Boutique of the Month: August ~ Kiki de Montparnasse

What can I say about this high end boutique that promises champagne to customers and has a lovely courtyard for you to ponder your purchases fountain side and by candlelight? It's definitely a lifestyle.

If being restrained, liberated and indulging in sumptuous lingerie and fashionable leather while you take yourself and your mate to your limits than the Kiki de Montparnasse boutique may just be for you. As my friend said while we visited the store, "It's definitely for the high end courtesan or if you fancy yourself one."

With products ranging from intimate clothing in silk, chiffon, and cashmere, to instruments of pleasure, bath and body products, books, films, and music, Kiki de Monteparnesse is where you want to go if you're looking to heighten your senses and dive into the erotic.

The Muse Corselette Bra (image above left) is on sale for $137.50 and matching Muse Heart Brief panties are $175.

Siren T-Front Bodysuit (image right) is $350.00.

On the website, it states that "Kiki De Montparnasse is a luxury fashion and lifestyle brand that celebrates intimacy and inspires the romantic imagination.

Established with the conviction that sensual pleasure and fulfillment are paramount to a well-lived life, our collections define a new category which empowers exploration of fantasy and communication of desire. We believe intimacy should be honored, and that discriminating consumers should be able to explore and express their passion with grace, sophistication and abandon...

...Kiki de Montparnasse will ensconce you in luxury, woo your every sense, and remind you that few things are as profound as love and beauty. Once you have experienced it for yourself, you will know the transformative power of erotic license. Such freedom is intoxicating…and addictive. Because love is all there is (and love is enough)."









With stores in Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, as well as throughout Europe and Asia, be sure to check online for the days and times that stores are open. Traditionally, the stores don't open until 12 noon and close around 7 - 8 p.m.


http://www.kikidm.com/

3 Days Left to Enter ~ CUSTARD CREAM LINGERIE: NEW LOOK CONTEST

For those of you who don't know, Eve's Apples is having CUSTARD CREAM LINGERIE: NEW LOOK CONTEST, sponsored by Patrick & Skinner.

For your chance at winning one of their delectable, silky head wraps called the Rhubarb Alice Band, click on Enter Here.

It's simple. Simply leave an entertaining comment telling us what you love most about the new look of the Custard Cream ad campaign.

Deadline: September 1, 2008, 5 p.m. (PST)

Important: Be sure to leave us a way to contact you! Leave us your e-mail or a link to your website so that we can contact the winner.

Best wishes to all of you on entering!

Up to 70% off Sale at HerRoom

"Discover HerRoom's annual storewide Labor Day Clearance Sale at http://www.herroom.com/. Save on hundreds of beautiful bras, panties, shapewear and more. Always first-quality lingerie; even one-of-a-kinds, discontinued merchandise and closeouts."

With over 600 items on sale, click on HerRoom Sale to Celebrate Your Inner Eve this Labor Day Weekend.

Up to 80% off Sale at HisRoom

HisRoom is having a huge saving on items in their most popular departments:

• Boxers

• Briefs

• Boxer-Briefs

• T-Shirts

• Sportswear

• Swimwear

• Sleepwear

• Big & Tall

• Fashion

And don't forget, you can save throughout the store with great deals on:

• 25% off Tommy Hilfiger

• 25% off Hugo Boss

• 25% off RIPS

Click on HisRoom Sale to go directly to the website.

Trinny & Susannah: Boost Your Breasts, Uplift Your Look

10 Breast Tips by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine ~ Featured on Oprah

1. Get Fitted

Fashion duo Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine are your bosom buddies…literally. Like good girlfriends, they're here to offer support—the kind your breasts desperately need. Follow Trinny and Susannah's 10 guidelines to bolster your breasts—big or small—and uplift your overall look!First, get fitted. Many women are wearing the wrong size bra. Go to a professional or a trusting friend and have your chest and cup size measured. With the right size bra and straps, say Trinny and Susannah, you won't have to tug at your bra to keep it in place.

2. Emphasize Your Ribcage

No matter your bra size, your ribcage, just below your breasts, is typically the thinnest part of a woman's torso. "Always make sure you accentuate that part by wearing fitted fabrics around it," suggests Trinny. You'll inevitably look thinner and your breasts will look pert.

3. If You've Got 'em, Flaunt Them

Don't forget about your breasts! If you try to hide them, they may end up looking like one great big lump of flesh. A very plunging bra can allow you to open your neckline and push your breasts forward. "You know, it doesn't matter what size your boobs are, you should always push them forward," says Susannah.

