Boudoir blog for women in Maryland, Virginia & DC who are interested in booking a boudoir photoshoot near them. Products, clients, tips and tricks are a few of the things you’ll find on the Lavish Boudoir Blog.
5 Differences Between Bedroom Lingerie + Boudoir Lingerie
5 important differences between lingerie for the bedroom and lingerie for boudoir that can make or break your photoshoot.
Hey girl,
There are two types of lingerie shopping and they are very different. Knowing these 5 differences will have you well on your way to buying lingerie that will look fabulous on camera, but still be fun in the bedroom. We want you to take advantage of the knowledge we’ve gained over a decade of fabulous and not-so-fabulous lingerie for photos. The more thought you put into wardrobe, the better you’ll look.
Cheers!
Leslie
for boudoir
Loose and flowing adds 10-20 pounds to your figure. Choose figure-clinging and sturdier fabric to emphasize curves.
for the bedroom
Loose & flowing fabric like a baby-doll or a loose chemise disguises “flaws” like a mummy-tummy or full hips.
Patterns can be distracting. Bold and solid colors with vertical or hourglass lines are ideal.
Any color looks great, and patterns are fun! It’s all about what looks pretty in person.
Stockings are better. That means they don’t have rubber at the top and require a garter belt. Always size up so they don’t dig into your flesh. Or choose a set of fishnets that goes to the waist.
Thigh highs are a hit. There’s something about peeling them off that gets a guy going. I highly recommend a beautiful pair with a cuban heel, high heels and nothing else.
An old favorite set can look old if it has stains, rips or frays. If it’s not worth taking to a seamstress for repair, leave it at home for your post-boudoir nookie.
A favorite old set makes you feel comfortable and you know it’s his favorite.
Bring along that shirt, or uniform piece, but let’s not make it a focal. Wear it with a ridiculously sexy lingerie set and you’ll get the idea without being swamped in too much material.
His oversized t-shirt, button-down, jersey or uniform looks better on you than it does on him. He loves it mostly because you’ll be stripped out of it in seconds. It’s the idea of you naked underneath his clothes, not the actual outfit, right?
Bonus tips:
Underwire and structure is your friend, so buy tailored and sturdier materials.
Shiny velvets and satins are not your friend. Reflected light adds ten pounds on camera
Boudoir for Moms - Rocking the mom bod
I get it, I’m a mom. My body changed and no matter what I do to get back to my pre-Leo-and-Eli shape, it doesn’t seem to happening.
What I’ve done or tried to take care of my mom bod after babies
lifting weights
running around my neighborhood
cutting out starches
cutting out wine (that one didn’t last long)
HIIT workouts from a book
adding protein
Y’all, it’s exhausting! I run a business and take care of two little ones who are not in day care. I don’t do a great job of taking care of myself. I thank God every single day for caffeine.
But I want to show you the BEST thing for my confidence and the love of my mom-bod. I have boudoir photos taken regularly… as often as I can afford it.
I booked couple’s session with Boudoir Coterie after my first child. CJ and I were getting to a point where we weren’t spending enough time as a couple, aside from parenting.
I had Adeana Marie Boudoir take photos of me in Vegas when my oldest was 2.
Most recently (after my 2nd was about 9 months old) I flew my favorite photographer, Jennifer Williams, to Paris for a dream photoshoot in a GORGEOUS hotel.
Before each of those photoshoots, I wanted to lose ten pounds.
Did I? Nope!
Did it matter? Nope!
So what does this have to do with you? I want you to rock your mom bod. Whether you’re curvier, droopier, poochier or somehow you’ve gotten into the best shape of your life, celebrate that beautiful strong mom bod.
Check out a few gorgeous moms!
Each of these women was super nervous about their shoots. Aren’t they beautiful!?
How to prepare your skin for a boudoir photoshoot.
When you’re going to show a lot of skin in your boudoir photoshoot, you need to take care of it. The Dos and one big DO NOT will have you glowing in photos.
You’re going to be showing A LOT of skin… so let’s make it look good.
I’d say that at least 90% of my clients are surprised when I say they should NOT tan in the sun, in a bed, from a bottle or any other method.
“But my skin looks so much better with a tan!”
Let’s think about that… the reason most of us like a tan is because it disguises flaws like cellulite, stretch marks, and spider veins. It can even make us look a little thinner. I get it. I looove my skin tanned and I’ve used every browning strategy out there.
Here’s why you don’t need that color boost:
Lighting takes care of most of the blemishes mentioned. Anything else can be easily smoothed in Photoshop.
Proper posing makes you look longer and leaner.
Fair skin (or just your natural tone) is more reflective which creates a softening effect.
Every single one of my clients is asked to apply this lotion before their boudoir photoshoot. It doesn’t look like much in person, but it is positively luminescent in photos.
