Review: Comexim Carmen

The full set! Ignore the messy apartment 😛

Um. Holy crap you guys. This is kind of one of the best bras I’ve ever put on my body. So this is going to be a very glowing review.

I dithered over my Comexim purchase for a really long time, because it’s always hard to pinpoint what size to get when you’re trying out a new brand, especially if the reviews of the brand that are already out there are contradictory about how the brand runs! I kind of knew that I needed a 60N/65M, but I’ve been lusting after the Carmen for a REALLY long time now, and the largest cup its made in is a 60M/65L. Keeping in mind that the band might run tight, I went for the 65L. For the thong, I looked around Balkonetka (sort of a Polish Bratabase, though a bit different) and noticed that sometimes women would post their hip measurements on there and include the size of bottoms they  had gotten, so based on those I got the matching thong in a large. I feel like I’m a little in between sizes on the bottoms, and proooooooooobably could’ve done a medium, but I’m not upset with the large at all, and the medium might’ve cut in a bit.

So how does the bra fit?

Trying to photograph the quadboob that wasn’t coming across in the other photos.

It fits pretty much exactly as I would expect it to, about one size too small in the cups (though the pictures do not do the amount of quadboob justice). I’d read that Comexim bands run firm, and I would agree with that. When I first got the bra, which is the equivalent to a 30HH, I was nervous that the band would be too big, since I normally go for a 28. However, it fit well on the loosest hook. I can wear it on the tightest hook, and if I had gone for a 60 band instead of the 65, I probably would’ve been fine and just suffered through a little discomfort for a few days. I would say that the band is maybe half a size smaller than normal, so if you normally wear a 28 in a brand that runs loose, such as Freya, you may want to size up, but if you wear a 28 in Panache or Cleo or another brand with more true to size/tight bands you probably will do fine with your normal size.

The cups, aside from being slightly too small, are awesome. The wires are the narrowest I’ve had, similar to Kris Line’s wires. They are definitely narrower than the Ewa Michalaks I have, so if Ewa is borderline or too narrow for you, Comexim will be a no-go. I think that the wires are actually a little bit too narrow for me, because as the day goes on I find a lot of my “armpit fat” (breast tissue… not sure if that’s just where it will always be or if it needs to be migrated) falls out of the cups and my double boob goes away. I think that if I went for the tighter band and the larger cups I would get a better fit, because when I put the bra on the middle hook this happened a lot less. I also get a little bit of “orange-in-a-glass” affect, where, because the wires are too narrow/the cups are slightly too small, my boobs can’t fall into the bottom of the cups and I get a very small amount of empty space there. Even though the wires are slightly too narrow, the bra is very comfortable and I don’t get any poking or anything (which is what makes me question if they REALLY are too narrow or if the fit issues I described above would be solved with the bigger cup/smaller band…).

The shape seems less projected than Ewa Michalak’s does (my boobs feel less big in it) but that once again might be because the cups are slightly too small. It isn’t perfectly round, but it’s still a shape that I really am enjoying. Despite the boobs-feeling-smaller in it thing, which I usually am AVOIDING in a bra, this is already one of my favorites. Possibly because it replaces the sexy feeling I get from showing off some boob size with an undeniably sexy color/shape/pattern. Like seriously. Just look at it.

The absolute BEST PART of Comexim, for me so far, is that they seem to actually scale their cups with band size instead of just sister-sizing the cup down to a smaller band without changing the strap position and cup height under the armpits. Because I’m decently petite and have high set boobs, pretty much every bra I’ve ever tried on has straps that are a little too far apart, cups that dig into my armpits, and wires that go a liiiiittle higher than I like. Not Comexim. The side of the cup actually doesn’t cut into my armpit! And neither does the strap! Hallelujah! So if that’s something you regularly struggle with like I do, and you can handle some super narrow wires, I would definitely check out Comexim. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to have a bra that isn’t showing through the armpit holes of every sleeveless item I own.

Ordering from them isn’t a completely straightforward process, and neither is figuring out the size you should buy, but I feel like that information is separate enough to deserve it’s own short post, so I’ll be writing that a little later (possibly tonight)! Seriously though, I’m not sure how many other companies I’ll be buying from after trying Comexim… they are exactly what I’m looking for in a sexy bra, and the prices are extremely sensible (though shipping can get a bit pricey). Overall, based on this set, they are definitely one of my new favorites!

