Christmas Gift Guide: Naughty or Nice?

Are you stumped for gifts this Christmas? Has the daunting task of finding the perfect something brought you out in a damp sweat?

Perhaps it's best to let us do all the sweating for you, while you sit back and enjoy these photos of the gorgeous Sophia St. Villier wearing a little something arriving in January. 

Our Naughty or Nice Christmas gift guide is here to assist you in your hunt for that special prezzie. Do vibrant reds and sultry blacks get you in the mood for being evil (a la Eartha Kitt)? Or is she a pastel Princess, sweet enough to eat? We have something for everyone, and for many items sizing is a doddle. We specialise in soft cup bras, a lifesaver for those that just cannot bear to ask a lady her size! 

1. Circus Pin Up Panties - Snake Charmer £15. These sizzling briefs are the perfect little stocking filler or Secret Santa gift, guaranteed to hypnotise onlookers with their rich colour. The Snake Charmers come with their own Circus tin, no need for fiddly wrapping paper! 

2. Red Satin Waspie £60. Wear under or over, with clothing or without. This sumptuous red corset is a must have for the Christmas party season. I've worn mine on multiple outings over clothes as an alternative to a thick belt - great for shaping your figure. 

3. Morgana Lace and Mesh Bra £27.50. EVERY woman needs a little black lacy number, and we adore Morgana for it's ability to suit both day and night, work and play! 

4. Victoria Garter Dress £37.50. A classic favourite, the Victoria garter dress covers all those lumps and bumps we all have, creating a sleek and sexy silhouette. Turn over and reveal a naughty surprise :P

5. Bordello Glitter Cabaret Shoes £70. Talk about va-va-voom... These shoes just beg to shine out at that otherwise dreary Christmas party. I would probably break my neck wearing these, but at least I would look great for the Ambulence men. 

6. Heart Noir Brief £19. I cannot explain how much I love these adorable briefs. A brand new addition from our SS12 collection, these have been inspired by Film Noir and are therefore a perfect gift for all those a little bit devilish. 

7. Pin-Up Girl - Call Me Cutie £15. Another sumptuous tin from our gifting range, ideal for the pin-up obsessed. I particularly love the red stitch detail on the front of the briefs, and the phrase "Call Me..." leaves no questions about it! 

1. Genie Lace Triangle Bra - Mauve £25. Whenever I see this bra I instantly imagine Maire Antoinette teaming it with voluminous bloomers for a good relax on the chaise longue. Perhaps not historically accurate but perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

2. Peach Detail Waspie £80. This is not just any underbust corset. This adorable number has been created with light pink satin contrasted against black lace, the perfect combination (as if you couldn't tell one of our favourite colour combos). 

3. Rose Peach Lace Brief £16. Cute and dainty doesn't have to mean unsexy, and Rose proves this point with it's delightful sheer lace. I've chosen this as one of the most comfy styles I've ever worn, so who says you have to suffer for fashion? 

4. Lyla Satin Playsuit - Pink £35. As a lover all all things playsuits/leotards/bodysuits (unless it's from the 70s!) I had to snap this up in Black when I first saw it and I must say, it has definitely kept the dreaded onesies away this winter!

5. Pin Up Couture Pink Heritage Shoes £55. Every lingerie lover knows it is important to match your lingerie to your shoes. It's unlikely you will find pink and houndstooth knickers so you will just have to make do with matching these to anything else on our Nice gift guide.

6. Margot Blush Pink Brief £15. Who says femme fatales must be all red lipstick and black pencil skirts? The Margot brief is a sure sign of a good girl gone just a little bit bad. I LOVE the delicate eyelash lace and sheer back. 

7. Blush Suspender Belt £25. Cannot get enough of this Blush suspender belt - I'd even team it with black (with a touch of pink detail) lingerie just to make it pop! A perfect gift for vintage fantatics and pin-up sweethearts. 

We'd love to hear what kind of gifts you are purchasing for your loved ones this year, and what gifts you would LOVE to receive (nudge nudge wink wink)!

Vintage party hair with Yogi: Part 2

My name is Natalie Shirlaw, I've been hairdressing for around 20 years and have worked in some of London’s top salons. I'm currently working as a session hairstylist, which means I specialise in TV, film, grooming for premieres, photoshoots etc. I'm currently the “face” of  Yogi hair products and I do the hair show on QVC for them too. I've just been booked for the Sony premiere “The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo” in December too so I'm very excited about that! My website is www.shirlawstyle.com if you would like to read more about me.

Im really excited to bring some Christmas party looks for you through Playful Promises. I hope you enjoy them and find my step by step easy to achieve! I have enlisted the help of my client Sinead who is modelling for me; we met when I did her gorgeous vintage themed wedding in the summer in Whitstable and also my friend and fantastic photographer Samantha Jones who does beautiful wedding pictures – take a look at her website!

Check out our first tutorial here!

