WHEN Kim Kardashian revealed years ago that she duct-taped her boobs for the red carpet, plenty of people thought she was nuts.

Fast-forward to 2022 and it seems like everyone is ditching their bras and taping their boobs into place – and these days, there's more skin-friendly tape to buy and plenty of helpful advice for trying it out.

The boob tape market has exploded in recent years, with several skin -colored brands popping up.

One of the most popular is Nue, a "boob job in a box" that comes in four different skin tones and is designed to be waterproof, comfortable, and gentle on the skin.

An LA-based journalist and stylist, Nue founder Stephanie Montes, 32, knew all about the duct tape method before she branched out to make her own tacky ta-ta picker-upper.

"I’ve worked behind the scenes on so many photoshoots," she told The Sun. "And duct tape, back in the day, was the thing to do. We were duct-taping celebrity boobs both for the red carpet and for editorial and it looked great."

She didn't try it herself until a few years ago when she wore a plunging jumpsuit to her cousin's wedding.

Montes loved the way it made her C-cup boobs look in the outfit, but she still thought the duct tape left something to be desired.

"My boobs looked great," she says. "But it kind of pinched and I remember it crinkling.

"It did the job, but later on that evening when I went to take it off, I was like, "Oooh, this hurts so bad!" I actually have photos where I'm red and raw and almost bleeding. And it was itchy."

Sure that there must be a better way, she searched for boob tape online but mostly turned up options from "sketchy-looking" sites that shipped from overseas.

What's more, the tape tended to come in a single skin tone – for white skin – and was modeled on women with A-cup and B-cup boobs.

"It just didn’t feel like it was speaking to me," Montes says.

"If somebody marketed this on different body types and had different skin tones, that could do really well. So I thought, why not me? So that’s what I did."

Montes invested her own money in her company, starting with three shades of boob tape and later expanding to four.

Hiring her husband, Jerry Peña, as COO, she grew her operation and Nue is now sold on Net-a-Porter and Revolve, in addition to Nue's own website.

She says Nue can get you through an eight-hour day without a bra – and it's easy to put on and take off.

But if you still have questions, she has answers.

The first step is to start with clean, dry skin.

"Do not apply lotion or oils to the skin before applying the tape, because it will affect the adhesive," says Montes.

"Then evaluate your outfit before you start cutting into the product," she continues. "If you’re working with a roll, hold a piece of the roll up to yourself just to get a measurement of how much you think you might need.

"It stretches, so you’re gonna need a little bit less than you think."

After cutting the tape with sharp scissors, hold your boob in the position you want it to sit. Any position in which you can hold your boobs with your hands, you can hold your boobs with tape.

"Then, in a lifting motion, stretch the tape over your boob and into place. Depending on your size or your needs, you might need two or three strips per breast," Montes explains.

Don't overstretch to the point where you can see through the tape, or you'll feel it pulling on your skin and you may end up with odd indentations.

"You want to make sure your boob still has a natural bounce to it," advises Montes.

Montes says that one of the brand's "Nue friends" is a K cup and swears by the tape – and if you're skeptical, they have videos of bigger-busted ladies wearing Nue on social media.

"The only thing that would be different for women with bigger boobs is that they would need more tape," Montes says.

"I would not be concerned about the weight or how saggy they are. You might just need a bit more tape, but it definitely gets the job done."

For many women, summertime is moist underboob season – but Montes says her Nue tape won't come off, even if you're girls are sweaty.

Just make sure your skin is dry when you apply the tape, and it'll be able to withstand any moisture it comes into contact with throughout the day.

In fact, you can even wear it with a bathing suit and it will survive a pool or the ocean.

"Nue is actually completely waterproof so you can swim in it," Montes says

"When it comes to removal, it’s super easy to peal and discard," says Montes.

But if your skin is sensitive or you're worried about the adhesive snagging on peach fuzz, soak the tape in your favorite oil.

Almond oil, olive oil, and scented body oil will all do, and after about five minutes, the tape should slip off.

Nue's tape is $25 per roll or $15 for A Boob Job On The Go, their pre-cut tape.

And a percentage of proceeds from every single sale is donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, a cause close to Montes' heart.

They've also teamed up with a nonprofit that provides new and gently used bras to women in need, including those escaping domestic violence.

"We want to replace bras and be this bra alternative, but we don’t want you to throw your bras away," Montes says of the sustainability effort.

If you donate a bra to The Bra Recyclers, you'll receive 15 percent off your next order from Nue.

I’m plus-size - Good American jeans made me feel snatched but there's an issue

I’m a makeup artist – 7 tricks to knock YEARS off your age

I bought the viral dress from Skims - it exposed a lot &people said to return it

I've got big boobs & have the perfect trick for wearing a bra under a white top

© 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP