Give your bust a boost

More women than ever are opting for plastic surgery to improve their breasts. But there's no need to take drastic measures to enhance your cleavage. Follow our expert guide to keep your assets in good shape.

BEAUTIFUL BREASTS ARE SKIN DEEP

Extend your normal beauty routine to your chest and reap the rewards.

1. Don't spray perfume on your cleavage as that can cause the delicate skin to dry out and age more quickly.

2. Just like your face, your chest area will look better if it's smooth and moisturised. As the skin is thin and sensitive, use a gentle exfoliator. Sarah Stacey, co author of The Beauty Bible (Kyle Cathie, £25, www. beautybible.com) suggests buffing the area with a wet muslin cloth. 'If you prefer an exfoliant, use a sugar-based scrub - or a cream with gentle, rounded particles - rather than anything based on crushed nut sells or salt.'

3. Skin on the decolletage should be protected every day with an SPF 15 moisturiser.

4. To give yourself the illusion of a better cleavage using make-up, Stacey suggests the following: 'Use a mattifying gel to even skin tone, then smooth on a light application of foundation.

'Brush a little blush on the area; use a matte natural colour that blends well with your skin tone - nothing too dark and avoid red/pink tones. Apply extra on the sternum, between the boobs, to create a 'Y' with curved top bits.

'For a final touch apply a little shimmer to the crescents of your breasts. But,' she warns, 'keep it subtle.'

5. It's an old wive's tale, but beauty editors swear it really works - splashing cold water on your breasts day and night keeps them pert and improves circulation. You could even buy Clarins Model Bust (£65) - an attachment for your tap which allows you to fire icy cold water at your bust.

6. Never take very hot baths or showers as this can break down the skin's connective tissue which keeps breasts pert.

7. If you don't trust yourself to apply cleavage-enhancing make-up leave it to the professionals. The St Tropez Air system involves two layers of fake tan applied with an airbrush to create light and shadow, giving the impression of a heaving cleavage. From £35 (0115 983 6363).

BUST BOOSTER WITHOUT SURGERY

You don't have to go under the knife to improve your cleavage. Here are some of the latest treatments:

8. CACI - The CACI Bust Contour lifts and tones the bust's underlying muscle tissue, with micro-electrical impulses. The bust can lift by up to half-an-inch after one session, which costs about £30. For your nearest salon, call: 020 8731 5678.

9. IONITHERMIE bust treatment - An algae mask and a layer of thermal clay are applied, after which you are wrapped in gauze and electrodes are applied to your bust. The mask helps channel an electrical current evenly over the skin while the current tones, firms and improves lymphatic drainage.

The treatment costs around £40. Call: 01753 833 900.

10. AQUATHERM Anti-Gravity Breast Treatment uses specially formulated gels and creams under a thermal mineral mask, which is left on for 20 to 30 minutes.

The gels stimulate circulation and tighten the skin. A one-hour treatment costs from £50. Call Depeche Mode on: 01628 674644.

11. PHOTO rejuvenation - If your decolletage is sun-damaged, crepey, freckled or has irregular pigmentation, this treatment uses pulses of white light to lessen the effect.

One session for neck and chest costs £450, though three are recommended. Call the Woodford Medical Clinic: 0845 602 1161.

12. COLLAGEN - Not just for faces, collagen can also be injected into the chest and cleavage to plump out fine lines and wrinkles.

The procedure takes around 30 minutes and costs between £150 and £270 for one treatment, although a second one is often required.
Call Collagenics on: 0845 330 3077.

13. BEAUTYTEK - This combines Western technology with Chinese medicine, using an electric probe which supplies energy to the body's acupressure points, helping to lift and firm the bust.

It costs £150 for 50 minutes. Contact London Aesthetics: 020 7722 1758 or visit www.beautytek.co.uk.

GET MOVING

Breasts cannot be toned up as they contain no muscle. But keeping the underlying pectoral muscles firm gives support to the Cooper's ligaments, the tissue which supports the breasts.