LOOK 2: Nightclub

WHAT YOU NEED                                                    

Yogi Hair Wand  

A bristle brush

Pincomb

Widetooth comb

Grips

Wide grips

Step 1

I've done this look for you so you can be a bit different from your friends! I've been looking at girls on the tube etc and everyone is now able to do the side buns and ponytails that are in fashion, so I thought I’d give you something more adventurous to try! And again it’s a lot easier than it looks!

Again the first thing any hairdresser will tell you if you want to put hair up you need lots of texture in your hair, as it's much easier to mould into shapes.  Sometimes it's easier if you try this on the 2^nd day after washing as your hair will have some natural texture in it.

I used my Yogi fat barrel wand to create more lovely texture.

Step 2

Back comb the whole head by taking sections around the head and using that stroking backcomb method previous described here.  You will be looking a bit scary when you’re done!

Step 3

Take a section from ear to ear so you have your hair in 2 sections, 1 in the front and 1 in the back. Brush the back section over to one side and pin as shown.  Then fold the rest of the hair back into itself to create a cone shape and pin to the head with the wider hair pins.  If this is too difficult you can just clip it with a long butterfly clip. 

Step 4

Place the padding on the top of the head and secure with grips.  Then take random sections and pin everything upward onto the padding. When you have something to pad your hair with it makes pinning so much easier as it gives it something to grip onto. Twist bits of hair round and pin until you get this lovely shape!

Good luck with styling and I hope you all look uber glam for your Christmas parties!

Christmas gift review: Etti

Amy was taken on by the Playful Promises team as part of their internship scheme, where she designed our gorgeous Etti set! She is now in her 3rd year at Leeds College of Art studying BA (Hons) Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design, and she specialises in print design for fashion and lingerie. To keep up to date with this rising star, check out her blog and follow her on twitter @amyselina

The ‘thing’ about Playful Promises for me is that extra spark their lingerie gives to the wearer, the feeling of flirtation and instant sex appeal, which I feel is personally hard to come by. Playful Promises set themselves apart as they ‘mix quirky, directional design with all things playful and flirty’, they’re always sexy, always sassy and always confident.

I often see, hear or read that people are surprised that prints are engineered in house by designers rather than sourced and bought from elsewhere. Playful Promises prints are designed in house and this makes them extra special, giving me an extra special feeling when being asked to design the print for Etti so soon into my internship (a big step up from my own disillusioned expectations of tea girl rankings, and my internship outshone every one of those).

Having already seen the design drawn up for Etti, it made designing a print to fit the mould a little easier.  I knew the print for Etti needed to fit with the feel of the fabrics - a look of luxe. I wanted to revitalise beautiful retro aesthetics in a fun, fresh and flirty way, upholding Playful Promises trade mark characteristics. It was the quirkiness of my own creativeness that I wanted to put into Etti as well as keeping the magic and creating that spark.

The print itself consists of bold brush strokes with painterly qualities and a floral overprint. The colour palette given was on trend for the upcoming colour blocking season, and I wanted to give it a quirky twist. Explosions of apricot, magenta and purple against a dark background gave for a sexy and seductive print. I added depth and opacity to aspects of the design to create a luxurious layered print that would work perfectly with Etti’s already amazing aesthetics.

The initial design of Etti set an amazing background for emphasising the print. The contrasts of print against dark mesh and sheer panels along with glimpses of flesh really add to the over all feel of this set. The fit speaks for itself, the designs offer retro yet modern and sexy underwear, flattering all bust sizes and engineered for the shapes and curves of the women’s body. The fit and feel of Etti is pure perfection, hugging all the right places and accentuating just what is needed. My favourite piece out of Etti being the longline bra, the cage effect giving the right amount of flesh flirtation with a cheeky hint towards fetishism and ultimately, what we all want to feel when we wear beautiful underwear; sexy. These sets do exactly what Playful Promises describe, beg to be shown off. Etti encapsulates freedom, rebellion and vast sex appeal, where dynamic energy and provocation are key.

When I see Etti I see the excitement reflecting in the print that I felt when I first started the design, and I hope that when everyone slips into the set they feel that same excitement.

When Etti was delivered to my door, I un-wrapped the parcel, folded back the black tissue paper and there it was, that spark. Definitely keeping the all important promises, Etti is pleasure providing, perfectly playful and definitely magical.

Christmas gift review: Lady Unmentionable

A knicker in a tin, what a remarkable invention!

Lingerie is always a welcome gift from anyone. I truly believe that you can never have enough underwear, so whether a lover buys you a steamy set of lacy pieces or whether a friends treats you to a knicker in a tin, its just a win win situation.

Emma and the Playful Promises team make these rather delicious tins with a brief hidden inside. The tin itself has a very cute illustration and each brief is special with customized details like bows, lace and detailing.

I've been asked to review the Circus Pin-Up tins, but they really sell themselves. These tins are just great for the Christmas season, and for hen parties and even birthdays, and small treats for no reason. There doesn't have to be a reason to treat someone!

