Fashion & Beauty

Flattering Plus Size Swimwear

by MomGrind

The best plus size swimwear plays up your best features while downplaying the areas you’re less happy with.

If you are fuller on the bottom, look for a one-piece swimsuit or a tankini that is darker on the bottom and brighter on the top. This draws attention to the parts you want to accentuate.

Another way to highlight and enhance cleavage and draw the eye upward is to choose a swimsuit with a low-cut neckline. Boy-cut bottoms are another good choice because they are not only comfortable – they will also minimize large hips and give an illusion of a smaller rear end. It’s best to avoid revealing bottoms that will make you uncomfortable.

Take a look at this colorblock swimsuit (available in sizes up to 24W). It’s easy to see that the style does draw the eyes to the model’s upper body:

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Swimsuits with halter-tops or molded under-wire cups with a wide band are a great option for a bigger chest.

A flattering halter top swimsuit, available up to size 16W:

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While a one-piece swimsuit is an obvious choice if you want to cover your tummy, tankinis with a longer top give you a young, modern look and still provide tummy coverage.

A feminine, sexy Halter Tankini Swimsuit, available up to size 24W:

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A very flattering longer-top tankini with a modest bottom:

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The best plus size swimwear is comfortable. This is in fact true for any swimsuit, regardless of the size or who wears it. If you keep tagging at your swimsuit in an attempt to get more coverage, or if you look painfully uncomfortable in your swimsuit, you will not look attractive. So if you need to go for a larger size, just do it.

The right fit is far more important than the number on the tag. No one will be reading the size on your tag anyway and hey, you can always cut it off. :) Your mission is to find a swimsuit that makes you feel comfortable and feels like YOU.

Cheap Little Black Dresses

by MomGrind

Yes, you can find cheap little black dresses that are affordable, yet flattering. Scroll down for my recommendations.

It’s cliché but it’s true: the little black dress works for almost anything, including the office (paired with a jacket), a cocktail party or a night out on the town.

You can dress it up or down with the right accessories (funky shoes and costume jewelry for a younger, more casual look; pumps and conservative jewelry for a more elegant look).

If it’s cold, you can throw a shawl over it. It’s an easy, effortless way to make sure you are never over or under-dressed.

A great little black dress doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, I prefer cheap little black dresses. It’s fairly easy to look great if you pay a fortune. The trick is to look fabulous even though you spent very little. There’s an art to dressing well on a budget.

The three little black dresses shown below are gorgeous, timeless and very reasonably priced.

Isaac Mizrahi for Target Embroidered Lace Dress ($20, hand wash, sizes small to xx-large) is classic, feminine, glamorous and very flattering for any figure. It’s fitted and has wide straps and cross-over V-neck that tastefully play up the bust.

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Newport News’ Shape Control Dress ($59, hand wash) has a built-in power-mesh panty that controls the tummy and lifts the rear, and a shelf bra that supports the bust.

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This Flutter Sleeve Dress ($49.50) is perfect for the office when paired with a simple necklace and a pair of black pumps. At night, add several long necklaces and platform shoes or knee-high boots for a fresh, modern look. The full (but not too full) skirt and plunging neckline draw attention to the bust and are very forgiving if you have curvy thighs.

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An easy alternative to the little black dress is a black skirt.

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A skirt is somewhat more versatile than a dress because you can change the look by pairing it with different tops. A blouse, or a silk sleeveless top with a jacket for the office; a fitted v-neck top with a pendant necklace for going out. A-line skirts are flattering to most figures. Pencil skirts look best on thin women.

Sephora No No: Does It Work?

by MomGrind

Sephora no noDoes “Sephora No No” actually work?

Removing unwanted hair permanently is time-consuming and expensive. The results – even with laser – are not always as smooth or as permanent as one would hope.

So I was intrigued when a friend told me about the Sephora No!No! hair removal system.

My friend was thrilled with her results. A former daily shaver with almost-immediate stubble, she is now down to using the No No Hair Removal System once a week and feels that the amount of hair on her legs has been significantly reduced and that it grows back more slowly than before. She feels that she’s on her way to getting rid of the hair – permanently.

According to the manufacturer, Sephora No No allows you to “achieve hair density reduction at home, with no mess, no cuts, no burns, and no noise”. It is an “adaptation of professional hair removal technology into a home use product.”

A clinical study that I found online states that “The efficacy and safety of the no!no! Thermicon device for hair removal of the legs appear to be comparable to those of laser devices,” but since I wasn’t willing to pay for the full article, it’s unclear who paid for that study.

If you’ve tried removing unwanted hair with the Sephora No No hair removal system, I would love to read about it in the comments.

Mom Jeans: You Don’t Have To Wear Them!

by MomGrind

mom-jeans2Mom Jeans are cheap, soft and comfortable, but their very high waist, generous cut around the derriere and thighs and tapered leg opening are extremely unflattering.

The term “mom jeans” was introduced as part of a hilarious Saturday Night Live commercial with an unforgettable tag line: “This Mother’s Day, don’t give Mom that bottle of perfume. Give her something that says, ‘I’m not a woman anymore. I’m a mom!”

Apparently, some moms really do feel that dressing in a way that’s figure-flattering is inappropriate for a mom. That “if you’re not martyring yourself, and that extends to your physical appearance, then you’re not doing your job as a parent.”

But do we really have to choose between being a “mother” and being a “woman?” A mother is also a woman and a person. A mother can be stylish and fabulous and sexy and interesting. A mother can have an engaging conversation that is not centered on child rearing and a mother can wear clothes that are young and flatter her figure.

Of course, a mother can choose to wear mom jeans if she feels comfortable in them and is not interested, or is opposed to, following fashion dictation and being fashionable or trendy. Either way, it’s a personal choice that should not be dictated by social norms and expectations.

Photo by ifiwererosemary

How To Wear Skinny Jeans

by MomGrind

How to wear skinny jeans? The common answer: with a long top that hits at hip level or below. An empire waist top is good if you’re curvy, otherwise go with a long, body-skimming top. You can tuck them into boots, wear them with heels, or – if you’re very slim – with flats.

But there’s a second answer to the question “how to wear skinny jeans?”- my own answer: how about not wearing them at all? I mean, do we HAVE to wear anything that’s currently “in” even if it doesn’t flatter our figure?

When I first heard about skinny jeans, I assumed they make you look skinny. I was wrong. The jeans are cut “skinny,” or narrow, and end in a small leg opening. This does not mean that you would actually appear skinny in them: skinny jeans tend to make your thighs look bigger. You can look fabulous in this cut if you have a stick figure and narrow hips. Most of us don’t.

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Photo credit: Malingering

What would be a better choice for most moms (most women in fact)?

In my opinion, the best women jeans have a slightly flared leg or boot cut style, combined with a moderately low-rise waist. This is the most flattering jean style for most body types. It enhances the length of the legs, and the flare balances the width of the thigh.

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Photo credit: gohsuket

The low rise should be a SLIGHT low rise to be truly flattering and comfortable. You DON’T want to look like this when you sit down:

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Photo credit: Malingering

How To Wear Skinny Jeans? My personal advice, if they don’t flatter your figure, is not to wear them at all. Get rid of them and make room in your closet for more flattering styles.

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