And because time is zooming by, I wanted to let you know that I’m hosting a marathon in Virginia Beach on Sunday, July 22. These sessions will take place at one of my favorite spots – it’s modern, full of light and and offers floor to ceiling windows. If you’d like to book for that day, don’t wait. It’s the perfect time to plan a session if you’re looking for late summer or early fall wedding gift photos. And if you have a loved one deploying, plan now to give him a gift he’ll never forget. Email me at amy@amysandovalphotography.com for more details on this date and to book your session.

And thank you to this client for allowing me to share an anonymous peek into her beautiful bridal boudoir session.

This edition of the Curves Style Board is brought to you by the letter “F” for Flirt. Some clients feel more comfortable with a little more coverage. If there’s one body part that seems to give clients the most heartburn, it’s the stomach. Many clients want to downplay their stomach because they’ve had children or just don’t feel like it’s a fit as the rest of their fab selves. Both of these outfits cover the stomach so you can play up other features like great cleavage and legs. And note that they came from Macys – and you can get them online. Don’t feel like you have to go to Victoria’s Secret to get your Curves Boudoir inspiration – you’ll find beautiful lingerie at department stores and even vintage pieces at thrift stores and on etsy.com!

Here’s this week’s look – and remember that you can find my full Curves Boudoir Style inspiration board on pinterest!

Felina Babydoll, Bridgette | Macys.com | $58

Flora Nikrooz Chemise, gem | macys.com | $49

Shoes don’t have to be a big investment for your session. Here are some killer black heels that would work with either of the choices above and these are from Payless Shoes!

Women’s Krista platform sandal | payless.com | $30

If you want to spend a little more, here are some other sweet black shoes! Note that all three options are very high but are on a platform, which make them somewhat easier to walk in.

Nina Edlen patent pump | dsw.com | $60

Lulu Townsend Ivy Pump; | dsw.com | $55

And I’ve featured these before but they’d work so well with this week’s choices that I’m bringing them back!

Rosette Hair Clips from Forever 21 $1.50 for 2.

I’ve shown this beautiful necklace as well and I’m happy to say I purchased it and it is available for Curves Boudoir clients to borrow at their sessions!

Rose Medley Necklace | Forever 21 | $12.80

Here’s the original inspiration photo. I like the simple top, bra peeking out, cute bikini bottoms and the thigh high socks make this girl-next-door – a little different than a traditional garter look.

For a softer, sweet look, consider pulling your hair back into a soft ponytail for this portion of your session:

For the top, here’s a simple Victoria’s Secret top that comes in lots of colors. I’d stick to white, black or gray depending on your color palette. The top is $24.99

If you want to go with something a little more revealing, choose a lace top and pretty bra to go under it in the opposite color. Here are two beautiful lace tops from Shop Ruche (a favorite of mine!) Both the white version and black version are $42.99. I will tell you that their stock goes fast, so if you like this, grab it now!

For panties you could go any direction. But I like the idea of keeping them simple. This lace-trimmed bikini from Victoria’s Secret comes in lots of colors – and if you’re doing a solid top the little polka dots are cute. The bikini could be your pop of color if the rest of your outfit is neutral – like white or black. If you’re wearing a revealing top, you might want to match the bikini bottoms to the color of your bra. It’s not expensive at all at $11.50 for solids/$12.50 for prints.

And finally, the little detail that makes this outfit a little more high-fashion for those who want to go there – these thigh-high socks from Urban Outfitters are adorable. They come in several colors including gray and black. They’re $14 a pair and on sale at this moment for 2 for $20.

I’m having a blast putting together these style boards! As always, I’m pinning away on pinterest – you can follow my full Curves Boudoir style board for more options and ideas!

This album is a luxurious leather-covered album that highlights your beautiful images on thick, high-quality pages with images that run the length of the entire 10×10 layout. The album comes in the black leather you see here but is also available in a deep tan leather and a hot red leather. Because it’s a larger size (my other album options are 5×5 and 8×8), this album comes with more photos from your session – typically nearly all of your session photos will fit into the 22 pages included. The layout of the images from your session is custom and tells the story of your session beautifully. See more info below for details on this sweet new Curves boudoir album option and be sure to ask me to see it in person when we photograph your Curves Boudoir session!

