Amina Lace Bodice from NineX Lingerie *Review Post*

I was very kindly sent this beautiful bodice from +Nine X Fashion to review.

I had been eyeing this little saucy number for a while so was thrilled to get it.  

Packaging really makes a gift for me so the discreet & attractive packaging was right up my street.


The bodice is made of a stretchy and super soft material with a lace embroidered trim and mesh cut outs & a single pearl embellishment.  Simple design; no buttons or poppers, just pull it on.

There is no support in this garment whatsoever so I toyed with the idea of wearing a red bra underneath. You of course can do this, but my red bra was a completely different shade and it ruined it! So I braved the "bra-less-ness" I was pleasantly surprised.  It has a very similar feeling to a swimsuit with no support so expect nothing more of it.  The bad boys DID stay in place but I was only standing. I can't imagine I would be happy to sport this as part of a day outfit without a bra underneath.  This was designed as lingerie and would be perfect as a saucy bedroom number.

I have an awful suntan line from Sharm so my "pale bits" would be on show without careful positioning on the thighs as it is quite high cut, all that being said it did cover my whole backside, which I was nervous about from the website photos!


You can buy this item online here >>Buy Amina Here<< 
Price: £20.99 for sizes 18 - 24 
       £19.99 for sizes 8 - 16

Sizing wise this was a size 4XL (I am a size 18/20 in normal clothes)
The sizes on the website range from a UK 8 to UK 24 (but they also use the corresponding sizes; Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2XL all the way to up a 6XL so I guess that means an 8 would be a Small and a 24 would equate to a 6XL)
Overall Summary: Cute & sexy little bodice which with adequate support could be worn as an outdoor outfit too.
Rating: 8/10.
Potential improvements: It could do with being longer in the body - I have a particularly short upper body and even I think it could do with a little more material.
Would I recommend this? Yes I would recommend this but only if you are comfortable wearing this with no bra support.

Hair & MUA: Kat Henry
Photographer: PK Photography
Disclaimer
This product was sent to me for review purposes.  The review above is based on my own opinion of the product and I own all creative content of this post.

Introducing Queens Phasion Studio....*Review*

Earlier in the year I was chosen to be the International Promo Model for a relatively new brand called Queen's Phasion Studio.  They are based in the USA and have a growing following over there. Nominating international promo models is a step towards global domination ;)

Shania Glover - the company's Founder is a lovely lady and she comes from humble beginnings which is part of the reason I applied to be her international model.

Shania's business runs primarily via her Facebook page and her website.  She doesn't offer a lot of stock at any one time, I presume this is down to it being in the company's infancy, but via Facebook she promotes items which if they generate a lot of press (i,e. likes/comments) she will make them available by pre-order.

I recently received two garments to play dress up with, both are items that I wouldn't usually opt for, but that's not a bad thing.  It's good to jump outta your comfort zone once in a while.  Both items were jumpsuits.  One in pink and the other in black.  Out of the two I prefer the pink but they are both lovely items. Both jumpsuits have a retro/70's feel to them.



The black jumpsuit (or romper for you US folk) is called "The Diana Jumpsuit" and can be purchased using the following link;  >>BUY Diana HERE<<<  

I'm wearing a 1x here which is the equivalent of 18/20 UK sizing.



I'm gonna have to be perfectly honest and say I'm not a huge fan of the bell bottom leg, but it's fit for purpose as it's designed to be a 70's throwback.  It's just not my thing.

The material on the legs is spandex (or lycra) and the top is polyester but has a chiffon type feel.

I'm not overly keen on the cut outs on each side, I would've preferred it to be "whole" 



The pink jumpsuit comes from their "Della Collection" and can be purchased using the following link;  >>BUY Della Jumpsuit HERE<<

This is way more me and I reckon I would wear this again on a night out perhaps with a waist belt and killer heels and some chunky jewellery. 



It's a jersey type material and is really comfy to wear so could easily be dressed up or down.

Again - wearing a 1x (UK 18/20)

Queens Phasion Studio does ship internationally with a shipping fee but the cost works out cheaper if you buy multiple items.

Please give them a little look-see...

Xx

Disclaimer
This product was sent to me for review purposes.  The review above is based on my own opinion of the product and I own all creative content of this post.