The Circus Tins are inspired by three typical circus performers. The hand-drawn illustration on the tin lid is delicately drawn to represent the; Ring Mistress, the Tiger Tamer and the Snake Charmer. Each circus act is wearing the brief that lays beneath.

What I really like about the tins, is that you can use the tin for other means than storing the brief. I've seen the Playful Promises girls propping up their computer screens with them! They need to be displayed, the tin is begging to be shown off as more than just a tin for a brief. The potential for the tin is limitless. Or you can simply store your beautiful brief in the tin in your knicker drawer!

The briefs themselves, are foxy pieces of cheek-wear. I'm not sure which one I prefer, it changes from day to day.

Tiger Tamer is a vivid pink, with just a simple bow on the front, it looks like any other brief. Turn around and a heart shape cut-out greets the observer with a pink lace centre revealing your buttock cheeks, this is a rather cheeky brief! This is very girly, and breezy, but I like the idea that it's a pant that can be worn every day, under any choice of clothes, it's subtle and only when undressed does it reveal it's cheeky secrets.

Snake Charmer is today's favourite. I like the rich purple colour of this brief, topped with a stripe of black its a dark and mysterious panty. I like the simplicity of the brief, the richness of the colour and the silky satin fabric exudes seduction and mystery. The two ribbon bows finishes off the pant and makes it that much more special. The tin illustration, of a snake charmer, is also my favourite. I like the envious green of the snake against the purple brief.

Finally Ring Mistress, a sleek all black number at first seems a little too common. On closer inspection this brief is all in the detail. The fine finish of the gathered seam on the back is very original. And the delicate lace trim at the top of the legs is subtle and beautiful making the panty more like a piece of delicate porcelain that needs protecting. The button detail on the front brings a little charm and cheek to such a graceful knicker.

At just £15 each, these briefs are a charming little gift, especially this Christmas. The receivers gets not only a playful and promising knicker but a tin, hand illustrated with more than just one purpose!

Promises team keep nudging me to also mention that these three tins are limited edition, so once they're gone, they're gone for good. Make sure you get hold of all three! Available in small, medium and large, something for every bottom.

Christmas gift review: One Thousand and One Nights

The Morgana line from Playful Promises Autumn Winter Damascan Dreams collection really does promise one thousand and one nights of boudoir play. A black lacey and racey retro collection, including; underwired bra, brief, thong, suspender belt and garter dress, which I strongly recommend.

Initially I didn't feel the line was as strong as Etti or Jasmine, however the quiet subtlety of the line soon made it's name within magazines, blogs and photo shoots. The Morgana garter dress was an incredibly popular piece to be called in by stylists, often queuing up to borrow it for their shoots.

It wasn't until I got my hands on the Morgana bra did I realise just how wondrous this line was to be. The bra is surprisingly comfortable, I can honestly say I've never had such a comfortable bra. With lace panelled cups and two inch thick elastic, the Morgana bra is a femme fatale bra like no other.

It has a very thin, almost transparent lining between the lacey exterior making it a soft bra to wear. But more than soft-to-touch comfort, the bra offers perfect sleek support which was surprising for such a lacy piece. In particular I like the shallow dip this bra offers, making it a uniquely shaped bra ideal under t-shirts, the LBD or for playful excursions.

The chunky ribbed elastic band, the signature of this line, is really what makes the collection. Such an original trim, comfortable and yet there is something quite racy about this oversized, two inch thick, elastic finish. The attention to detail is sumptuous, this elastic is finished with a small scalloped edge, therefore the elastic isn't cutting into the skin, rolling or other temperamental activity elastic can usually offer.

The brief, also finished with this chunky trim, features a rather saucy triangle cut-out on the back displaying glimpses of unmentionable regions. The lace fabric offers a racy glimpse and the mesh shows off further flesh, making this a real temptress of the night. And I have to say comfortable and sexy to wear, a match made in heaven (or by Playful Promises).

The garter skirt, or suspender belt, is very desirable. Just like the brief, the back of the garter skirt is as detailed as the front. The chunky elastic is crossed over on the back cropping the skirt high showing off your peachy cheeks, welcoming glimpses of your best assets. I really like the cut of this retro-inspired garter skirt. It includes adjustable straps for your stockings finished with a rubber tip to grip your nylons.

The jewel of the collection, steaming the mirror in your boudoir, is the Morgana garter dress. A real show stopper, the garter dress could almost be a little black dress. Perhaps a little risqué, it's definetly something to show off. The underwired bra offers support and comfort whilst the dress shapes your curves. Again a criss-cross cut-away effect with the chunky elastic offers promising glimpses of what lies beneath.

The garter dress is a real must-have for fun in the bedroom and ideal to be worn under dresses and more. But I strongly recommend the entire line for everyday-wear, boudoir shenanigans and shaping your curves.