Lovehoney Short Satin Robe

January 6th, 2018

Lovehoney Short Satin Robe
$24.99 from Lovehoney

I own a few robes. I don’t frequently use them; although, I could (to answer the door when the mailman inevitably knocks while I sleep).  One is a bright pink option from Victoria’s Secret, and the other is a black lace number that I like but doesn’t really cover anything for the aforementioned use. A black, satin robe seemed right up my alley.

And you can get one from Lovehoney as part of their lingerie line, which I’ve reviewed items in before. Those items have been hit or miss. Although, I’m quick to admit that my relationship with lingerie isn’t what it once was.

Out of the bag, the satin seems stiff (and it’s noticeably stiff compared to the VS robe that I’ve had over a decade). These things tend to soften up over time, but it does make the robe seem cheaper than I like. At around half the price of some other robes, however, it might be a sacrifice that most people are willing to make.

I would forgive the robe that issue if it fit well, but it’s a bit awkward. First things first. I ordered on size rather than the plus size (get it here), and it just meets around my rib cage.  I wasn’t sure if the fit was small because of weight gain or what, but my VS robe still fits comfortably with room. I think Lovehoney is just making these robes small. So I would definitely size up if you’re unsure or want extra room.

The result is a robe that leaves my breasts hanging out. I might wear it over a bra or another piece of lingerie for someone else. I could not, for the life of me, find a picture that captured this and the shape of the robe in its entirety that I was comfortable posting. And no one wants to feel that bad in something that should be sexy.

I have a stuffed animal that looks okay in it, however.

The narrow width is even more awkward on my frame when compared with the oversized and boxy sleeves. On my 5’2″ frame, they seem more like 3/4 length. And they’re so wide that I feel swamped. I think it’s just the style because so many robes these days are “kimono” size. The type of robes you see from other retailers look similar. Yet my older robe has sleeves that are shorter (around elbow length) and slightly more fitted, which makes me feel more comfortable. Lovehoney’s lace robe looks so have more fitted sleeves.

This Lovehoney robe, however, makes me feel like a child playing dress up. Add to this that the short length is incredibly short (I’m not a tall woman, and this robe falls just under my butt, not reaching mid-thigh like on the model), and it’s perplexing. Other reviewers thought it was too long, so it might be falling shorter on me due to my butt and breasts.

Overall, the Lovehoney satin robe just seems to be a bit awkwardly cut. It feels like a graduation down, not a sexy part of lingerie. No part of it is really flattering or makes me feel comfortable. I cannot imagine myself really wearing it — unless I wanted to keep it open over another piece of lingerie.

And while I don’t want to keep making comparisons to another robe, but a really classy touch would be to have pockets. This robe does not. This isn’t going to be a deal-breaker for many people, I imagine.

With that said, this will probably be up someone’s alley. It seems well enough made, and the price makes it worth considering (and right now you can get a free clitoral vibrator with your purchase!).  I would probably read more reviews than just this one, however.

Free delivery on all orders over $60

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Categories: Lingerie, Reviews

Lovehoney Plus Size Adore Me Bustier

March 20th, 2015

Lovehoney Adore Me Bustier
$49.99 from Lovehoney

You guys, I love black and red. Obviously. The color combination is great. Given that it’s the palette Lovehoney decided to go with for their new Adore Me line of lingerie, I instantly fell in love with almost every single piece. No lie.

So I left it pretty open when it came to choosing which piece to send me, and I got the Adore Me bustier. I opted for plus size because standard sizing has no XL. This might be a mistake on their part, but I think the design takes into consideration different body shapes and sizes by being stretchy and adjustable in multiple places.

This might be might first bustier. I generally choose babydolls that are more loose fitting around the midsection. So how did my first experience go?

I liked the feel of the Adore Me bustier as soon as I put it on. The microfiber bustier is super comfy. It slides right across your skin and isn’t much of a barrier between your body and your partner or even your own hands. You could probably sleep in it.