14. For instant results smarten up your posture. Pull your shoulders back and tuck your tummy in, and your breasts will look more pert.

15. Vigorous exercise can cause breasts to sag, as constant motion stretches the Cooper's ligaments. Recent research shows that breasts can bounce up and down by up to 7cm during exercise. A good sports bra can halve the amount of motion. Try the following exercises:

16. Retracing the shoulder blades. This is an exercise that you can do at the office sitting at the computer, says Holmes Place trainer Vicky Mahony. 'The more you do, the better your posture will become and the less your bust will sag.

'Keeping the shoulders relaxed and down, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds and relax. Repeat as often as you can.'

17. Pectorial flies (use hand weights, or a couple of tins of baked beans). Lie on your back on the floor, legs bent, and grasp a weight in each hand. Raise your arms perpendicular to the floor, palms inwards. Then with your elbows slightly bent, slowly extend arms out to the sides.

Contract your pecs and bring your arms back to starting position. Build

up to doing 12 to 15 of these, repeated three times.

18. Circles. Standing upright, stretch out your arms to the side, level with your shoulders. Draw large circles with your hands in one direction then repeat in the opposite direction. Do this ten times.

WORKING UNDER COVER

From beautiful bras to not so beautiful inserts, your underwear can help you cheat your way to better breasts.

19. Wearing the correct bra can stop breast ligaments sagging and give you a better shape. Experts believe that around 80 per cent of women are wearing the wrong size.

20. Your bra is too small if it is raised away from your chest at the front, betweeen the cups, or if your bra wires dig in under your arms.

It should sit flat against the chest, with the wires lying flat against your body and fully enclosing the breasts.

21. Your bra is too big if there is any wrinkling over the cups, or if the strap rides up at the back.

22. Some bras will do all the work for you. The new adhesive, strapless and backless bra from www. maxcleavage.com is made from silicone, sticks to your chest without glue or tapes and can be washed up to 120 times. It's designed to give you a fuller size and shape. For more information call: 0870 33 33 904.

23. The website also sells six kinds of silicone enhancers, which, arguably, look more natural than 'chicken fillet' alternatives. Visit www.maxcleavage.com.

24. A cheaper alternative is simple toupe tape, which celebrities swear by for keeping everything in place under even the skimpiest of garments.

25. Prominent nipples that show through clothes can be a problem. They can be hidden by Extreme Breast Petals - small, fleshcoloured adhesive patches which can be worn on their own or under a bra. They cost $25 (£15.60) from www.lingeriesolutions.com.

Choose your clothes carefully to make the most of your assets. To maximise a small bust Susan Bull, chief fashion advisor for John Lewis, suggests the following:

26. Wear halter necks. They draw attention to your arms and shoulders while enhancing your cleavage.

27. Bright prints and textured fabrics such as tweeds, satins and velvets will give the impression of added fullness, as will this autumn's drop waists and billowy tops.

28. For evenings, go for a top or dress with a plunging back. This is just as sexy as a deep neckline, and small-busted women can get away with not wearing a bra. To minimise a large bust, try these:

29. Stay away from shiny fabrics such as satin and Lycra; they add volume.

30. Don't choose sleeves that end at your bust line - it gives the impression of a wide line across your body, making your bust seem enormous. Instead, opt for elbow or three-quarter length sleeves. Avoid shoe-string straps.

31. Cardigans are more flattering than jumpers. The buttons create a line down the middle of the chest. Leave the top two and bottom two buttons undone and you've got a 'V' top and bottom. It's a sexier look.

32. Keep colours deep, you can always show a glimpse of a bright colour underneath your V neck. And for the older bust:

33. Opt for a cowl neck, which gives the impression of a low neckline without revealing too much.

34. Beware the push-up bra because, with the inevitable loss of skin tone, you can get an unattractive 'pleating' effect.

35. For evenings, try a lace panel, which gives an impression of the shape underneath without revealing too much. A wide, scooped neckline, favoured by Sophia Loren, is flattering, as are bat-wing sleeves.