Devon Kenny

 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday | Santa Cruz Bay Area Photographer

Hi ladies! Devon here with this weeks Fashion Friday. I’m so excited to share some ideas with you today. And actually I’m going to be sharing them with you every week as I’ll now be authoring all the Fashion Friday posts.

Today I thought it would be nice to show some examples of the outfits Danea suggested for the new 2015 Summer Special.

Danea’s first suggestion was a little black dress. Who doesn’t have at least one LBD in their closet? I know I have at least 3! Everyone loves a little black dress because it helps us feel a bit sexy and a bit sassy.

 

Little Black Dress

Don’t forget your favorite stiletto’s and that statement piece of jewelry. If your shoes aren’t black that’s ok. Who doesn’t love a pop of color with a black dress.

Next up we have the gowns. We all have at least one fancy dress that we wore to that wedding and now it just sits in the closet gathering dust?! Short, long, tea length, whatever yours looks like, if it makes you feel good then bring it!

Gown

 

You know that one pair of jeans you have? THAT ONE PAIR that fits so well it hugs every curve of your body and you make you feel amazing. We wanna see them! Your favorite jeans will look great paired with your favorite blouse and some cute ankle booties.

jeans & ankle boots

 

I came across this pin on Pinterest (I’m addicted!) and thought this was a great time to pass this information along to you. The tips are pretty helpful, but of course do what you feel looks best for you and your body type. You can read the full article here.

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I hope this helps you ladies plan your outfits for the Summer Special. I know what’s going through your head right now, “My jeans would look great with that blouse in my closet and I have the perfect shoes”. Call us today and show them off!

 

 Devon

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!

 

 

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 by Devon Kenny

Makeup Monday | San Jose Bay Area Makeup Artist Photography

Hi Dolls! Mari here again with Makeup Monday.

Let’s talk dark circles. Most of us have them either from lack of sleep, lack of hydration in the skin, or maybe even just hereditary. We might get it from our mama!!! As a Bay Area Makeup Artist I see this all the time, especially when we have those stressed out brides that are not getting much sleep before the big day!

Today I’ll give you some of the basic tips to help avoid or conceal those dark circles. The three items you will be needing are: under eye cream, color corrector, and your concealer. One of the main things you want to have in your skin care regimen is an under eye cream for night and for day wear. Keeping that skin under the eyes hydrated will definitely make a huge impact on the visibility of those dark circles.

Now correcting and concealing these dark circles is actual pretty simple. There are three very commonly used tones. Darker skin tones will use an orange corrector, medium skin tones tend to use a peach corrector and fair skin tones will use a pink or yellow corrector.

makeup monday, boudoir coterie makeup artist

 

The correction color should be applied directly and only over the darkness, you want to stay within that line of darkness to ensure the perfect blend. Once the dark circle has the correction color applied you want to take your concealer color, which will probably be a little lighter than your skin tone, and place that over the high point of the cheekbone and blend up towards the under eye to have a seamless and brighter affect.

Stay beautiful ! Mari with Dolled Up Services

Sexy Photos San Jose Boudoir Photographer

 

 

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!

 

 

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 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday | San Jose Boudoir Photography

We’ve had several beautiful ladies come in to our San Jose studio recently with some special sportswear of their fiancee’s. Does your significant other have a favorite team, player, or do they play a sport and have their own jersey?  This can be a great way to personalize your session with something special. If that special jersey is huge on you, try a girl cut tee instead. Did you know there is a website especially for women’s professional sports wear?! This can be a great way to personalize a bit of your session with something meaningful, while still showing your sensual side.

Here are some great options; a longer shirt if you aren’t as daring, or a short crop or even folded shirt to really show off! Victoria’s Secret has a great half-zip sweater for their favorite college team. Whatever look you go for, you can be sure that they will go crazy when they see you. Imagine the smile on their face every time they see their favorite team play from now on!

We want your Boudoir Coterie photo session to be amazing and adding a personal touch is a great way to show off another side of you!

Gorgeous On Gameday

 

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!

 

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 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday – Another Etsy Holiday | San Jose Boudoir Photography

I seriously don’t know where this year has gone, but apparently it’s holiday shopping time already (at least according to the 900 retail emails I get each day). Last year I put together a fun Etsy gift guide, and since it’s Fashion Friday, I thought it’d be fun to do another one with a focus on accessories and other things you can wear. Who doesn’t love a cozy scarf or sparkly jewelry?