But like any bustier, it’s going to show any bulges or whatnot. If you’re worried about your tummy, you might look for something other than the G-string it comes with to prevent panty lines and bulges. As a whole, this is the more revealing piece when compared to the Adore Me Chemise, which is a little longer, features a straight laced hem all the way around and covers the breasts with a layer of microfiber. The chemise is still pretty form-fitting, even though it’s longer and covers your butt, so these pieces might not be up your alley if you’re working on body issues.

The chemise might offer a little bit more support to the chest. Although neither of these pieces of lingerie have underwire, the lace cups on the Adore Me bustier are definitely on the low end of support. My breasts needed a little adjusting to be ideal. Because I need more support from the side, this wasn’t perfect for me.

However, the straps are a thicker fabric, which should be good if you’re more well-endowed. You can adjust both the length of the shoulder straps as well as the two straps that cross in the cutout at the back. This enables you to choose how much skin you want to wear and even adjust the fit. Because the plus sizes cover a range 1x/2x or 3x/4x, this is important and a smart decision on Lovehoney’s design team’s part.

So how does sizing run on this piece? I am barely plus-sized and it was comfortable. There’s a lot  of stretch so you could definitely fit up to a a 2x, but it likely wouldn’t be as flattering. I took a couple measurements. These are flat measurements:

  • Empire waist: 17.5 inches
  • Center waist to bottom hem in front: 12.5″
  • Side waist to beginning of garter: 17″
  • Distance from bottom of cutout to lace hem edge along ruching: 7″
  • Minimum shoulder strap length: 5″
  • Max shoulder strap length: 9,5″
  • Min garter length: 2.5″
  • Max garter length:  5″
  • Length of cups in center: 9″

Obviously, 35 inches for the waist line isn’t super plus sized, but I was easily able to stretch it to 25 inches. It may not wear comfortable that way, but there’s a generous amount of give in the fabric. In the product photo, its stretched much more so that it will cover the taller-than-I-am model’s tummy and some of her pubic area.  I stand only 5’2″ and this is about how long it is on me, unstretched, with the bra straps about 1/2 longer than the minimum.

Aside from the cups, pretty much everything on the Adore Me Bustier is adjustable, and I think many people will find they’ve gotten their money’s worth with this piece.

lovehoney-adore-me-bustier-details

Adjustable straps, Lovehoney charm and twisted strap

The detailing doesn’t just stop with adjustability. I enjoy the lace details at the empire waist and along the back hem, which isn’t as drastic of a curve as the front. Beneath the open back, there’s vertical ruching in the center of your lower back/butt, which brings the lace hem upward. This allows your butt to peak out from beneath it, as you can see in product photos.

There’s a tiny Lovehoney charm between the breasts that I initially didn’t even notice, but I quite like it! In fact, the attention to detail really shows through. It’s not a groundbreaking design by any means, but the lace, ruching, ribbon and charm all make it feel very “complete.”

However, one thing I did notice was that one of the shoulder straps was sewn incorrectly, so that one side of the strap always twists and won’t lie flat. It’s not a deal breaker, but it is something I would notice.

Like any set that comes with a G-string, this one was much too large for me. If sizing is an issue, you could consider the Adore Me garter panties, which have removeable garters and come in both standard and plus sizes, for a better fit.

I might have liked the Adore Me Chemise a little better in hindsight, but I definitely enjoyed my first experience with a bustier overall. If the attention to detail and general quality — minus the one twisted strap — is any indicator, Lovehoney’s doing a good job with their lingerie!

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Categories: Lingerie, Reviews

Designer Intimates Lingerie Review

December 16th, 2014

Jezebel, Felina and Paramour Lingerie

Let me start this with a huge “Thank you” to the folks from Designer Intimates, who offered me a ton of stuff to review and an opportunity to host this giveaway. And they were super patient while I caught up with my other reviews.

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve seen the photo of my haul, which includes bras, panties and a sexy chemise. Designer Intimates sells lingerie from a few designer brands, including Jezebel and Felina, among others. They have an impressive collection but not one so large that you’ll get lost in it.

Charming Chemise and Thong

Let’s start with the Charming Chemise, which I am currently wearing. I love love love this piece and the matching thong. I’m so excited that my favorite piece was the one I wanted the most. It’s available from sizes small to XL, and I asked for the XL in Crushed Berries. This is a medium pink color.