So, if you’re not allowed to tan… what should you do to prepare your skin?
Hydrate from the inside. Drink lots of water and cut back on sugar/soda and alcohol.
Hydrate from the outside. Apply a moisturizing mask (test for a reaction way before your photoshoot) or get a facial.
Wax/pluck/shave any spare hairs. Check your chin, nipples and butt cheeks for sneaky ones.
Exfoliate 2 days before your session. I like a dry brush.
Practice self care. Try to get 8 hours of sleep and your blood pumping.
Also, if you want to make your skin products work better, I love my BeautyBio microneedle tool. I haven’t tried the body attachments. If you do, let me know how you like them in the comments.
Shop your own closet for boudoir
One of the biggest concerns for a boudoir photoshoot is
What do I wear?!
I’ve got great news for you…. the perfect wardrobe might be hanging in your closet right now.
At the Lavish Boudoir studio, our photoshoots run about 90 minutes (although I often run over-time when I’m having fun). This allows for 3 wardrobe changes + white sheets. So that starts us off easy.
OUTFIT #1: Nothing at all, but draped in our white sheets.
OUTFIT #2: A sheer and clingy t-shirt/tank matched with boy briefs or CK undies
OUTFIT #3: A black bra and panty set or bodysuit
OUTFIT #4: A slouchy sweater over a pretty bra and undies
Tada! No fuss wardrobe without spending a dime.
If you book with Lavish Boudoir, we’ve also got some amazing pieces for borrowing in our wardrobe. If you’d like to check them out, click the Book Free Consult Button up there on the right!
Loving on a single mom.
Miss T had been on the fence about a boudoir photoshoot for ages and just hadn’t pulled the trigger. When I asked for women who would be wiling to sign a model release and full artistic control in exchange for a session discount, T was one of the first to apply.
I think it was the makeup-free photo in a Hogwarts sweatshirt that sealed the deal for me. She had these huge glasses covering these sparkling eyes. Her insanely beautiful red hair and porcelain skin just added to her beauty.
She honestly didn’t say much in her application. Some women spill their guts, but something in her photos spoke to me.
When I met T, there’s this warmth to her that makes you feel like you’ve always been friends. She mentioned her son and her eyes lit up. She told me about moving here from Houston. She told me about the new job she was hoping to take. She told me about her best friend whose name is tattooed on her wrist.
Being a single mom is not easy. But she never once had a single negative thing to say about it. Her strength and quiet confidence made her so easy to photograph.
When I photograph a woman, I want to see the emotions in her. I learned from a mentor a long time ago how powerful it is to put women in touch with these emotions. We are so often going through the motions of life, that we don’t stop to recognize what we feel. When we are allowed to do that, and then it’s captured on camera, it is so freeing.
An emotion that I’m not particularly comfortable with is vulnerability. So I rarely photograph it it. I prefer confidence, joy, desire, laughter, flirtation… anything but vulnerable.
But that day, it spoke to me. Because I’m pretty sure that T doesn’t let herself get vulnerable too often. I’m sure she’s built up her confidence and to let some vulnerability show is uncomfortable. I didn’t realize how often I captured her throughout the photoshoot in this way until I went through the images to share here. But she makes it look beautiful, right?
T, you are just an amazing young woman and I am so glad you sent me that 2-sentence e-mail to model and the photo in the Harry Potter sweatshirt because girrrrl, you rocked this shoot and I loved being your photographer.
CLICK PHOTOS TO SEE SLIDESHOW
Boudoir Goggles:
I see the women in the world through boudoir goggles.
Where she sees a messy ponytail, I see a woman who is too busy kicking ass to spend time pushing her hair out of her face.
Where she sees thighs that rub holes in her jeans, I see curves and feminine beauty.
Where she sees crow’s feet, I see someone who laughs so hard her face squinches up.
Where she sees short, I see petite.
Where she sees awkwardly skinny, I see leggy.
Where she sees a soft tummy, I see a body that created a human.
When a woman talks to me and tells me she could never do a photoshoot because of (enter one of thousands of excuses here), I want to just shake her and prove that
1) She’s exaggerating her insecurities 5-fold so that they take on a life of their own.
2) She is enough, she is beautiful. Her femininity is aching to be recognized.
3) She deserves to be served. She deserves to receive the energy that she lavishes out to everyone else.
I see all women as these amazing humans with superhuman potential and incredible beauty. It’s such a privilege to capture that with my camera and I never take my role for granted. It’s my job to guide you to recognizing that beauty in yourself. Even when you’ve got a messy ponytail, shadows under your eyes, and jeans that won’t quite button that day.
If you’re ready to see yourself through boudoir goggles, please allow myself or another experienced photographer show you who we see.
Or send a quick e-mail to receive more information:
