Brooke is the editor of this here blog. In a previous life, she was an editor at Good Housekeeping and O, The Oprah Magazine. Brooke has written for Glamour, Travel+Leisure, New York Magazine and more. She’s into concerts, travel and her exceptionally adorable daughter and husband.
Bare Necessities Bra Fit Expert Jessica never considered herself a natural athlete, but she’s a fitness devotee because working out does wonders for her mood. That’s why she recently took it to the next level and made the leap from student to instructor at her local CrossFit gym.
Read on for how Jessica makes working out her number one priority each day, the accomplishments she’s proudest of and her motivating mantra for pushing through even the toughest workout.
After years and years of ups and downs with her weight, Kathy, our lead Bra Fit Expert here at Bare Necessities, summoned the courage to have weight loss surgery this past fall. While she could envision the healthy lifestyle she wanted to live, she never could have imagined the side effects that took her out of commission for six miserable, seemingly endless weeks and left her questioning what she had elected to do to herself.
Today, Kathy is in way better shape—better, in fact, than she’s been in ages. Read on for what she wishes she’d known then that she knows now….
This week, Bare Necessities certified Bra Fit Expert Mette opens up about her on-again, off-again relationship with the gym. Weight-wise, she’s not where she wants to be, but if something’s got to give, it’s for sure not going to be time spent with her family—or her nightly glass of wine—and, at this moment, she’s 100 percent okay with that.
THE BACKSTORY
“I’ve had a slow metabolism since I was 13. Apparently, I started a trend, because we have no history of hypothyroid issues. My whole family is thin and can eat whatever they want without gaining weight. Not me.
When I was younger, I was more active, plus I was on medications to manage my thyroid. I’m 5’6”, and the sweet spot for me is right around 150 pounds.
The weight gain started around the time I was trying to conceive. I gained 10 or 15 pounds on the expectation that I would be having a child and could eat whatever I wanted. I thought the weight would just drop off when the baby came. It took a year of trying before I got pregnant with my son. I gained 55 pounds and was at 203 when I gave birth. It took a while for the weight to come off. I got pregnant again five years later. I gained 23 pounds with my daughter and was only five pounds off my pre-pregnancy weight after she was born.”
Happy 2018! This month, as we dust off our gym memberships with renewed enthusiasm, we’re hearing from four of our Bare Necessities Bra Fit Experts about their very real, very different paths to health and wellness. First up is Melissa, who underwent weight loss surgery after a lifetime of struggling with food and body image. Since the procedure last June, she’s already lost over 80 pounds, but she’s just beginning to get to know her new self.
THE BACKSTORY
“Even when I was 7 years old, I was overweight. We have a family history—we’re the short, chubby Italians, not the willowy, Mediterranean Italians. I didn’t make the best food choices 100 percent of the time, but I was an active kid: color guard, cheerleading, theater, softball. I don’t remember the last time I was under 200 pounds. I’m 5’3” and have lived most of my adult life between 230 and 250. At my heaviest, I was 315 pounds.
Merry everything! Party season is in full swing, and there’s no one we trust more on matters of glamour than hair and makeup artist to the stars Bruce Dean. Bruce is back at Bare Necessities this week as our very special guest blogger to answer your most of-the-moment holiday style questions (thanks for sharing them with us on Instagram and Facebook).
We’re bringing you Bruce’s best expert advice on mastering the smoky eye, perfecting your New Year’s Eve hairstyle and helping your makeup last until the ball drops (or you do, whichever comes first). Because with a bit of deftly applied mascara, a swipe of red lipstick and some stealthy, smoothing shapewear, 2018 will be off to a beautiful start.
Want to be known as a giver of great gifts? You’ve come to the right place.
These days, anything encouraging rest and relaxation is as close to priceless as it gets, and that happens to be our strong suit here at Bare Necessities. From cheeky thongs to seasonal socks to Secret Santa-worthy designer sleepwear from Ugg, Kate Spade and Oscar de la Renta, we know that sometimes the best things really do come in the smallest packages.
We’ve rounded up our best gifts so you can finish your holiday shopping in one place. Best of all: These presents will get to your door by Christmas, guaranteed (just order by December 16).
Say what you will about tiresome winter weather, but the clothes are as decadent as it gets. Impossibly soft cashmere sweaters, velvet blazers, satin party dresses, brocade jackets, nubby coats….the list goes on. Simply put, there’s no better time to get extravagant.
This year, touchable, decadent fabrics have made their way from ready-to-wear over to intimates. For the price, a little luxe goes a long way (cashmere slippers, anyone?) and, if you’re daring, many of the pieces can be worn out of the house, too.
“Anyone can wear these fabrics to dress up a bit and take their wardrobe to the next level in seconds. I love that this holiday we’re seeing all these great fabrications play out across all different silhouettes, from robes to loungewear to nighties,” says Bare Necessities buyer Alyssa Barnard.
