Occasionally our TV is on and an infomercial will start to air and I immediately switch the channel. I, maybe unfairly, always assume what ever is being sold, doesn’t work. Maybe it’s just the infomercials themselves that put me off. I love a bargain but when that voice comes on and says, “But wait, if you order now, we’ll send you two for the price of one,” it just makes me think the product is cheap and they must have a lot of merchandise to get rid of. Lately I’ve been attempting to try a different “As Seen On TV” product every month, products I assume don’t work and wouldn’t in the past have bought….just to see.
I don’t like buying most products unless I can see, touch, smell or try it on. Now that most of the “as seen on TV” are sold in stores, I’m more likely to try them. I’m just one of those people who finds it way more convenient to return something to a store versus sending it back in the mail. I guess that shows what a skeptic I am when the first thing I think about is the ease of returning it. So far, I’ve found a couple of products I love and some that were flops. Of course as with anything, reviews will be mixed because not everyone likes the same thing.
This month I decided to buy the genie bra, which claims to be “what all women wish for.”
A bit about my size and bra “experience”….I have spent many, many years looking for great bras that lift, are comfortable, and affordable. I have spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on bras purchased from high-end stores that looked pretty but didn’t feel great and end up in “that” pile of things I don’t wear but hang on to because of how much I spent on it. I’ve also bought cheaper bras that fit my budget but not necessarily my body. This past year I started wearing Wacoal bras (Macy’s sells them and the ones I’m wearing cost about $50.) I love this line but because I paid $50, I only wear them when I’m going someplace so they don’t get a lot of “wear and tear” and will last longer. The bra size I currently wear is a 34 C.
I bought my box of genie bras at Wal-Mart ($19.99 for two bras.) The first thing I was confused about was the sizing. The bras come in sizes XS/S, M, XL/1X, 2X and 3X. What was confusing was next to the XS/S genie size was a suggested bust size of 31-35, a suggested shirt size of 2/4, and the bra/cup size you usually wear being a 32A or 32B. Well I’m not an A or B so I looked up the bra size I normally wear and the suggested genie size was a large. That just didn’t make sense to me so without trying it on, I chose the XS/S.
WHAT THE GENIE BRA CLAIMS…
“Designed to give you comfort, support and style. The bra features woven everlast-technology, with no hooks, wires or adjustable straps. The special material conforms to your body’s contour.”
First of all, I’ve never worn a bra that didn’t have adjustable straps. After years of weight fluctuations, a child, and the pull of gravity women of a certain age encounter, I usually have to adjust my straps to pull those babies up. Otherwise they get in the way of my belts! Ok, they’re not that bad but you get the picture.
Pulling the bras out, my first thought was “these are so ugly!”
My second thought was, “these look really uncomfortable, like they’d squish you.” I was totally expecting it to give me a ‘uniboob’ look….which is not a good look to have!
Got the bra on and I was surprised first of all of how comfortable it was, and very easy to get into. Just by itself, it’s still not pretty and not something I’d wear on a romantic night. BUT, oh my gosh is it comfortable! But does it lift and separate? I first put my tank top back on and noticed the straps of the bra are pretty wide so if you’re wearing anything with thin straps, the bra straps are definitely going to show. But I had plenty of support and there was no underwires digging into my chest. Next I put a t-shirt on and I was thrilled with how the bra looked under the tee. And there was absolutely no back fat! It’s the smoothest my back has looked in years! And I didn’t have any underarm bulges either. I didn’t have to try on any cocktail dresses to know that the genie bra wouldn’t work though, just based on how the neckline is cut, but then again, I usually wear specialty cut bras with my party dresses because of how they are cut.
Now I read a lot of reviews because I wanted to see how larger-busted women felt in the bra and the reviews were very mixed. I’d say about 75% of the reviews I read, with women from 32B to 34E weighing in, loved it. About 25% said they didn’t think it gave them enough support or that it was too tight. We’re all built different so I don’t think there’s any “one” bra that will meet everyone’s needs. For me, I was very much surprised at how much I liked it. I wish the straps were thinner but then again, if they were, maybe it wouldn’t work so well. I won’t wear this under certain tops and dresses based on the strap and neckline cut but for everyday wear, especially with my sweaters and t-shirts, this will be the bra I’m wearing.
I did see this at Bed, Bath and Beyond for a couple of dollars less than Wal-Mart was selling it for but if you’re interested in trying this out, I’d suggest buying it at a place you can try it on before you buy it, just to make sure you get the correct size. Now that I know that I like it and what size to buy, I’ll buy a couple more at Bed, Bath and Beyond and use my 20% off coupons I get in the mail for even more savings.
The genie bras also come with removable pads, which you’ll want to take out before washing. It is machine-washable and dryer safe. It’s made of 96% nylon and 4% spandex. And the fact I have no hooks or wires digging in and a very, very smooth back…well, I personally love it!
For more information on bra buying.
*This would be my second-favorite “as seen on TV” purchase. My VERY FAVORITE is the Gray Away, that I still use on a regular basis, saving me money on getting my roots touched up. After I wrote the review on Gray Away, someone told me they tried it and thought it should be called “miracle in a can.”