Updated Review: Curvy Kate Tease Me Bra

I am really happy to write this update. I washed the bra and wore it for two days, and I am thrilled to report that the strange boxy shape on the right breast has become beautifully rounded, just like the left breast. The wash seems to have softened the cups up a bit, making them more pliable, so that they hug my shape better. So, here is my updated review:

Appearance (4.9/5)
This is exactly the same as before.

Comfort (4/5)
Again, still the same as before, although, I feel I should qualify why I docked one point off - the shoulder straps are very wide. They dig in slightly when I reach for something, but it's not a huge deal and certainly won't stop me from wearing this beautiful bra. But it is something to think about if you are really bothered by wide straps.

Fit (4.5/5)
Fits very well, give a lovely, rounded silhouette. I'm really, really glad the squarish shape is gone from the right breast, because I think this bra is so pretty and I wanted it to work out for me so badly. Fortunately, it did!

Overall (4.3/5)
In general, this is a wonderful bra, and I will absolutely be buying more from Curvy Kate. The beauty, style and comfort cannot be beat at this price. I only hope they break into the US market sooner than later; we really need beautiful bras that cater to larger cups and smaller backs here.

I also wish I could find the ivory/coral Ella bra in a 30FF, now that I know my CK size, but I think it might be too late, as it seems to be sold out pretty much everywhere.

*Note: My methodology for coming up with the 'overall' rating was by taking the weighted average of the three previous categories in order of their importance to me, with comfort being the highest priority, fit coming second and appearance coming third.

Review: Curvy Kate Tease Me Bra

After many months of eying it, I finally broke down and ordered the Tease Me bra from Curvy Kate. It is one of their most popular bras, and I ordered it in a beautiful green color, which was on sale for about £19 ($37 after shipping) at lovebras. At first I was a little hesitant about what size to order - I mean, I know lovebras does returns, but seriously, why would I want to blow money on return shipping? I bought another Curvy Kate bra about a month ago on eBay; it was the Ella bra, and I ordered it in a 32E, because I'd heard that CK runs a little small in the band. Definitely not true for the Ella; the band is super stretchy. I also found the cup fit to be too small. Given this, I decided to order the Tease Me in a 30FF.

It finally came in the mail today. As an aside, the ordering process through lovebras was very easy (this was my first purchase from them), but if you live in the US, be forewarned that shipping is relatively slow. It took close to two weeks for the bra to arrive, although I'm not sure how much of that time was spent in customs.

So, I'm going to go about this review somewhat systematically:

Appearance (4.9/5)
My first impression upon pulling the bra out of its packaging was that it's actually more beautiful than I had expected. The green is very vibrant and is set off nicely by the black mesh. Very stylish, and great attention to detail. I docked off 0.1 points because I think it would be more elegant if the bows were a bit thinner/smaller. That's a minor nitpicky thing though. On the whole, it's probably the most beautiful bra I own.

Comfort (4/5)
The bra generally feels quite comfortable, and is comparable to any of my Freya bras in terms of comfort. There may be some very slight itchiness in the cups, but I find this with most bras, and it generally becomes less of an issue after one or two washes. The band is relatively stretchy, but in general, I feel that the 30 band was a good choice for me.

Fit (???/5)
So here is where I'm still the foggiest. Ordering one size up in the cup was definitely an excellent choice. If I had ordered my regular 30F size, I'd be busting out of these cups, just like I do in the Ella. I like the way it fits my smaller breast, but there are some fit issues on my larger breast. The top edges of the cups are somewhat rigid, and stand out against the larger one, while the smaller one is just small enough that it lies at the correct angle and doesn't stick out. I read on Balkonetka that there are some girls who've had similar fit problems with the Tease Me, where the rigid cup edge stands out against them, creating sort of a boxy profile, but they seem to say that after some wash and wear that the edge begins to lay flat and it's not so much a problem anymore. So, I'm going to give it a chance, wear it a bit (boxy larger breast be darned), and see if it changes at all. The silhouette created on my smaller breast is very rounded and essentially perfect.

Updates will definitely follow! If this bra ends up working out well, I've next got my eye on the Thrill Me, possibly in cobalt/fuchsia - what a beautiful color combo!

Cowl Time!

Madelinetosh Honey Cowl

If there's one thing I love, it's making things. The most recent project I've started is a cowl that I'm knitting, based on the Madelinetosh Honey Cowl pattern that's available for free on the Madelinetosh website.

I'm knitting it up in a similar green color with Cascade 220 superwash. It's going a little slow, just because I haven't had as much time as I would like to work on it, but I'm probably 1/5 of the way done. So far, it's turning out really nice; I can't wait until it's finished.

No Poo and Styling

A lot of people wonder when they first decide to go no poo how they will need to change their styling habits. I know I did. Heat styling and the use of styling products are usually the two biggest questions.

