The response to the competition has been incredible and all of the entries were so varied and interesting in content..some of them made me giggle and some even brought tears to my eyes!
There seemed to be a pervading message in the entries that lingerie is much more than just what we 'wear under clothes'. In many cases, one bra proved life altering, transformed self-perception, restored confidence, empowered women as masters of their own sexuality..the list goes on.
Due to the overwhelming success of the competition, I have decided to pick 4 overall winners (who will receive 4 prizes each) and 6 runners up (who will get a prize each too!)
And now, the moment you have all been waiting for...the winners (in no particular order within categories)!
- June Brasil - Cecily King - Laura Kelly - Amelia Yousey - Vic Horsham - Astrid Lopez
CONGRATULATIONS!
I will be in touch with each of you this week to discuss your prizes and getting them out to you!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to write an entry - I enjoyed every single one and it was such a difficult choice. (Keep your eyes peeled for more opportunities to win in my future competitions too!)
Aside from giving something back to everyone who has supported me and my blog, I also wanted to run this competition to lend a voice to my readers, who have such interesting stories to tell themselves.
I will be sharing some of the winning entries on my blog in the upcoming weeks..I'm sure you will agree that the women who wrote them are as inspiring as their stories!
Launched in 2005 by Lorraine Morton, Miss Mandalay is a brand geared towards providing fashionable and directional lingerie and swimwear for fuller busted ladies:
"I've always been told how lucky I am to have been naturally blessed with a larger than average bosom (to be precise I'm a 30F). But as every woman with big boobs knows, it's virtually impossible to find a stylish, glamorous bra in your size. The lack of choice means we're left to buy another 'everyday bra' or an ill-fitting bra in a larger cup size; the kind of thing that the big brands offer as 'token' sizes in their usual B-D cup size range.
Miss Mandalay offers a lingerie solution to every big boobed woman who is fed up with walking out of a lingerie boutique after been told that every luxury bra they stock doesn't come any bigger than a D cup"
-Lorraine Morton (www.missmandalay.com)
With a focus on great fit and high quality, as well as on-trend designs, it is no surprise that Miss Mandalay has garnered a lot of media attention. This year, Miss Mandalay made the finalists of 'Full Bust Brand of the Year' in the prestigious UK Lingerie Awards and X Factor Judge, Tulisa Contostavlos, caused waves of excitement about the brand, after being papped on her Spanish vacation in the 'Harbour' bikini (below)!
Miss Mandalay have a great range of sizes, from 28 D-G and 30-38 B-GG. As a 28FF, I was particularly excited, as they are one of the few lingerie and swimwear brands that cater for smaller back sizes and bigger cup sizes!
When I was last in Bravissimo, I tried on two Miss Mandalay bikinis: the 'Electric Zebra bikini' and the 'Mariposa bikini' (below):
I really loved the eye-catching 'Electric Zebra' bikini, but sadly only a 28F was available, which was much too small in the cups for me. I tried the 'Mariposa' bikini on in a 28G, which fit ok, but the wide-set shape of the cups did nothing at all for me and the bikini flattened my bust, giving zero cleavage!
Although my first experience of Miss Mandalay left me a little luke-warm, I did not lose heart. I decided that the best option would be to have a look online for a Miss Mandalay bikini in a 28FF. It was during this search that I came across the gorgeous 'Boudoir Beach' underwired halterneck bikini on Large Cup Lingerie:
The 'Boudoir Beach' bikini is one of Miss Mandalay's best-sellers and has been brought out in a variety of shades; from red to 'python' brown to 'moss' green to 'ice' white. The white version particularly grabbed me, with its 'Bond girl'-esque gold buckle detailing! The bikini top comes with the option of tie-side bikini briefs (£24) or bikini shorts (£26), available in sizes XS-L. I am a big fan of bikini briefs and especially love the sexiness of tie-side styles, which help to elongate your legs!
Large Cup Lingerie very kindly sent me the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini top in a 28FF and the briefs in a size S (UK: 10) to try...
Much to my excitement, I received the Miss Mandalay bikini very quickly and it arrived beautifully wrapped in pretty pink tissue paper.
As you can see from the photograph, the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini is a simple, but classic design that will look good on just about anyone! The plunge style bikini top really draws emphasis to your best assets and it is exciting to see a fuller cup brand tackle pool-side glamour, whilst still offering great support!
The 28FF fit me well and gave a much better shape than the 'Mariposa' bikini that I tried a while back. It is worth mentioning that the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini gives quite a subtle shape from side-on. Compared to my Freya bikinis, such as the 'Cabaret', the 'Boudoir Beach' gives a slightly less rounded and uplifted shape, perhaps due to the seam running down the centre of the cups, which may slightly flatten the breasts. The Miss Mandalay 'Aruba' halterneck bikini is also comparable in shape, as you can see in the pictures below:
The 'Boudoir Beach' features a clasp back fastening, to ensure that you feel secure and supported and the halterneck can be tied as tight or loose as you wish. The gold buckles are also heat resistant, for maximum comfort under the sun! If I were to change anything about the style, I would perhaps have preferred the 'Boudoir Beach' to be a regular strap bikini, as sometimes halternecks can get a bit sore on the neck after prolonged wear. All in all, however, it felt very comfortable and soft against the skin.
The matching tie-side briefs were also very flattering, with its gold buckles and tie sides. The tie sides make these bikini briefs quite versatile, as they can either be knotted and left to drape down the legs or be tied in bows! The cut of the 'Boudoir Beach' briefs is slightly more skimpy (e.g. compared to the Freya 'Cabaret' tie-side briefs), so it may not be the preferred option for those who want a little more coverage. I, personally, think that they are very sexy, but Miss Mandalay also offer the great alternative of matching bikini shorts.
