deBoudoir

So, I begrudgingly purchased a Groupon for deBoudoir. I hadn’t heard a thing about the business at all but being a business owner, I am perfectly aware that when you pay bottom dollar for something, you usually receive bottom dollar service. So, my expectations weren’t terribly high. That being said, I’m happy to admit when I’m wrong. Totally and utterly wrong.
This place is so fantastic, it truly surprised me in every way. The photographer Alina, is truly one the most talented women I’ve ever met. The quality of the sets, lighting, costumes and accoutrement was truly top notch. She also went above and beyond to make sure that I was comfortable and graciously provided copious amounts of (much needed) direction and inspiration for each shot.
Moreover, they send multiple emails and in some cases, text messages communicating important information, both before and after your appointment. At one point, Alina sent text messages, long after business hours, just to make sure I was happy. I couldn’t believe how hard these people work at making sure you leave feeling happy and beautiful. Who does that? We do that in my business but I was certain we were the only ones left.
Nonetheless, once the shoot was complete, I coordinated a date with their Consultation Director, Kelly. Again, I couldn’t be any happier with quality of attention and care I received from her as well. She was so gracious, patient and kind about the whole thing. She too sent me multiple emails, long after business hours were over. We had our consultation at 5pm on a Saturday, and even though I forgot and didn’t answer, Kelly exhausted every communication outlet to make sure I was reached. I could not have been more grateful. Not to mention that there are over a hundred photos that you have to carefully consider and Kelly sat there, while my husband and I bickered over each one (we had a very hard time narrowing it down to just a few favorites). Her level of professionalism is really impressive (especially for 5pm on a Saturday/​holiday).
As far as your consultation (photo viewing & purchasing) is concerned, the photos were ready within 2 days but it did take 2 weeks to get an appointment. That being said, there are just some businesses that you should be happy to wait for, this is one of them. If it takes 2 weeks, don’t fret, it will be totally worth it and they will surpass your expectations.
My photos were so worth the wait, it’s sick. I couldn’t be happier and feel any better about myself and my photos. Thank you ladies, thank you. :)

I can not say enough AMAZING stuff about my experience. Not only were all the girls amazing, but they make you feel so comfortable and make the entire experience enjoyable. I was so self conscious about taking the photos, but the photographer was fantastic. She made me laugh the whole time and just relax. After all was done, then nerves set in about looking at them once they were edited. Rachel quickly settled that. She was so awesome and even helped me make the right decision on the pictures. Not only would I recommend them to everyone, I will definitely schedule again myself!

My wife did a photoshoot with Deboudoir and they pressured her into a photo package for over $ 1800. We didn’t have the financial ability to pay for the photos and sent them an email to cancel. We stated that we understood we would lose our deposit, but didn’t want any additional payments to be processed. Instead of offering any sympathy or options, they immediately threatened legal action. They said we would be taken to court and would pay all their legal fees. Stay FAR away from this company!

Like most women, I’ve spent a lot of time bashing my body. On the other hand, I love vintage pin-​ups and I’ve always wanted an opportunity to take pin-​up photos. So when my fiancé bought me a Living Social deal for deBoudoir, I had a mixed reaction. I was both excited about an opportunity to get dressed up and take sexy photos and extremely skeptical. I was sure I was going to hate the experience.
Yes, it’s pricey. Without the Living Social, there is no way I would have been able to do this. $ 399 just to take pictures without a print? Ridiculous. But the Living Social included $ 50 off a corset, hair, and the sitting fee. So I spent $ 79 on the remaining cost of the corset, $ 75 on make-​up (have it done beforehand if you don’t want to pay this price), and the $ 159 deposit on a print.
The day I went in for my shoot, I was a mess. I’d had a shampoo-​in-​your-​eye, dog-​vomit-​clean-​up, tripped-​and-​fell, running-​late, can’t-find-parking kind of morning. I wasn’t in a great mood. However, as my make-​up went on, conversation was light and easy and I got all my frustration out. The girls were super helpful with arranging outfits, trying on corsets, and offering beverages. I was in a MUCH better mood by the time I got to the actual shoot!
The shoot was easy– I felt like I probably looked ridiculous most of the time, but the photographer made me feel really confident with every shot. She even gave me a sneak peek of one of the photos to boost my confidence with one of the outfits. When I left the studio that afternoon, I walked off feeling beautiful!
I was nervous for my consultation appointment tonight because I knew I’d be facing a LOT of photos of a body I don’t usually like. However, there were a TON of edited shots and even though I found some unflattering, it was difficult to narrow down to just 7 photographs! I plan on giving the prints to my fiancé as a wedding gift, and I’m sure he’s going to like what we ended up picking.
The only thing I wish is that it wasn’t so expensive. Taking photos at deBoudoir was such a positive experience for me, that I would really like to recommend it to other women. I just know that a lot of us can’t justify throwing down this much money at one time for photos. They do offer a few payment plans for prints, but when you go in for your consultation, you need to be prepared to buy it or kiss it goodbye.
Bottom line? Go on girl: treat yo self.