Review: Curvy Kate Princess, Part II

So once upon a time, when I very first started this blog, I reviewed the Curvy Kate Princess in white in a 30H. Obviously, that is not my size anymore (and it wasn’t REALLY my size at the time, I needed a 28HH), but I remembered liking the Princess for it’s more subdued shape and pretty dots and embroidery, so I ordered one in pink and white from Brastop, and got the matching thong from a seller on ebay.

Here’s the set:

The thong is too high rise for me, and I feel like it really minimizes the size of my hips, so I scooched it down and this is how I actually wear it (but I wanted to show the actual rise for the sake of the review):

The bra here is a 28JJ, and the thong is a size 12. I probably could’ve gone for the 14 in terms of hip width, but since it’s already more coverage than I like, I’m not sure that I would’ve really liked the 14 more.

As far as the bra goes, the band is a lot firmer than the 30H was, and seems to be on par with my PL Mak when it was new, making it a very firm 28. Honestly, I would even consider bumping up to a 30J if I didn’t remember how quickly I moved through the hooks on my previous Princess, because since this bra has such wide wires, a larger band would probably allow the cups to fit better. But, doing so would severely limit the life expectancy of the bra, and I’m not really willing to do that (also exchanges are a hassle).

The cups are a decent fit, though I get empty space in the bottoms of the cups. I don’t think this is a size issue, because I fill the rest of the cup out well, and the straps aren’t fastened too tightly, so I’m not just disguising a too large cup by tightening the straps. Even if I try to pull the bra up to fill out that space, my boobs just won’t go into it, so it’s definitely a shape issue. It might be because the wires are too wide for me. I kind of like having a bra with wider wires though, because I still have some tissue that could be a bit more forward, that tends to fall out of my Ewa Michalak bras so it hasn’t gotten a chance to migrate (I think because EM’s straps are so wide set). The cups cover a lot more boob than I normally like to have covered, but since I bought this specifically for more modest days (and because it was pretty!) I don’t really mind. I think it would probably cover less space on someone whose boobs were not as high set on their chest as mine are.

The straps and sides of the cups are definitely too wide, and cut into my armpits, but not uncomfortably so, and since I’m rather petite, this isn’t a new problem for me. The straps are also only half adjustable technically, but I’m stubborn and need very short straps so I tightened over the embroidery, which isn’t very hard to do.

Overall, I like this bra as much as I remember, and it will be nice to finally have an unpadded bra that fits back in my bra drawer.

Clothing Review: Express Stretch Cotton Skater Dress

So I mentioned in my last post that I’ve been making some birthday purchases (it’s this coming Saturday!), and here is my review of the first of them! I’ve never done a clothing review before on the blog, mostly because A) I usually just wear solid color cotton v-neck t-shirts with a tight high waisted skirt, and B) All of my clothes are old, and no longer readily available! But here I am with a brand new purchase, that is decent on bustiness, and is in season. And better yet, it’s 30% off right now! Onto the review!

Okay, so my purchase was the Stretch Cotton Skater Dress from Express! I love Express’s clothing, but it’s usually out of my price range by a decent amount. This dress usually retails for $39.00, but I got it for $27.99, a pretty good deal if I say so myself! I know that not all hourglass figured bloggers have had success with skater dresses, but this is actually the only dress in the mall that I tried on that day that fit me well at all. Since it’s made of cotton/Lycra, it had plenty of stretch to accomodate my boobs but still be tight on my waist. Because I didn’t really  have to size up for my bust, I was able to get a size Small. You’ll see in the photos that my bra is visible on the sides, but this happened with the medium as well, and also I just don’t care that much about people being able to see my bra in casual situations. The way tank tops are cut, you can see the side of my bra through the armholes almost all the time, but I live in a city that literally has the motto “Famously Hot”, and I’m only a college student! People who want to complain can get over it 😛

Oh, and as a reminder, my measurements are 40-28-40, and I like to wear my clothes tight fitting!

Visible bra when I don’t have my arms down directly by my sides

Pretty scooped back with a small zipper embellishment. I hadn’t noticed that it was partially unzipped until this picture, it might be my boobs pressing against the front unzip it? Also the roll beneath my band here is just a product of hastily thrown on shapewear!

