Scrumptious stockists: Beautifully boudoir

Every now and then we like to say a little thank you to our fabulous stockists around the world, and who better to start things off than part photography studio, part boutique Beautifully Boudoir!

This Scottish all-girl team specialises in boudoir photography and corsetry, with boutiques in Glasgow and Edinburgh. They were, in fact, the first dedicated boudoir studio to open in Scotland, embarking on their quest boost confidence in November 2006. In the stop-the-body-snark revolution, these girls are certainly proving that it doesn’t matter what your size, age, or shape...

The biggest obstacle we face is confidence. The Beautifully Boudoir experience is extremely empowering, and it is fantastic confidence booster. So many of our clients are shocked at the results, and are surprised at how natural and confident they look.

With a wide range of photography packages, including couple sessions, a boudoir experience and the ultimate boudoir, they have something for every budget! Each package includes an image and styling consultation as well as fully trained makeup artists and hair stylists that will either boost your natural beauty or transform you into that burlesque star you always dreamed of being.

Beautifully Boudoir also has a special shoot package especially for Valentine’s Day, the “Valentines Surprise”!

If that wasn’t enough to tantalize your tastebuds, beautifully boudoir doubles as a stunning lingerie and corsetry boutique. The ladies offer a wide range of both everyday and amazing couture corsets (I’m in LOVE with this one) as well as faux-vintage lingerie from What Katie Did and the stunning Vargas range from Kiss Me Deadly. Scots can also grab themselves some Playful Promises goodies from the Beautifully Boudoir boutique, including our gorgeous Morgana garter dress and the Lyla satin playsuit.

For those that are baffled by boning (corset-wise of course) and being driven loopy by lacing, BB also offers free corset consultations, and has a bespoke made-to-measure service.

Sizzling swimwear: How to stay on trend this Summer

If you really think about it, Summer is just around the corner. No really, we are already in January, we got the hardest part over with and now we just have to gradually peel off our layers and cardigans for the next few months. Magazine’s have already started telling you what to cut out in order to get that “Beach Body” (we like you just as you are, thank you very much) and new swimwear is all the rage.

So what kind of prints and colours will you find gracing the shelves this summer?

Swimwear often mirrors current trends in fashion and lingerie, so it’s no wonder that bikini waists are high and prints are inspired by retro classics to coincide with the vintage trend. Embracing curves is one major theme of retro inspired swimwear; details such as cinched waists and fuller cupped tops are being mixed with modern pieces.

Ruffles, too, have found themselves adorning bikinis across the catwalks in another body-shaping trend. Frills and ruffles can add volume where you may be slightly lacking, perfect for balancing out the figure and sticking two fingers up to that diet book.

It’s all about getting you in the mood for a laze around on the beach or by the pool, so bright colours are a constant never-changing trend in swimwear. Designers cannot be as experimental with swimwear as they can lingerie or clothing; therefore the unique detail is often in the print!

And boy, are prints looking bold thanks to digital printing. The wonders of technology are allowing designers to update their printing methods, giving more freedom of detail and colour.

If there is one thing that causes swimwear to sell like hotcakes, it’s the promise of warm sands and tropical climates, so it’s no wonder that designers are channelling this straight into their prints. Sumptuous colours, exotic plants and parrots are everywhere, and we just love it. Our Digital Print Hummingbird bikini rides this trend without being cliché, using bright blues, purples, oranges and greens to inject that exotic look.

Walking hand-in-hand (preferably in the shade of palm trees) with the tropical trend are bold prints, inspired by various cultures and their traditional techniques, particularly those of tribal Africa and Native America. Digital printing is again a catalyst for this trend, but we also see designers using more traditional methods such as embroidery and crochet. We, too, were inspired by far-off lands for our Future Tribal Embroidery bikini, which contrasts a black bandeau bra and side-tie briefs with neon-bright ethnic embroidery.

The New Years Eve Outfit Dilemma

CONGRATULATIONS! You survived Christmas, and it seems we did too, which is the perfect reason to celebrate. Well done. 

But wait. Theres more. The celebration of the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, also known as New Years Eve! Before we start complaining about the onslaught of the Olympics, it's one last excuse for a worldwide party, and thousands of women (and, I assume, men) are already starting to panic about what they could possibly wear. 

There is always the old faithful, but you wore that last year.. and the year before. Perhaps this is an excuse for a new old faithful, or something new and eye-catching because 2012 will be GREAT and you will definitely be keeping all those New Year Resolutions! 

So, why not consider something a little bit different this year? Something none of your friends will be wearing AND you will be bang on the underwear as outerwear trend (bare with me here..). 

Here is one idea: We styled our luscious black silk shirt and satin pencil skirt with one of our underbust waspies for a classy, yet eye-catching outfit.

Not only does the waspie and the curve of the pencil skirt create that classic hourglass figure, but this could be dressed up or down as much as you like! 

 

Wear this outfit with black stockings, bright red shoes (either small retro heels like our Pin Up Couture shoes, or if you are feeling really naughty, these fierce Bordello shoes!) and a statement chunky ring or necklace. 

The Underwear as Outerwear trend has been going strong since 2010, seen on celebs and fashionistas worldwide. This article over on The Lingerie Addict explains the do's and don'ts of this look and when it is done right, it looks amazing.

For example, here is The Only Way is Essex's Maria Fowler rocking some of our lingerie at the amazing The Box nightclub!