What I got for Christmas *NEW VLOG*


Last year I did a blog post about my Christmas gifts but this year, I've gone for a more personal touch.  Check out what I got for Christmas here....

What did you guys get?  Send me some links to your "What I got for Christmas" vlogs...I wanna see!!!

Xx

Learning to Love Yourself




New Video up on YouTube talking about learning to love yourself, filming this video was prompted by reading some of the comments on a recent FB comment thread within a plus size group.  This video is meant for anyone who is struggling with accepting who they are or finding it hard to love themselves.  I hope that you reach out....

I'm here xx

Extensions by House of Hair UK *BRAND AMBASSADOR*

Ever since I had all my hair chopped off when I was 15 I've longed for my long hair back.  So when I was approached by Ayanda at House of Hair UK to become a brand ambassador, I could have kissed her!

My natural hair.
After a short consultation in their Boutique salon in Ealing, London we decided that I would opt for more length and overall fullness.  I have quite long hair (mid back) with balayage over an old ombre, so it's a mass of dark brown, copper, brown and blonde tones.

My hair is naturally curly, I have a wild curl pattern which tends to not follow any set form.  I have a lot of hair, but it's quite thin and lifeless.  I have little to no volume once I straighten my hair.

I was worried that extensions would look fake, bulky and would never be able to match my colour or curl.

I couldn't have possibly been more wrong!



Ayanda & Nadine managed to colour match and blend the hair to a near perfect match.

with extensions (straightened)

The process was simple; I have two tracks of beaded weft which is sewn onto my hair (over micro rings) I then have additional micro ring strands above the weft.



It took Nadine approximately 3 hours to fully fit and style my hair.









Ayanda gave very clear instructions on after care and the maintenance of the extensions.  

I was nervous about washing them and given that I am so active I was worried about the micro rings showing once I had my hair tied up.  This requires some practice to get all the hair up in a way so they are not showing, especially as my hair is quite thin near my scalp.

Having had the extensions in for about 5/6 weeks now I am starting to experience the need for maintenance appointment which I have scheduled for the new year.

The whole process has been exceptional, I cannot fault the team in any way and the quality of the hair is fantastic.  For an extensions virgin, I cannot recommend them enough.  All the worries or concerns I had before are completely gone.

You just treat them as you would your normal hair, with just a few changes to the way your wash your hair and the products you should use.

You can see a full price list for their services here >>> PRICE LIST<<<

If you are interested you can grab yourself 20% off a full head of extensions by using my discount code..."KH-20"

Go, book your consultation today, tell em I sent ya....

Xx


Yes...I can!! The story behind the Smile

**Trigger Warning** - Weight loss, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Health


For so many years I felt as though I had a lead weight around me. Constantly feeling that I could never amount to anything more or wasn't worth investing time in. I just didn't feel worthy. I always made excuses for not doing the things I wanted in life like studying, going for a higher paid job, fulfilling my dreams or taking a chance at a new opportunity because I didn't think I was capable, I didn't know that I was capable, I assumed I wasn't. I had no self belief.

I hated the person I had become; emotionally and physically.  Mentally I was dangling by a very thin thread.  I constantly focused on the negative things that I disliked about myself. I just couldn't see the positives.  I felt worthless. Me being the person that I am I tried to put on a brave face and carry on as if everything was fine but I had become so low that tears flowed regularly and happiness only came in small waves.

So many contributing factors weighed me down, my physical health was spiralling out of control and my mental health took the hardest blow. 

I was fed up of being sick, fed up of nothing changing, fed up of coping, fed up of the hand I had been dealt. I wanted more, I needed it, for my own sanity. I longed to be happy again, I wanted to smile. I wanted to be able to walk without my back, legs and chest aching. 

17 year old Kat (size 28) and baby Mya

After doubling my body weight throughout the 9 months of pregnancy at the age of 16 I was left with a body that I had no idea how to deal with. Before pregnancy I was extremely active with no health issues and when my boyfriend at the time left me 7 months pregnant I found it increasingly difficult to come to terms with the bodily changes I was experiencing.   I didn't have the mental capacity at that age to rationalise and not overeat so I binged, I ate more than I needed to and I had no measure of control.  I was unhappy so I ate for comfort. Before pregnancy I was active; a dancer, during pregnancy I stopped exercising. I barely left the house and if I did it was in a cab.   After having my daughter, I sought help from my doctor and we tried many methods of weight loss. I tried weight watchers, diet plans, diet pills, gym, dieticians referrals, slimming world, I even tried more radical measures behind closed doors like fad pills and starvation techniques. None of these things seemed to stick enough for me to lose the amount of weight I desired.

