I heart Makeup!

Hello Ladies,

Oz here with a few makeup tips to WOW your friends and family this holiday season!
Christmas is all about lighter shades of shadows with bolder lips. RED is a favorite color for the season. Too hesitant to try it? Dont be!! There are many ways to incorporate red into your makeup wardrobe. Start out with lip tints such as BENEFIT benetint, MAC tinted lip conditioners or KIEHL's tinted lip glosses. A little bit goes a long way and they will all give a subtle touch of red color to your lips; Benetint you can even use on your cheeks! Wanna go bolder?! Stop by your favorite makeup counter and ask the makeup artist to help you pick out the right shade of red lipstick. Remember lip liner is a MUST with red lipstick-it prevents the lipstick from bleeding and keeps in on longer! MAC, CHANEL, LANCOME and GUERLAIN KISS KISS lipsticks are fantastic and come in multiple shades of red so you can find the right one. For the budget-conscious, L'OREAL and COVER GIRL have great shades as well. Make sure that you try the lipsticks on your lips and step out into natural light to ensure the color works well for you.
With your red sultry, sexy lips, keep the rest of your makeup softer with subtle bits of drama. Nice light, almost transluscent colors work best but a little bit of bone colored shimmers work beautifully as well. MAC's Mylar, Vanilla, Naked Lunch and Shroom are great, LANCOME's Vue and Nutmeg are fantastic as well, STILA's Kitten is one of my favorites!
Pair your light shadows with some liquid liner for evening sexiness! Fear not! Liquid liner, while it takes precision, can be mastered with a bit of patience and a bit of practice. Still unsure? Try using and angle brush dipped very lightly in water and then stroke the corner (that way you dont ruin your shadow) of your black shadow (or brown or any color really! but brown/black/grey work best with red lips) and then apply the 'cake' liner as close to your lash line as possible. Allow a few seconds for it to dry ( with your eye closed of course!) and then open and observe your natural talents!! L'OREAL liquid liner comes in a brush tip and felt tip-brush tips have a more controlled line but felt tips are sometimes easier to use. RED EARTH, MAC and MAKEUP FOREVER carry great liquid liners as well as waterproof pencil liners.
Now that your eyes and lips are dressed to impress, all that's left are your cheeks. With a soft but dramatic eye and bold red lips, the best idea is to keep your cheeks soft. Shades of pink, plums and light rose's work beautifully. SMASHBOX and NARS are personal favorites for blush. Remember, a lighter hand is always better with blush. Your body temperature heats up as the day goes on making your cheeks naturally rosy therefore less is always more!

Come New Year's Eve, go ALL out and show your friends your sexy, bodacious self! Shimmer and Sparkle- repeat after me, Shimmer and Sparkle, Shimmer and Sparkle!!!!!!
If you've ever bought shimmer shadows, blush, lipglosses or anything sparkly at all, New Year's Eve is DEFINETLY the time to use them! You can't go wrong with highlights on your cheek bones ( BENEFIT Highbeam, NAPOLEON PERDIS Highlight Wheel, or STILA All over Shimmers), Eyes (ALL LINES CARRY SHIMMERS!!!) or Lips (my favorites are from MAC Lip Laquers and Lancome Color Fever Glosses).
Best tip for New Year's Eve-FALSE LASHES! Trust me, once you try some you'll be hooked. You will for sure be the Belle of the Ball with false lashes and lots of mascara! Unsure about how to apply, purchase a pair from MAC and they'll apply it for you and the best part is you can re-use them!!
So think BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY on New Year's Eve and you'll be the hottest girl there!

Dont forget to stop by Bodacious and pick up your party dresses that'll help you be DROP DEAD GORGEOUS!

Wishing you all a wonderful christmas!

Any questions, come see me at Bodacious!

Bodaciously Yours,
Oz

Sexy Boots That Fit our Calves!

It's definitely the time of year when you want to have a good, sexy and comfy pair of boots to spice up jeans or your favourite dress. The challenge that most women seem to have is finding a boot that will fit her calf. We've had success through a few different sources.
1. http://www.silhouettes.com/ - I've purchased a couple pair of boots from this American online company. They have several pairs of boots with larger calf options and the prices are pretty good.
2. http://canada.zappos.com/ - now available to us North of the border, this website has an awesome selection of shoes and boots in all types of specialty sizing.
3. http://www.sterlingshoes.com/ - Barb and I each bought a pair of boots here last week (at Oakridge Mall in Vancouver) and they have a good selection of Franco Sarto and others that have the stretchy material to fit over a larger calf. (the secret told to me by a Sterling staffer is to fold the boot down like a sock, put it on your foot and then pull the boot up your leg. It seems to work pretty well!)
Happy shopping!