My experience was almost exactly like those of Ann and Robin. Thank y’all so very much for making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Excellent in all particulars — lingerie, makeup, hair, photography, and selection process. Originally purchased as presents. I loved giving them, and they loved receiving them. I appreciate y’all!

I paid for a Groupon, which apparently covers the cost of parading around in front of a photographer half-​naked, but doesn’t allow you to keep any of your photos. When I walked in they asked for an additional $ 159 per digital image. I’m a photographer too and these are not the days of processing film in a lab… it takes no more than ten minutes to edit a single digital image. If they edit 6 photos an hour that means they’re pulling in $ 954 per hour. Must be nice.
I left before even starting my shoot and lost the $ 35 I spent on the Groupon. Don’t be fooled, they are severely price gouging, and they are misleading people with their online deals.

It was October 11, 2013 when I officially ruined Christmas.
I had been planning since the beginning of the summer to get boudoir photos taken and surprise Hubs for the holidays this year. The problem is that when it comes to surprises, my brain goes into four-​year-​old-​mode and my mouth becomes about the size of Dallas.
I. CAN’T. HELP. IT.
In the months leading up to photo shoot day, I asked Hubs EVERYDAY (again, think four-​year-​old-​mode) if he wanted to know what his Christmas gift was going to be. Every time, he would firmly reply, «No, I like waiting. I want to be surprised.»
Well, after much anticipation, shoot day did finally come. I tried my damndest to keep my mouth shut. I made up that I was attending a salon/​spa Unilocal event… at 8am on a Saturday… carrying a big duffel bag… so that was why I was going to come back with my hair and make up done. I know, SUPER fishy. I’m a terrible liar. But that kid is so trusting and all he said was, «Have fun!»
My experience with the ladies of deBoudoir Austin was awesome from the moment that I stepped into the studio until the moment that I left after choosing photos. Rachel Leigh was so helpful when I was shopping for lingerie, and she skillfully infused my fine, flat hair with the kind of volume that any southern lady would be envious of. When I was all ready, Alina took over the reins, and I can honestly say that I have not met a more talented photographer. Photography is an art– some people have the gift to do it well and some people don’t. I’m pretty sure this lady could even make my dog (no offense, Lilly) look like she belongs in Playboy. The last person who I worked with was the manager, Rachel. She was incredibly down to earth and easy going, and her input was very valuable when it came down to going through the 130+ beautiful photos and choosing my favorites.
So this journey began with four year old Ann, and trust me, it ends with four year old Ann as well. After I finally chose the photos that I didn’t want to live without, I left the studio– giddy as shit– to meet Hubs for dinner. I WAS going to at least make myself wait to print the photos and put them in an album or scrapbook before I presented them to him, but… umm…yeah, that didn’t happen. I consulted with my staff (i.e., me, myself, and a 750 mL bottle of beer) and made the executive decision to pull up the photos online (you have full rights to the photos that you purchase) and show him that night. He was speechless.
«Best present you’ve ever received?»
«Um. Yes. By FAR.»
Fast forward a day later, and I’m now having the photos developed and will start physically putting together the gift today. I’m probably going to end up handing that over early too. Big surprise, huh?
So it isn’t even Halloween yet and Hubs has pretty much already gotten his Christmas present for this year. He doesn’t seem to mind THAT much though.