Super comfy Charming Chemise

Super comfy Charming Chemise

There isn’t anything I don’t love about this. It stretches perfectly over all my curves.I recently moved to a 40 bra band, and this is comfortable, but there’s a little room for stretch. On my 5’2″ frame, the hem hits about mid-thigh. It’ll obviously be shorter on you taller ladies, but I don’t think that would be a problem!

It’s comfortable enough to sleep in or lounge around in all day like I am. The lace on the cups is feminine and flirty — and reminds me quite a bit of the Lace Appeal Chemise with smaller lace — but there’s a layer of fine mesh beneath this which is both comfortable and provides some modesty.

The lace straps are wide, and it feels like they offer more support, and there’s some adjustability to the elastic bra-style straps in back. They fit well on my C/D cups, but I think you could go up a cup size comfortably. The material is silky soft but doesn’t snag on nails and other items.  Quality of this chemise is impressive. I’ve worn it to sleep and it’s fared amazingly.  If I had any complaint about this item, is that the material can get a bit cool so I wouldn’t wear it below freezing. But I also don’t like to turn on my heat. LOL!

There is both a matching thong and hipster to go with this chemise, so you can choose either or both. I received the thong in size large, which is made of the same pretty pink material that’s comfortable as hell. In the photos, the stretchy lace sides of the thong look pretty narrow. They’re not exactly thick, but the thinner they are is about an inch, so I don’t think they cut into my hips, about 40 inches, in a terrible way. The lace on the back of the thong is cute, and the way it sits with the lace “pointing” downward is lovely. You can easily, and I have, wear it all day long. The way these pieces go together is perfect for a single night, however.

Madison and Camille Panties

I received a couple of pieces not in a collection. For example, the Madison Bikini in a medium blue. It’s a similar soft material to the Daphne panty. It slides over my hips well, but because it’s a high-cut bikini, it’s cut a little more modestly/long on my frame even though I got the medium, so it’s not good with lower cut bottoms. It’s still hella comfortable and the lace and ribbon detail are great. Again, this one seems to be awesome quality. The blue is no longer available from Designer Intimates, but you can check out the five other colors.

The Camille Cheeky Panty offers a more modern cut; although, it’s not a thong. With shade stripes in front and silky mesh in back, it shows off everything. The size large is actually cut a bit narrower than the medium Madison bikini, so it fits me better. It’s comfortable enough for every day wear, and my black panty goes well with any black bra. There is a vertical seam running down the back, but I love it beside that thanks to it’s durability and comfort.

Daphne Bra and Hipster

Daphne Bra and Hipster

Daphne Bra and Hipster

Felina’s Daphne Collection Contour Bra and hipster was the second set I received. I loved the feel of the stretchy material out of the box, and the black lace laid over the white looks fantastic. There’s a black lace version, but it’s kinda “meh.” I think the hipster would be especially good under form-fitting clothing as it wouldn’t show many lines. There’s the obvious issues of keeping the white pristine, but with some care you could do it.

However, the bra seemed to run a little small to me in a 38C (this was part of the reason I decided to , or perhaps I am gaining more curves. Either way, I didn’t want to add the panties to my collection since they’re so nice together, so I’m passing them online to my bestie.

Both the bra and hipster are a more modest cut. The bra is contoured with underwire but only lightly lined, so it’ll have minimal lift and shaping. There is a layer of fine mesh that sits inside the band, so I bet this would be comfortable for all-day wear. If you’re into full coverage with less padding and you take the snugness into consideration, this would be a real winner.

Jezebel Intrigue Bra

Designer Intimates no longer sells this bra , but you can find it from other retailers if you’re interested. The design reminds me of a VS bra I had some years ago. I liked that it was padded and had lace, and it fit (also 38C)  the best of all the bras I was sent to review. However, I do not love it. The “double pushup” bra has a lot of dense padding that’s more bulky and constricting than supporting and shaping. The type of foam really matters, as I’m sure you know.

