Bluebella's Coachella Chica - Ashley James

Festival season has begun with the infamous sun-drenched fash' fest in the Californian heat, and we had our very own Coachella chica on the scene!

One half of Bittersweet DJs, presenter and ex-MIC star Ashley James was hand in hand with Bluebella throughout the craziness of the Coachella ride.

We caught up with Ashley between the likes of Drake and Kendrick Lamar on how she built her DJ career plus her hot tips for summer's hottest beats. Soak it in like the California heat and prepare to impress your friends with your music mastery...!

Get your hands in the air for the Tara Bra and Brief

How did you get into DJing?

I've always been passionate about music, and controlling of the music at any house parties I went to, so I took some lessons and found my favourite hobby. I now DJ as a duo with my best friend and fellow presenter Charlotte de Carle under the name BitterSweet DJs.

What kind of tunes do you spin?

I'm really into hip hop, r&b, and grime, both new and old, from Missy Elliot, to J Hus and Giggs. It depends on the crowd though, I tend to vibe off the audience, so every gig is different. 

What’s it like working with your best mate?

It's a dream! I can't believe our hobby has turned into a job and we get to travel the world together.

Wild and free at Joshua Tree in the Milla Body

What’s been your best gig ever?

I always remember our first gig as a duo in our local pub. No one danced but it was such a scary and big milestone for us. Also the Global Gift Gala is a highlight. Most recently we played in the Teatro in Madrid to a crowd including Eva Longoria; it's the second time the Teatro has been used for a private event, the first was for the Queen!

What’s been your worst gig ever?

Well, there has been gigs where we've turned up and the equipment hasn't worked! But honestly I don't think you can have a bad gig in terms of experience as you just learn and get better. 

What’s your top tip for this summer’s hottest track?

I'm a huge fan of the Calvin Harris track with Migos and Frank Ocean. I listen to it over and over! 

Who is your favourite DJ?

Charlotte of course! No, in all seriousness I'm in awe of loads of DJs. Calvin Harris and Chase & Status are both legendary live. 

Which festivals will you be visiting this summer?

Well I'm currently writing this from Coachella, which is one that's been on my bucket list for years. Glastonbury and Wireless are definitely happening this year - Wireless is literally my dream lineup. And we're going out to Fresh Island Festival in Croatia!

Palm trees, lights and Jamie Tee - we got Coachella on lock down

Any advice for budding bedroom DJs out there?

Just keep practicing and put your mixes online as you never know who might listen! Don't be afraid to take jobs where you can get them (even in your local pub), as the more you put yourself out there the most likely you are to get booked!

Enjoying the calm before the storm in Isabella Chemise

Check out our site:
www.bluebella.com

Leopard Nova - Get your claws out!

The delightfully delicate and yet still deliciously playful Nova Bra has been one of our best sellers since its inception, and so we decided to do things a little differently and imitate the prowess of a big cat with our new Leopard Print Nova collection!

In the spirit of all things wild we tasked ourselves with uncovering the secret to giving in to your animal instincts and being a jungle cat in the sheets…

How to be an animal in the bedroom

Getting down to business can be a bit nerve wracking; whether it’s with a partner you’ve known for years or a new addition to your bedroom, we’re constantly being told what’s hot and what’s not between the sheets. But to celebrate the launch of the eagerly anticipated Leopard Print Nova collection, we decided to do a little research of our own into how to put your best leg forward in the bedroom to bring out the little animal inside. Spoiler alert: it’s all about confidence!

Immerse yourself in the world of sex

And no, by this we don’t mean making your debut into adult film. One of the best ways to exude confidence when it comes to getting down to business is to be comfortable with the world of sex, which due to many things some of us can get a bit weird about. In an age where women are breaking free of the conditioning that we should be shy, modest and virginal, reading a collection of articles about sex or even picking up a copy of Fifty Shades is one way to get comfy with it, and that will show in your private life.

Focus on your breathing

Mindfulness and structured breathing works for more than just yoga, and can really help you relax and pursue the pleasure when getting down to it. We all know that relaxation is key when it comes to enjoying yourself, and stress can really dampen the mood. Some experts even swear by rhythmic breathing as the secret to an intense orgasm. Apparently there’s no formula to getting it right, the trick is to be aware of your breaths and use them to your advantage. We’ll be taking notes on that...

Talk about it with friends

Similarly to reading about it online, it’s important to remove the stigma and taboo surrounding sex, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a healthy sex life. Getting into a conversation with your best friends about the realities of love making can really help you open up and understand your own body in comparison to others, which in turn only helps you out when getting busy. Most of the time we have a fear that what we’re up to might be wrong, or that we’re weird in some way, but by chatting openly to those you feel comfortable around we all come to realise that we’re all great in our unique way, and the things we feel weird about might not be that weird at all!

Dress up

One of the sure-fire ways to make yourself feel super confident and sexy as hell is to dress the part, and that is where we come in. Whether you feel like wearing something girly and flirty with not too much effort, or fancy going all out, harness style, we have something for everyone onsite. The trick here is not to delve too far into the deep end but find something that makes you feel good, first and foremost. The rest, as they say, is confidence.

