If you've been following this series, you know I upgraded from the usual cheap Chinese Silicone Balloon style breasts to some Aphrodite breast forms made by Divine Collections about a year ago. After living with these forms for a while, I wanted more. The Aphrodites are a fine product but are not without their limitations. I knew before I bought them that the color of the Aphrodites would not match my skin tone. Over time, the tone difference has begun to grate on me. And I've slowly come to realize that trying to create cleavage with individual breast forms is either impossible or beyond my skill level.
Since the cleavage was disappointing, I avoided styles with exposed breasts. I stopped gluing on the forms and have used them only in bras underneath tops and dresses. They are good at that, and the looks were nice, but I still wanted to wear low-cut tops and dresses. It was time to go shopping again.
It has become obvious that I need a one-piece solution if I want beautiful cleavage. Some people call these by the rather warlike term "breastplates." There are various companies out there making one-piece breast forms, but after my recent research, I knew I was only interested in two: Divine Collections and RealGurl.
Divine Collection's "Athena"
Having been pretty happy with my Aphrodites, I was excited by the news that Divine Collections had released a one-piece breast form. The "Athena" looks a bit different from most one-piece forms. From the photos and videos, it looks like a vest. There's a video promo of it on YouTube and here's a picture with a model:
Two things before I continue: (1) I understand that this is a product that is under development, and (2) I haven't actually seen or used one; I am basing this opinion completely on the videos and photos. The idea of having a breast vest is very appealing to me. I like that this could reduce or even eliminate the need for glue, and a vest could be more convincing.
Unfortunately, the appearance of Divine Collection's current product is disappointing. The breastplate "vest" starts where you expect a shirt to start, around the lower part of the neck, just above the shoulders. That end of the plate looks rather thick, making an obvious discontinuity with the model's body. The shoulder treatment is also disturbing. I do not see any way you could get away with wearing something like a crop top with this product. Here's a photo with the same model wearing some accessories:
I could probably live with the small imperfection at the bottom of the breast form, which still shows up despite the lingerie, but not even the choker and wig can hide the discontinuity at the neck.
Divine Collection's products have always had a limited skin tone palette. Even though the model has a similar skin tone to the breastplate, the tone difference in the skin seems emphasized by the greater area covered by this breastplate. The difference will be all the more significant if you do not have a similar tone. In my case, Divine's lightest tone is quite a bit darker than my natural shade. It's one thing to have a slightly darker breast peeking out of a bra, something you can minimize with a bit of makeup. It's quite another to have the entire skin tone of your chest changed!
It is not only the difference in tone but the fact that the plate is inhumanly "perfect." There is no color variation, veins, moles, or any naturalness you expect to find in a person's skin. I understand that Divine Collection's mission is to bring lower-cost, high-quality breast forms to us, and I applaud that, but in my opinion, it is not working as well for the beast plate as it does for the Aphrodite breast forms. After watching the video and looking at the photos on The Breast Form Store website, I find this look to be wholly unconvincing.
On the other hand, the Athena retails at $600 and can be purchased on sale at The Breast Form Store for $500 at the moment. That's cheaper than the smallest pair of Aphrodite's, which are on sale at the same store for $750. I'm amazed to see these prices because, usually, breastplates are more expensive than a pair of single forms. If you are in the market for some breast forms, you could hide the ring around the neck with a scarf or wear higher collars on a dress or top. If you're happy with the size and look, the Athena could be a lower-cost route to getting some good-looking breast forms. If the lack of realism in the skin tone bothers you, you can do what I have done with the Aphrodites and wear tops or dresses that hide it. You'll have some issues with collars, but you'll save money. One last point about the Athenas: while they are available in the same shades and nipple variations as the Aphrodite breast forms, there is only one size option.
RealGurl's Options
Having rejected Divine Collection's breastplate left only RealGurl's, which are crazy expensive. The founder of RealGurl is the guy that RealDoll, the company that makes lifesize human sex dolls. These dolls are all the rage in some circles. You can even see them in movies. At RealGurl, they use their experience from RealDoll to make lifelike prosthetics. Hollywood prosthetic artists work in both divisions. Each product takes two-three months to finish and is completely handcrafted. Custom work from talented artists costs. Even so, I am somewhat skeptical about the rave reviews I have heard from their purchasers. But given my disappointment with the Athena, it was RealGurl or nothing.
