We're starting a new column called "Ask the Glamazons," where we address your queries about anything fashion, beauty and even relationship-related.
Whether you're searching for the perfect outfit to wear to an interview or the right shade of red lipstick for your complexion, we've got you covered.
Just email theglamazonsblog@gmail.com (or tweet us at @glamazonsblog), and we'll give you the best advice to solve your fashion, beauty and relationship dilemmas.
Here's the first reader question via Twitter:
NiemaJ @glamazonsblog my dears, a guide for choosing shapewear? I'm kinda of done waiting until I lose xlbs to rock the dresses I really want :)
For ladies (like @NiemaJ and myself) that want to rock New Year's Eve dresses but haven't quite shed all the extra Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner weight we want to lose, here's a way to eat your cake and look good in your fitted outfit too.
Hey, if it works for Beyonce and Eva Longoria, it will certainly work for us.
And remember --- shapewear isn't just for tightening the tummy and thighs. Get extra lift and shape in the rear, create cleavage and even make your arms look more muscular with these fab shapewear finds below.
Check out key tips you want to remember when looking for shapewear plus the best products in the biz:
If you want to tighten your tummy...
To whittle your middle, look for shapewear that specializes in tummy control. The best tummy control shapewear I've ever tried (and I've tried them all) is from a familiar brand: Spanx.
First, the Spanx Slim Cognito mid-thigh bodysuit and Hide & Sleek slipsuit has double-layer compression that gives you twice the tummy control but still fits comfortably. But that's not what I love most about it.
Too often I see women in tummy control shapewear, with their gut hanging right over the top. Spanx has the most amazing bodysuit that attaches to your bra and gives your entire midsection a smooth finish. Lumps and bumps, be gone!
It's an absolute must-have to go under those Spandex, Herve-Leger dresses. It will make you look like you live in the gym!
Get it in three different styles (slipsuit, bodysuit and thong) to coordinate with every outfit, from jumpsuits to pants to dresses to pencil skirts!
Spanx Slim Cognito Seamless Mid-Thigh Bodysuit, $72-76, spanx.com.
Spanx Hide & Sleek slipsuit, $84-88, spanx.com.
Spanx Hide & Sleek Hi-Rise panty with thong back, $42-46, spanx.com.
If you want a more narrow waist...
You need a wearable waist cincher that's as effective as it is comfortable. Flexees offers the most amazing waist nipping shapewear which sits under your bra and acts like the corset from heaven.
It's not uncomfortable or restricting. It's made of nylon and has no eye hooks or closures (if you've ever stuffed yourself in a corset that stops blood circulation or oxygen flow, you'll appreciate this).
What it does have is a unique waist-shaping construction that slims your waist while emphasizing the curves of your bust and hips, creating the most beautiful, hourglass figure. (Oh and bye-bye Muffin top!)
Don't worry about that God-awful budge poking out from the bottom (have you seen that? gross!) as the cincher offers both waist-cinching and tummy control coverage. It's also available without the briefs for the dresses that call for thongs. Check out both styles below.
Flexees One Fabulous Body Waist Nipper, $24, maidenform.com.
Flexees Take Inches Off Long Torso Waistshaper, $26, maidenform.com.
If you want to lift and separate your girls...
Look for a bra that minimizes, gathers and shapes your bustline while providing comfort and support to your shoulders and back.
The Bali Concealers Minimizer bra is a wardrobe essential for busty beauties. The Minimizer bra boasts three extraordinary functions in one. Besides minimizing your bustline and making you appear slimmer up top, it re-shapes your girls, creating a sexy, perky and firm bustline.
What's more? It's supportive straps don't dig into your shoulders or back, making it super-comfortable.
Bali Concealers Minimizer bra, $34, balicompany.com.
If you want slender, muscular-looking thighs...
Look no further than the Sassybax Long Leg Panty Bottoms Up! Mid-Thigh Shaper. It boasts this inventive micro-ribbing technology that smooths and shapes the thighs.