And of course, to really bring out your animalistic side go wild with the new Leopard Print Nova set, available now!

Check out our site:
www.bluebella.com

Easter Bank Holiday - We have you covered!

WHATEVER YOUR BANK HOLIDAY BREAK HOLDS….WE HAVE YOU COVERED!
Get ready for your four delicious days off, however you choose to spend them…

Now that all we really want to do is slide out of work and into the sun, we're hoping that the longer days and warmer nights can be spent without waking up for work, and as if by magic - and by magic we mean the annual change of seasons - Easter Bank Holiday has arrived to give us a couple of extra glorious days off!
But how to spend them? Well, we at Bluebella have some ideas...

Hit the Town
Bank Holiday means those three words that are sure to put a smile on anyone's face…four-day-week. An extra Friday and Monday means that there's no excuse not to hit the town, as there is plenty of time to lay around in bed and nurse the hangover. Seeing as you'll be out until the break of dawn, you'll need an extra bit of support to help you on your way to partying until sunrise.
Though traditionally underwear is meant to support you on the inside, when it looks as good as ours we're eager to show it off on the outside too. Embrace underwear as outerwear and rock the lingerie look. You don't have to start with the most revealing item on the list either, a body will most likely do the trick to take you from evening to bedtime. We're loving the Amelie Body, which can be paired with a pair of slinky black jeans and a leather jacket to turn heads all evening long, while the Jemima Long Chemise works perfectly thrown over any party number.
Or how about one of our infamously gorgeous bras, styled under a top with a low V or jacket? Or perhaps the Emerson or Nova under a sheer little number? The possibilities are endless! Take some inspo below from some of our favourite bloggers, or check out our Instagram!

Dirty Weekend
There’s another reason not to leave the duvet this weekend, and we all know what that is…February might be long gone, but there’s no reason not to create another holiday of love, and this time there are four whole days of unadulterated pleasure.
For this kind of wild weekend, ditch the PJs and opt for something a whole lot more revealing. We love a delicate cut out, so spice things up with one of our best sellers the Nova Bra, Suspender and Open Brief, which keeps you just about in place whilst teasing your lover with what’s to come. If you’re feeling slightly more adventurous then it might be time to try something a little more strappy. We’re feeling the Emerson Harness Brief or Caton Harness Brief, the perfectly flirtatious piece, which we can almost guarantee won’t stay on for long. If you want to go even more extreme during the stay-cation (there’s definitely enough time) you could always opt for our Tigerlily Basque, guaranteed to make your lover's head spin and the claws come out.
Easter is a time for giving but for this one we recommend forgetting the Easter egg. Sometimes the best gift you can give is yourself, and if you’re not sure about the lacy black numbers, you can always go with the failsafe option of our All Wrapped Up Body Bow...

Duvet Days
Of course, we're not all party animals, and for a lot of us the best way to spend a long weekend of relaxing Springtime weather is watching from the sanctuary of your sheets. Forget to set the alarm clock, get Netflix open and spend four days of relaxing, chilled out time in everyone's favourite location - bed.
And now the sun is finally around, we're not going to be too pleased when sweatpants start to live up to their name, so ditch the fleece and opt for something a little softer and silkier to snuggle in under the covers. It's time to get both chic and cosy and treat yourself to some new PJs – from our long and short Claudia and Abigail sets to petite cami and short sets like our Caitlin, there's something for everyone who doesn't envision stepping outside until well after we've gobbled down our body weight in chocolatey snacks.

City Mooching
Flat whites and flats and friends. If you do need to pop to the shop to stock up on provisions, or pop out for a coffee with sun-drenched friends? Wrap yourself in a Kimono and some mom jeans for the perfect ‘City Moochin' look, or a loose shirt with a gorgeous Milla Bra neck detail - no one need know the messy bun is a product of bed head.

Check our site for more - www.bluebella.com

Bridal Lingerie - Bluebella X Brides

Bluebella X Brides

It’s steadily approaching the warmer weather of June, which means amongst other activities for delightful summer nights, wedding season is approaching! We are all fans of a summer wedding; garden parties, fizz cocktails and killer outfits, but for a few it means a chance to show their loved one just how much they mean to them. We believe one of the best ways to do that is in the bedroom, which is why we’ve created some perfectly provocative pieces to accompany the big night, after the big day.

Bridal lingerie can be complicated, full of intricate buttons and more lace than the dress itself. Lots of us think we have to buy specialised garments that in all honesty are just going to come straight off. However no one bride is exactly the same; we all want different things from our lingerie, and a wedding is no exception!

Our Bridal Collection ranges from flirtatious harnesses and sensuous open bras to gorgeously simple sets with smooth lines and elegant full length chemises; every woman is sure to find something that takes their fancy, and there are no fiddly buttons in sight - let's leave that for the dresses.