RealGurl's GurlShirt™
The first product that caught my eye was their GurlShirt™, which is similar to Divine Collection's "Athena":
As you can see from the photo, the neck portion ends at the top of the neck, underneath the chin, rather than at the bottom of the neck, as it does with Divine Collection's Athena. I thought this might have been a better approach when I first wrote this review. Having seen more products since then, I have no idea what the right design for a breast shirt is. They both have serious problems. The high neck is not that easy to disguise, and it changes the skin tone of the neck, which I think would be a major issue for me. The low-neck designs avoid this but have several points of failure when hiding the fact that it's a prosthetic. It may be that these "shirts" are simply a bad idea that seems good.
To return to the GurlShirt: It uses a hidden zipper in the back to fasten, so you do not need to muck about with adhesives. I have a love-hate relationship with zippers since so many fail, but this is certainly a useful idea. Also, like the Athena, all of RealGurl's usual customization options are available, including two styles of breasts but only one breast size. The shoulders of the GurlShirt™ are similar to those of the Athena, so the same concerns about being able to wear things such as crop tops apply.
If only for the convenience of avoiding the need for adhesives, I was very interested in this product. Unfortunately, the GurlShirt™ only fits a limited range of people sizes. I'm over 6 feet tall, and my ideal weight is around 175 pounds. The maximum recommended for the GurlShirt™ is six feet and 165 lbs. They also suggest that the ideal chest size is 38 inches. My current measurement is 40 inches. Even though RealGurl says that the silicone can stretch up to two inches, it is clear that I would be pushing this product to its limits. For a base cost of USD 1,500, before any customizations, I don't want to push this product to its limits. There is also the breast size issue, which, like Divine Collection's Athena, RealGurl provides in only a "C" cup. Given my build, my experience is that I don't look that great with a "C" cup. So, reluctantly, I was forced to consider a traditional breastplate. I think this could be a great fit for someone of the right size, and if any of you purchase this, I would love to hear about your experiences with it.
RealGurl's RealBreast™ One Piece
This left their One Piece breast form, which comes in several sizes, a mind-boggling array of nipple types, and several skin tones, with an option for airbrushing in realistic skin finishes. Here's a photo that also shows the same breastplate I selected:
Yes, that is a man. Also shown in this is RealGurl's lower body prosthetic, which is also damn convincing. My choices (Style 4 with Sample Kit, thick edge, and custom skin tone) were just below USD 1,500. I spent a lot of time on the nipple choices and consulted on all this with Dom de Luxury, but ultimately decided to go with the default nipple type.
RealGurl pioneered the 'thin edge' to their breast forms (as far as I know, they are still the only firm with this feature). The idea behind the thin edge is that it blends seamlessly into your skin, making the breast form undetectable. The problem with the thin edge is its fragility. Having scoured the planet (or at least the internet portion of the planet) for user experiences with the RealBreast™, I found a huge number of delighted users for their two breast form products. However, many plan to change to the thick edge when their current breast forms wear out. So it seems that even happy customers don't think the thin edge is worth it. With the one-piece breast form's much larger size and weight, RealGurl recommends the thick edge, and I decided to take their recommendation.
Fighting my natural cheapskate and skeptical nature, I took a deep breath and placed the order. The order process is interesting. RealGurl will sell you a sample kit that you can use to zero in on your skin tone. You can pick one, or you can send photos to the artist. I elected to send photos: you place 2 or 3 samples on your chest above your nipple line and take pictures in natural light (outdoors), natural light indoors (near a window), and fluorescent light. The artist will use these photos not only for the skin tone but also for any customization options that you might select. I think it's crazy to spend this kind of money on breast forms and not get the custom color and airbrushing options for a small fraction more.
With the details finalized, you have a wait on your hands. RealGurl's estimate was 12-14 weeks. The actual wait turned out to be about ten weeks. Custom work takes time, and it's never a good idea to rush someone if you want the best results. I wanted the artist to do their very best, so I sat on my hands and waited patiently.
The Breast Forms Arrive
The forms arrive in a huge box containing a styrofoam backing and some wear and care instructions. The RealGurl breast forms differ from other breast forms I have used. They have the breast proper and surrounding that, a thin area of silicone surrounding the breast for a couple of inches on every side which RealGurl calls a "flange." In the case of the One Piece, it is longer on the sides than the top or the bottom. I was surprised by the thinness of the "thick edge" — it is so thin that it's hard for me to imagine how it could be even thinner! Trying the forms on for the first time was mind-blowing and completely erased any skepticism I might have felt. The skin tone match was perfect, as were the airbrushed details. The breast forms looked like implants. The match was that good. The "thick edge" was visible only on close inspection. I do not believe it is remotely detectable for cam sessions or from a distance away. You can see the debut of these new breast forms in my gallery.