By all means, wrap yourself in something extra-special this season. A little fa-la-la-la-luxury may be the best way yet to cope with the cold.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year again! Of course, it can also be one of the most stressful. Whether or not you’ve gotten a jump on your gift list yet, you’re in luck: Our best-in-the-biz buyers are here to point you directly to their favorite picks for perfect presents in every category on Bare Necessities.
Now, with a minimum of time and indecision, you can find something your significant other, best friend, parents, in-laws, kids and even the dog are all but guaranteed to love. Consider it our gift to you.
Hazel-Anne M. Johnson, Ph.D., 38, is a professor and the director of a university undergraduate program, a mom of two toddlers, deeply involved in community activism and a CrossFit devotee. She’s been going to the intense workout for the past 5 years and can do a headstand or deadlift 150 pounds like it’s the easiest thing in the world. “It’s the most inspiring workout I’ve ever done,” she says. “I actually enjoy burpees.”
In other words, Hazel-Anne is basically Superwoman, and finding time for herself is her Kryptonite. She tries to get to CrossFit three or four times a week—a lofty goal even with a less intimidating schedule: “My mission is to figure out how to carve out me-time despite an ever-busy agenda.”
So you can pretty much guess where bra shopping ranks on Hazel-Anne’s priority list. “I don’t like shopping, and I’ve been pregnant or nursing for over three years, so I’m at a loss when it comes to understanding what my bra size is at this point. When I saw some of your swimwear makeovers on Bare it All this past summer, I was intrigued by the women’s transformations.” That’s where the Bare Necessities Bra Fit Experts come into play. Hazel-Anne wanted to experience the same revelation with her bras, especially her sports bras.
Le Mystère became a household name when none other than Oprah named the Dream Tisha T-shirt bra one of her “Favorite Things” 15-plus years ago and ushered in a new era: the bra fit revolution. The brand is still going strong and, while Dream Tisha still anchors the whole collection, Le Mystère has gone in two different directions: solutions bras and everyday bras.
Today, we’re looking at the solutions because who doesn’t need more than a few of those in her special occasion arsenal, especially this time of year? “People tend to go to brick-and-mortar stores first to try on these types of bras because they’re too specific to take a wild swing,” says Bare Necessities premium buyer Heather Viskovic. “That’s why we decided to do a product road-test. We did the work for you, so you’ll know how to choose the right bra with the best possible fit when you really need it.”
Bare it All had three staffers put three solutions bras through their paces to find out firsthand how they actually work, whether they perform out in the real world, what they’re great (or not so great) for and everything else you’d want to know before you get a bra home so it really can be the answer to your night-out prayers.
Read on for the full scoop and to find a bra that solves some issues of your own.
Alyssa Hertzig of The Sparkly Life blog is no stranger to the “treat yo’self” philosophy. A mom and a wife, a lifestyle blogger, a beauty writer for some of the world’s top magazines and, oh yeah, a Bare it All Power Figure, we knew Alyssa would be the perfect person to talk to for our holiday gift yourself guide.
Bare Necessities spent the day with Alyssa at her home outside Manhattan, hanging with her adorable kids Sadie, 7, and Nate, 4, and pup Easton. Alyssa was in full sparkly life mode during our photo session, while her in-between moments were spent trying to feed the kids, get them to after-school activities, talk to the babysitter, let the dog out….
Real life, meet the sparkly life.
That’s what this gift-yourself guide is about: the times when the reality of every day rubs up against who we imagine ourselves to be…polished, put-together, at our best even when kicking back.
“As moms, we tend to put our kids before us—and we should do that! But it doesn’t mean we don’t matter, too,” says Alyssa. “I dress my kids in adorable PJs each night, but if I’m being honest, I’ve kind of let myself go in that area. I had fallen back on wearing sweatpants and an old tee shirt to bed—not exactly chic.” And since Alyssa spends a lot of time working for home, “that outfit often follows me into the next day, so I love the idea of giving yourself the gift of cute loungewear or sleepwear. It can be just as comfy as your standby sweats, but you feel so much cuter and more confident.”
Who doesn’t need a daily dose of that? Read on for where she found it.
By day, Jessica Matlin (top right) is the health and beauty director at Teen Vogue, and Jennifer Goldstein (top left) is the executive beauty and health editor at Marie Claire. Not glam enough for you yet? On nights, weekends and rare, spare moments in between, they become the co-hosts of Fat Mascara, the award-winning, first-of-its-kind weekly podcast about all things beauty. (The show’s name is an allusion to the bigger, better, juicier, where-does-it-end? trend in mascara and the like.)
Since last spring, Jess and Jenn have been “raising a wand” to their favorite products; interviewing celebrities, hair stylists and makeup artists, physicians and all manner of experts; reporting the latest industry news; answering listener questions and otherwise holding up beauty as a mirror to our culture.
For bravely, stylishly and hilariously exploring this often fraught women’s territory in a smart, fresh way, we hereby name Jenn and Jess this month’s Power Figures. Read on to hear how they know a hero from a zero when it comes to cosmetics, why these print all-stars became audiophiles, how they cope with stress when they’re at their limits and what beauty really means to them.