xoxo

Lorna

Champagne, Shopping, Party! Wednesday, Dec. 12, 6:30-9:30pm

Bring some friends and come on over to Bodacious for some festive cheer and shopping specials! Our designers have given their blessings on offering you discounts on many of our in-store items. We also have tons of gift-y items for that 'hard to buy for' friend or family member. Hope to see you!
Lorna, Barb, Brandy, Oz, Audrey, and Alix

Thoughts on Body Image

The following is an exclusive excerpt from the "Body Image" chapter of Our Bodies, Ourselves for the New Century

Learning to accept and love our bodies and ourselves is an important and difficult ongoing struggle. But to change the societal values underlying body image, we need to do more than love ourselves. We need to focus our attention on the forces that drive wedges between us as women: racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, and our national obsession with size and shape. To truly create change, to create a world in which all women can make choices about our appearances for ourselves and not others, we must incorporate all women into the heart of how we see ourselves. From this expanded horizon of sisterhood, we may begin to value the lives of women who previously meant nothing to us. We may begin to realize that understanding their lives is essential to understanding our own lives and realizing our full potential as women. If we can begin to eliminate the hatred and ridicule levied against women who don't fit the ``state-of-the-art'' ideal, we can lessen the stress of ``not fitting in.'' We also open the possibility of building a social-change movement that links all women who seek a world where each of us can celebrate and delight in our physical bodies. Working together to change the attitudes and conditions that restrict us, we feel proud and more able to take control of our lives. We need each others' help to change the deeply entrenched attitudes that make us dislike our own bodies and that interfere with our relationships with other women.
Shifting to a body perspective in which every woman matters in a public sense takes a major shift in consciousness. Breaking the silent hold of state-of-the- art body image on female self-esteem, relationships, and social and economic opportunities requires us to adopt a conception of womanhood that is informed by physical, emotional, and spiritual diversity. Valuing this diversity is critical to dismantling the insidious and toxic effect of discrimination based on how we look. Finding ways to change the societal forces that make accepting ourselves so difficult is a process that can begin at any point in our lives and can continue as long as we live. This mission, if taken on, will lead us toward a future in which every woman can experience the joy of being valued completely for who she is.

Bodacious Ladies + Champagne = Shopping Fun!!!

Thanks to all of you who partied and shopped with us last night! So much fun. We will be doing this again soon so stay tuned!

Lorna, Brandy, Barb, Oz, and Audrey

200 lbs. = Beautiful

Today I was in line at the supermarket and noticed these two "magazine"covers almost side by side. This is actually a shot of a different Oprah story from June but almost the identical headline and picture. So interesting how the same thing can be looked at 2 different ways. There is no doubt about one thing, 200lbs can look pretty hot. Work it ladies!

Nikki Blonsky Wearing IGIGI

Check out the beautiful Nikki Blonsky wearing the fabulous IGIGI dress at the 2007 Hollywood Awards! It's so great to have someone so beautiful and talented 'representing' the curvy gals. Hopefully we can get her into some Bodacious pieces soon.
*dress available at Bodacious*

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head...

We just picked up the most beautiful umbrellas today to sell in the store and then...it started raining! Check out just a few of the pix. Everyone should have one of these lovelies to brighten up a rainy day.

Happy Hula-versary to Hula-la!

I'm really looking forward to Miss Cynthia's Hula-versary party tonight in honour of her one year anniversary. Mmmmmartini. Cynthia's been such an inspiration to me over the last year and more. I can't believe it was a whole year ago that she took the plunge and went out on her own. We've been lucky enough to benefit from her great skills and talent for much longer than that and have always been extremely pleased with every job she's done - big or small. She is a great example and success story for anyone who might ever consider going 'out on their own'. Passion, hard work, dedication to excellence and the desire to be your own boss - great starting point to jumping off that cliff. Surrounding yourself with a supportive network of friends and peers also makes it feel a lot less scary and lonely. Cynth has done that very well. Her personality, work ethic and easy-going style inspires confidence as a friend and a customer. How's that for a Hula-versary Celebratory Congrats? Happy One Year my friend!
xoxo
Lorna

Happy Last Long Weekend of the Summer

We've had a busy week here at Bodacious moving things around in the store to fit all of the great items arriving daily. It's been great to spend more time here at the store, re-connecting with customers and hearing what people are looking for. We always take your feedback seriously and pass along any relevant info to our designers. One of the requests you made was to have more clothing in natural fibre fabrics. We listened. The new Diane Kennedy fall line is made with bamboo or soy and feels amazing on the skin, wears extremely well and looks fantastic! Diane's line is designed and created in Vancouver. In fact, we're very proud of the fact that the majority of the clothing we carry at Bodacious is manufactured right here in Vancouver. It's just an added bonus to know that when you're buying great fashion at our store, you're also supporting local women in their entrepreneurial pursuits!
Have a wonderful long weekend!

Check Out Our Designers In the News!

