On to the review, though!

Lace Overlay Bunches Up

I was sent the Extreme Pushup Lace Bra & Vikini Set in zebra print. It’s actually one of those hybrid stripes/spot sets which seem to be all the rage. I have a top like that. It’s adorable. This set is incredibly detailed. The pieces consist of lace with black ruffles along the edges of the cups and waist of the vikini. The lace on the bra is actually an overlay and, in some spots, seems a little loose. so it bunches up.  There’s room enough for it to move over the base material.

The bra features the double strap which is pretty popular these days, it seems. In the back, it turned to a single elastic strap that has a sort of scalloped edge. The widest parts of the bra band consist of just the black and white lace, which is somewhat see-through. The lace itself isn’t the softest I’ve ever worn and it did bother my skin the first time I wore it. I have since become used to it, however. They connect to a double elastic strap which then connect to the hooks of the bra.

Double Elastic Strap

I do have to say that the push-up properties are pretty amazing. The cleavage effect is awesome. However, the cups themselves are bit stiffer than I’d like, resulting in a bit of an unnatural feel and look to the bra.

The included vikini is sort of a hybrid bikini an tanga with a general “V” shape. It’s meant to sits higher on the hips/waist than in the center and be cheeky. V-shaped panties really don’t look all that great on my body. It’s okay though. I ran into a sizing issue because the sets come with fixed panty sizes so you’ll want to be sure to check that before purchasing a set yourself.

The quality of both these pieces is okay. I did notice that one of the elastic straps came unsewn from the back of the bra so I sloppily sewed it back on myself. All the other ones seem secure, though, so it’s just a fluke.

The other piece that I was sent to review I absolutely love. It’s a red lace chemise that is not currently available on the site but is similar to many of the pieces in the sleepwear section. I really adore this size. It’s an empire waist style with triangular cups. The entire piece if made from a sheer, floral lace. The elastic straps, which are adjustable, and a tiny bow between the breasts have contrasting gold stitching which make it seem ideal for Christmas.

This is a super easy to wear piece. Just slip it on over your head. Adjust the stretchy cups, if you’d like, you the best fit. The waist is reinforced with elastic but offers stretch. It fits snugly, but comfortably, on me. The rest of the piece falls away more loosely from the body and the chemise falls to about mid-thigh. It’s not terribly short, which I like

Ruffle Detail

Another thing that I like is that the cups are not ginormous. Many lingerie companies assume that anyone who wears a size large or large has D-cups or larger. It’s hard to make cups that swamp your breasts look good but if the cups run a little smaller, you can always buy a size larger and just have a bit more room in your lingerie in my opinion. The large is definitely suitable to B or C cups. In fact, it made me feel very well endowed because the cups do run a bit small. If you’re larger chested, this is definitely something to take into consideration when ordering from Smart & Sexy. The specific piece I receive didn’t offer much in the way of support but the company does offer some pieces with underwire.

I have worn this thing like six times since I received it and washed it a few times, too. It’s definitely help up well and I’d love to own some similar pieces from Smart & Sexy. When you consider that their piece sall run between $15 and $20, it’s really reasonably priced. You can also hop on over to their Facebook page where they’re hosting a contest. Nominate a Smart & Sexy woman — or maybe someone will nominate you! — to win gift cards to the store as well as Wal-mart and  charity donations in their name and Walmart/

Kendall Gelthotics

So when I saw a review  opportunity with Kendall Gelthotics, I thought “hey, maybe this will make my shoes a little more comfortable and I don’t have to walk like a drunk duck!” I’ve actually tried some inserts from other companies but none that quite fit me very well. While products for women’s shoes tend to stick in the shoe to provide comfort in specific areas (heels and the ball of the feet are common) and other insertable insoles take up the entire space of your shoe, Gelthotics are a silicone insert that mold around the shape of the foot. The rest along the inside of your foot in your shoe.

You can easily see how the product was designed when you receive it. My first pair wasn’t the best fit but the company sent me a smaller size, which fit much better in my shoes. Kendall Gelthotics come in ranges. For example, range 2 is for women’s sizes 7 to 8 1/2. You may want to order down a range if you’re pairing your Gelthotics with dressy or fitted shoes. With the larger pair, the Gelthotics didn’t fit as well against my feet and I felt like something was simply stuffed into my shoe.  The proper size contours to my foot much better.

The silicone is super squishy and feels pretty good along the side of my foot when I’m standing still.Walking on the gelthotics at first did feel a little weird. The squishiness does make me walk a little differently and that’s something you have to get used to. Plus, the gel-like material moves a little every time I step down on it. I’m sure I’ll get used to it over time, though.

My second pair of Gelthotics were also better because the have adhesive, which helps them to stay in place. The first pair only had a few spots that were sticky and didn’t want to stay in place in my shoes. Just getting my feet into them was a little difficult. However, the all-over adhesive is much more secure and makes getting — and keeping — the Gelthotics in place much easier.

Although I have inserted mine into wedges that I like, but can be painful, the instructions also describe how you can remove the insoles from athletic shoes to place the Gelthotics underneath. It seems to me that this is could be better use of them rather than dress shoes; unfortunately, I don’t have a pair of shoes like that.

The tiny tail that curves around the heel of your foot is especially mobile, it seems. I experienced this with both pairs. It doesn’t quite seem to fit as well as the rest of the insert. Perhaps if it were flatter and fit under the foot or simply shorter, so less of it went around the heel. The adhesive does make this a little less of a problem, however.

If Gelthotics are a good fit for you, they’ll last forever. You can wash them with soap and water, they don’t retain scents and they won’t break down like other materials. However, silicone is a big attractant of lint and cats. Mine have decided that Gelthotics are actually a cat chew toy. =/

A bit about the website first. CheapesTees sell blanks and basic t-shirts, hoodies, sweats, tank tops and similar items. They’re great building blocks for any wardrobe and you creative types might consider them for DIY stuff. Not me. I’m a basic kind of girl which is why I chose to review the Bella Burnout Long Sleeve T-Shirt and the Bella Ladies’ Half-Zip Cotton-Spandex Hoodie.

Bella Burnout Long Sleeve T-Shirt

The tee is quite thin and super soft. Super soft. Unfortunately, it’s also the type of cotton/polyester mix that pulls in places that experience friction. For me, that’s at the sides where my elbow or purse rub. Fortunately, washing itself doesn’t seem to cause this issue like I worried it might. If you’re the type who likes to wear things before washing them, because you’re too damned excited, beware that you’ll be covered in fuzzies from this tee.

The Burnout long-sleeved tee is slim cut but probably a little looser than “juniors” cut items. I found the sleeves to be a little long but I pulled them down over my hands in a way that looked okay. You can certainly roll or push them up or even give them a shorter hem yourself but I’m not the type to do so.

Bella Ladies' Half-Zip Cotton-Spandex Hoodie

This hoodie is available in a some bright colors and I opted for turquoise but you can buy black, white or even fuchsia. Unfortunately, the design is cut a bit long, both in the body and arms for me. This means I wind up pushing or roll up the arms and it looks good only with some bottoms that I own. Because of the length and material, you may opt for a larger-than-normal size. The product description suggestions wearing it with workout pants or jeans and I completely agree.

The hoodie has held up well to washing but it’ll get some fuzzies over time, I’m sure. Otherwise, it’s nice and the zipper is super secure and also colored to match the fabric exactly. Although I like it slightly less, it’s still functional and pretty.

Thanks to CheapesTees for the opportunity!

Big Bad Sexy Wolf Costume

The design of the costume is simple. It’s a hooded dress that zips up the front. The material is a shiny, silver velour and the sleeves, hood and hem of the skirt are lined with fur. There are some pointy ears on the hood and a tail attached to the back of the skirt to add to the animalistic appeal. The costume comes with a pair of boot covers which are essentially leg warms that you were over your foot apparel to add to the overall feel of the costume.

Initially, the boot covers were missing from my package so I contacted the manufacturer, DreamGirl, and they sent of a pair right away. Great customer service and I’d like to thank them.