One of the main reasons I bought this dress is that, aside from fitting me fairly well, it’s very versatile. As you can see, I don’t need to wear a belt with it, but if I want to, it looks great. Here I added a gold belt and (though you can’t see them) gold sandals to go for a summery look.

This would be a great look for going to dinner with friends in the summer, or any other casual occasion that I wanted to look cute for! I can also make it work for spring or fall by adding my trusty black cropped sweater.

Since the sweater conceals my usually visible bra, it makes the dress a bit more appropriate for less casual occasions, like dinner at a nicer restaurant, or going to eat with my grandparents. If I were to add tights, it would be a great dress to wear through fall and winter (well… winter here in South Carolina, where the coldest it ever gets is ~40F).

As you can see, it’s a decently modest neckline when paired with my PL Mak (padding removed). However, if I slip the pads back in, and layer the Mak over my Freya Deco (as seen in my post Cleavage Concerns), it becomes a cleavagey dress for date night or going out clubbing.

BOOBS EVERYWHERE

Overall, I thought this was a great purchase that was flattering AND versatile. My only gripe with this dress is that the fabric is slightly thin. Underneath the dress in these pictures I’m wearing my handy dandy shapewear (some no name brand from CVS Pharmacy that cost like $10), not because the dress is tight and shows my rolls, but because you can see my bellybutton through the thin fabric and it freaks me out. Also, it is slightly see through. I didn’t realize this when I bought it, because I was wearing my Mak, and the red under the coral color of the dress is invisible. Later, when I tried to wear it with my  black Freya Deco… things did not work out as well. I still would wear it with all my bras (even the black one- refer to the top of the post “I don’t care if you can see my bra a little”), but it does mean that when I’m trying to be a bit more conservative or modest that my underwear options are limited. For reference, here’s what I was wearing underneath:

Hopefully y’all enjoyed my first outfit post! I said at the end of my last post that I was going to start branching out, and thought that since I have my new Urkye dress on the way (it shipped today!) I should probably get some outfit post practice! Also thanks for bearing with me through all the crappy cell phone pictures… I used to have a camera, but it was in a purse that got stolen, and ever since then other things (usually lingerie!) have come before “new camera” on my list of things to buy. But I’ll get one someday… Promise!

Ewa Michalak Review: CH Karmelki

Hi guys!! Sorry it’s been so long since my last post- over a month, if you can believe it! Since school started I have just been INSANELY busy, since I’m taking quite a few hard classes (Physics 2, Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics… I’m looking at you!). School and sleeping and the rare night out are really keeping me from updating regularly, but I’m going to try to get better about it since I just went through a “test cycle” (that’s what I call when all of my professors have tests in the same 2 week period) and will probably be a bit freer than I have been so far this semester.

Now that I’ve made excuses for myself, on to the review!!

Unfortunately, this review is not going to be as good as the review for my PL Mak. Something about this bra just doesn’t fit quite right with my shape, and I think I’ll be sticking the PL cut from Ewa Michalak in the future.

The total set!

As you can see, for a “plain” beige bra, it is really quite pretty! It has a line of 3 buttons down the center gore, lighter tan lace lining the top of the cups, and a criss-cross shimmery embroidery pattern. The only one of these details that interferes with the nude-under-shirts function (nude for me, that is!) is the lighter colored lace at the top of the cups. It’s lighter than my skin, and can be seen under my most see through top, but is generally fine still.

Not a super accurate portrayal of color, but a detailed shot of the criss-cross embroidery!

Ok, now that we’ve discussed how gorgeous it is, it’s time to get down to the bad parts 😦 I bought this bra in a 28JJ, which is what I currently would guess is my size in most UK brands (though I’m not sure because I don’t own any that fit!). Right after I put it on and arrange myself into the cups, I fill it perfectly.

 

As you can see, initially this bra, while not perfect, fits decently well! The straps are too far apart, and the wires are a little high/wide, but the same things could be said about the PL Mak (except the wire width, the width of the wires on the Mak is perfect) and I love the Mak! The problem comes after I wear this bra for more than a few minutes, especially if I’ve been sitting down. Here is what this bra looks like right now, after wearing it just while typing this post:

So much gaping!!!! My boobs just fall right out of the wires into the band! Usually when this happens to me, it is because the band is too loose. And this band is definitely stretchier than the band of the PL Mak. I could fasten it on the tightest hook comfortably right when I took it out of the box, but I remembered reading that Ewa’s bands were constructed to be supportive without being overly tight, so I tried to keep it on the loosest hooks anyway, in order to get the most life out of the bra. But not long after I had it on I realized that it was riding up, my boobs were falling into my armpits, and it was just generally being annoying, and that I did indeed need to fasten it tighter. However,  this still did not fix my boob-falling problem! 

