As part of my quest to find an effective deodorant that would not cause an allergic reaction, I tried Magsol Magnesium in Rose.
Texture. One of my favorites: a smooth, dry cream. Soft, non-sticky, and non-grainy. It is less cakey than other options.
The applicator is an unusual round shape. It is also oddly heavy.
Scent. A gorgeous, fresh true rose. Not candied or sickly sweet as some rose scents can be. Unfortunately, it is a bit too faint and not long-lasting enough.
Effectiveness. 6 out 10.
For me, that means I get around 6 hours of protection, maximum.
Price point: around $13. Not cheap; on the more spendy end for this class of products, but it does last for months.
When Do I Wear It?
As with the majority of natural deodorants, it doesn't last a full day, making it a weekend or bedtime option.
Comfort Choice is a brand that's been around for decades and has really upped its game in the past 5 years or so, with a large range of different styles and patterns. I bought this right at the start of quarantine - before I realized that I'd never be leaving the house, or that there would only be 3 sunny days this summer.
Beauty
Yep, that is one wacky pattern. It's called 'Pink Confetti'. Ummm, okay. It just serves to demonstrate how much I hate white bras that I opted for this instead. The pattern continues across the band and straps, a touch that's always appreciated. But fear not: there are much prettier patterns that, at the time, weren't available in my size, but are now. For e.g.
Comfort & Fit
Band. Soft microfiber - no crappy, harsh mesh in sight. Four hooks, but the band is not too tall, so it is not constrictive and doesn't roll. It does, however, provide significant support; I'd even say on par with an underwire. There are side stays, which I am on record as despising. They add nothing in the way of support, but do add serious discomfort. So I simply snipped a tiny slit near the band elastic and slid them right out.
Cups & Profile Shape. Formed of medium thickness foam, the cups are generous and give a rounded, but not flattened, shape as expected in a Tshirt bra. They are also moderately low cut and with a nice sweetheart neckline that will work under scoop neck and V-neck shirts, giving you the option to show a little cleavage if desired.
There are no wires, yet I'm getting the same support and lift I do from an underwire, which is pretty impressive. The cup is meant for a balanced boob shape, but it is accommodating my very full-on-top shape and I think a full-on-bottom shape would do fine, though you might get more of a tear drop shape that follows your natural shape.
The cups mold well to my shape, and for me, that's a huge plus: I prefer a bra to conform to my own shape and enhance it. I do find them comfy. I forgot to take a pic under clothing, but the shape is very good. Comparable to an underwired foam Tshirt bra.
Straps. Foam-padded, but not bulky. And you want that in a wire-free bra, as the straps will be taking on a bit more weight. They are very comfy and they extend enough for a tall person.
When Do I Wear It?
Any time I want underwire-level lift and shaping, and nip coverage, but don't want to wear wires. Normally I'd be happily wearing this to work under thin, clingy T's on warm summer days. But since I've been quarantining and working from home for 4 months, and our summer has consisted of endless weeks of 55F and pouring rain...
Since I can't test it under very hot & humid conditions, I don't know how well this bra will work for you in that type of climate - certainly not any worse than a traditional foam-lined Tshirt bra. But it is not spacer foam, which does work in that climate. Indoors with A/C, it'll be fine. You also get complete nippie coverage, if that's important to you.
Sizing. 42F. US, which means generous in the cups and snuggish in the band. This fits me like a 40G UK, or 40H Euro.
Price point. Full price is around $40. I bought on Amazon when it hit $25. The quality of construction is fairly high, so the price is very reasonable.
I've spent the last few years trying lots...& lots of sensitive skin products. Deodorants have been the toughest to crack. Finding the right texture and scent is not easy. But most of all: they vary wildly in effectiveness.
I'm a relatively crunchy vegetarian, but I don't particularly think that regular chemical deodorant is evil. I used Dove for over a decade. It is fairly sensitive skin friendly, & has about 30% less of the aluminum ingredient that's in most brands & I'd be happily using it still, if I hadn't inexplicably developed an allergic reaction to Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY which, I soon learned, is in virtually every anti-perspirant. By reaction, I mean sudden, 4" long, tender red patches that actually scabbed over. I know. Ugh. The beginning of my quest is in this post: Deodorant Quest
Type:A in The Dreamer scent (white floral linen)
Scent. Really lovely. A non-cloying, sheer white floral. Unfortunately, it's a little too subtle. There's a crucial difference between 'understated' and 'evaporating'.