UPDATE: Having worn the breastplate for a few years, I am still happy with it. It has held up extremely well and still looks great. In my early excitement over the breastplate, I neglected to consider seasonal skin tone variations. The breastplate looks best on me during the summer, when I ordered it, and less convincing at other times of years. After many hours of work, I achieved a seamless "nude" look only once. I think the only way to achieve that is with actual implants. The breastplate remains incredibly convincing when worn with 'see-through' fashions. I wear it with a filmy top, and I'm always pleased with the results. So while my initial enthusiasm has flagged a bit, I am still pleased with my purchase and do not think I would be able to achieve these results with any of the current breastplate offerings.
One further consideration is the width of the breastplate base. It seems that it might be a little large for my chest. I began thinking this when I noticed some "puckering" of the flange at the center of the breast form. This puckering typically occurs after many hours of wear. If you are considering the breastplate, I suggest you discuss this with RealGurl.
SMALL UPDATE, 12/2022: Some new photos show the exposed RealGurl breastplate more than any others I have done. If you want to see how you might look without a team of makeup artists, these might help you. Rather than use makeup to disguise the edges of the form, I used an outfit that covered the top and came with a harness that hid the bottom. The idea is good, but my execution could have been better. This approach is worthwhile, and I'm interested in experimenting more with it. The pictures are here.
Wearing RealGurl breast forms
I've written previously about how to attach breast forms and some of the problems you might have. The basic procedure is outlined in detail here and there are some troubleshooting tips here. My latest techniques are here. If you're new to breast forms, I recommend these two articles. They seem to have helped many people with their breast form attachment issues. The basic procedure is the same with the RealBreast™ You clean your skin, get an outline of the breast forms with powder, apply a primer such as Top Guard and apply adhesive. I was astonished at how well the breast forms adhered to my body without any adhesive. I was expecting problems in this area because of the greater weight of a one-piece breast form design, but the RealBreast™ stuck to my chest much better than my Aphrodite breast forms.
The thin flange does add some additional complexity. It tends to fold over and stick to itself at the edges. You need to very gently and carefully unfold it. Spraying the edges with alcohol helps. Prime your skin with Skin Tac or Top Guard. (UPDATE: I now use iron oxide.) Paint your skin, the breastplate, or both with some adhesive. Leave a small border around the future edge free of adhesive if you wish. Wait the requisite time (longer is better if you use silicone adhesive). Place the breast form face down on something soft, like a towel, ensuring that the edges are not folding over themselves. Then leaning as far forward as you can, bring the breast form up to your chest and attach it. I found it best to do the sides first, then the top and bottom. Press firmly but gently. The edge of the flange will not be free (you left that free of adhesive for a reason), and you can unfold any places that might have become folded at this stage. Take your brush, dip it in the thinner/adhesive combination and brush it along the edge of the flange on your skin until it is tacky, then press it down. I wore the breasts for several hours, and they stayed in place just beautifully, with no issues. I did not use a bra, but the top I had on did provide some support.
I ran this procedure by one of the prosthetic artists at RealGurl. He was concerned that only using adhesive on the flange (not the backing for the breast) might stretch the flange over time, making it even more fragile. So I now paint the cleavage area, vertically between the breasts, with adhesive. The flange seems undistorted.
Removing the Forms
Remove the forms carefully. If you use Telesis adhesive, definitely use SuperSolve around the flange area. It is delicate, so I do not advise just pulling the flange off your skin. Clean them well, as discussed in the instructions that RealGurl sends with the forms, and place them back on the backing, using the alcohol method they also describe.
Reactions and Final Word
The reactions to the breast forms were more than I could have hoped. Everyone that saw them was completely blown away by their realism. I could not be happier. I hope to treat them carefully enough that they will last me for a few years. You can see how they look for yourself by browsing through the photos in my Gallery Please note that the breasts are not photoshopped at all.
While the procedure for putting them on is a bit more challenging than for the Aphrodite breast forms, the result is well worth it. When I first purchased the breastplate, I intended to use the Aphrodites for looks without exposed cleavage. But the breastplate works so well that I no longer own the Aphrodites and use this breastplate exclusively.
I realize that the cost and risk of these forms are more than many people would want to spend. They were more than I wanted to spend. But I can't recommend these highly enough for those driven to perfect your look. Feel free to write me!