After thinking about it, I decided that the problem is that the bra is just too wide for me in almost every way. The straps sit IN my armpits and I have to angle them diagonally so that they sit on my shoulders well. Not exactly the best thing for support. I’m thinking of attempting to alter the bra to bring the straps closer together, because when I’ve pulled the cups from closer to the middle the seem to support me better. Until then, I’ve kept it because 1. it’s not returnable, and 2. I don’t have any my-nude bras aside from this one, so even though my boobs fall out of it after a while, it isn’t noticeable under shirts and I still need something to wear under my lighter colored clothing.

Basically, in the future, I think I’ll be sticking with PLs. Plunges generally work better for my close-together shape anyway, and I am kind of a cleavage addict, so usually half cups won’t give me everything I’m looking for in a bra. If I ever get around to altering this bra, I’ll make sure to post about it! 

 

Ewa Michalak: The Custom Ordering Process

Hi everyone!

As some of y’all might already know, I just received my Ewa Michalak order! The bras are absolutely AMAZING and I am completely smitten, but before I review the two sets I bought, I thought I’d do a quick overview of the custom ordering process.

I’d read a ton of reviews of Ewa Michalak bras, and how to order custom sizes from them, but for some reason was still nervous about it! I just wasn’t sure exactly how things were supposed to work, and I have an extreme planning personality: I need to know exactly what is going to happen, and when it is going to happen or else I just start to get anxious and uncomfortable. So emailing EM to begin the custom order process was nerve wracking for me, and as a result, I’m going to describe how it went for me here, in as much detail as possible!

First, I decided what I wanted from the website. I knew I was going to get a CH Karmelki and the matching thong, but I also really wanted a new bra in the PL style. Unfortunately, no other bras were appealing to me as much as the CHP Mak. So, thinking to myself, “how hard could it be for them to take a completely solid colored bra and cut it a different way?” I emailed them (at sklep@ewa-michalak.pl) and said:

Hi!

On the website, only the CHP style is listed with the Mak. Will a PL version ever be available, or could one be requested? I love the color but fit better in a plunge style.

Thanks
Robin

They responded fairly promptly, simply asking what size I’d like the PL Mak in! I responded with the size, and then also asked to add the other items (CH Karmelki, Stringi Karmelki, Figi Mak) to the order. At this point, they asked me to create an account on their website, as I didn’t already have one. So I did, and then since I was unsure what to do I just emailed back saying “Hi! I created an account. What should I do next?” They requested that I repeat my order, as well as confirm that I knew that custom orders were not returnable/exchangable, so I wrote back:

Hi,

I understand that I can’t return or exchange my order. I’d like a PL Mak in a 28K, a CH Karmelki in a 28JJ, figi Mak in a 12 (40) (this one: http://www.ewa-michalak.pl/product-eng-304-Figi-Mak-.html) and stringi Karmelki in a 12 (40).

Thanks
Robin

The next email they sent me said they had created the order for me, and included the price (in zlotys) that my order came to, as well as the order number. They said they would be sending a payment request soon, and I received one the next day. The payment request was through Paypal, but was unfortunately in Polish. I didn’t really deal with figuring out the Polish thing though, because I just forwarded it to my parents for them to pay (the order was my Christmas present from them).

Once the order was paid for, I received an email saying that my order was placed on hold because some items weren’t in stock (I figure this is standard for custom orders). A few days later, I received an email saying that the order had started being processed, and then later the same day I got an email stating that it had been shipped.

My package was shipped on December 20th, and I received it January 5th, so it took 13 business days from Poland to South Carolina. It might normally be faster than that, but I ordered right around the holidays, and we all know how much slower everything goes at that time of year!

