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A Man’s guide to Lingerie gift giving! As seen on Plastic Surgery Hub.

2/9/2015

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Congratulations for finding your way to this page of hints and tips, for your guide to giving your girl, Lingerie.

Firstly, it should be appropriate to your relationship, otherwise it could come across as sleazy or too eager, especially if it’s a new relationship. Lingerie is an intimate gift to be given, and romantic, so don’t give it to her in front of her parents or your mates!
Now for the fun part, and if done discreetly can be quick and painless, as long as you have done your homework. By that I mean observe what drawer she goes to for her bras, DON’T ASK. I’m presuming you already know her favourite colour. If not, this can be asked, but don’t just come out and ask her “what colour are your bras and undies”!
Don’t panic, I know you don’t know the size or style of bra she wears, but we have that covered. However it does require some snooping on your behalf, (I knew I would have your full attention now).

The art of snooping is to be quick, know what you’re looking for and whatever you do, don’t get caught going through her Lingerie drawer, because this will look really bad from her point of view. Explaining what you are doing, will then blow your surprise! Choose a time when she is (still at work, out with friends or even in the shower). Once you’re in the drawer, find a few bras, note their colour, look for a legible tag, does it have underwire along the cups and remember the sizes (yes there may be a few different sizes). Even better, lay them out on the bed and take a photo of several of the tags. This way you can go to the Lingerie shop prepared and not stand there awkwardly not knowing where to start. This however is not perfect, but a lot better than guessing her size.

If you have seen that she wears pastel colours in a size 32A, please don’t buy a bright red 32 or 34 in a DD cup. She won’t appreciate the gift and believe me she will probably take it the wrong way. Also, don’t be tempted to buy something you would like to see her in, e.g. crutch less undies.

If you’re running out of time, a gift voucher from a bra boutique or department store will still give you many brownie points!

She is going to love all the time and effort, you have put into her gift. Keep your receipt, just in case and well done!


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Pre or peri menopause and breasts

11/19/2014

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Hi Julie, thanks for all your hard work, just wondering if you had anything on menopause - pre or peri menopause and breasts. Any information on breast tenderness and other issues associated with it, thanks and keep up the great work! Lindsay Lucas
A lot of women will probably have breast tenderness during menopause. However, most women will suffer severe breast tenderness when approaching menopause (this includes during and after it). Normally, when oestrogen is down and progesterone is up, breasts get bigger in size. But, hormonal imbalance can alter this cycle, making breasts even bigger and more susceptible to pain, and for more prolonged periods. Therefore, when hormones are not balanced and oestrogen levels decrease more than progesterone, the end result is breast tenderness during menopause. Foods that promote oestrogen levels (such as soy, apples, alfalfa, cherries, potatoes, rice, wheat and yams) are great menopause treatments. Simple Lifestyle Changes: Exercise, yoga, reduce caffine intake, vitamins B, C, D, E, 7-8 hours sleep, reduced alcohol intake. While postmenopausal women can experience breast pain, it is most common in premenopausal and perimenopausal women. 
The symptoms of breast pain can vary depending on the type and the individual woman. Generally speaking, symptoms include tenderness, tightness, soreness, burning, swelling, dullness, and/or aching. Symptoms can be consistent or intermittent and may affect one or both breasts. While breast discomfort during menopause is not usually cause for alarm, it is never a bad idea to speak with a doctor about this symptom. Natural therapies are safe and effective methods of relieving breast pain symptoms by targeting the root cause of hormonal imbalance. A majority of women find that a combination of self-care and natural therapies is the best way to address breast pain in menopause. Luckily, breast pain is usually a transient symptom of menopause that disappears after menopause has taken place. I hope this helps!
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                                         Triumph’s Magic Wire bra

8/11/2014

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This review / blog is only my opinion, and gauged on my shape and size to this particular bra! However the features and findings, hints and tips below, are all professional and meant to guide and help you in finding the best bra fit for your unique size and shape!  

As you all know, if you don’t know your breasts, bra shopping is going to be a real chore! By that I mean their shape. So I have been to Myer this morning trying Triumphs new bra, “The magic Wire bra” to see if it really lives up to its name. Studying it inside and out, it’s smooth and soft, with a seamless finish, making it the perfect T-shirt bra, streamlined in fact I would call it. 



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With the under wire concealed deep in the padding of the cups, it’s soft against your skin.  The concealment of the wire is great and is not likely to poke out any time soon. After a while, with traditional bra’s, you get pilling along the channeling of the wire, which can become very uncomfortable. In my opinion you won’t get that with this bra! The actual under wire in this bra is a flexible soft silicone and not wire. Being flexible it bends with you, and wont dig into you causing discomfort. Will it give as much support as a conventional wire? Only time will tell, a trial in the store is not long enough, it will need a full day of wearing.

 Hallelujah, Fully adjustable straps! Most bras these days only adjust at the back, and if you’re short, tall, or long waisted you really need to be able to fully adjust the straps both at the back and at the front.