What's really amazing is that makes your thighs appear stronger and firmer, but the bare knit band doesn't dig in or leave red marks on the leg or tummy like other shapewear. (TIP: If the elastic band on your shapewear digs into your skin OR rolls down, it may be a sign you need to go up a size).
An added bonus? It has eight distinct support systems that lift the derriere and a medium compression to trim the tummy.
Sassybax Long Leg Panty Bottoms Up! Mid-Thigh Shaper, $55, sassybax.com.
If you want a rounder, higher butt...
With buxom beauties like Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose getting lots of attention and press, the shapewear market for voluptuous derrieres has exploded in the last year. Designers offer tons of great options to boost your bottom to varying degrees.
A subtle way to enhance what you've got is to try the Sassybax Long Leg Panty (above), which, as I said, has eight different support technologies to lift and separate the derriere.
Daring divas in search of a full-on va-va-voom look can also try Frederick's of Hollywood's Four-Pad Panty. It boasts strategically-placed pads that create a curvier silhouette while lifting the booty you were born with.
If the padding is too much for your taste, you can remove them and still benefit from the panels that lift and shape your natural rear.
You can also rock Frederick's of Hollywood's miraculous Pick Me Up Derriere Bands that can be worn with your everyday panties and work wonders for boyish frames.
They push each cheek up and out to create an ample behind. The bands also trim and tighten the thighs.
Frederick's of Hollywood Pick Me Up Derriere bands, $10, fredericks.com.
Frederick's of Hollywood Four-Pad Panty, $42, fredericks.com.
If you want tighter, stronger-looking arms...
Yes, you read right. There is shapewear specifically designed for your triceps and bi-ceps. Tres Sleek's long-sleeve arm shaper is a lightweight shrug that takes arms from flab to fab.
It has a relaxed compression formula that magically reduces sagging skin by 1-3.5 inches to instantly create muscular-looking arms.
Tres Sleek long-sleeve arm shaper, $20.99, barenecessities.com.
If you're a man...
Gasp. Mirdle? Mantie-shapers? Yes, world, shapewear exists for men who want to look slimmer and firmer under their clothes.
Get rid of love handles and beer bellies with GearCom's compression support boxers and garments. The seamless technology and second-skin material ensures a comfortable fit, while the microfiber fabric fights odor and allows your skin to breathe.
These GearCom boxers don't just give the appearance of a toned midsection, they help you create one. The Micromassage Compression Support formula claims to boost circulation which flushes out the liquids and toxins that cause puffiness, thereby creating firmer abs.
Too often I see women in tummy control shapewear, with their gut hanging right over the top. Spanx has the most amazing bodysuit that attaches to your bra and gives your entire midsection a smooth finish. Lumps and bumps, be gone!
It's an absolute must-have to go under those Spandex, Herve-Leger dresses. It will make you look like you live in the gym!
Get it in three different styles (slipsuit, bodysuit and thong) to coordinate with every outfit, from jumpsuits to pants to dresses to pencil skirts!
Spanx Slim Cognito Seamless Mid-Thigh Bodysuit, $72-76, spanx.com.
Spanx Hide & Sleek slipsuit, $84-88, spanx.com.
Spanx Hide & Sleek Hi-Rise panty with thong back, $42-46, spanx.com.
If you want a more narrow waist...
You need a wearable waist cincher that's as effective as it is comfortable. Flexees offers the most amazing waist nipping shapewear which sits under your bra and acts like the corset from heaven.
It's not uncomfortable or restricting. It's made of nylon and has no eye hooks or closures (if you've ever stuffed yourself in a corset that stops blood circulation or oxygen flow, you'll appreciate this).
What it does have is a unique waist-shaping construction that slims your waist while emphasizing the curves of your bust and hips, creating the most beautiful, hourglass figure. (Oh and bye-bye Muffin top!)
Don't worry about that God-awful budge poking out from the bottom (have you seen that? gross!) as the cincher offers both waist-cinching and tummy control coverage. It's also available without the briefs for the dresses that call for thongs. Check out both styles below.