The design of this is incredibly easy to wear. In fact, I can slip it over my head without unzipping the costume at all but you can unzip and pull it up, too. The model in the picture is pretty damned ideal in terms of proportions but I’m happy to report that that is a forgiving costume. I decided to wear it with a tube top smoothing my body underneath and I felt pretty comfortable. The neckline is quite low cut, especially on my short frame, and so smaller chested women will probably want to opt for something a little easier to fall out. I was pretty happy with the cleavage but I wore it to an adult event, not a family one.

Fur on the Costume

There were a few things I didn’t like about the costume. For starters, the pom pom ties are only for decoration and don’t serve a purpose. I would have loved to tighten the hood a bit as it was quite loose. It was a little difficult to wear because it was so large. The poms also could have featured fur, rather than a grey fleece.

Big Bad Sexy Wolf Costume on Me

I did enjoy the tail, as it was fur on a wire frame. I curved it around me a bit and was even able to tuck it into my bra to use the bathroom. LOL The boot covers fit nicely and are slightly adjustable. They tie at the top and bottom so you can make them a bit more snug or loose. They stayed on quite well. Like the velour of the costume, they are stretchy. However, there’s not as much leeway with the covers if you have larger calves.

The silvery sheen of the costume contrasted nicely with my light reddish brown hair color. I was feeling pretty fantastic about myself as I wore this last night and I will definitely wear it again. I just need a nicer pair of boots to do so.

This costume — and several of the plus size costumes of the same cut — are available in a variety of sizes, not just “one size fits most” and “queen.” I can definitely see myself purchasing another DreamGirl costume from Costume SuperCenter.com in the future.

Shirt from TShirtPrinting.net

The sample I received is a basic grey shirt with a monkey logo screen printed in a man’s size tee. The t-shirt used is Gilban brand, with which I am not familiar. It says it’s printed on a heavy cotton and the weave is not as soft as I typically like on my shirts but this is usually true for men’s shirts (as opposed to women’s or junior’s). After washing, the shirt was much softer. The shirt itself is a flecked grey. Not my color of choice, usually, but it goes well with most things.

The printing on the shirt is very clean and neat. The simple design uses bright colors–pink, blue and yellow–like the T-Shirt Printing website itself. The print itself is pretty thick–the type you can easily feel from the inside. It’s the type that will eventually crack, I’m sure, but I’ll have to update you on that after a few more washings. If you have a need for a larger order of screen printed tees, I’d definitely check out T-ShirtPrinting.net.

I don’t recall how long shipping took but it wasn’t long enough for me to be annoyed. The FAQs do explain that shipping “typically takes 3-7 business days for delivery.” I noticed immediately that this is printed on a Bella babydoll. I already have a few of those because it’s what the Diesel Sweeties store uses for their women’s shirts. The shirts are quite comfortable and of a medium thickness. It could just be my imagination but this shirt seems a little shorter than previous Bella shirts I’ve had. Maybe I’m growing (probably not, though )=). Either way, there’s also a red sleeved raglan and men’s t-shirt available with this print.

Anyway, I have to say I do wish the printed image on the front were a bit larger. It’s only about 6″ or so. A 25-5-% size increase would make the shirt feel a little more balanced. The red on this one really is as bright as the images indicate, too.

On the back of the shirt is a Penny Arcade logo. I don’t think the product description said that but I don’t necessarily mind. I think it gives the shirt so of a.. jersey feel. Ryan thinks it’s too big, though, but he can just stop staring at my back.

But I’m pretty happy with my purchase, overall. I think this design is really “me.”

Now, the regular store has shirts and toys and stuffed animals all within the theme of LOLs but the purchase I made was their shirt of the day. This concept is really unique. You see, periodically, they release a new custom shirt based on one of the popular LOLs that has been on the Cheezburger sites but these shirts are only available for a limited time (although, it usually seems to be longer than 24 hours). The Shirt of the Day page has a countdown to let customers know how long the shirt will be available.

And I appreciate that ’cause I didn’t know if I wanted to buy the shirt. I’m a little indecisive and the Catnarok shirt I bought taunted me until I made the purchase. And I’m glad I did. The shirt of the day deal only costs $15, which includes standard shipping. The FAQ says shirts will arrive “within 2 weeks” but I’m pretty sure mine took less than a week which is awesome.

