Saw It On Social: A Honeylove Sculptwear Review

Sep 10, 2018

Shapewear: the 21st-century’s answer to the girdle.  Our obsession with smoothing and shaping away our flaws has become a billion-dollar industry.  But do you find some of the current choices lacking?

For several years, I wore Spanx almost every day.  They pinched.  They constricted.  They rolled down.  Over time, I realized they just weren’t worth it.

I could buy bigger pants.  That seemed easier.  And more comfortable.

But from time to time, every woman can use a little bit of help.  Recently, I decided to give up my incredibly disappointing Spanx and try the Kickstarter-approved Honeylove Sculptwear.

The founder of Honeylove decided that traditional shapewear was broken.  Instead of enhancing the curves of women’s bodies, they flatten and squeeze.  So she created sculptwear, which emphasizes “what you want emphasized and gently redistributing areas you want to minimize.”

 

You can clearly see from the photo that these “sculptwear” look different than your Spanx or other shapewear.  But how do they wear?

I wore my Honeylove sculptwear to an all-day outdoor event yesterday.  And to add a degree of difficulty, I decided to wear an almost-two-sizes-too-small dress.  Because if you’re going to test-run a pair of sculptwear, you should make the test as difficult as possible.

Construction.  When I removed the sculptwear from the box, it felt different.  The material was thick.  The seams and edges were well sewn and felt strong.  And the sides of the tummy panel had boning in them to give the top structure and prevent rolling.

Unlike other shapewear, they didn’t feel like souped up underwear.  They felt stronger, tougher.

Shaping. The Honeylove sculptwear does an infinitely better job of shaping than the traditional Spanx short.  They lift the tush.  Slim the thighs.  And emphasize the waist.

I didn’t notice much difference in the tummy department.  More of a smoothing than a flattening.

The effect isn’t extreme, but it is noticeable, verging on impressive.  Especially if you struggle with your rear end, the Honeylove does a great job of making everything in your rear view look better.  You feel shaped as opposed to squished.

Comfort. With one exception, the Honeyloves are very comfortable.  That exception is the plastic boning in the waistline that keeps the sculptwear from rolling down.

The boning is very effective.  There was no slipping, rolling or shifting, even after hour seven.  This is a HUGE improvement over other shapewear.  But it comes at a price.

About hour five, the boning began to stab me in the ribcage.  When not wearing the dress, I could feel the boning, but it didn’t hurt.  So I’m guessing that the problem was exacerbated by the too-small dress, but I won’t know until I try it with a dress that fits.

Wearability.  Yes, Honeylove sculptwear look better than Spanx.  But I wouldn’t go as far as to say that they look like lingerie (though the brand does).  I will say that they look less like a flesh-colored body condom, which makes them less embarrassing to be seen in.

The sculptwear suffers from one critical flaw: using the bathroom in them is difficult.  The boning in the waist makes taking them off a challenge.  So every trip to the restroom basically requires getting dressed all over again.  It’s less than ideal.

Price. $89 is pretty steep for shapewear.  The price tag alone would put me off of the product, except that they feel like they’re built to last forever.  The delivery also includes a mesh washing bag to protect your purchase from the the spin cycle.

***

All-in-all, I love these sculptwear.  They’re well made, look great, and deliver what they promise.  You feel reshaped in the best possible way.  They’re not perfect; no shapewear ever will be.  But I’m very happy with my purchase and would recommend them.

As always the products on Saw It On Social were purchased with my own money.  No gifts are solicited or accepted, and no money changes hands.  The question being answered is whether or not the products you see advertised on social media are worth the money, and how can you answer that question if you’re spending someone else’s money?  {image found here}

Features, Saw It On Social

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  1. heatherskib says:

    I keep waiting for a shapewear company to make a true crotchless version. then we could just slide a pair of undies over the top.

    • Cass says:

      Or at least a snap panel, like a bodysuit!

    • DK says:

      My mom handed down to me a shape wear garment from the 70s that I’ve worn til it is almost falling apart and I’ve never been able to find anything else like it. It has a snap crotch, it’s built more like a slip (works when wearing a dress, but not pants), the bra part lifts and is very flattering without making boobs look fake, the material is lighter-weight so it breathes, and it’s also really pretty. If someone made something like this, they’d be raking in the money.

  2. Cait says:

    As always, thank you for the honest, unsponsored post. I’m so sick of blogs that read like commercials (because they are). Really, really appreciate your commitment to transparency.