(Back view of the Miss Mandalay, 'Boudoir Beach' tie-side briefs)
I have heard quite a few people say that Miss Mandalay bikinis run smaller in the back band in comparison to other brands and this definitely rings true for the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini. The 'Boudoir Beach' is noticeably tighter than my Freya bikinis in 28 backs - ideal for curvy girls that are towards the smaller end of a 28 back! I really loved the firmer back of the 'Boudoir Beach' and this is a real benefit to its longevity, as the fabric will not lose its firmness as quickly.
To round off, I think that the 'Boudoir Beach' bikini is a chic and quality offering from Miss Mandalay, which showcases the brand's passion for great support, coupled with fashion-conscious, but classic designs. As one of Miss Mandalay's best-sellers, the 'Boudoir Beach' will continue to be brought out in different colour variations - the brand has already hinted on their facebook page that some new colours are in the pipeline!
In the meantime, I have got my eye on some of Miss Mandalay's gorgeous lingerie collection, which I would love to review in the near future. The 'Paris' underwired balcony bra in pink is one of the beauties on my wish list:
As a self-confessed DD+ lingerista and shopaholic, it is always exciting to find a company that stocks brands that I love and covet. I had previously heard a lot about Simply Yours (particularly in relation to the Gok Wan range), but I didn't realise quite how much Simply Yours spoils us for choice with their lingerie range! Simply Yours not only have their own products, but also stock the amazing; Freya, Curvy Kate, Fantasie, Panache, Pour Moi, Masquerade, Wonderbra, Gossard and Miss Mandalay - to name but a few of their curve-friendly lingerie brands!
Simply Yours sell lingerie, swimwear, nightwear, shapewear and clothes, making it a real haven of shopping delights ready to tempt you! The best thing about Simply Yours, though, is their sizing range - with band sizes 30-50 and cup sizes A-JJ, so many ladies can benefit from the fantastic array of products on offer. Simply Yours also boast a small selection of 28 backs and some styles even go up to a super curvy, L, cup!
With so many large sized bras from Simply Yours to choose from, I could not wait to investigate what styles were suitable for busty girls, such as myself...
I was very impressed with the Simply Yours website - it is extremely visually exciting, with its girly colours and photo-story layout, complete with thought bubbles. The categories (Bras, Knickers, Lingerie, Shapewear etc) are carefully organised into headings with drop-down menus, making browsing much easier and more efficient.
Within the bra section, it is also possible to select what type of bra you are looking for (balconette, full coverage, longline, moulded, multiway, strapless, nursing, soft cup etc), select your bra size and even specify which brand to search within.
With online shopping's growing popularity, it is a dream to be able to go online to a store like Simply Yours, make an order and receive your products a few days later..but what if you don't know your size? Luckily, Simply Yours don't leave you on your own to make wild guesses!
You can check out the Simply Yours 'Bra measuring guide' here. The measuring guide is an interactive fitting experience, where the Simply Yours fitter, Sarah, takes you step by step through the stages of discovering your correct bra size. I loved Sarah's informal yet friendly tone, as she gives the listener the virtual advice of a real life bra fitter, but in the comfort of your own house! The listener is informed as to the signs of a badly fitting bra (semi-circular ride up, breast tissue not encased properly in the cups etc) and is offered suggestions as to how to correct them with a well-fitting bra. Most importantly, Simply Yours highlights in this video, the importance of ordering and trying on different sizes, as bras can vary across (and within) brands and your bra size can fluctuate depending on your weight.
Another aspect of the Simply Yours fitting guide that I really liked, were the videos showing models with different body types. As a 28FF (small back size and larger cup size), the video of slim but curvy, Kiki, gave me some helpful hints as to what bras are available for me on Simply Yours and could suit my figure:
The only thing that I was not so keen on, was the use of the 'back band measuring table', which follows an antiquated measuring model of adding inches. I have investigated a lot of fitting techniques and have found that the most accurate way to find your band size is by measuring directly under your bust. I measure 27 inches under my bust and find that the best fit for me is a 28 band. I have many bras from brands stocked on Simply Yours, such as Freya, Panache, Cleo and Curvy Kate, which I all own in a 28 band. The one exception is my Wonderbra strapless, which is fairly snug in a 30 band. In my experience, 32 bands have always been too loose. With this in mind, bra measuring has no 'magic formula', so the best place to start is by measuring under your bust and trying the band sizes around that measurement.
(Simply Yours measuring table)
I was, all in all, impressed by the effort that has gone into the Simply Yours measuring guide - with interactive videos, fitting problem advice, bra care tips, a lingerie glossary and a bra style guide, there are many reasons as to why Simply Yours is ahead of other brands in making women aware of the pitfalls related to bra fitting, as well as the benefits in persevering in getting a bra that fits correctly.
Simply Yours make the bra buying experience easier for customers by having a flexible payment scheme, so that you can buy on credit or purchase items straight away. With a free returns system, it also means that you can purchase a range of sizes to try, with no worry about extra costs for returning items...now, there really is no excuse for keeping a bra that doesn't fit perfectly!
To conclude, I am very impressed with my first tour of Simply Yours and am hoping that time will also see an expansion of their 28 backed bra selection. Simply Yours have a great range of products to suit a variety of tastes and they succeed in providing some top quality brands geared specifically towards girls with curves. I am also thrilled to see Simply Yours using gorgeous, curvy models: Erika Elfwencrona and Laura Catterall to model their products. There is nothing better than seeing models with real curves and a bust, looking fabulous in stunning underwear!
Finally, here is a selection of Simply Yours 'lust-haves' that I am desperate to get my mitts on! Let me know what your favourite pieces are - they may even get a review...