Flexees One Fabulous Body Waist Nipper, $24, maidenform.com.
Flexees Take Inches Off Long Torso Waistshaper, $26, maidenform.com.
If you want to lift and separate your girls...
Look for a bra that minimizes, gathers and shapes your bustline while providing comfort and support to your shoulders and back.
The Bali Concealers Minimizer bra is a wardrobe essential for busty beauties. The Minimizer bra boasts three extraordinary functions in one. Besides minimizing your bustline and making you appear slimmer up top, it re-shapes your girls, creating a sexy, perky and firm bustline.
What's more? It's supportive straps don't dig into your shoulders or back, making it super-comfortable.
Bali Concealers Minimizer bra, $34, balicompany.com.
If you want slender, muscular-looking thighs...
Look no further than the Sassybax Long Leg Panty Bottoms Up! Mid-Thigh Shaper. It boasts this inventive micro-ribbing technology that smooths and shapes the thighs.
What's really amazing is that makes your thighs appear stronger and firmer, but the bare knit band doesn't dig in or leave red marks on the leg or tummy like other shapewear. (TIP: If the elastic band on your shapewear digs into your skin OR rolls down, it may be a sign you need to go up a size).
An added bonus? It has eight distinct support systems that lift the derriere and a medium compression to trim the tummy.
Sassybax Long Leg Panty Bottoms Up! Mid-Thigh Shaper, $55, sassybax.com.
If you want a rounder, higher butt...
With buxom beauties like Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose getting lots of attention and press, the shapewear market for voluptuous derrieres has exploded in the last year. Designers offer tons of great options to boost your bottom to varying degrees.
A subtle way to enhance what you've got is to try the Sassybax Long Leg Panty (above), which, as I said, has eight different support technologies to lift and separate the derriere.
Daring divas in search of a full-on va-va-voom look can also try Frederick's of Hollywood's Four-Pad Panty. It boasts strategically-placed pads that create a curvier silhouette while lifting the booty you were born with.
If the padding is too much for your taste, you can remove them and still benefit from the panels that lift and shape your natural rear.
You can also rock Frederick's of Hollywood's miraculous Pick Me Up Derriere Bands that can be worn with your everyday panties and work wonders for boyish frames.
They push each cheek up and out to create an ample behind. The bands also trim and tighten the thighs.
Frederick's of Hollywood Pick Me Up Derriere bands, $10, fredericks.com.
Frederick's of Hollywood Four-Pad Panty, $42, fredericks.com.
If you want tighter, stronger-looking arms...
Yes, you read right. There is shapewear specifically designed for your triceps and bi-ceps. Tres Sleek's long-sleeve arm shaper is a lightweight shrug that takes arms from flab to fab.
It has a relaxed compression formula that magically reduces sagging skin by 1-3.5 inches to instantly create muscular-looking arms.
Tres Sleek long-sleeve arm shaper, $20.99, barenecessities.com.
If you're a man...
Gasp. Mirdle? Mantie-shapers? Yes, world, shapewear exists for men who want to look slimmer and firmer under their clothes.
Get rid of love handles and beer bellies with GearCom's compression support boxers and garments. The seamless technology and second-skin material ensures a comfortable fit, while the microfiber fabric fights odor and allows your skin to breathe.
These GearCom boxers don't just give the appearance of a toned midsection, they help you create one. The Micromassage Compression Support formula claims to boost circulation which flushes out the liquids and toxins that cause puffiness, thereby creating firmer abs.
Hmmm...who's going to check these out and report back on the results? Would love to see if it really takes inches off your tummy. Email me and let me know!
GearCom Micromassage Sport Body Shaper Support Boxer, $39.50, gearcom.com.
GearCom Micromassage Sport Waist Cincher Support Boxer, $46.50, gearcom.com.
Kisses,
Coutura
GearCom Micromassage Sport Body Shaper Support Boxer, $39.50, gearcom.com.
GearCom Micromassage Sport Waist Cincher Support Boxer, $46.50, gearcom.com.
Kisses,
Coutura