Overall my experience with Ewa Michalak was great, and I am much less hesitant and nervous to order from them in the future. The customer service was always prompt, usually responding to my emails by the next day, and they were very accommodating to my “extra special” request. The English wasn’t perfect, but it was always understandable, and the language “barrier” wasn’t really a barrier at all in the ordering process. I’m very thankful that they speak English, as I don’t know a lick of Polish (Actually not true! I learned that “mak” means “poppy-seed”! So I know one word of Polish!), and if I couldn’t order from them I would not be in bra heaven right now!

I think the best thing you can do if you have a question about Ewa Michalak… is to just ask them! I wanted to know if I could get a PL Mak. I thought it would be a longshot, but I asked anyway, and it paid off! I am very excited to order from them again 🙂

 

Excuse my holiday tummy and the less than perfect lighting in these pictures, but I wanted to give y’all a look at what I got! Reviews to come soon 🙂

Curvy Kate Showgirl Collection, Part II – Tempt Me

Hello! I have hijacked my boyfriend’s internet to write a new post, so although I don’t have my own internet yet, hopefully updates can become a bit more regular again!

Today’s review is of the Curvy Kate Tempt Me in Black/Scarlet, which I purchased a month or so ago from Brastop in a 28J.

I feel like there aren’t as many reviews for the Tempt Me as there are for the Tease Me and Thrill Me, so I’m glad that I’ll be able to put my review out there! I have a lot of good things to say, but I can definitely tell why it’s not as popular as the other parts of this collection.

I personally LOVE the look of this bra. The Scarlet color isn’t a straight red, it’s more of a red-magenta mix that looks very nice mixed with the black lace. A little more girly-sexy, whereas a strictly red hue would’ve come off more sex-vixen-sexy. The little button detailing also adds to this girly-sexy vibe. The materials are nice and soft, and the bra is lined with a cottony material similar to all the other Showgirls. This makes these bras a better bet in heat than some other padded options!

As for the fit, I already knew it wasn’t going to be perfect, but I have very close set breasts and desperately wanted a plunge bra, so I bought it anyway! It isn’t a horrible fit, and I still wear this bra fairly often, but in this I’d really prefer to have a 26K or so. The band fit fairly firm at first, but is extremely stretchy, and the cups run small. So, for me, a fairly true 28J (sometimes a HH), the gore doesn’t sit quite flat and I fall out of the cups, resulting in four boobs.

My biggest problem with this bra is something that I saw in every review, but for some reason didn’t expect to happen to me. The bottom inch of the cup folds and makes a strange crease that makes me not care too much for how the bra looks when it’s on.

The strangest part of this crease is that it looks like I’m not filling out the cups in the bottom… but when I take the bra off after wearing it all day, the wire indentations are right at the root of my breast. Hmmm, strange indeed…

Aside from the issues, I love how this bra makes my boobs look… without a shirt on. Naked, I get great cleavage that reminds me of the 34DD bras I used to wear. All of the cleavage, only a few hints of the horrible fit! That being said, with a shirt on, I find this bra pretty underwhelming. I like my breasts to project a lot, and this bra just does not provide that. Because of this, I find myself reaching for my Tease Me and Thrill Me before I even consider this bra.

I don’t have any pictures, because I have somehow already lost them (how does one lose panties?!?!), but I also purchased the matching thong in a size 14 UK. As the size 12 Emily shorts were already almost too big for me, I was worried the 14 wouldn’t work, but it was the closest size Brastop had left in stock. They ended up being probably 2 sizes too small! I was so surprised and disappointed. I kept them, as they’re not UNWEARABLE… but they give a pretty good case of muffin top. Aside from the weird sizing, they were very pretty, and surprisingly comfortable for a too small thong.

 Overall, if you can go up a cup and down a back size, I would recommend this set. Although the fit isn’t quite right for me, I like having this set in my drawer as an option under low cut shirts and as a bedroom set!

Kris Line Jasmine Bra

In one of my two orders during my Brastop binge, I couldn’t help but pick up a Kris Line bra. They don’t make my usual size of either 28HH or 28J, but their bras are so pretty… and some of them are molded! My dream! I couldn’t help but try it out in the closest size they  had- a 30H- especially since I’d heard the bands ran tight.

So, without further ado, here’s the set, with a 30H bra and a medium thong:

I don’t think there’s a question about the attractiveness of this set! The color is really just gorgeous, and although I was worried the medium thong would be too small when I took it out of the box, it actually doesn’t dig in at the sides hardly at all. As you can see, it is quite low coverage, but this type of thing hasn’t ever bothered me.