15 year old Kat (Size 12)
My GP gave me an ultimatum, if I didn't lose a considerable amount of weight I was on track to inherit many of my families illnesses, not in later life as I had imagined but imminently. I was petrified. I didn't want to be an unwell young person. He explained that if I did not shift the weight he would refer me for bariatric surgery as a last resort. I didn't want surgery, I had heard so many negative stories about them that even when I read or heard a positive one it was outweighed by all the bad.

Kat age 19 (Size 26)

In a last attempt to get back to my pre baby levels of fitness I joined a theatre group and took up salsa classes and over that 3 year period I lost my biggest chunk of weight. I dropped from a size 28 to a size 24.  Although I had lost some weight, there were other contributing factors that affected my mental health and I was not any happier.  I was not happy at home or at work, I felt like I wasn't being myself with my friends (I didn't know who I was.)

Kat Age 20 - Size 26
My mental state was undeniably low. I wallowed for a long time. Years in fact, just flitting from day to day in this sedentary state, depressed, unhappy, unworthy,  completely unaware that I held the key to change within me if I just new how to release it.

As you probably know, my weight wasn't the only part of me that I had issues with, my dental situation had peaked and gotten to a stage where I was so embarrassed and fed up of being ridiculed and treated differently because of my appearance that I was thinking irrationally about my place in the world. I felt as though I was a hindrance to my daughter, she was seeing an unhealthy woman as her mother and I was afraid of her developing similar characteristics. I felt like constantly being in and out of hospital due to my asthma, DVT, cysts and other medical problems was putting a strain on my family.  Maybe they would be better off if I wasn't here. 

Speaking about those feelings with my other half or anyone was unbearable, no one seemed to understand my rationale instead they shrugged off my comments with a flick of the hand as if they weren't valid feelings at all.

I was too scared to take my own life and I didn't want to burden my family with the pain of me doing so, but I secretly longed for something to happen to me to make things easier for those I cared about, that way it would be out of my hands.  
My Denture Adventure (2014)

In hindsight, I know that these thoughts weren't a solution, they were my way out though...those feelings are what propelled me to taking the first steps to change.  When I actually thought about my life, I felt like I had a purpose and so much more to give but things were holding me back, the biggest thing being my confidence.

When I finally sought advice from my new GP (I had moved areas) she listened to me and my thoughts and decided to take some action, she referred me for a short course of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and referred me to a bariatric team at St Georges hospital to discuss my weight loss options. She understood my concerns with not wanting surgery but felt that I should discuss all my options with the team to see what the alternatives were.  She also wrote a referral letter to Kings College Dental hospital detailing my severe dental phobia explaining that she recommended treatment in hospital to undergo any work under general anaesthetic not just local (so be put to sleep, rather than just injections or sedation.)  I finally felt like someone in the NHS was listening to me.

This gave me something that I had thought I had lost completely....hope!

CBT was hard and painful, talking about my mental health, weight, dental issues, health concerns, relationship/friendships, work issues all at once was overwhelming and I wasn't sure it was helping at all. I stuck at it though, to prove to myself that I could change if I wanted to.  It wasn't the magic cure, nothing ever is, but it did give me some useful tips that I still use to this day.

GP's referrals on the NHS take an age to come around and as fate would have it, something changed which catapulted my dental journey into action.  One of my front teeth broke.  