The pink lace overlay is nice, as is the connected loops between the cups, which has come back into style with some VS bras. The overall construction seems nice, with thick adjustable straps that are soft on the underside. However, the elastic in the band sits directly against my skin without no lining, and causes discomfort after a while. Man, do I love a satin lining, and any company that’s “designer” should use this!

Adore Bra and Vanessa Thong

Adore Bra and Vanessa Thong

Jezebel Adore Bra

Sadly, this bra has also been discontinued in the black and pink, which I think looks awesome. Designer Intimates still sells the demi bra in the white and blue, but the details don’t stand out as much. The pink cups on mine are overlaid with black mesh that has scalloped vertical seems and heart-shaped flecks. There’s light padding, but the cups are pretty soft. Between the breasts is a larger pink bow and a small keyhole below it.

For a demi bra, the cups seem like they’re cut a little high.  The straps are thick and have that ruched-like ribbon detail on the top, which is amazing. The bands are mesh wit elastic borders, which I suspect wouldn’t be ideal for all day wear and aren’t as supportive as dual-layer bands.

I ordered the Vanessa thong because it’s pink with black lace overlay with flocking. What can I say, I like the look! I thought it would match, and it does well enough. The details on this are fantastic, bit scalloped lace along the legs in front and a center bow. The back is a soft black mesh, which might be more comfortable if you’re not a fan of lace. I also think it’s ideal for smoothing over curves. I opted for the large with is pretty much a perfect fit but you might want to opt down a size if you don’t like your thongs rising too high in back.

Overall, I had better experience with sleepwear and panties from Designer Intimates. The bras seemed a little cheap in construction and feel; although, that might be good enough if you’re wearing them with the plan to take them off soon. There is quite a variation between sizes of panties. I tend to opt for smaller cut if I’m going for a bikini or hipster and a larger cut for a thong, which worked out for me pretty well here.

Because this post has gotten so long, expect the giveaway in its own post!

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Categories: Lingerie, Reviews

Lovehoney Open Back Sheer Lace Panties with Straps

December 11th, 2014

Open Back Sheer Lace Panty with Straps
$14.99 from Lovehoney

I purchased my first pair of “strap” or cage panties this summer. I discovered that I quite like them; although, the design isn’t exactly the same as Lovehoney’s take on the design with their new addition to the lingerie line. Lovehoney’s design is cut further down your ass in a deep “U” shape.  There’s also a rather large pink bow, which makes this a fun thing to wear if you want to be your lover’s gift.

Alas, I will not get that experience. As it happens, these panties seem to run a little large. There’s quite a lot of fabric, and the large just swamped my hips and ass. In the front, they almost reached my belly button. There’s a rise of 8.5 inches in front, and the design of the straps in back means they technically reach 9.5 or 10 inches high because they arch upward. You can see this in the product photo but.. TEN inches. That’s.. just huge.

I sometimes wear a large in panties when they’re cut smaller, and most panties created as lingerie — as opposed to everyday wear — run smaller. This is not the case with these panties from Lovehoney. I have 41-inch hips and I’m not lacking in the derriere. Perhaps the lace stretches out more than typical panties, because a large should even be a little snug on me according to the size chart. In fact, these panties measure at least 2 inches wide than Felina panties in a large.

lovehoney open back lace panties

lovehoney open back lace panties

If they do fit, the front is cut with a single mesh panel in the style of hipsters. This is a more modest cut; although, it’s certainly a revealing fabric choice, as is the cut and fabric in the back of the underwear. The lace in the back continues that cut, covering most if not all of your cheeks. Although, the deep “U” shows plenty of crack and cheek in the center. Ther lace is fringed toward this cutout. It’s a great detail. There is one vertical center strap that connects to three shorter straps on either side. This is where the pink bow is secured.

Construction of these panties does seem pretty secure, without any loose strings or obvious options. Jagged nails and the like might cause snagging.  Obviously, the lace, ribbon and strap design is more delicate than some cotton duds. Hand-washing is a great idea. This will prevent the straps from coming undone or the lace from breaking down, which is a frequent issue that lacy panties have. I’m typically pretty bold with my delicates, so I wash them in a net bag. Actually, it’s the one I got with the Sasha harness. Because of the delicate nature and the lack of crotch liner, I don’t think I would wear these as a regular panty under your clothes. You might dress up in them for a specific event or session. Plus, the bright pink bow is the type that would bother me in, say, regular jeans. The top straps would peek out anyway.