Texture. Perfect. A light, fluffy cream that sinks into skin and leaves zero residue of any kind. Very similar to the Tussy in my original post.
Application. Genius. Squeeze the tube like toothpaste, then rub in with the soft, domed applicator.
Effectiveness. On a scale of 1-10, Type:A is a 5. i.e. it lasts about 5 hours. And when that time is up, you are basically Cinderella and you need to leave the ball.
Price point. Around $10. Not cheap, but by no means the most expensive option in its category.
When Do I Use It?
On weekends, when I will not be breaking a sweat. Before bed on rare warm, muggy nights. I would not rely on this for a full day at the office - back when going to the office was a thing.
It's been 3....er, 4 months now since I've gone any further than the wild rose hedge that forms the border of my garden. I do take a drive along the water once every week or two, but other than that, I'm not going anywhere. So basically, my working-from-home wardrobe consists of yoga pants and T-shirts. I feel fortunate to be able to work from home. And even happier that my job actually discourages video meetings.
I realize I haven't worn an underwire bra in...well, 4 months. Because slouching on the sofa with a laptop is even less underwire-friendly than sitting at a desk. Instead, I've rediscovered some old wire-free friends.
Like these two all-cotton styles from Fruit of the Loom that I used to wear on weekends, about 10 years ago. I was concerned they would no longer fit me at my current 40G size, but due to the generous US cup sizing, they do.
Fruit of the Loom Style 96715
Brand new, freshly washed - and still, Sheltie fur magically found its way onto it
Band. One of the greatest factors in comfort for me is a minimal, not too tall, not too tight band. Being short-waisted, too much structured band just rolls up or digs in or constricts. It is not worth the trade-off of increased support. So this nice & low cotton band is comfy and has 4 hooks.
Cups & Shape. Difficult to see in black, but this is my favorite seam style: diagonal-shaped, and high up on the cups.
This makes for a full-on-top friendly bra, and the stretch in the cotton allows my natural upper fullness to assert itself. Result? A very nice profile shape. Rounded and with no flattening.
Straps. Built up in the front, adjustable in back. Also cotton. On the narrow side, actually. I'd prefer them wider, but they are adequate.
Compromises. While the profile shape is great, because it's wire-free the shape from the front is wider, and a little east-west. The upside is that you get actual separation and there is no smooshed together uni-boob shape.
I find the shape perfectly acceptable under clothing:
Fruit of the Loom Style 96825
I actually find this one the slightly comfier of the two, due to the simpler cup style: fewer seams across the top because it does not have that pretty satin inset. Also, it has a little more cup capacity. The trade-off is that the shape is a little less perky. But still very acceptable.
Cups. A traditional frumpy design with a single horizontal seam. The bottom 1/2 is double-layer, providing some actual support. Because the cotton has stretch, it doesn't create the unfortunate flattened yet pointy shape full on top boobs usually get from this style. In fact, under clothing, I get a nice rounded shape, as below:
The only other real difference is that the band has only 3 hooks. For some reason, the bands are only a single layer of cotton, which is a lost opportunity for support, but not a dealbreaker.
When Do I Wear Them?
Quarantine for the win! These are really great for light, simple support while working from home. Also while doing yard work outside in the humidity, because they are all cotton and do provide some separation. If you deal with hot, humid summers (I only deal with that 2nd part) then cotton bras are a practical necessity. They don't chafe and they breathe. I'm very comfortable wearing them out of the house, even in a Tshirt. Where I wouldn't wear them is with clingy, silky fabrics.
Sizing.
U.S. and very generous. I'm wearing both bras in a 40DD. Yes, I'm serious. I am a US 40H, or UK 40G. That tells you how generous the cups are and how forgiving a fabric cotton is. Ten years ago, I was a 36GG and I wore these styles in a 40D, on the middle hooks. So, say you're a 36G, you should do fine in a 38D. If you're a 34DD, I'd try a 36C. And so on.
Pricepoint.
Ridiculously affordable at $10 each. You can expect 1-2 years of good wear out of these, and you don't need to fuss too much with laundering them, either. Slip them into a mesh bag and wash with your other cottons. If you forget the bag, they're still pretty rugged.
I got mine from Walmart.com and Amazon has them as well.
