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When we think Valentine's Day, we think lingerie, chocolates, perfume and statuesque models towering over us. So when we were invited to Victoria's Secret's Valentine's celebration of their new Love Push-up Collection and Noir Love Me fragrance, of course we said, "Yes!"
We arrived a bit early to the Herald Square Flagship store's event, and were soon escorted into a dressing room, where we were measured by our fitter, Jina. She informed us that in most bras, we should either be a 34C (what we always wear) or our "sister size" a 32D (a "we wish" size, which we couldn't imagine actually fitting in). Jina had us try on the Love Collection's padded Demi bra ($45) in the 34 C. A perfect fit. Next, we tried on the lace Balconet bra ($52) in the same size. Jina looked at it skeptically, and then went off to get another size. Hmmm... Maybe we really did need a 32D... That's not how we saw our shape, but maybe we'd been wrong about our size all these years... Maybe somehow, our figure really was that VaVaVaVoom... Then Gina returned with a 34B. And it fit perfectly. Alright then.
After eventually deciding on an evocative leopard and black lace Balconet bra, which we suspected would go over very well at home; we left the dressing room to find that the event was in full swing: Balloons, a make-up artist doing makeovers, Godiva Chocolates and Victoria's Secret Supermodel Angels Lily Aldridge, Erin Heatherton, and Candice Swanepoel.
Being that close to models and measuring tapes, there was no way that we were going near the Godiva. We were also going to pass on the make-up artist, until we spotted her using Showstopper VS Perfect Lipstick—a killer red which Katy Perry would love. So we had stylist Lauren Cosenza do a mini mouth make-over on us. Lauren did a much better job with our lips than our own more Robert Smith-like attempts, and we were really smitten with the color.
Feeling somewhat glamorous with our new show stopping lips, we decided to join the models, who were discussing their favorite Valentine's Day gifts—which, not surprisingly, were lingerie, lingerie, and oh yes, lingerie. We also learned that the models' teen years were more normal than we would have guessed. Growing up, the gorgeous Lily was a "tomboy" whom "no boy ever" gave Valentines to (Perhaps like us, she hung out with the theater guys). Whereas when Erin was in high school, a boy once gave her Valentine's lingerie so "provocative" that she couldn't bring it home to her Mom, and had to hide it in her locker.
But before we left, we had one question for the Victoria's Secret Angels that had nothing to do with Valentine's Day. Something we had to ask them. Something we'd always wanted to know...
"What's it like to wear the wings?"
All three agreed that it's an "amazing experience" and an "honor." Lily explained that you put them on "like a backpack." Candice said that they're actually quite heavy—the first pair she tried on for a show weighed almost as much as she did (still not much), so they had to give her a smaller pair. And Erin said "It's a magical experience...like when you dress up for Halloween. You feel like a goddess. It's like wearing a Heidi Klum costume—you're going to convey Heidi Klum. You're going to feel like you're on the top of the world!" ~ Or possibly on Lifetime.
· Victoria's Secret [Official Site]