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The side panels of the bra that run from the cup, all the way to the back where the hooks attach, play a very important role in preventing flesh bulges. So if they are made out of flimsy material, you will get a flesh bulge, and they will stretch out and have a shorter life. Great for smaller cup sizes, but as the bands go up in size, additional support is needed for the heavier larger breast. This is achieved in the way of vertical side boning in the panels, or both boning and the fabric Powernet. Shape wear, compression garments and sports bras are made from Powernet, and will give the best support. Unfortunately, women with cups larger than a C will find the side panels in this bra flimsy and un-supportive.


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The cups are fine until you get into the larger sizes, and they then look and feel like Madonnas cone breasts. Not so much pointy, but if your breasts are not the exact shape of these cups, you will not fill it out properly! It doesn't take on your shape.

Together with fitting myself, and discussing the shape, fit and features etc with the very helpful Myer Bra Stylist. We came to the same conclusion, it wasn't the right style for me, but I did go in there knowing that. I suit mainly Balcony bras due to having lower fullness breasts.  This bra would suit those of you that have fullness all over and wide set breasts.  Like all plunge bras if your breasts are very close together, by the end of the day, they will jiggle their way back to the center, spilling over and giving you quad breasts. 

I hope you find this helpful? Like all bras it’s trial and error just like shoe and jeans shopping. As all manufacturers sizing differs from each other. Add into that equation, no two women have the same size, shape, positioning or spacing of breasts!

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The Breast Cancer Awareness Games on Face Book!

3/28/2014

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You may have seen the Breast Cancer Awareness games on Face book lately. Similar to last year’s, where by revealing the colour of the bra you were currently wearing, somehow made others aware of breast cancer. Now, it’s taking a no makeup selfie of yourself and posting it. Firstly, I don’t understand how it raises awareness for breast cancer. Aren’t we ALL aware of breast cancer by now? A photo of me not wearing makeup, or revealing the colour of my bra, is certainly not going to make people aware.

How is this awareness?

How many of these Face book, no makeup selfies actually raised money for breast cancer?
In the UK they did raise money for their selfies. For every like you received for your selfie, a certain amount of money was donated. Even though it’s not making people aware as such, they did raise a lot of money for breast cancer.

We should know by now to observe our bodies for any changes and act quickly?

These games are aimed at helping the very people (being either breast cancer survivors, or currently fighting it, in the battle of their lives), that can’t participate, isn’t it FOR them?

All these games are doing, is reminding them they can’t wear or will never be able to wear a bra again. Something they can’t wear due to radiation burns, or because they have under gone a bilateral (double mastectomy) and wasn’t ever by choice. Amputation of one’s breast is not a choice, or a treatment option, it’s their only option, for a chance of survival. A breast cancer survivor summed it up to me that she had been, burnt (radiation), mutilated (surgery) and poisoned (chemo)! A basic piece of underwear, that most women wear everyday and take for granted. Where advertisements on T.V, magazines, shops windows, fashion parades etc are constantly reminding them, how sexy they would look in these bras. They have lost their femininity as far as they are concerned.


How are men included in this game, because breast cancer doesn’t discriminate, men get breast cancer too? Maybe we are going about the “Awareness” the wrong way. Should we now aim it at the fact that men get breast cancer AND what breast cancer LOOKS like!

We seem to know the words, and to be able to rattle them off, when asked “what is a sign or symptom of breast cancer”!

Thickening of the skin, redness, pain (but usually not), a lump, swelling, discharge from the nipple ie blood. Puckering of the skin, inverted nipples, dimpling and orange peel skin!

What on earth do they mean by “Orange peel skin” (see picture below)?

Awareness must now focus on the fact we must get familiar with what these signs and symptoms actually look like?


How many of these Face book, no makeup selfies actually raised money for breast cancer?

Or was it just the case of taking a no makeup selfie, thinking they were doing the right thing for breast cancer. That resulted in them getting compliments from friends, instead of donations!


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November 30th, 2013

11/30/2013

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SWIM WEAR!!!!!!!

Swim wear season is almost upon us. Anything that is faded, too big, too tight, holey, or the elastic has gone, needs to be replaced. This photo is one example, of this seasons swimwear, in a size 18 at Myers. Try not to fall for these awful so called cups, their more like shields. Thin pieces of shaped foam, are really not good enough, and will not give you any support at all!
Tomorrow I will post what a great swimsuits cups should look like!


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November 30th, 2013

11/30/2013

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SHAPEWEAR!

What size do I buy????????

Some women make the mistake of buying their shapewear one size smaller than their actual size, looking for better support . Buying a smaller garment will not only fit incorrectly, but be dreadfully uncomfortable and cause unsightly bulges. Instead, try on your size, but go up a level in support, for example, if your shapewear has moderate support go up to the higher level, but in your size. If its the correct size and feels too tight, go down a level in control. I hope this helps! 

Has anyone bought shapewear, do you love it, or hate it??????
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