection was the snake-print “Grace” which comes in a lovely fashion-forward colour combo or petrol blue and black.

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All in all the AW15 season looks promising! I still have a couple of brands I want to go more in-depth with so if you wondered about the absence of Curvy Kate and Lepel in my post, stay tuned as they are being previewed very soon 😉 Have a lovely upcoming week everyone and do let me know which style appealed to you the most from this roundup!