4. Wear Halter Tops with or without a Bra…if You're Small-Chested

If you're breasts are small, you'll look great in a halter top with or without a bra. The angular cut works well with your body, and it also highlights your sexy shoulders—a nice replacement for cleavage.

5. Don't Wear the Same Bra for Years on End

Bras stretch and wear out. Plus, your breasts and body shape may change size over the years. Treat yourself to a new bra every now and then. It's a necessity that'll help you look and feel more vibrant.

For all 10 Tips by Trinny & Susannah, click on Boost Your Breasts, Uplift Your Look.

For more Tips from Trinny & Susannah's Rules, click on Big Tits and No Tits.

The image on this page is from Trinny & Susannah's book, What Not to Wear.

These women have some great advice on how to look and feel your best, embracing your unique breast shape. What better way to Celebrate Your Inner Eve!

Icing on the Cake ~ Lingerie Accessories: Part 9 ~ Headbands

With the summer heat still here, silky, sexy headbands that go from the bedroom to the boardwalk are a lingerie essential.

Here are Eve's favorite lingerie headbands:

Custard Cream Alice Bands by Patrick Skinner are all the rage right now. Coming in three sumptuous flavors, banana (above left), rhubarb (above middle), and apple (above right), they cost £40 each. These headbands are not only luscious to look at and to touch but also are versatile. They can easily work as head or wrist bands in the bedroom, then innocently tie up your hair for the beach, board walk, or an elegant evening later.

If you like these wraps, you can also enter to win the Rhubarb Alice Band through our Eve's Apples contest, CUSTARD CREAM LINGERIE: NEW LOOK CONTEST!

To enter, all you have to do is tell us what you love most about the new ad look. The best comment will win the headband! Deadline is September 1, 2008 at 5 p.m. (PST). Click on Eve's Apples' Contest Details to enter.

Some other fun head bands that elicit summer fun are by Tasha and can be purchased at Nordstrom online.

The Patent Leather Headband (above left) is $62. Butterfly Headbands (above center) come in orange, black, and pink and are on sale for $27.90. With metal becoming a huge fashion statement in the coming seasons, the Metal Mesh Headband (above right) is a soft, stretchy option and is $45.

However you decide to accessorize this summer, whether it's through one of these sassy headbands or another way, be sure to have fun and Celebrate Your Inner Eve!

La Perla Video

Interested in what La Perla is like backstage? Look no further than the video below!

La Perla Backstage 2008

Oprah's Favorite Bra

For those of you who missed Oprah's show and magazine segments dedicated to getting a bra that fits and her favorite bra, click on the video below for highlights.

Friends, Fittings, & Flirty Bras

There are lingerie boutiques, department stores, online store fronts, and eBay. With so many places to shop for lingerie, why are so many of my friends still telling me that bra shopping can be intimidating? The answer lies in the store itself and customer service.

Over the weekend, I took a friend of mine lingerie shopping after I discovered that she had creases on her bra band and it kept riding up her back. Know what was wrong? That's right, the band was too big and her cup was too small.

Like me, she went into a very pink lingerie store looking for sexy bras and returned home with ill fit, matronly bras. Poor customer service by a sales rep told her, "We can only help you with what you have." She left so traumatized that she hadn't stepped inside a lingerie store since.

I made it my personal mission to help her find some sassy lingerie that made her feel luxurious and confident. Equally important, it had to be in her correct bra size! What was her bra size? The pink store measured her at a 36B. My guess was that she was probably a 32C or 32D.

So off we went to find her a flirty, fashionable, well fit bra.

Since I always like to visit boutiques while traveling, I planned for us to visit a local lingerie boutique first and Nordstrom later--in case we didn't find anything. Usually, I like to visit boutiques because they have highly specialized fitters and exquisite selections of lingerie. If you aren't used to boutique shopping, sometimes going into a high end lingerie store can be intimidating. Here is a good way to tell if you're getting quality service and if the store associates know how to measure.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

1. Do you feel like the sales person has more important things to do?
2. Do you have to repeatedly ask to get fitted or for a specific bra?
3. Are the sales people too busy drinking champagne or chatting to offer advice?
4. Do you ask for a fitting and they send over the one sales person who has the least experience with measuring?
5. Are you fitted for one size (ie. 32D) and the sales person brings you another size (like a 36C) because that is all that is available?
6. Does the fitter tell you it looks good when there are creases on the band or are gaping cups?