Check out our talented designers - Cheryl of Schaart Clothing and Miriam of Flaming Angels - in the Georgia Straight this week! They both also sell at the Portobello West Market which is held on the last Sunday of every month at the Rocky Mountaineer Station (1755 Cottrell Street). A great place to support local designers - and they're celebrating their one year anniversary this weekend!

Here's Cheryl with Portobello’s Carlie Smith.

IGIGI IS HERE!!!

We've just received a few pieces of the IGIGI line from the US and they're pretty great! We thought you should be the first to know.
The belts come in 3 sizes and 3 different finishes including black or red crocodile (faux-of course) or matte black.
The trench - This dual action trench with feminine details can be worn both as a dress and a trench coat.
The super sexy polka-dot dress comes in black or red. Very limited selection so come in soon.

Big Momma!

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of the Bodacious family - "Big Momma". She's big and strong and sweet and feminine at the same time and we love her so:) Can't wait to drive her around!

Getting ready for fall!

Workin' the wrap dress! WOW - we've really hit on something big. The wrap dress is such a flattering style on so many different body types so we're just going to keep making them in lots of different colours and patterns. For fall we've added a collar and cuff to our jersey style and we've found an amazing source for prints. Our Kimono dress is going through some changes as well to create an even better and more flattering fit. Our customers have been asking so we're providing...more, more, more dresses at Bodacious.

Thought for the Day!

We got an email from Kelly Bliss the other day. She runs a website called Plus Size Yellow Pages and is a very outspoken and articulate advocate for women with curves. Check out her debate or "Fat Rant" about size prejudice on her website. Made us stand up and cheer and get frustrated by the age old argument. Can you be healthy and over size 14? We think so.
Let us know what you think...

Have your Cake and Eat it too!!!

Ok, we just celebrated our Brandy's birthday with a cake from Breka Bakery on Fraser Street and I'm pretty sure it was one of the best cakes I've ever had!!! It's a German cake called "Bieninstich" (beesting) that's filled with custard and whipped cream and has crunchy almonds and honey on top. Ummmm...Yummmmm!!! Check it out if you get a chance. The best part? It was only $6.95 for the whole cake.
Have a great weekend all!
Lorna
(oh yes, we're having a flip-flop sale this weekend $10.00 per pair)

Change is in the Air

Well, it's well past the middle of July and it sort of feels like summer is over. Apparently we're going to get another shot at it. Let's hope so! We're dealing with some change/growing pains here at Bodacious. Our lovely and much-loved Jocelyn has decided to leave us for a job closer to home and family and is just finishing up this week. We're very sad to see her go but understand that everyone has to make decisions that work for them and moves them forward in life. We're very happy that Brandy has agreed to take over the position of store sales manager and we're in the process of hiring more staff to join the Bodacious team. Having to deal with the weather hasn't been great fun in the past few weeks but it has provided some ideas and creativity around getting dressed. I've had lots of fun lately mixing up some fantastic sheer long-sleeve tees from the Gap with Bodacious and other designer dresses, jeans and skirts. I love the idea of mixing new with old or putting pieces together that you wouldn't traditionally consider. I really think it's more important to have options to create your own style than to follow current trends word for word (or look for look). Have fun creating your own unique look and style and wear it with pride and confidence!

Bodacious Goings On...

Well...one event down, two more to go. We had our official launch party for our Bodacious label last night at the store and I must admit, it was a huge success. We had such a nice mixture of people, a few media peeps and everything and everyone looked so pretty! We had the night catered by some beautiful friends of ours who are starting their own event planning/catering company, Miss Tura. The food was absolutely delicious!!! Our lovely Jocelyn also made chocolate covered strawberries and cherries which were gobbled down appreciately. The picture you see is of a flower mannequin that our local florist, Sam (Buy the Bunch) created for us which I have to say left me speachless and brought tears to my eyes! 75 pink peonies, cabbage roses, lilies, orchids, oh my!!! A bit of a late night...we had to finish the punch which I have to say I'm regretting a little bit today:) Tomorrow is Main Day which will be another big event - from setting up at 8:00 am to the last band, Sister J's Soul Summit @ 5:00 pm, there will be thousands of people walking along Main Street and hopefully shopping! Always a fun time. And...Monday, we're going to be on Breakfast Television with Simi Sara. We will be doing a live interview and fashion show of some of the new spring/summer designs at Bodacious. Early morning for us but well worth it, I'm sure. Tuesday, Malcolm Parry from the Vancouver Sun will be coming to interview us for the Financial section. He attended our party last night and seemed to be impressed by the success of the store so that's great! If only I could get into the Province, my mom would be so pleased:)
And that's about it for the next few days... WHEW!
Now if only someone would mow my lawn, I'd be really happy!
Happy Weekend everyone.
Lorna

Pssssttt!