In case you’re not familiar, Etsy is an e-commerce site that focuses mainly on handmade and vintage goods. Since almost anyone can open up an Etsy shop, it’s a perfect place to support small businesses and to find some really unique stuff. Of course, the downside is that there’s a whole lot of garbage on Etsy too, but that’s always good for a few laughs.

One of the things I really love about Etsy is that you can find unique gifts at all different price points, and no one needs to know how much you spent! I tried to include items to fit every budget, and there is nothing more than (or really even close to) $100. No matter the cost, I always think it’s special to receive a gift that’s handmade or one of a kind. You can’t put a price tag on that.

An Etsy Holiday

1. Blue Lapis Necklace – $49

2. Coin Purse – $16

3. Plum Druzy Earrings – $75

4. Stained Glass Pendant – $33

5. Tempe Messenger/Make-up Bag – $24

6. Homestead Rustic Triangle Bra – $55

7. Small Stud Earrings – $12

8. Handmade Wool Knit Hats – $49

9. Blanket Infinity Scarf – $46

 

Nicole

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!

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 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday – Update & Scandalous Loungewear | San Jose Boudoir Photography

Before I get started with the fun stuff, I wanted to give a quick update to my bra-fitting PSA post from a few weeks ago (this one).

After wearing my new bra from Nordstrom for a few weeks, I really wanted to purchase a second one, but couldn’t stomach spending another $70 right away. I had what I thought was a brilliant idea and headed to Nordstrom Rack to see if perhaps they had something similar to my bra in an unpopular color or older style or something. I mean, that’s how “outlets” work, right? (I’m being somewhat sarcastic here).

When I got to Nordstrom Rack I found a very similar looking Natori bra for $30 and figured it was probably a previous iteration of the one I bought at Nordstrom. I was in a rush, so I grabbed it without trying it on and was on my way.

Well, when I got home I was really disappointed to see that what I bought appeared to be an inferior copy of my $70 bra. The fabric is different, cups are molded into an odd shape, seams don’t look as nice as the more expensive one, etc. I was a little bummed but figured as long as it felt the same it didn’t really matter that much. Wrong. After wearing the $30 bra for a few days, I can say with certainty that the more expensive bra was absolutely worth it. The Nordstrom Rack version doesn’t fit as well, gives me a weird shape, has an intolerably scratchy tag (which I keep forgetting to cut out), and just all around isn’t as comfortable. While I’m the first one to love a good bargain, this is just further confirmation that you get what you pay for, and when it comes to bras, it’s worth the extra money!

Okay, so that ended up being longer than I anticipated, but I really want to make sure no one makes the same mistake I did. Instead of being out $140 for two good quality bras, I’m going to be out $170 for two good quality bras and one crappy one.

Now for the fun stuff!

I’m a little behind the times, but my husband and I started watching Scandal, the ABC drama staring Kerry Washington, a few weeks ago and are totally hooked. It started one night while we were browsing Netflix looking for a movie to watch. Per the usual, we couldn’t agree on one, and had a conversation that went something like this:

Me: I’d like to try watching Scandal one day.

Husband: I wouldn’t mind watching it. Let’s try an episode.

The next thing we know it’s 4 AM and we’ve watched all of Season 1 (which isn’t quite as many episodes as the others).

Scandal is currently in its fourth season on ABC, and the show has received all kinds of buzz over the years. One thing that seems to be a big obsession is the main character Olivia Pope’s wardrobe. She’s definitely one stylish lady, but what really caught my eye was her loungewear. Whenever there’s a late night knock on her door, she’s always looking exceptionally posh in various layers of neutral colored silks and cashmeres, while sipping red wine from her signature long-stem glasses (and probably munching on some popcorn too). She really puts my “cat-hair-covered yoga pants and Target tank top” lounging wardrobe to shame. Needless to say — I am envious, so I put together a style board of Olivia Pope inspired loungewear to share with you folks.

scandalous loungewear
While all of these pieces are perfect for relaxing at home and catching up on Netflix, I think they’re meant to be seen, and would also be perfect for a soft and sexy boudoir session. Now that the cooler months are here, there’s nothing sexier than a lacy bra peeking out from a soft and snuggly sweater!