Teaming a longline bra with a black waspie and skinny jeans looks stylish and gives a little bit more to a casual look.

Overbust corsets look stunning if you happen to have lost your shirt - whoops! Team with a black pencil skirt for a vintage tease. 

Makeup tutorial: A very Burley Christmas

My name is Simone Camps and I am a London based professional make-up artist trained under Dani Guinsberg, CEO of The Session School. I was extremely fortunate to be part of The Get Naked Calendar 2012 in aid of Molar Pregnancy, working with Head MUA Amanda Bell, photographer Chris Dunlop and many more amazing people for a very good cause,   ! During London fashion week I headed the makeup team for HEMYCA LFWSS12 Fragments of Illusion.  Most recently I have been doing makeup for the general public at the  Good Results press day, (where I did Beverley Knight’s makeup) and Levi's ® UK Mirror Mirror Photo Shoot for Levis Curve ID in  London, Bluewaters and Milton Keynes.

I am extremely mindful of my clients’ desire to have the very best products on their skin, therefore I am very particular about the products that I use. For me, creating a flawless and unique individual look is a must, and I find that Bellapierre mineral makeup is perfect in assisting the beautification without harming the skin. I believe that the way a person looks can essentially alter the way they feel and how they portray themselves.

In this blog post I’m going to give you all the tips and tricks for how to get that perfect burlesque look for Christmas! I took my inspiration from Christina Aguilera’s take on the classic 1940s look.

 

1. Let’s start by preparing your skin. I’ve used Bellapierre’s milky cleanser to cleanse the face and neck. Then use the toner, moisturize, and apply primer. This will give a clean and smooth base for the makeup.
2. Apply Compact Mineral 5-in-1 Foundation with a Kabuki brush by dabbing the brush into the compact and then applying in a circular motion over the face.
3. One of the best things about mineral foundation is its versatility; Bellapierre’s foundation has 5 uses in one product, including concealer. Using a concealer brush conceals any problem areas.
4. Apply your favorite mineral blush colour (I used Autumn Glow, a luscious coral colour) to the apple of your cheek and blend. To get that gorgeous glow, highlight the cheek slightly by using Pure Element Bronzer.
5. For the eyes I’ve used earthy tones, such as Bellapierre’s Shimmer Powder in Champagne, Earth and a tiny amount of Bronze.
6. Using the lightest colour first, apply over the eyelids as a base, which will make the darker colours really pop. For a vintage look without being too vampy, blend and contour the sockets with the darker shades of brown.
7. Apply a liquid eyeliner to the upper lash line ending in a cat-like flick at the outer corners.
8. Using an eyebrow brush and a dark powder (Bellapierre’s Eyebrow Kit is fantastic for this) apply the powder in soft strokes along your natural eyebrow. Dark brows are a must-have for this look.
9. Finally apply Bellapierre Ruby lipstick to complete your very own burlesque Christmas makeover!

And there you go, a gorgeous look just in time for the Christmas party season!

I can be contacted on Twitter @simonecampsmua simc_mua@london.com or you can find me on Facebook!

SS13 Design Competition

We are offering you a tantalising chance to feature one of your lingerie designs in the Playful Promises SS13 lingerie collection ‘Paradise’.

Think 2030 meets 1950 – future retro... break down re-create. Think about the emergence of the East for exotic infusions and to really get the brain in gear think of the poem ‘Paradise Lost’ – innocence Vs sin and above  all - think about flirty fun as most of all we design collections that are pretty, eye catching but always fun to wear.

So from briefs to bras via basques, suspenders and corsets...

...Push-up bra,  demi bra, longline bra, soft-cup bra, underwired bra, strapless bra, strappy bras or even no bra? Low waist briefs, high waist briefs, peek-a-boo briefs and crotchless briefs, thongs, boy shorts, tangas, and Brazilians what will you choose?

Don’t forget suspender belts, longline girdles, cinchers, waspies, corsets, garter dresses, basques, and garter skirts, nipple tassles, merquins and all!

We’re looking for an original, signature design to represent the Playful Promises brand. Think bold colours, unique patterns with a bang-on trend print. Look at trends, colour palettes and shades, nature, graphics and geo-prints.

Consider texture, digital printing and fabric weight.

The colour palette will be nudes and blush pinks with acid yellows with dashes of apricot and magenta pink. Stolen glances of teal and lime green.

About Playful Promises

Playful Promises is a London Based lingerie brand designing and making lingerie, swimwear, gifting and clothing collections. Playful Promises prides itself on being flirty and even a little bit dirty.

Our lingerie collection comes out twice a year. It’s a heavily anticipated collection by UK stores and further afield. It’s important that the lingerie design fits with the brand and previous collections, understated sensuality with a sense of quirky, flirtaceous tempatation.

How to Enter

Send in your designs to Delphine@playfulpromises.com

Accepted formats include;
Hand drawn designs (please scan in)
CAD designs in JPG format
(max 2mb per email)

One entry per person

Competition Closing date; March 30th 2012

Prize

1.  The winning design mass-manufactured and sold in stores across the UK including Playful Promises Boutique and online store
2.  Their design featured in press across the UK and further abroad
3.  The winning design sent to them in their size
4.  £100 gift voucher to spend online or in store on Playful Promises Goodies

 Any questions, don't hesitate to contact us!

Image by Bruno Dayan