Top #3 Merthology Creations Silicone Seashells
Custom made to color request. One size fits all.
Price:
$47.00 (+ $50 shipping UK to US, included with a 2nd top) /UK dollars £38 = Total plus bikini top $80.79 (plus shipping)
Production Time:
- First message 5/20/17
- Ordered & payment sent 6/12/17
- Production started 7/9/17
- Shipped from the U.K. 8/3/17
- Arrived in Tampa, FL USA 8/7/17
Customer Service:
When I contacted Merthology Creations about commissioning a silicone top she had several options. One option was for silicone shells connected with netting embellished with seaweed and little silicone starfish. All of our communication was over Facebook Messenger. I asked her to match the color of blue on my little seahorse on my tail for the seashells with the edges in cream/gold.
She sent me this picture before shipping. She had also warned me that they were not very supportive which I understood when I purchased them.
Quality/Durability:
The silicone shells are very well made but the seaweed that was attached did not stay on very well. Upon arrival one piece had already fell off. When I tried it on she was correct in that there was ZERO support.
I decided I needed to give them support so I found a bikini on Amazon to attach them too. I removed the netting from the back of the shells. Then I tried to use E6000 to attach them to the bikini….sadly this was my first lesson in “silicone ONLY adheres to silicone.” I then purchased some silicone adhesive and used a ziplock bag filled with water to weigh the shells to the bikini while the silicone dried. Then I attached the little silicone starfish to one strap.
Bikini top purchased from Amazon: Kenneth Cole $33.79
I wore this top at one of the first mermaid meet ups I went to at Ginnie Springs, FL. It fit great but the seaweed kept rubbing on me and it was uncomfortable. A few more seaweed pieces fell off so I ended up just removing all of them. They were just attached with a little bit of clear silicone adhesive so they came off very easily. I find that I really like the simplicity of just the shells and tiny starfish.
After I removed the seaweed and was trying out the Mertailor Fantasea Fin and Skin.
Fit/Comfort:
The shells alone are very uncomfortable with no cups to support “the girls” (which Sam told me about). The back of the shells are a nice smooth silicone that felt nice against my skin. However, the seaweed was irritating around my armpits.
Now that I have them attached to a bikini top that fits me and removed the seaweed, it is one of the most comfortable tops I own. It is great for laid back swimming and enjoying myself in my tail. I like having an option for a casual mermaid top that is still 100% mermaidy. It seems like it will hold up for a very long time. The shells haven’t lost any color or gotten any scratches. I love how it folds in half making it very easy to store and carry.
This top works great for layering. I’m wearing the blue shells under this see-through top and it works great.
Pros:
- Well made silicone shells
- Nice paint job that matches my tail
- Silicone is thick and very durable.
- Very affordable
Cons:
- Not supportive
- Had to attach it to my own bikini
- The seaweed was uncomfortable and did not stay attached
Lessons learned:
- I took a risk and ordered a top from someone who didn’t sell through a website and it worked out really well.
- I would defiantly order from Merthology Creations again. The price for what I received was spot on. If I bought this again I would just purchase the pieces…just the silicone shells and/or the small silicone starfish.
- Shipping from UK To US can be expensive but for the right price of the goods it can be worthwhile.
- That silicone only adheres to silicone so don’t use E6000 on it.
- Even if something isn’t perfect for you at first there are many ways to make it work for you. Get creative!
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