2 Really think about that compliment, visualise it, make it as bright and colourful in your mind as you possibly can. Things that I think of when I’m snappin’ happy are: The Pink Ladies and I watching Audrey Hepburn films back to back…Angel and I shopping for shoes…the lady who told me I looked great in my pink legwarmers and glitter pumps combo at the bus stop…having my art-girl photos displayed in a real-life proper gallery…
3 When you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, open your eyes and check out your reflection in the mirror, love yourself up sweet thing!
4 Now you’re feeling all sparkly-gorgeous about yourself, snap your fingers. The finger snap action becomes an instant feel-good switch to your brain, so whenever you need a sprinkle of feel-fab glitter, just snap your fingers to activate your very own Beauty*licious confidence boost!
Bust the Myth
Shhh, you want to know a secret?
NO ONE really looks like they do in professional pics. Not even supermodels. (Cue excessive whooping and a collective sigh of relief from Pink Ladies everywhere!)
When the original mucho-gorgeous supermodel Cindy Crawford was asked how she handled the body-envy she inspired in other girls, she was brutally honest:
“WOMEN ARE ALWAYS ASKING WHY THEY DON’T LOOK LIKE ME, WHAT THEY DON’T REALISE IS THAT I DON’T LOOK LIKE ME EITHER.”
It takes a whole lot of lighting, make-up, pinning, posing and airbrushing to make model-types look picture perfect. So instead of bustin’ your butt trying to achieve a totally unachievable body that even a supermodel won’t lay claim to, take a lesson in loving yourself up. You ARE Beauty*licious–cuddly tums, curvy thighs, bony bums included–yep, you’d better believe it!
Beauty*licious inspir-o-girls
Don’t get me wrong, I still dig celeb girls. I just don’t want to be them–which, let me tell you, makes my life a whole lot easier. Instead of trying to work a body shape that’s just not healthy or crushing on their super-expensive matching Prada mules and handbag ensemble, I use celeb girls as a source of Beauty*licious inspiration.
In fact, j’adore my collection of ‘Beauty*licious girls–past and present’ mostest. They come in varying shapes and sizes and have a whole lot of totally diggable qualities, because being Beauty*licious is about so much more than looks. Fact.
Jane Mansfield–a 50’s Hollywood starlet who was all curves, bottle blonde locks and lived in a Pink Palace–what’s not to love?
Beyoncé–not only is she uber-talented, she will happily admit that she has to work at making her butt both Beauty*licious and bootylicious on a daily basis. Phew!
Lynda Carter–the original Wonder Woman, not only did she rock out in Lycra but she was strong in both character and physique.
Madonna–Madonna is officially the queen of re-invention, when she gets bored of the look she’s currently working, well, she just changes it–my kinda girl!
Lucille Ball–the star of retro American sit-com I Love Lucy, with her famous flaming scarlet coiffure she gave red heads everywhere their very own bombshell.
Pink–not only my absolute favourite colour but also my favourite pop-girl. The embodiment of all that is feisty, fun, fearless and fabulous. Pink–I salute you!
Who are your Beauty*licious inspir-o-girls and why?
find your muse
Channel your inner-art-girl and create your own one-of-a-kind inspiro-art.
What you will need:
Sweet music–to create a boho-art-girl atmosphere
Materials with which to create–old magazines, paints, quotes you dig, colouring pens
Scissors and a glue stick
An Andy Warhol-esque imagination
Instructions:
Find images of your very own Beauty*licious inspir-o-girls along with some inspiring feel-good quotes and most importantly, a photo or drawing of you workin’ your best Beauty*licious ’tude pose…
Now, use your material to make your very own Beauty*licious objet d’art for your boudoir wall. Make it as adorably delicious as you possibly can with the picture of you at the very centre, natch. When your Beauty*licious creation is finished, hang it in a prominent place, to be looked at, and adored on a daily basis.
Under pressure
Angel: Pink Lady and all round gorgeous girl, has killer curves.
Her trunk is most definitely packing junk and she looks really rather fabulous. Yet despite her Beyoncé-esque figure, she completely bought into the whole thin fantasy.
“…IT’S TRUE, I DID. I GO TO AN ALL-GIRL, SUPER-POSH BOARDING SCHOOL IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE-VILLE, WHERE THE PRESSURE TO FIT IN IS MUCHO-HIGH. THE HAIR-SWISHIN’, POUTY GIRL-TYPES GOT ME TO THINKING THAT IF ONLY I WERE THINNER LOTS OF THINGS WOULD CHANGE. SO I WENT ON A DIET. A CRAZY-ASSED DIET, THAT MEANT I DIDN’T EAT, LIKE, VIRTUALLY ANYTHING.
EXCEPT, BY THE THIRD WEEK I HAD BECOME ALL SILLY AND FORGETFUL AND BY WEEK FOUR I WAS SENT HOME FROM THE SUPER-POSH BOARDING SCHOOL BECAUSE I HAD FAINTED IN THE BATHROOM. MUCHO EMBARRASSMENTO. LUCKILY FOR ME, I WAS WEARING A MATCHING PAUL FRANK UNDERWEAR COMBO AT THE TIME–COULD YOU IMAGINE IF I’D MADE A BAD CHOICE OF UNDER GARMENTAGE THAT DAY? (NOTE TO SELF: AIN’T NEVER GONNA HAPPEN SISTA, YOU’RE A FASHIONISTA!)
WANTING TO CHANGE PART OF MY BODY WASN’T A PHYSICAL THING, IT WAS A SIGN OF MY SUPER LOW SELF-ESTEEM. I KNOW ITS HARD TO BELIEVE, WHAT WITH ME BEING ALL SASSY AND SELF-LOVIN’ NOW, BUT THE PRESSURE TO LOOK LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN AN ALL-GIRL SCHOOL IS HUGE AND WHEN THE SO-CALLED NORM’ IS TO LOOK LIKE A SUPER-SKINNY WAIF GIRL, THAT PRESSURE CAN BECOME ALL-CONSUMING.
IT WASN’T UNTIL I LOVED MYSELF UP FOR BEING SO FABULOUSLY YOU-NIQUE THAT I WAS ABLE TO CHANGE MY BAD BODY TUDE TO A FIERCE, KICK-ASS, BEAUTY*LICIOUS TUDE. LETS FACE IT, WITH AN AFRO AS BIG AS MINE AND A BOOTY TO MATCH, I’D BE FOOLISH NOT TO WORK IT LIKE A 70’s DIVA, RIGHT?”
Y’see, Angel’s problem didn’t vanish once the weight had disappeared. Which, while rude and wrong, is an unfortunate fact. So if you’re hating your bum, or not digging your thighs–even if the banish-bad-bit fairy was able to, well, banish bad bits–your life wouldn’t instantly become A-list fabsville, all that would change is your clothes size.
Half the fun of growing up is waiting to find out what kind of woman you’ll become and, while I know it takes a whole lot of courage to love and accept the body you’ve got, when you do, life is significantly more Beauty*licious, I promise! So give it a go sweet thing…love the skin you’re in!