That was it....the pivotal moment...the catalyst for change.  I was in pain and I had hit the lowest point I could possibly go.  I couldn't face going out with a front tooth broken in half and hanging off.  I had spent the best part of 13 years with my teeth deteriorating at a rapid rate and I had accepted my teeth were a lost cause that I simply didn't have the courage nor the money to fix (I'm not going to go to much into detail with this as I have documented my whole dental story on YouTube - feel free to give it a watch here)

To summarise, having my teeth sorted was the point of change for me.  I had 16 broken roots/teeth removed under general anaesthetic and a temporary denture fitted. Getting my smile back and overcoming my biggest phobia doing so was a huge eye opener for me.  It made me realise that I was way more capable than I actually thought.  It wasn't an instant confidence boost, if you watch my videos you will see that I actually really struggled with the process but it made a huge difference.  Those who knew me "pre-teeth" commented with such positivity which spurred me on.  

If I hadn't had my teeth done, I wouldn't have started this blog, or had the confidence to try out for Ms Curvaceous UK (my first taster of modelling).  I started blogging to help other people who may be in similar situations, to show that they are not alone.  I wanted to share my story in an attempt to inspire at least one person to battle their fears or inner demons if it meant it would improve their quality of life or instil even a smidgen of confidence.

My audition photos for Ms Curvaceous UK (November 2014 Size 24/22)
Over the last year I have worked my arse off at remaining positive and flushing all negativity and toxic thoughts & behaviours from my life.  Instead of me being negative about things, I adapted, using terms like, "I can do it" or "why the hell not" or "what have I got to lose?"  It is hard to remain positive all the time after all we all have down days but I surround myself with strong, inspirational people who are pillars of strength for me.

Conquering my biggest fear made me evaluate my worth and gave me a brighter outlook on life. I have achieved so many things all which have improved both my physical and mental health as a result of a small change.  My smile brought me confidence to try new things, which involved being braver in my outfit choices, taking part in group exercise classes which I previously would've shied away from for fear of ridicule, a more positive outlook & a greater love for my body flaws and all.

My health has improved drastically, I've been cleared of DVT, my asthma is well controlled, I haven't had any reoccurring episodes of previous cysts, my mouth is no longer in pain,  I have been tested for some of the illnesses that my parents suffer with and I do not appear to have indicators at this stage in my life and providing I can continue to care a bit more about this one body I have then I hope I can keep those illnesses away.

Being more active has made me lose not so much weight but inches, I have lost some weight but in the space of a year I have dropped two dress sizes and I am comfortably sitting between an 18/20.  I have learnt that my body is a beautiful and powerful thing and instead of being negative about the things I don't like, I choose to concentrate on the fact that I am happy with it just the way it is right now, if my body changes then so be it.  I'm not going to shed another tear over it. It's my body and I love it just the way it is.  No more fad diets, I love food and I'm bloody going to enjoy it just not binge when I am down and instead of eating rubbish all the time, I'm trying to think about what I am putting in my body and when.  

Various stages of inch loss through fitness classes (all 2015)

I'm not in a huge rush to lose any more weight, I do however want my fitness to improve though. My fitness instructor and good friend Louise and I have set myself a rather big goal for 2016 and I will achieve that goal cos I am powerful and strong, capable, beautiful and I can do anything I set my mind to.

Thank you for listening to me, writing this has been extremely difficult, but quite therapeutic...I don't often share it.  I hope it gives you a little insight into the story behind the smile.
Me & my smile (2015)

Xx

British Plus Size Awards - The Best Dressed (IMO)

The British Plus Size Awards on the 21st of November at the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel in London was a rather glam affair.  The red carpet was adorned with beautiful gowns and cocktail dresses and the lads even pulled out all the stops too.

My dress was a custom made design by +Scarlett Jo.  An off the shoulder empire line gown with sweetheart neckline in a beautiful coral colour that doesn't often get seen in the S&J repertoire.

At Gifi's recommendation I opted for simple & elegant jewellery; my necklace was from Accessorize and earrings from Claire's.  My clutch was from New Look and my shoes were from +Simply Be 


I am so grateful to Gifi, Alice and the rest of the team for taking the time to make my dress. It made me feel elegant and was complimented many times.  

I have chosen my belles of the ball and dapper lads just to show some love...






All photo credit to The British Plus Size Awards c/o +BGP Magazine 
You can see the whole gallery here

There were so many other gorgeous outfits but these were my faves.

I can't wait to see what next year's awards hold...

Xx

Tease Me...A Curvy Kate Lingerie *Review*

What a lucky girl I am to have this gorgeous Tease Camisole from Curvy Kate in my boudoir collection.