In terms of styling with product, it's not necessary to stop using styling product - I would just say don't use anything you can't get out with whatever alternate method you're using to wash your hair. Baking soda can most certainly get out just about anything, but based on my own personal experience, using baking soda daily is probably just as bad as shampooing daily; at the very least, it's every bit as drying. If you're doing WO washes exclusively, it's probably best to steer clear of product altogether, because getting product out with just water is going to be difficult to borderline impossible, depending on what you're using; you're certainly going to have an issue with buildup. One of the great things I've found with CO is that you can get most things out with it. I still CO on a daily basis, and my hair is loving it. So, after I wash my hair, I use a little spritz of a detangler called Repair Me by Lamas, and I also usually dab a bit of coconut oil on my ends. Both of these come out fine with my daily CO. Most things, including hairspray and mousse I've found come out quite easily with CO; my only recommendation would be try to avoid things with silicone, as these can be more stubborn to get out and can build up over time, making your hair look limp and oily.

Now for heat styling. This is really just a matter of personal choice. I decided to go no poo because my hair was trashed from shampooing and heat styling. After going for over a year without shampooing, I've found that my hair is healthy enough that I no longer need to do much heat styling to make it look good. But in reality, if you just don't think you can give up heat styling, don't let that deter you from going no poo. Think about it: both heat styling and shampoo are damaging to your hair, so if you choose to cut out shampooing but continue heat styling, you're still reducing the amount of damage you're doing to your hair by quite a bit. In any case, regardless of your styling choices, your hair will probably ultimately thank you for skipping on the harsh detergents.

OCM: Oil Cleansing Method

So, I will be the first to admit that I thought this sounded completely crazy when I first heard about it. I have got some pretty wacky skin that is somehow oily and dry all at the same time (?). I thought it sounded absurd to wash my face with oil, but the only thing that's really absurd about it is that more people aren't doing it.

I first tried the oil cleansing method back in January of this year. I figured since I don't use shampoo on my hair, what's stopping me from ditching soap on my face? So the deal is, you mix some oils together, usually castor oil and some other kind of oil like jojoba or olive, depending on your skin. I personally used olive. I mixed it about 70/30 olive/castor. You then take the oil mixture and massage an ample amount into your skin; you want to spend about 3-5 minutes massaging your face with the oil. While you're massaging, you want to have a towel soaking in hot water. Once you're done with the massaging, wring out the towel and drape it over your face and let it sit until the towel essentially cools to near room temperature (only takes a couple minutes). Then use the towel to gently wipe the excess oil from your skin. I swear your skin will feel amazing. I don't do it every day, only because sometimes I'm so tired by the time I get to bed, I just don't have it in me to spend 10 minutes on my face.

It's also a great way to remove makeup - since most makeup is oil-based, oil is the most effective method for removing it. This method also avoids the harsh drying effect of many detergent based facial cleansers, and is about as squeaky clean as you can get, in terms of ingredient lists. It does a very good job at cleansing, and I've had absolutely no problems with breakouts using this method.

While I'm at it, I may as well do another little no poo update. I'm on month 15, I think, of no poo and I've pretty much got things down to a science. I'm still CO-washing daily, and my hair is loving it! I finally went and got a haircut about a month and a half ago. I just CO-washed my hair before going, and it was still wet when I got to my hairdresser, so she said it wasn't necessary to wash it again... whew, dodged a poo! I can't believe the condition it's in; it's so healthy. She cut off probably close to 6-8 inches, so what's left is in great shape. I'm still using the Tresemme Naturals no silicone conditioner for CO-wash, although I'm currently using it in the Radiant Orange scent. Apparently, this one is volumizing the and Avocado and Aloe one is moisturizing, but to be honest, I really can't tell much of a difference between the two. They both smell good and work equally well as CO-washes. I takes me about 5-6 weeks to get all the way through a bottle.

Does your bra fit?

Does your bra poke you, cause back, neck or shoulder pain, or do you look like you're sagging even with your bra on? Do you have rolls of fat in your armpits? If so, you are likely wearing the wrong bra size.

This is a very common problem among women and can be a huge source of discomfort. The most common mistake is wearing a back band that is too large and compensating with cups that are too small. The problem originates in using archaic measuring methods on bras constructed of modern materials. When the bra was first introduced, it was made of linen, which doesn't stretch. The patterns that bras were cut from required that the wearer add 4 to 5 inches to their underbust measurement in order to get a good fit. Nowadays, bras are constructed of highly elasticated materials cut from the same old patterns; however, many people are still also using the old fitting method. Because newer bras can stretch several inches, this now results in band that is much too large. The majority of the support should be coming from the back band, so if you have a band that is too loose, the weight of your bust is inappropriately distributed to shoulders, and the underwires will dig in and rub, causing tremendous discomfort.

Here are some examples of a poor fit:

1) This red line marks where the actual breast tissue is. As you can see from this, the cups are very clearly too small and sitting on top of the breast tissue.
2) The center gore of the bra is not laying flat on the sternum; rather it is pushed out away from the sternum, another indication that the cups are too small.
3) The back band is hitching a ride north.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself that may indicate you are wearing the wrong size:

1) does your back band ride up your back (i.e. it doesn't sit horizontally, parallel to the floor, but rather angles upward?)
2) can you pull your back band out more than 2 inches from your back?
3) do your shoulder straps take most of the weight of your bust and leave grooves in your shoulders?
4) do your breasts appear to sag, even when you have a bra on?
5) do you suffer from back or neck pain?
6) when you lift your arms, does your band pull away from your ribcage?