Ivory Emerson

For a wedding, you can’t go wrong with beautiful ivory lingerie – a classic choice for the bride-to-be. Our New In ivory Emerson range is perfect for the traditional bride who wants to be a little bit less conventional underneath the dress... Pair the bra and briefs for an understated yet suggestive look in lace, or up your game with the harness brief which is just a little more adventurous. Perhaps one to be donned after the dress has come off, this lacy number is just the ticket to give a little more than they bargained for.

 

Rose Dust Laura

If the standard white of a wedding is a bit too much for you, the flirty, playful dusty pink of the Laura collection is perfect for the bride who wants a little more support without losing any of the sex appeal. Slinky and elegant, the Laura collection includes options of a body, a push up, a balcony, or a soft cup bra, and features also a simple suspender belt which is not only seductive in its design but also offers a streamlined shape for practical use beneath the most special dress you’ll ever wear (see our Hosiery Blog). 

  

Rose Dust Phoebe

If you’re looking for something to take you from A to B-edroom, the Rose Dust hue also lends itself beautifully to the Phoebe Chemise, a simple bow front chemise with matching tie-side briefs that is just the right mix of cute and suggestive.

Nova (our Bestseller)

There’s nothing wrong with sticking to what you know works, and let’s face it, nobody wants to feel like their lingerie is out of place when they’re having to worry about making those steps down the aisle. The Nova is a bestseller for us and there is no reason why the Bridal collection would be any different! With an ivory spin to make it ready for the big day, the delightfully playful cut out nature of the Nova makes you feel cool, sassy and wildly sexy. Our pick would be the Nova Body or Nova Bra in ivory - something to make you feel a little bit naughty when making those steps towards your life-long partner.

 

Bargain-hunting Bride

Whilst the wedding industry is one of the biggest in the world - the UK spends on average around £10 billion a year on the special event - we can’t lie that we’re pretty keen on keeping our eyes open for a bargain, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The Ines range in ivory is not only pretty and delicate, but made with lace and velvet; the collection is decadent in all the right places. The best thing? No one would ever know just how good value it was…

Look no further brides, Bluebella caters for all bridal tastes and wedding situations in one beautiful, affordable swoop. Check out the full Bridal collection at our website.

Why stockings are the best plan of action for Hosiery in the spring

It’s the age old debate we all have to have when the weather gets slightly warmer tights or no tights? Now that Spring is finally here, we have to repeatedly question whether wearing tights will make us too hot or if the lack of them will bring us one step closer to pneumonia.

It’s certainly not easy to make the right choice, and the temperamental weather we’re subjected to on the British Isles only goes to make matters worse. There is however, a solution; stockings! Known to be a bit of a sexy fashion statement, stockings are a girl's go-to when we want to be feeling a little frisky, but they can also work wonders in place of basic hosiery.

If you’re willing to give causal stockings a try, the next step is knowing how to style them. This is where people might feel a little tripped up, as they’re not as easy to camouflage as your standard tights, but in a lot of ways they can really add something to an outfit instead of just being a small part of it.

Under-dressed

The one thing most people may be a bit wary of whilst trying stockings is visible lines, if this is something that panics you the best thing to do is kick it off with a lengthy, flowy dress or under a nice crisp pair of culottes. Don’t flinch at the thought of tights and trousers, some simple layering with some mixed and matched shades of black can look incredibly classy; pair it with some heeled black boots and a long coat and you’ll have heads turning down the street thanks to your impeccable layering skills.

To try out this look, grab a pair of classic black stockings from Bluebella.

Patterned pieces

 Stockings come in all colours, and shapes and patterns, and playing with them can add a little something extra to your Spring look. Whether you want to pair it with a simple flowing skirt in the spirit of the sunny weather, or don some red lippy and go sophisticated with a LBD, make the outfit pop a little bit more by investing in a seamed pair of stockings. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the age of Marilyn Monroe, not to mention you’ll fit right in. To try your hand at being a 1950’s dream queen, we’re loving this pair from Bluebella.

If the fifties aren’t your thing, the other pattern that’s everywhere right now is fishnets, and you don’t have to be rock and roll royalty to rock them. Whether you make them the centre of attention or pop them under some ripped jeans, you’ll be right on trend if you opt for holes in all the right places in Bluebella's Fishnet Hold-ups.

Shorts and Stockings

 The one thing that tends to stop us from rocking the stockings full time is when we want to wear something a little shorter, but that doesn’t mean we can’t, instead of trying to hide them you can try making them the centre of attention. Invest in a good suspender belt to make sure they stay right where you want them and grab some stockings with a bit of detail (we’re loving these lacy numbers) and let them work their magic - lace and denim is a match made in heaven.

As if you're wearing nothing at all

 Remember stockings don't always have to be a statement, they can blend into your outfit just as equally as they could become the centrepiece. If you want to look like you're wearing nothing, or would like to give yourself an added bit of extra warmth when the sun isn't yet at its brightest, try a pair of Nude Hold-ups, without the need of a suspender belt they’re much less visible, and you'll barely notice they’re there throughout the day.

So there you have it, our top tips for making the transition from tights to stockings. To take the plunge visit our Hosiery section.

Check out our site:
www.bluebella.com