Featured on ‘AllDolledUp.com’

Tribe of Mannequins received a wonderful shout out on ‘AlwaysDolledUp.com’!

What is “contouring” and why does it matter?  Contouring is the strategic placement of different shades of makeup in different places to create an illusion.  I find it fascinating how quickly this “art” can transform your facial features.  Check out Kim Kardashian below for prime example of the power of contouring, and read this blog post for an amazing step-by-step guide and photos of other transformations.

http://www.alwaysdolledup.com/2013/01/the-power-of-contouring-kim-kardashian.html

http://tribeofmannequins.wordpress.com/tag/highlighting-shades-especially-below-their-eyes-beautiful-kim-kardashian-her-cheekbone-contouring-is-blended-extremely-well-and-naturally-her-brow-bone-looks-amazing-as-usual/

 

My post on contouring has received 80 comments thus far. I’m glad it has interested you guys and gals, just as it interests me to write these articles. I enjoy researching, find great visuals, structuring the posts and putting everything together.

 

Keep stopping by! :)

Weight Fluctuation

Your weight as a number is incredibly fickle. It can drop and rise daily!  Even…Hour to hour *gasp* I know! :(.

We know that when we stand on our scales at home, or at the gym – we’re not just measuring muscle and fat. And according to Shape.com; That number also represents the weight of your bones, organs, bodily fluids, glycogen (the form of carbohydrate you stow away in your liver and muscles, and the waste inside your digestive tract that you haven’t yet eliminated. Given all of these variables there are three common reasons you may see a bump up on the scale, even while you’re losing body fat:

•  Sodium

Water is attracted to sodium like a magnet, so when you consume more salt or sodium than usual;  you may hang onto more water.

Solution?…It may seem counterproductive, but drink MORE water. It will help flush out the water you’re hanging onto. Potassium rich foods are also key, as they have a natural diuretic effect — great choices include a small banana, lima beans, cooked spinach, beats, cantaloupe and honeydew melon.

• Constipated

Sorry ladies, it’s not all glam, rainbows and butterflies – it’s life. It can cause you to weigh more until your body releases the waste it’s hanging onto. It’s not uncommon for women to experience constipation as part of PMS *Boo!*

Solution? Drink MORE water, again. And eat foods rich in soluble fiber; like oats, barley, figs, beans, chia and flax seeds and citrus fruits.

• You’re Storing More Carbs

Your body has a huge capacity to store carbs…Unlucky for me, as it’s my favourite type of food (bread, potato etc) — you can sock away at least 500 grams. For reference; one slice of bread packs 15 grams of carbs. When you eat more carbs than your body immediately needs, you’ll store the leftovers in your liver and muscles, which will stay there until they’re needed for fuel. And for every gram of glycogen you stockpile, you also put away about 3-4 grams of water, so essentially it’s a double whammy when it comes to your weight *Double boo!*

Solution? Cut back, but don’t cut out carbs, and focus on quality. Ignore refined, dense carbs like white breads, pasta and baked goods, and include a small amount of a whole grain at each meal, like steel cut oats, brown or wild rice or quinoa (great for protein, fellow vegans). A great example: a small scoop of wild rice topped with a stir-fry made from a variety of veggies sautéed in sesame oil, along with tofu or edamame beans.

Don’t worry guys and gals; it’s normal for your weight to go up and down, so if you do see a slightly increase, don’t panic!

To gain just one pound of actual body fat, you’d have to eat 3,500 more calories than you burn (think 500 excess calories every day for seven days straight. If your weight on the scale increases by one pound and you haven’t consumed an excess 3,500 calories, you haven’t actually gained a pound of body fat. So shift your focus away from the scale and toward how you look and feel. It’s very possible to see more muscle definition and even a reduction in inches when your weight in pounds hasn’t budged.