Badass photography!
I almost didn’t’ go through with this photo shoot. I am not photogenic and I am in my 50s, so I was not expecting much. The photos turned out amazing — a thousand times better than I could have ever imagined. It was very hard to edit my choices, but the studio manager, Rachel was very helpful. Looking through all the photos made me want to do it all over again.
The photo composition was very artistic, modern, fresh and unexpected. I can’t imagine having a more talented or creative photographer than Alina. I am not the type to do sexy poses and that sort of thing and the shots capture that side of you, yet everyone makes you feel good about it, not silly.
All the staff made the experience fun, and were very professional. Rachel Leigh was awesome; she was able to style my hair exactly like the photo I brought in. She was great in putting me at ease and helping me decide on my wardrobe.
They are the most modern, fresh, unique creative and unexpected photos.
Staff were professional and very interested in getting to know me and what I wanted to get out of the photo shoot. You truly get what you pay for, these people deliver.
If you want a remarkable experience, artful, tasteful, one of kind photos, and friggin’ awesome staff to work with, then look no further— chose Deboudoir. These photos look like something straight out of Vogue!

This was the most incredible thing I have ever done for myself! I didn’t do it for any other reason than just to have a way to remember that I was classy, beautiful and young. It was such a confidence booster too. Alana the photographer will make you feel like you are the most amazingly beautiful thing that ever walked the planet. Rachel that went over my photos with me helped me pick out the most gorgeous photos of the shoot and helped me understand how the process works. It was so much fun, I can’t tell anyone enough what an incredible experience this was. It is something that EVERY WOMAN SHOULD DO! PRICELESS EXPERIENCE.

I had a fantastic time having my professional boudoir photos done here! I had a great experience from picking lingerie (absolutely loved the one I got as part of my groupon deal – I used it as one of my outfits for shooting) to hair and makeup (it turned out great in the photos), to shooting (I felt completely comfortable and confident in the session), to editing (we were totally on the same page when trying to narrow my huge selection of photos down to 12). At no point did I feel pressured to buy anything «extra». This was an amazing experience! I totally recommend it! I did it for my fiancée to give to him before the wedding and he is going to loooove them! They make you look amazing!

I wanted to give this place 5 stars SO badly. And if my review was just written on the actual experience that I had with the photographer and make-​up artist, there would be no problem. But that is not the case.
The makeup artist/​hair stylist is so sweet and does a great job of making you feel comfortable. She is young and honest and I enjoyed the time we had together playing dress-​up.
The photographer is absolutely phenomenal and so talented. In the amount of time you have, she is able to get so much done that it’s incredible. Like the makeup artist, she is wonderful at making you feel comfortable and beautiful. I felt like I was doing a photo-​shoot with an old friend as we joked around and laughed and tried new positions. It was such a fun experience that I almost wish that I hadn’t gone back for the pictures.
First of all, I want to preface the rest of this review by saying that I am not an outrageously picky person who finds fault in every little detail. I am a normal girl with very little photo-​shopping experience who doesn’t care if a friend tags me in a hideous picture on Facebook. I came in to this with pretty realistic expectations and I just wanted to get a few cute pictures to give to my husband.
That being said:
The girl you make an appointment with to «select» your photos is a total sales person who has obviously been well trained on how to tell every client exactly what they want to hear in order to get them to purchase as many of these pictures as possible. She spends an hour puffing up your ego telling you how you can’t possibly leave without purchasing at least 10 (which costs about $ 1,000) of these AMAZING pictures because you are just so beautiful it would be a crime to not have them! I saw right through it, but alas still walked out spending an embarrassing amount of money. She was nice, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that her whole routine was very see-​through for me.
But here is where we get to the real gritty part. When you are scanning through your 100 plus pictures with the sales girl, you are looking at them on a tv screen across the room. You can tell that they have obviously been edited, but you aren’t close enough to see just HOW much editing has been done until you get them home and on your computer. When I saw these pictures up close, my mouth dropped in horror. It looked like a high schooler had gotten a hold of their parents copy of Photoshop and edited them. They were so poorly done, I have shown a number of them to my friends (who know nothing about photo editing) and they just laughed! In an attempt to make me appear thinner, they cropped a few inches of my body off here and there. The problem is that It literally looks like someone took the eraser from Microsoft Paint and just chopped off my arm chubb. No blending, no shadow manipulation. They use some sort of softening tool on the face to give you the «porcelain doll» look, but it looks hastily done because they missed spots and it’s extremely blotchy. I showed them all to a girlfriend of mine who is a photographer and all she could do was shake her head in disbelief. Not only because they were so poorly done, but because they are SO expensive for being so poorly done! I would just LOVE to have been given the originals, cellulite and all, so that I could have had my friend do the editing herself.
It honestly just bums me out so much because I spent a good amount of money on the entire ordeal (including the hair and makeup and outfits). I had planned on putting a few on canvas for my husband as an anniversary gift, but out of the 12 pictures I purchased, I was only able to use 2 of them. Such a shame and a waste of money.
I can see where this company has potential. Apparently other people have been happy with their results. But in my case, you just cannot put out such a poorly done product at that price point and expect people to be happy with it.

I had my deBoudoir appointment yesterday and had sooooo much fun. I was very nervous at first but Kylie and Alina soon had me at ease and laughing. They are awesome, very professional but fun at the same time. I had a Groupon deal, so I got a corset from their large selection and I LOVE IT! I felt very comfortable having this done with all women, I felt relaxed and even empowered. I am very excited to view my photos and have them for years to come (and my husband is too). Thank you ladies for an amazing experience!

It’s one week today since I made the first photo shooting of my life. I can’t stop looking at the photos! What am I? Narcissus?
The whole experience was incredible. I loved his place and the girls since I stepped into the studio.
They made me feel at home, I had a good coffee, my hair beautifully done, super nice make up, found the perfect pieces to wear, chit chatted and when I was feeling relaxed it was just the time to pose!
I never thought I could be spontaneous and at ease but I had a very positive experience.
The staff is super super nice and friendly that I didn’t even want to leave!
Thank you deBoudoir, together we built a memory that to me is precious!

I am speechless. These photos are artistic and classic. I had such an enchanting time at deboudoir. This is something I will cherish for ever… and so will my husband.
From the moment I walked in the doors, all the girls were so excited about each outfit and were there to help me put things together. I was handed a glass of wine and sat in the prep chair for my hair and makeup with Kylie… which turned out FLAWLESS!!! If you have the resources I definitely recommend getting hair and make up. Make up at the very least… makes your pictures so much bolder. I asked for a bolder natural look and that is exactly what I got… not over done. And lashes helped :)
i was made to feel so comfortable during the photo shoot. Everything felt natural and easy (and it was proven when I saw my final product). The studio has so many different angles and Alina knows how to work all of them into your outfit and energy. It was nice to have a one on one with Alina. I debated on bringing my sister or best friend but I truly believe it is best to go by yourself. After all, this is and should be for yourself and you will be less likely to hold back. I cannot express enough how easy going and professional Alina is. She will play music and fill your wine glass (appropriately ;)) to help you feel at home.
When I went back to view my photos I was astonished. I had never done anything like this before and I looked like I had been doing it for years. The shots and editing are impeccable and timeless. They are definitely VERY pricey… sort of have to think of it as buying wedding photos, but they are so worth it. Every shot is gorgeous and there was no way I was going to just be able to pick a few. Luckily, they have a payment plan you can do in 4 months or less… totally worth it. I do not regret it.
Side note, I added 30 minutes (extra $$ but I had done the groupon so it wasnt a big deal) and I ended up doing to fine art shoot. This is a totally nude shoot but all in black and white and is the most beautiful art I have ever seen… and its me!!! Literally breath taking. Every woman should do it if they can! They are so soft and artistic and capture the most intimate and beautiful curves. I am not one that is shy about being nude but I was nervous about posing and afraid my face would look awkward (seeing as Im a casual/​goofy lady… not girly or «sexy» if you will).
I was almost in tears seeing these photos. Amazing work. I have no problem giving these ladies 5 stars… I wish there were more. My only con is the price of pics… but who cares… when you see the outcome youll understand.
Thank you Kylie, Alina, and Rachel… such a beautiful job you ladies do. Ive managed to get 5 ladies to sign up just minutes after my shoot ;)