I adore this cami, it's so nice to find adequately sized and well fitting lingerie.  For years I struggled to find lingerie that covered my 5ft 4, size 18/20 frame, now I don't have such a struggle with brands like Curvy Kate, Panache, Scantilly, Pour Moi, Ewa Michelak, Bravissimo making beautiful garments in a range of sizes.

This set can be bought with either a matching thong or suspender shorts. I'm by no means a thong girl (never have been, nor will I be...) but the set arrived with a thong!


The colour is what attracted me first, it's a beautiful red shade called Cranberry.

The detailing on the cups are quite intricate,  the inner cup is a cream colour called Champagne with the cranberry lace & mesh overlay.  There is a matching cream coloured ribbon along the trim and cranberry and champagne bows on the joins of the straps and in the middle of the two cups.


The cami has a split front reveal which makes it a little saucy, but there's a frilly trim to each flap so it still feels uber girly.  The trim extends to the bottom of the cami which then brings the overall length to just below butt cheek level (cheeky!)

There's a standard 3 hook and eye fastening at the back and a keyhole and fully adjustable straps. 

The fit of this cami snug. It's sized by the bra size so I chose a 38G in this set and the thong was a size 20.  The thong could use a little more material round the front in my opinion.  The balcony style bra fits fantastically just like their bras, giving awesome cleavage and maximum lift.

This is available from sizes 28 to 38 in D to J cups and the shorts and thongs start from a size 8 and go up to a size 20.

The cami can be bought from Brastop here and it's currently £37.00 which I think is great value.




I loved this cami so much that I chose to wear it for my recent shoot with the ever beautiful, acclaimed & impeccably talented photographer; Velvet D'Amour.

Velvet is such a pro, she knew just how to pose me to showcase the garment effectively whilst still being rather seductive, that's exactly what I wanted.

Combined that with the amazing hair and make up skills of Rachel Williamson who transformed me in under an hour from plain Jane to siren.  Fantastic work all round.

You lucky lot get the first peek at these shots which I have held exclusively for this post....see don't I love you!





Overall Summary: This set is perfect for the bedroom and I love how it makes me feel sexy and girly.
Rating: 8/10
Potential improvements: The thong definitely needs to have some extra material. 
Would I recommend this? Yes I would recommend this, it would be perfect for a saucy Valentine's night in!

Hair & MUA: Kat Henry
Photographer: PK Photography
Outfit shots

Professional photos taken by Velvet D'Amour of Volup.2 
Hair & MUA: Rachel Williamson
Hair Extensions provided by House of Hair UK

Disclaimer
This product was sent to me for review purposes.  The review above is based on my own opinion of the product and I own all creative content of this post.

#PSBloggersInstagramAdvent

So +Debz A arranged another fantastic way to spread some #PSbloggerlove by creating an Instagram advent calendar.  Each day is devoted to a specific blogger and on each day we post pictures of the chosen blogger and shower them with love and positivity.  You'll know this is right up my street, I love showing people how much I love and appreciate them and giving compliments are free and can mean so much to recipient!  I have first hand experience of that today because, today; Day 9; 9th December belonged to me!

Here are the the kind & heartfelt words that my friends have posted about me today.  Each message made me feel so empowered and it's so refreshing to hear people praising you and complimenting you especially when you aren't feeling on top of your game.  These words couldn't have come at a better time.

I want to thank every single one of you babes for taking the time to write such beautiful things about me. I really am overwhelmed and bursting with love for all of you.  So today, I devote my #WCW to every single one of you ladies.

You warmed my heart today so thank you so very much. I am eternally grateful. 















If you aren't following these ladies - you SHOULD be....make that happen...

Charli - @Curvygirlthin
Lottie - @Lottielamour
Leah - @LeahXL
Nikki - @Nattynikki
Lucia - @ucantwearthat
Kerry-Anne - @volutptuouschatterbox
The Rubenesque Effect - @rubenesque_pr
Mookie - @Mookie7x7
Becky - @VeryHugryFaterpillar
Kerry - @Ruby_thunder
Samantha - @reallifesamgirl
Amanda - @amandaapparel
Laura - @whatlauraloves
Tanya - @secretplussizegoddess
Michelle - @Divine_delights

Xx