Because the shirts are created specifically for the customer, you cannot exchange or return them. Make sure to check the sizing chart. I did and ordered the same size I usually order for women’s cut/babydoll T-shirts. A lot of the shirts I buy online use Bella shirts but LOLMart does not. The cut was a bit narrower and noticeably longer than I am used to. On certain bodies, this isn’t a good thing but it wasn’t problematic for me. I did notice the material (100% Ringspun Cotton) it thinner than I am used to. The combination of cut and fabric might be a good reason to order up but I got lucky.

Anyway, my shirt arrived and the design looks awesome in the purple and white print. Now that I’m used to the fit, I love it.

It started out at least a year ago when I caught wind of this awesome glow in the dark T-shirt design featuring either the horny hare or the true love tortoise. There was free shipping at the time so I opted for Tinker the tortoise and soon I was wearing one of the most comfortable and well fitting shirts I’d worn in years. All the shirts can be printed on your size and style. I chose the babydoll cut shirt by Bella and, if you’re familiar with this cut, you know they tend to be a little snug. However, I don’t think I’ve ever worn a better fitting babydoll in my life. The super soft cotton has a bit of stretch and the shirt is cut so it actually covers you. I would og so far as to say that Bella’s babydolls are cut a little larger than other babydolls.

It’s really the glow in the dark screen printing that is awesome, though. As described on the site:

Here’s how it works: We print the design in white ink on a black t-shirt. Then, we print OVER the design with white glow ink… except for the secret message.

When you expose it to a black light or take it into the dark, you can both see the design AND read the message. Sexy Genius.

By day, the heart is plain white and by night, it display the message “If you can read this it’s dark, and you should kiss me”. It’s like a superhero! And I needn’t tell you that a certain someone takes advantage of this message in a cute and dorky way.

The “Secret Kisses” shirt even came with a free sticker which I used for a bookmark until I lost it. Shortly after, my shirt had seen better days so I decided to replace it and check out the DS store’s other designs, too. I added the pixel heart shirt to my cart because love is awesome and so is pink. With a new Tinker the true love tortoise, I lovingly tossed the old one in the trash.

I was totally surprised by just how soft the shirts were when I got them (my first one had become less skin friendly over time) and, once again, the fit was awesome. I also got two stickers this time.

Of course, there’s more prints to choose from, some of which also glow in the dark, many of which appeal to the geek in me and not all of them are as girly as my choices.

In summation, the Diesel Sweeties store kicks ass.

For once, I didn’t choose a bra with lace. In fact, I had always purchased bars with lace because plain satin and similar bras seemed pretty boring to me. However, I changed my mind when being plied with different bras in the dressing room. The plainer bras of satin and the nylon/spandex mix felt super smooth on my skin so I passed up the lace this time.

Both bras feel great and do a good job at supporting and shaping. Becuase they’re both from the Very Sexy collection, they have gold hardware and both bras also have double straps.

The Demi Push Up is super sexy because it’s so low cut. On me, it really gives an appearance similar to the cut of bras and bikinis pin ups would wear. This just makes me feel sexy. The regular Very Sexy Push Up covers more but the shiny satin cups are just as sexy if not as revealing.

I have been wearing the regular Very Sexy Push Up on pretty much a daily basis and it has proven comfortable, pretty and functional. Both bras have held up extremely well to the wear of daily use and washing. While elasticy, they have yet to lose their shape.

The push up properties of both bras are pretty spectacular and I can only assume this is because of the Gel Curve technology. If I squeeze the padded part of the bar, I can tell there is something of a gel filled packet within the cups sort of like the water bras which were popular a few years back. However, Gel Curve seems to be more natural looking and of higher quality. I do not expect these brass to burst or break on me.

I feel like my money was well spent on these bras. If I had to pick a bra I prefer, it would probably be the Demi Push Up simply because of how sexy the low cut makes me feel.

Helpful Hint: If your bra feels a bit tight, try a bra extender to make it comfortable once more!