Femagique Bra Inserts Review
I mentioned these previously in my post on how to wear inserts. This is a more complete review of the Femagique foam pad style of insert, along with some alternative suggestions if they're not what you're looking for.
What these are: oval-shaped cloth pads with foam filling. Like most push-up inserts, they are thicker at the bottom and taper up to a thin edge at the top. At their thickest point, the Femagique foam inserts are about one inch, which depending on your size will add as much as one cup size in volume.
Advantages: These are small enough to fit inside almost any bra. They're lightweight and won't irritate your skin. The tops of them are thin enough to be undetectable in a lightly lined bra cup. Because they don't have much weight, they can be used in wire-free bras as well as those with an underwire, as long as the wire-free bra has enough shaping in the cups to hold them.
If you're going to wear them with something wire-free, I recommend a supportive and securely fitting bralette with removable pads. You can either position the inserts inside the pocket lining behind the existing pads, or replace the bralette pads with the inserts. The pocket lining will help hold them in place.
Disadvantages: the Femagique inserts don't add as much size as some women would like. Because they don't cover the entire breast but rather are placed at the bottom of your bra, the amount of volume they can give you is limited. They are best for helping you fill out a bra that is a little too big in the cups, or for adding a push-up effect to a bra that does not have any enhancement padding built in.
For a significant size increase, look into full breast forms. These come in various materials including foam, cotton and silicone. The silicone forms are often favored for their resemblance to real breast tissue. They are worn on top of the chest, usually inside a pocketed bra, rather than inserted underneath your existing breasts.
Since they have a similar weight and consistency to real breasts, this type of silicone form is a good choice for women who have had mastectomies without reconstruction, and also for trans women who want the realistic feeling as well as the look. You have the option of choosing from a variety of sizes and shapes, and to buy either one or two forms at a time. Cotton and foam breast forms are less expensive and lighter, but they won't feel like real breasts when touched, or move with your body the same way.
The Femagique foam inserts also don't feel or move like real breast tissue. There is a silicone option in these if you are looking for a push-up insert and prefer something more realistic:
If you choose the silicone inserts, it's even more important to make sure you have a supportive base for them. An underwire bra is your best bet, or a snug-fitting bikini top with a substantial band and formed contour cups if you're going to be wearing them swimming.
Femagique is of course not the only brand that makes push-up inserts, but their foam pads are my favorite so far among the options that I've tried.
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