These type of panties might be a little strange feeling to begin with because they leave some skin revealed. I found the center strap to be much more noticeable than on my other, similar pair of panties. I think it’s because it goes up so high. These panties might work better if they didn’t have this strap at all. It’s not really needed to give them shape.

The waistband isn’t as tight or secure as typical panties, so you’ll need hips enough to keep these in place. If you’re carrying extra weight around your stomach, I can imagine them rolling down and not giving the desired effect. However, if these do work with your size and shape, that effect includes plenty of detail and more than a hint of sexiness, which is why I was drawn to them in the first place.

Look at the sizing chart carefully when ordering to ensure you get a pair that fits, however! This is especially important if you’re buying these as a gift, and I do think they would make a nice one — hint hint!

Christmas Lingerie at Lovehoney, 365 Day No Hassle Returns

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Categories: Lingerie, Reviews

Elegant Moments Leopard Print Chiffon Halter Style Babydoll

November 26th, 2014

Leopard Print Babydoll
$15.93 - $29.99 from Amazon

It might be cliche, but I just love animal print. The subtle brown leopard print in this babydoll by Elegant Moments drew me in. After a string of misses, however, this might because the past piece of lingerie I try for a while.

I recently discovered a term that I like quit a bit: inbetweenies. It refers to people of my size who border plus and regular sizes. The term is great, the sizing issue isn’t so much. I find fewer options available to me. Typical sizes run too small, and extended sizes tend to be too large as was the case with this leopard print babydoll.

When I put it on, there simply seemed to be an excess of fabric around my stomach and hips. There was no cute “peekaboo” effect at all because of how it overlapped. It’s a shame that this didn’t fit as I’d hoped because I really do like the cut. You so often see flyaway babydolls that are simply two pieces “curtains” together at the empire waist, but the cut of fabric is more like an upside down U shape. It seems like the cut is more modest in the plus sizes than the other sizes, which I missed when looking at product images. I think it would better hide tummies if you’re worried about that as your problem area.

If the chiffon portion of the babydoll fits, you’ll be able to adjust the top thanks to the halter tie, which you can adjust behind your neck. The animal print cups have no elastic, however, so they might not look exactly stunning if your breasts are either on the larger or smaller size for the triangular cups. as a 40B/C, I felt as though my breasts might have been a bit on the small size, but my ribcage curves a lot so they need more support from the side to come together. The fabric cups offer little in the way of support, though. Women with larger breasts will no doubt experience more stress because of the weight of them and the halter, of course.

Another consideration is the decorative circle/buckle on the empire waist. I typically like to get lingerie that is comfortable and practical enough to double as sleepwear, but I wouldn’t wear this babydoll to bed because of that piece, which is made of a hard plastic. The plastic is textured to look diamonds from far away, but it looks a little cheaper up close.

Decorative details on the babydoll

Decorative details on the babydoll

Like most lingerie, the included thong, which is made of the same material as the cups of the babydoll, is too large for me. I tend to wear a smaller size underwear than my bust and waist size, however. Like the cups. there’s no stretch, so this will either fit you or it won’t.

The lack of stretch is a theme around this entire piece, in fact. The waist band — which is a satin-y material styled to look like a belt but is only in front of the babydoll — has absolutely no elasticity to it. I think it would feel better if it did stretch a bit, and it would look better if the “belt” wrapped around the entire waist. Indeed, an adjustable belt might be a better option altogether if the plastic circle functioned as a buckle.

The only bit of elastic in this babydoll is at the back, which runs below your shoulder blades to show off your neck and shoulder. This isn’t enough in my opinion. The rest of the back is a continuous piece of chiffon that wraps around and falls well below my ass on my short frame.

Overall, this piece seems fairly well made. I noticed no loose threads or other defects in the craftsmanship. The chiffon is silky and and smooth and this would likely be comfortable to wear if it fit you well.