As far as the fit goes, I wish it fit better. The cups are ever so slightly too small, but the band is much too large. It fit okay at first (on the tightest hook), but after just the first wear it’s become so loose that I hesitate to wear it out at all, despite how pretty it is. I’d alter the band down, but I’ve found that really this doesn’t work so well on cups that are even slightly too small, as it generally makes them more shallow and wide, which leads them to cutting in (I haven’t posted about this yet, but it’s what happened to my Freya Deco when I took the band in). Overall I wouldn’t say that this band runs tightly at all, and the cup may run just a touch small, but is a pretty close fit to the other 30H’s I’ve tried.

As far as shape goes, it’s quite a bit pointy, but CRAZY uplifted. For reference, my bust measurement bent over so that all of my tissue hangs forward is usually around 40″, and my standing measurement is around 38″, both in and out of a bra. In this bra, my measurement is more like 39.5″, so it’s almost the same as if my boobs are perfectly parallel to the floor! If only Brastop carried Kris Line in a 28J, I would snatch up as many bras in this brand as I could!

Here’s some more photos of the bra for fit reference:

View from the front- looking pretty good! Obviously very pretty!

Can see the amazing uplift- but unfortunately also the double boob 😦

Looking pretty good from the side. These wires are obviously more narrow than the average UK brand, and although I haven’t tried Ewa Michalak yet, look more like the pictures I’ve seen of her bras.

This is on the tightest hook. Although it doesn’t stretch SO far, it definitely fails the two finger test!

Center gore doesn’t quite lay flat 😦

In clothes the shape is significantly less pointy. I don’t feel self conscious about it at all. Also, oddly, even though this shirt is pretty see through, the purple is probably the least visible bra I currently own? Weird.

Overall, if you fit into the size range, I would definitely invest in some Kris Line bras! I unfortunately can’t justify spending the money on another, despite how pretty they are, since they just don’t carry the size I need at Brastop, and they’re pretty expensive elsewhere, I don’t know if I’ll ever get to own one of these awesome bras in my size 😦

Oh, last note that I forgot to mention- this bra might be made out of the softest material I have ever found on lingerie ever. It is just damn awesome. The. End.

Review: Alegro Summer Dream

I bought the Alegro Summer Dream in a 30GG for less than $10 on ebay. It was a great deal, and although now I know that 30GG is a bit off from my true bra size, at the time I expected it to fit me.

Unfortunately, pretty much everything about this bra was horrible for me. I’d never tried this brand before and there are very few reviews available, so I’m glad to be able to add this for other women who may be looking for one, since the bra is on ebay very often and is very inexpensive.

When I received the bra, I thought it looked huge. It really is just a lot of bra. It is shaped kind of like a balconette but fits like a full coverage. The color, however, is beautiful and I loved the white flower embroidery, as well as the frills on the straps and under the cups, although the frill straps does mean that they are not fully adjustable.

The looks were pretty much the only good thing about this bra though.

This bra just gives me the absolute worst shape I’ve ever seen in my whole life. It’s that east-west look, but incredibly angle-y and pointy, and far apart. The underwire goes up really high in between the breasts and didn’t sit flat against my chest, both because I have close set breasts and because the cups were too small.

I could put an eye out with these things!

Really it was just horrible. And the construction of this bra is really weird. Like I said, it isn’t really a balconette, but also not really a full coverage. The seaming on the bra must be what gives it that weird pointy shape. In most balconettes the outside section of the cup that attaches to the straps is also the widest section, and then the inner section is smaller. On this one, almost the whole bra is the inner section, and the outside section that connects to the strap is only about 3 inches long at the largest point. For comparison, my Cleo Lucy’s outside section is about 6 inches long. I think this is what makes my breasts stick so far out.

The one other positive that I can say about this bra is that the band fit very well, although I guess that means that it runs tightly on TRUE 30’s, since I usually wear a 28 now. It fits very similarly to the 28 Curvy  Kate Emily, so I’d say most people will want to size up in the band on this one.

I hate not having anything positive to say, but honestly the only place I’d wear this bra is to a 1950’s costume party where I wanted that really pointy bullet bra look.

At least it’s pretty?