  3. KS says:

    Has anyone tried Shapermint? It’s all over my newsfeed but never heard an honest review.

    • Jess says:

      I actually JUST got my first Shapermint order. I haven’t worn them for a true test drive yet but have tried them on and interacted with customer service. I got the high waisted shape shorts; a few thoughts:

      1. They are legit comfortable. The material is soft and stretchy and feels breathable; the seams are well constructed and feel tightly bound. The leg area isn’t the same constricting material as the tummy panel so they feel like regular bike shorts (something I’d wear under a dress anyways). That’s a HUGE plus as I only want tummy structure and hate feeling like my thighs are sausages encased in a too tight wrapper. The tummy panel itself didn’t feel like it was exactly right–perhaps my torso isn’t as long as they expect?

      2. I had to go down a size despite their size guidelines and I’m still not sure the sizing is right–the Large felt way too loose and like it did nothing (although it was hella comfortable); the small feels too tight and is hard to get on and off.

      3. The waist band has a fantastic rubber grip feature that seems broader than on any other shapewear I’ve seen BUT it still rolls down my back. I can’t tell if it’s because I’m pulling the thing up too high, the sizing is off, or it’s flawed but if I can’t get it to work for me, it will be a deal breaker.

      4. As I mentioned, I had to go up a size–customer service was a dream and took care of everything. All I had to do was ask how to exchange–they did everything for me. I suspect they’re building the brand and so are bending over backwards to help customers but it was a nice experience to be treated so well.

      5. The shipping took forever–nearly 3 weeks–and when the package arrived the bag that the shapewear came in had a different label. I suspect the product is coming from overseas and they are building a US-market friendly brand here that is much more in line with western standards–hence their Insta-marketing and such–but that the manufacturer is a different name and they haven’t aligned their packaging yet. It was disconcerting to find such different branding but not a deal breaker.

      Also, there’s no hole or snap in the crotch.

      I think that’s it. I’m happy to report back when I wear them and have a true test drive…I’d give them an overall B/B- for now because I think they’re not going to suck in my tummy the way I want but I’ll still have to struggle to get them on/off…that said, I suspect they’re much more breathable and WAY more comfortable than anything I’ve tried so far. I’m curious about this sculptwear but it sounds like it doesn’t do much for tummy control either…

    • Erika says:

      I’ve tried the Shapermint, it caused tightness in my chest and it rolled down even thought it was designed to be tight at the top to prevent the roll down.

    • Nivia says:

      Yes, I purchased the Shapermint and was very unhappy with it. It did not stay up, it rolled down without even sitting. Also, customer service gave me the run around. I do not recommend them.

  4. Rosanne says:

    Thanks for the review – I have been waiting for feedback on these before pulling the trigger. Spanx have never worked for me because of the waist rolling and thigh cutting nature of that particular beast. What you described about the boning is why the lack of corsets in today’s clothing

    • Belle says:

      It didn’t hurt nearly as much once the dress came off. So I think that was 75% of the problem. After seven hours, I’m okay with a little poking to keep the rolling at bay. The rolling used to make me insane.

  5. Jac says:

    I bought these on the kickstarter and was super disappointed!
    Their biggest flaw is the seams on the butt! They have seams that show through tight dresses, making it look like you’re wearing a pair of really frumpy underwear. The whole point of wearing shapewear is for nothing to show through – no rolls, no panty lines, etc. But now, even if I’m wearing a thong, it looks as though I’m wearing granny panties.
    Such a bummer (pardon the bad pun).
    And to top it off – they have a terrible return policy. I definitely DO NOT recommend!

    • AG says:

      JAC, do you mind sharing which cut you had this problem with? SuperPower Short, SuperPower Brief, Queen Brief?
      The reason I ask is because I will be wearing a satin trumpet dress for my wedding and had the same concern!
      Appreciate any additional insight you can provide before I pull the trigger and make a purchase.

  6. Scant says:

    Very disappointed in the product , although it doesn’t roll down like spanx, it feels thick and bulky. I feel like I’m wearing shorts instead of shape wear. Would not buy it again.

  7. LaLisa says:

    Thanks for this review. I was debating buying these. The lack of crotch opening or gusset, which Spanx has in the high-waisted tights and body suits, something I will have to think about since I usually wear longer dresses and the idea of undressing completely, especially in a public restroom (yucky floors) is not that appealing. What were they thinking!? I may have to wait for Honeylove 2.0

  8. Just ordered my 1st one. I’m older and have tummy issues and fat back, so I’m hoping it helps a bit under my straight knit dress.