The 10×10 flush mount album is an amazing addition to any session. Be sure to check out the new “Best of the Best” Curves Boudoir package, that includes this book and a unique combination of digital files and prints all wrapped up together for an incredible price!

The leather cover is thick and has a natural texture. It wraps around the album and the interior of the cover/back is a silk moiree.

Pages are 10×10 and create a spread of 10×20. This is a layflat album, so images can spread across the entire length of two pages, making it perfect for creating collages of your favorite images to tell your session story.

High quality binding and thick, durable pages.

This album comes with pages that have rounded corners.

I’ll continue shooting Curves Boudoir sessions at luxury hotels on the weekends and am booking individual sessions at the home studio in Virginia Beach on Thursdays. These sessions include a makeup artist who also comes to my home and pampers clients with full makeup and simple hair. It’s a laid-back, low-key but beautiful way to pamper yourself and create photos that you’ll be proud of for years to come.

Biggest thanks to the first client who let me feature many photos from her session and to the other clients here who also let me give you a peek into their sessions so you can get an idea of what a session in the home studio looks like.

In the meantime: here’s the first page of an album I designed for a client recently – I love the beauty of including a Bible verse in the album – an unexpected but perfect surprise, especially considering the verse.

And a poem that a client added to her album – I adore this, too:

I love you
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.

I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.

I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out

-Roy Croft

So there’s no shame in any woman’s “before” photo, let’s be clear. Lately I’ve been shooting some of my home boudoir sessions au-natural, myself, and I must say, it’s liberating. I suppose the closer I get to 40, the more I embrace that a little moisturizer and light lipgloss go a long way. (And is sure a lot easier than breaking out the foundation, eye liner, et all.) I think that’s one of the things I love most about getting older. Yes, I think it’s a drag that my joints hurt and my hair insists on going grayer every year, but there are life lessons that make the aging process so worth it.

Anyway, I want to share a few before and after hair/makeup from the Curves Boudoir sessions. We’re visual, right ladies? And you need to SEE how this whole hair and makeup thing works! As you know, makeup and hair is included with every session and it’s not optional. Why? Because the power of makeup to smooth skin, hide blemishes, contour your cheekbones and make your eyes really pop is a a big part of getting the most out of a boudoir session. When you have professional photos taken, whether on your wedding day or for a portrait or boudoir session, you want to accentuate your best features and make sure your skin is camera ready.

Do you have to get tons of makeup put on? Absolutely not! You can get a beautiful natural look that highlights your best features without looking overly made up. So don’t be afraid of hair and makeup. (The first before/after below is a natural look and she rocks it out!) Besides, you know how you spill your soul to your hair stylist? The same happens when we get you in the makeup chair. We love getting to know you while you’re in makeup and hair!

Here are some before and afters – you take these beautiful women and add some makeup and boom, ready to knock some socks off in their Curves Boudoir session!

You can follow my Boudoir Wardrobe Ideas board on pinterest.com for lots more fun boudoir wardrobe and style ideas. I’m having a great time putting these together!

Start with some pin-up style makeup, complete with big curls and red lips!

And here’s the look we’re going for:

Let’s start with this ultra-cute black/white striped bathing suit, custom made to fit and available on Etsy for $72. There are A LOT of really cute bathing suits in this shop, so be sure to click the link and check them out.

Here’s another one from the same shop. Absolutely smashing in red.

And if you want to go a little more modern, here’s a set from Urban Outfitters. This one comes in several color choices for the top and bottoms.

And one more set from Etsy – a different store this time. The top and bottom are sold separately and made to order. Love the nautical feel.

You could easily do barefeet with this look, but you may want to wear some high-heel pumps to complete the look. I love these red-striped open-toed pumps from Charlotte Russe and they have lots of solids in similar styles and prices as well.