If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, then you are not with a good fitter. Ask to have another person at the store fit you or leave and go to another store. Just because someone has a beautiful store with high priced lingerie doesn't mean that they know how to fit. Use your common sense, you can tell if someone is just trying to sell you lingerie because they want to make a sale or if they're genuinely trying to help you have a positive experience.

As it turned out, my friend ended up trying on around 30 bras thanks to Sonja, a fabulous sales associate at Nordstrom. She wound up with some Calvin Klein bras in 32D that look stunning on her!

The bras that she bought are featured on this post. The Calvin Klein Perfect Fit T-Shirt bra in black is $38 (above left). The 365 Microfiber Stretch Convertible Contour Bra, also by Calvin Klein, is on sale at figleaves.com for $25.20 (above right). Comfortable and beautiful, the Francesca All Over Lace 3/4 Demi Bra by Le Mystere looked gorgeous on my friend and is $75 (left).

BRA TIP

I told my friend, and I'll tell you, when getting fit for a bra, try on several types. Write down the brands, styles, and size that work best for you. Everyone is shaped differently and various designers and styles will work better than others, based upon your body type. This takes a little bit of time, but it's worth it!

Now my friend has some sexy bras to celebrate passing her bar exam! Here is a big "cheers" to her "Celebrating Her Inner Eve!" You can too if you take a little time and find a good fitter!

Beckham in Briefs ~ Part 3

I'm going away for the weekend, so I'm posting some eye candy for everyone to enjoy while I'm gone.

The picture of David and Victoria are from a W Magazine photo spread that they did in their skivvies. Victoria has had three children...count them..."t-h-r-e-e"...and she looks amazing. David goes without saying.

Click on the video below to view Beck's Armani Video featuring Men's Underwear.

Lingerista Lifestyle: Corsets & Mint Juleps ~ Gone with the Wind

It's August. Days are sweltering and nights are humid, balmy at best. I'm reminded of the South and Scarlet O'Hara when I think of this kind of weather.

What is more southern than mint juleps and Gone with the Wind?

I imagine Scarlet drinking mint juleps on her "veranda" in better times. Then there were more desperate times when Scarlet had Mammy hoisting her tightly up in her corset soon after giving birth (see image below). Fortunately, corsets are more fun fashion than fashion staple these days. I'd need a mint julep too if I was stuffed into Scarlet's corset every day, especially after I just gave birth!

Lingerie and clothing options in August are all about being comfortable in the heat. Select thin clothes and lingerie in breathable fabric. It's recommended to choose dresses, tops, pants, and skirts that are more flowing and don't require wearing a corset or body shaper beneath. This time of year, less is more. If you need to wear a bra, there are options such as stick on bras that are backless. Choose light weight panties with cotton lining. It's all about being comfortable!

Once you have the comfort factor down, then you can look restful, relaxed, and polished on the back of your veranda, deck, porch, or balcony. To take in the full effect, make yourself some mint juleps, like our dear Scarlet, during this sizzling summer heat.


MINT JULEP RECIPE

• Mint
• Bourbon
• Sugar
• Water
• Ice

Put a few springs of mint in a silver or pewter cup with a tablespoon of sugar. Pour Bourbon into 1/3 of the glass. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Fill the glass with ice (preferably shaved ice but cubed ice will do too). Add mint to the top (for added mint flavor crush a couple sprigs at bottom of the glass with sugar in the earlier step). Add a splash of rum to the top.

The glass will frost over on the outside. Try to avoid touching the frost since it keeps the drink cool. Enjoy!

If you want to take it a step further, the following is a recipe for mint julep sorbet from epicurious.com:

MINT JULEP SORBET

"A treat for mint julep fans. Traditional silver mint julep cups or frozen parfait glasses add a nice accent at serving time.
Servings: Serves 4.

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh mint leaves (from about 2 small bunches)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon crème de menthe
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves
• 4 fresh mint sprigs

Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy large sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Pour into medium bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.

Strain mint syrup through sieve set over bowl, pressing on mint leaves. Discard mint leaves. Mix bourbon, crème de menthe and minced mint leaves into mint syrup. Process sorbet mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to container; cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead; keep frozen.)

Freeze 4 parfait glasses for 1 hour. Scoop sorbet into frozen glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs; serve immediately.

Note: If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can turn this mixture into a granita—an Italian frozen dessert. Mix an additional 1/2 cup water into sorbet mixture. Freeze until semifirm, whisking occasionally, about 3 hours. Cover and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours or overnight. Using fork, scrape surface of granita to form crystals. Scoop crystals into frozen glasses; serve immediately."