  9. Debbie says:

    The worst shaper I ever purcashed!!! Super pricy, you hear this wierd plastic bag sounds between you legs when you walk, very hard to get them to the right place on your body. The extra layer make it hard to grab and pull. Annoying and unwarable

  10. Kate Wirth says:

    Where the shorts end do they leave an obvious imprint on your legs? This is the issue I have with all shapewear.

  11. J says:

    Did you use their sizing tool? They seem to recommend ordering one size up from other brands…

  12. Tami says:

    Thank you for the refreshing review. Shapewear is a necessity for me, and the struggle is real.

  13. Janice says:

    I purchased my Honeylove shapewear on a whelm and I wore it yesterday and I was not disappointed. As stated the Honeylove doesn’t grab and I found it to be very comfortable. Yes, using the bathroom takes a little longer but not unmanageable. I was with people that had not seen me in four years and they all were commenting on how well I look and ask did you lose weight. I would recommend this product and I am purchasing another one .

  14. CAthy says:

    I put these on for the first time today and they really are comfortable and stay put. However pulling them up to ensure everything was where they were supposed to be, I ripped a huge hole in the mesh on the butt. I don’t have long nails so you need to be careful getting into it. while the durability is disappointing on the first wearing, I hope they last hole and all!

  15. Cherise says:

    I am getting married in October of this year and have been toiling back and forth with the thought of whether I should invest in this product or not. Your review is very helpful. Thanks for your careful attention to details and honesty. I definitely will not purchase for the day of the wedding, however I think I will purchase for shorter length outings

    Thanks for your review
    Cherise

  16. Thanks for this review. It was very helpful. I’m short-waisted and shapewear is always a challenge because of it. I think I will give HoneyLove a try!

  17. Jude says:

    I ordered this and although I felt like the materials were quality, I wasn’t impressed at all. From the investment and the ads, I expected a true waist trainer type effect. Like you said, there really wasn’t any tummy flattening, and I expected my waist to be narrowed a bit. Also, the butt lifter didn’t do anything for me and just gives panty lines. My 20$ amazon shapewear works just as well. I was pleased that the shorts part didn’t roll up on my thighs because I have larger than average thighs, but the shorts were too long for almost any dress that I own.

  18. Anika says:

    Thanks for the article. Since you did not notice much difference if the tummy area, which brand would you recommend for tummy flattening? (Anyone, please feel free to reply.)

  19. Andrea Madeley says:

    Thank you for the honest review. I just received my shipment and I will say, the pain to the purse was real – in Australian dollies – ouch!

    I ordered the Queen Brief – in checking the size, I maybe should have ordered a size bigger. They were tough to get on but once on, I thought they felt pretty comfy. I think maybe a tad short in body though.

    That said – the one thing that drives me nuts with shapewear generally appears to be addressed with this brand – well two things really.

    The first – I actually could not make it roll down! I haven’t worn it for a 12 hour work day yet but the test so far has given me hope. Secondly, the softer mesh at the thigh was super comfortable. No digging in and that means no unsightly pantyline. Yeay.

    Oh … and a little hint for ladies who despair the toilet breaks without a hole or clasps? Some 20 years ago, when bodysuits were a thing, we got bored with trying to re-fix the little clasps (especially when enjoying a few drinks) and figured out we could just pull the gusset to the side a tad. Works well. Just not for No 2’s 😉

    I’m hoping the 12 hour day ends well. I am at a loss otherwise and have wasted a small fortune on shapewear that I have never worn.

  20. Meghan says:

    Hello, I am new at this so here it goes. I have one pair of Spanx wore it to Comiccon one year. It was ok but I do remember the uncomfortable feeling of it. It was thrown in my dresser and never wore it again. Then I saw Honeylove on social media and was inreged by the cross the stomach strengthening bands. I am in the middle of getting my marriage arranged and thought “what the hell”. Got a 1x, since I have been losing weight, thought that would be better than minis 2 sizes. Had my first day of wearing them and felt great. The ribbing in the back made me stand up taller and more of a proper lady. It was annoying because I felt the need to adjust it.. I do have an issue with the legs being a little tight (gonna have to do some leg lefts) but other than that I like it. I haven’t tried the little, pee hole door. That is gonna be my next time.

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