Nicole

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 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday – Dollhouse Bettie | San Jose Boudoir Photography

Happy Friday, everyone!

Last week Danea posted a video from a recent session, which was the inspiration for this week’s Fashion Friday.

While all of the shots were absolutely gorgeous, I instantly fell in love with the black lace bodysuit featured in the video and had to ask Danea about it. She believed it was Dollhouse Bettie brand from Besos Lingerie in Los Gatos, and she was correct.

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, here’s Danea’s original post, where the bodysuit is featured in both the holiday promotion shot and session video.

Speaking of which, if you’re thinking of booking a session for the holidays, there are only four weeks until the deadline. Annnd – if you want to wear or give this sexy bodysuit. Here it is on the Dollhouse Bettie site:

 

Although I’ve shopped at Besos before, I’ve never heard of Dollhouse Bettie, so I did a little browsing and was very impressed! They have a flagship store in San Francisco and also sell their line at various lingerie boutiques, like Besos, across the country. What’s even better is that all of the Dollhouse Bettie (they carry a few other lines on their site) lingerie is made in the USA right in San Francisco. Pretty neat. Here are a few more of my favorites:

It looks like I’m going with a black lace theme here, but how gorgeous is this robe? It looks comfortable and sexy (my favorite combo) and could be worn with a cute bra and panty set underneath – or nothing.

Mixing things up a bit, this set would be gorgeous for a bridal session. I love how it pairs a classic white boy short (with a surprise in the back) with a totally unique bralette top.

And just to prove they have more than lace, how cute is this little polka dot number? It looks fun and flirty…like I kind of want to put that top on and dance around my room singing into a hair brush. Don’t judge.

Nicole

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!

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 by Devon Kenny

Fashion Friday – PSA Edition | San Jose Boudoir Photography

Boudoir Coterie Portrait photographyThis week’s post is a little less fun than usual, but I think it’s an important reminder.

Ladies – have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered if maybe the girls should be sitting a little higher? How often do you find yourself tugging at rouge bra straps and pulling at underwires that are jabbing you in the ribs?

This has been me for longer than I’d like to admit.

To give you a little backstory, I had my first real bra fitting ever at Besos Lingerie in Campbell just a few years ago, right before I had a boudoir session with Boudoir Coterie. Like most women, I was shocked to find out that my cup size was actually two sizes larger than what I’d been wearing. While the numbers don’t lie, I kind of figured the sizing was just related to what the store carried, and that I couldn’t possibly be that size. Anyway, I purchased a fun bra for my session and promised myself I’d go back for some new every day bras in a few months.

Well, I got lazy and never went back, so I’ve STILL been wearing the wrong bra size. Last week I had enough and decided I REALLY need to get some new bras. I’ve since moved to Southern California, so I wasn’t really sure where to go for a fitting, but I settled on Nordstrom since they’re known for good bra fittings.

Needless to say, the Nordstrom salesperson put me in the same size Besos did. Alas, this truly is my size. I only purchased one bra because they’re pretty pricey and I want to give it a real test drive before going back for more. Here’s what I ended up with:

Natori “Pure Luxe” Underwire T-Shirt Bra

I also really liked this one, which will be my next purchase after testing driving the “Pure Luxe” for a bit.

Natori “Hidden Glamour” Contour Underwire Bra

I really can’t believe I went so long in the wrong size. I feel like a whole new woman, not to mention how old and stretched out my previous bras were anyway.

I think as woman we all know the importance of a good bra, yet still don’t bother to get one. It’s easier to just rotate the same three old bras every week than to think about shopping for a new one. While spending $70 on a bra makes me cringe a little, I don’t think the $20 TJMaxx bras I’ve been buying previously have done me any favors.

I’d love to hear your experience in the comments. Have you ever had a bra fitting? Were you surprised by the size? What kind of bra is your go-to for every day?

Nicole

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Keep updated on all that is happening with Boudoir Coterie by joining our VIP Mailing list. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events and specials, be privileged to VIP only offers, makeup and fashion tips and much more! P.S. We do not share or sell your info and you can unsubscribe at any time!

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