Enjoy your hot August days by Celebrating Your Inner Eve with some mint juleps and relish in the fact that corsets aren't required for everyday summer fashion.

Lingerie Americas NY Fashion Show 2008

Lingerie Americas NY, one of the most fabulous lingerie shows worldwide, held a runway show on August 4th in the Art Deco ballroom at Cipriani 23rd street in the heart of Manhattan.

The gala fashion show took inspiration from the glamorous Art Deco Ballroom, cinema, and "golden era of musical comedies." Executed in two parts, over 500 guests watched the dynamic production first dedicated to "the finest French Lingerie brands" and finished by celebrating "the diversity and creativity of top American and International brands."

Sarah Christensen, Owner and Artistic Director of “A Suivre” (the Paris based agency hired to create the exciting production) said “...The undeniable quality and professionalism of the participating brands will allow us to offer a memorable show to the audience, mixing glamour, seduction and femininity. And that’s exactly what Lingerie is about!”

For a Lingerista "Must-See" Video featuring upcoming lingerie and the momentous fashion show, click on the Lingerie Americas NY Fashion Show 2008 video below.



It looks like designers and the lingerie show creators definitely Celebrated Their Inner Eves this season!

Fashion or Fluff: Lingerie Hair

"Big hair has never been so...BIG!"

I love Madamoiselle Frou Frou's post, Lingerie Gets Upstaged, about Pop Magazine's lingerie images above.

In the post, she says, "We think we spy an Aubade 'Bahia' bra in that first shot (it's always fun doing lingerie detective work!).This blog entry is total fluff (or total puff if you are talking about the hair...lame joke attempt), but it seemed vaguely relevant for today's post!"

Either way, it's entertaining!

For more Pop Magazine lingerie images, click on Faire Frou Frou's blog post Lingerie Gets Upstaged.

With the sleek hair fashion, for over a decade, recently turning more towards soft waves and curls, it'll be interesting to see if we have a "big hair revival." It's been a while, but I still remember how to tease and scrunch my way toward achieving Madonna's Lucky Star look.

Big hair or not, I hope everyone has a great weekend and Celebrates Their Inner Eves!

CUSTARD CREAM LINGERIE: NEW LOOK CONTEST

ENTER TO WIN!

What do you love most about the new ad look of the Custard Cream lingerie line?

We want to know!

The best comment will win a FREE RHUBARB ALICE BAND compliments of Patrick & Skinner! It retails for £40.00.

For me, I love the vintage look and idea that lingerie is like candy. Even better, "lingerie is dessert." The images remind me of temptation and sweet treats that you get when you're a good girl or you sneak when you're bad!

Prize: Rhubarb Alice Band (like the one on the images above). Meee-ow!

To Enter: Leave a comment after this post with what you love most about the new ad look of Custard Cream lingerie. The best comment wins!

Deadline: September 1, 2008 (5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time)

Important: Please be sure that we can either link back to you or that you send Eve's Apples your e-mail address (we don't sell it or pass it along). We notify the winner directly.

To find out what Eve's Apples thinks about Custard Creams click on Custard Creams ~ Lingerie Treats by Patrick & Skinner.

A special thank you to Patrick & Skinner for donating the prize and their delectable lingerie line! For more information on Patrick & Skinner and the fabulous lingerie carried on its website, please go to: http://www.patrickandskinner.com/.

WASH & WEAR CONTEST WINNER

Congratulations to the Wash & Wear Contest Winner!

Thank you to all our readers for the funny, outrageous, and humiliating laundry stories!

Please check your e-mail to see if you received the winning e-mail from Eve's Apples for the Hanky Panky Panty and Mesh Lingerie Laundry Bag, compliments of BareNecessities.

Priceless Panties ~ Agent Provocateur 50% off Sale

If summer couldn't get any better, Agent Provocateur is having an amazing 50% off Sale on its sultry, sexy lingerie. To see what fabulous prices are in store for you at Agent Provocateur, go to the AP website or stores.

Fanny Lingerie Set (image above left) and Jackie Lingerie Set (image above right) are apart of the 50% off Sale. Fanny is $82 for the bra, $45 for the thong, and $62 for the suspender. Jackie is $82 for the bra, $72 for the brief, and $92 for the waspie.

Celebrating Your Inner Eve is so much better when you know you've paid a really good price for some sassy Agent Provocateur lingerie!