All of these are signs that your back band is too big. A band that is too big will make your breasts look saggy (when the back goes up, the front goes down).

Moving onto the cups, underwire should not ever be uncomfortable. If it sits properly, encasing the breast tissue completely, it will provide support for the breasts, rather than causing pain. If your cups are too small, then you can't fit your entire breast in the cup, resulting in some of the breast tissue being alienated from the cup. Over time, this tissue finds a new permanent home and often ends up in some place you don't want it, like your armpits. Fat rolls in your armpits are oftentimes migrated breast tissue, that has gone in search of other places to live, because there's no room for it in too-small cups. This can be remedied only by wearing the correct bra size and inviting all that tissue back into the cups.

Although I am an advocate of not using a measuring tape to find your bra size, I acknowledge that this is the only way really possible when giving instructions over the internet. So grab your tape measure. You'll want to put on your best fitting bra in order to take these measurements.

First, measure under your bust, making sure the measuring tape is parallel to the floor. This measurement needs to be quite tight, and you should exhale the air from your lungs before taking this measurement to get the smallest measurement possible. Don't worry about how tight the tape feels; your bra won't be this tight, because it's elastic and stretches, while the tape measure doesn't. Write this number down.

Next, you're going to take your bust measurement. You'll want to measure loosely over the largest part of your bust, again keeping the tape parallel to the floor. If your breasts sag, you might want to lean forward slightly to take this measurement, in order to be more accurate. Write this number down as well.

Now, take those two measurements and enter them into this calculator.

The size the calculator returns might look completely absurd to you, but that's only because places like Victoria's Secret has done such a great job of making women believe that the only sizes that exist are 32-38 A-D.

Keep in mind that the bra size given by calculator is only a ballpark estimate, and you must try bras on to make sure that they fit. You'll want to go someplace that has a wide selection of sizes - in the US, I recommend Nordstrom - and grab the size the calculator recommended for you, as well as several sizes around that size. For example, if the calculator recommended you try a 30F, you'll want to grab the following sizes to try: 30F, 30FF, 30E, 32DD, 32E, and 32F.

When you are trying on your bras, it is critical that you put them on correctly. Many women just toss their bras on, but there's actually a right way and a wrong way to put them on. To correctly put on your bra, you'll want to fasten the band, and place your breasts in the cup, slipping the straps over your shoulders. Then you'll want to take your hands and scoop the tissue under your armpits into the cups. Then give yourself a jiggle to settle into the cups and make sure the straps are correctly adjusted to a 2-finger tension.

Now you'll want to assess whether the bra you're wearing fits. Here are the things you should look for:

1) The back band should be very firm on the loosest hook, and you should not be able to pull it more than an inch or two from your back. Any farther than this, and the band is too big. However, if you cannot comfortably slide two fingers under your bra band, it is too tight.

2) The back band should be sitting horizontally all the way around your body, and should not be riding up toward the back. If the band is angled up toward the back, it is too big.

3) When you raise your arms, the bra should remain rooted firmly against your ribcage. If it pulls away, the band is too big.

4) The center gore of the bra should sit flat against your sternum. If it sticks out, your cups are too small.

5) The tops of the cups should make a smooth line with the tops of your breasts. If the materials digs into the tops of your breasts, the cups are too small. If there is excess material and bagging at the top of the cups, the cups are too big. However, if you have the material cutting in at the top of your breasts, but you have wrinkling and bagging at the nipple or bottom of the cup, it actually means the cup is too small.

6) The underwire should sit behind the breast tissue, completely encasing it. It should not sit on top of it; if it is, the cup is too small.

If you need to change band sizes, it is important to note that cup sizes are relative to band sizes, i.e. the cup on a 34B is NOT the same as the cup on a 32B. The 34B cup is one cup size larger than the 32B. A 32C has a cup volume equivalent to the cup volume of the 34B. So if you go down a band size, you need to go up one cup size, and if you go up one band size, you need to go down one cup size.

It may also be important to note that if, when trying your new bra size, you feel that the band size is too small, it may actually be that the cups are too small, pulling the band taught and making it feel tighter than it actually is. Always try going up a cup. The correct cup size should be the largest cup size you can fill out completely.

One other important note is that you should try on different styles of bras, because the wrong bra style in the right size will still cause fitting problems. Particularly, you'll want to see if you need wide or narrow underwires. For narrow underwires, try Freya, and for wide underwires, try Panache.

Also note that lingerie advertisements largely cannot be trusted. Most often, models are placed in atrociously fitting bras and the most obvious problems are simply photoshopped away. It's important to find bra retailers that offer a wide range of sizes; trust me, sizes like 30F, or even 28J exist! Going shopping at a store that offers an abysmal range of sizes almost guarantees you'll be put into the wrong size.