Pssst…….Can we talk??
Spring is finally here, in fact today it feels like summer all the way. What do you do to cool down? How are you going to stay comfortable? I want to talk about a dirty little secret all of us bodacious girls know and loathe. “Chub Rub”. You don’t have to be such a big girl to get it either. “Chub Rub” is when your upper thighs rub together and cause discomfort, rash, welts and even bleeding. How many times have you put on that cool summer dress or pretty skirt and then taken it off because you fear for your thighs? God forbid you have to walk anywhere for any length of time with your eyes watering and your tender thighs burning.
Some people use oils or cocoa butter to ease the friction, some go the other way with powders and talcs. I’ve tried both and find they work for a little while only and unless you can duck in somewhere private to re-apply you could be out of luck.
The only thing that I have found that works all the time and as long as I need are knickers.
Mitzylaneous Designs, one of our fabulous in-house designers make these lightweight bike short style knickers that come in black or white and are just heaven to wear. She uses a cool/dry type fabric that is designed for athletes because it wicks moisture away from the body and keeps everything comfy, dry and chafe free. Even more exciting? She has also designed a ¾ length legging in black that are trimmed in lace at the calf and made from the same lightweight fabric as the knickers.
Just say NO to “Chub Rub”!
xoBarb

What is a "Real" Woman?

It's my birthday today and being a young 42, I think it's a good time to reflect on what makes a "real" woman. What would make me feel like a "real" woman?
I keep seeing "real" women being defined by size. Being a size 16, 18 or 20 doesn't make me more real. If it did, would a size 2 or 28 woman be less real? What about the women who are even smaller or larger than those sizes? I know that when those terms are used, the intention is to sound more inclusive. I see it once again separating us as women - making a line to determine who rates and who doesn't.
When I think of "real" women, I think of women who are strong, independent, good mothers, good daughters, hard workers. Women who volunteer their time to a cause and donate money to charity. Women who speak out about injustice and continue to stand up even when it's scary. Having said that, let's also remember that a women who doesn't fit into any of those categories is just as real, just as valid, just as worthy as each of us deserves to know we are!
Let's stand together and celebrate our sameness, our uniqueness and our differences - as "REAL" women!

Check out Bodacious on CBC-TV - Vancouver Living

About a month ago, Margaret Gallagher from CBC-TV's Living Vancouver came into Bodacious with her camera crew and filmed a segment for the show. It aired this past Monday but if you missed it, you can still check out the full segment online at the above link. We're extremely happy with the result! ENJOY...
Lorna & Barb

Bodacious Ladies Meet Some Movers and Shakers!

Tonight we were treated to a wonderful night out at the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs 5th Anniversary Gala by our lovely friend and mentor, Karin. They had a huge silent auction, lots of good wine and food and an amazing speaker named Rebecca MacDonald.

She is is one of the founders and current Chair of Energy Savings Income Fund, a Toronto based marketer of deregulated gas and electricity. Energy Savings currently supplies over 1,500,000 customers in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Quebec, B.C. and Illinois having signed their first customer in 1997. Ms. MacDonald has been involved in the sale of deregulated natural gas for more than 15 years. Prior to forming Energy Savings in 1997, Rebecca was the President of EMI, another successful gas marketing company.

A very inspirational story of someone who came to Canada from Yugoslavia with very little money and a determination to succeed! Her company is now worth over a BILLION dollars!
There were so many successful and inspiring women at this event. It's always good to hear stories of how women create their success on their own terms in their own way! It really shows you that everyone has the potential to do well if they follow their heart & passion.
International Women's Day is coming up on March 8, 2007. Let's all remember to support, honour and celebrate what makes us all unique and beautiful beings.
bodaciously,
Lorna

Check out the Bodacious Gals on DarynKagan.com

Hey everyone! We've had an interesting year so far. Lots of exciting things coming up for spring. We just wanted to share this interview we did with Daryn Kagan for her feel-good website. We're pretty happy with the results and we had a good time answering her questions. Enjoy!
Lorna & Barb

Pay It Forward!

Just before Christmas, Barb and I saw an episode of Oprah all about "paying it forward". We loved the idea and the impact these acts can have on our community and ourselves. We thought about what we could do to make a difference for someone else - we've had a fantastic past year and wanted to give something back. We contacted the YWCA and were assigned a family - a single mom and her two daughters. The names came along with wish lists for each of them. We had such a great time shopping for these items and knowing that maybe we could help make someone's life a little bit easier. The week before Christmas, we went as a group to meet the family. You know, you really don't want to go into something like this with any expectations. The end result, however, was so much more than we could have expected. The expressions on their faces when we walked in with the bags full of wrapped gifts was so heartwarming and the hug we got from the mom as we were leaving...wow! I realize that this simple act isn't going to change the world but maybe it's a start. It certainly has changed mine! I highly recommend it!
Lorna