The 1X size does seems to run a bit larger, however, so keep that in mind when shopping.

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Categories: Lingerie, Reviews

Elegant Moments Purple Mesh Burnout Babydoll

June 12th, 2014

Elegant Moments Purple Mesh Burnout Babydoll
$19 from Amazon

Oh, how I wanted to love this babydoll. I wanted to wear it with confidence until someone tore it off. Alas, a happy relationship wasn’t meant to be.

Because it looks like a sexy flyaway babydoll with interesting burnout details and comfortable, underwire cups but it’s really just cheap and disappointing. Like some of my dates in the past? I don’t know.

The mesh burnout part is actually fairly nice. It features viney scrolls. They’re visually interesting and interesting to the touch. The mesh is breathable and light but covers up a bit in front and the entire back, so you won’t necessarily feel exposed. And on the right body, this will look amazing I am sure. The empire waist won’t look good on everyone of course.

The same material makes up the front panel of the G-string, which was far too large for me in the X1. This is often the case, so I expected nothing more or less.

However, that’s really all I can check off in the “pro” column. My main complaint is with the cups in this piece, but those really make up the most of the workmanship and visual detail. Yes, they’re underlined but the padded fabric is sewn it flat and not curving outward the way any decent bra does. Instead of allowing my breasts to “spill” into the cups, which should support them, this pushes the entire cup — fabric and wire — and the front of the babydoll awkwardly away from my body. The center ribbon and bow just sort of hovers there, wondering what it’s supposed to do or look like. Perhaps on a wider rib cage without any extra space, my breasts would push out the cups instead.

And the ribbon doesn’t match the rest of the babydoll at all. It annoys me a ton. The satin cups almost perfectly match my Liberator Throe and it looks good with the burnout mesh, but the ribbon is just ugly. It’s obviously thrown on there to hide the front clasp, which would be sexy if it wasn’t made of plastic — just like the hardware on the straps. By the way, one of the straps on mine is sewn on twisted. And this clasp means you can’t adjust the waistband, which is quite loose for an XL. It’s going to fit up to a 45 inch bra band, I’d imagine.

And maybe I would be able to live with this if the babydoll was designed with a thick, stretchy empire waistband to balance out the awkward cups, but that’s not the point. In fact, the waistband is just a thin piece of elastic that runs along the top of the back side of the babydoll and connects to the sides of the piece at the end of the underwire — about midway up from the cups. However, a supportive waistband should be at the base of the cups. Because of its location, my breasts push the cups out and the bottoms sit sort of exposed.

I hate to be repetitious but “awkward” is the only word that truly explains how this babydoll feels. And awkward does nothing for confidence, which few people would argue you need to strut your stuff in lingerie or even in the nude. This piece gives me none. In fact, I wouldn’t ever want to wear it in front of another person.

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Categories: Lingerie, Reviews

Followup Reviews: Gigi 2 and more

November 4th, 2013

Lelo Gigi 2

Lelo Gigi 2

Lelo Gigi 2

The folks at Lelo wanted to send me a new Gigi 2 after my review. They suggested that it was defective, so I now have a cherry-colored Gigi 2, too. That’s a weird sentence, eh? So I charged them both up to full power to compare. One thing I noticed is that the second one holds charge a lot better than the original one I received in grey. That one died after a couple tests and one use. There was no life in it, so I had to charge it just to compare.

The second Gigi 2 I received seems slightly stronger, but it’s still a pretty buzzy vibe all around. Lelo has definitely made better IMO.

Sheer Lace Top Thigh High Stockings With Backseam

I also have to report some serious disappointment with the thigh highs that I reviewed shortly ago. I put them on for testing purposes, intending to wear them for my Halloween party. When I slipped them on, without catching on anything, I got a huge run down one of the stockings. Despite the fact that I had leg warmers over them all night so there was no way for them to become (more) damaged, they were ripped to shreds and hanging off my feet in my shoes by the end of the night. Just.. no. Ugh.

I mean, I don’t expect these things to last forever but.. c’mon!

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Categories: Lingerie, Reviews, Vibrators

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.