For me, I look and feel – not my best right now. Not what makes me feel comfortable and confident. I’ve gained quite a lot of weight since moving country, before I joined the gym again, and was not getting a lot of exercise. Coupled with quick snacks here and there instead of healthier meals. Thank goodness I’m vegan anyway so didn’t have the added fattiness of cheese, milk and meat, I don’t think my body could have coped.

I have gone up a few dress sizes; which to the ‘average’ person, might not seem like a big deal, but for me…I am only 5 foot 3 inches tall; which means when I gain weight, it shows…A lot. Increasing in just one dress size would look visually different on me, but as it’s a few sizes up – it’s noticable. Even to the point when my one baggiest comfy jeans that would fall down a little, now don;t fit me…At all. For example; I literally cannot do the zip up.

And when trying to take some pictures for this blog for example; it takes a fair few goes until I am able to find an angle that’s flattering. This isn’t just in terms of bodyshape, but my face, neck and chin.

Since I gave up smoking in March 2011 – go me! Having smoked since I was about 11 years old (I know – extremely bad), it has been harder to say ‘No!’ to food. Whether out of boredom or emotional eating, it’s just harder to turn it down. Whereas when I smoked – if I had a few bits of change on me and it was lunchtime; I’d go for the cigarettes every time rather than eating. Smoking suppresses your appetite, we know this. But it also causes premature aging and wrinkles, so if your vain – don’t do it..Not to mention extreme health issues.

The only way for me to eat less carbs and ‘bad stuff’ and more good stuff, is by exercising. I’ve gone through the weight lifting, pure gym-head route but for me personally, it doesn’t stick – like a fad diet, I get bored.

Fitness classes and regimes are what work for me, they are fun, motivational, and other people are in them for the same/similar reasons as you. Everyone wants to feel better. And it works! It gets your blood pumping, endorphins buzzin’ and mentally – it makes me feel better.

I’d love it to be more sociable too, but the women in my classes don;t like chatting, even during breaks – which is okay, I respect that; some needs to get into a zone.

People put weight on in different areas, some their bottoms (lucky! – I want more toosh!), some their bosoms (lucky! I want more bosom), some the stereotypical areas such as  gut/muffin top (me), arms, thighs (me), waist (me) and some in odd areas; I’ll elaborate shortly. I remember reading an article with Mila Kunis being interviewed post-Black Swan. She was saying that since dieting down for her role on the film and ceasing filming. She has put the weight back on her body in weird areas. I can relate completely. One of the reasons it’s very noticeable on me is that I gain it on my face. Around my cheeks, it adds to the general shape of my face; which isn’t ideal as I have a round face to start with. I also gain weight on my neck/chin/double chin. This is the worst part, because you always look like you’ve ut on weight when you have a double chin. And at the moment – it’s constantly a double chin. To take pictures I have to stick my head out from my neck – not just the normal amount for a flattering picture; but a crazy amount, so much so it looks like I am suffering from a health problem! I also gain weight on my fingers, so not only do I get a double chin and muffin top, and larger thighs – bye bye leggings. I then can’t wear my favourite rings.

This – as you can imagine, portrays a strange shape, and one that I’m not completely comfy with as I am small-framed naturally. I don’t have boyish hips, but I have a small bust, an I am short, so when I gain weight, it’s very noticeable, and it’s just not comfortable carrying extra weight. It’s not as easy to breathe and walk around for long periods of time without feeling like you’re waddling.

Many of you reading this are probably thinking – “why on earth is she telling people this information?”, or “I would never disclose these details about myself”…This is exactly why. It’s important that women and men understand it’s normal. We are human, it happens.

I’m not embarrassed that I’ve gained weight, and at the same time – I’m not ‘proud’ like many people say – celebs mostly. I’m not indifferent either. I’m not comfortable with it, with the way I look, and so – I’m going to change it.

If you are not happy, and you are able to – change it, be happy. Life is too short to be unhappy.

I got heavily into the gym lastyear and started to get great definition in my abs and biceps. Now – the muscle is still there, but under some layers of fat.

I have started attending fitness classes again; such as ‘Step & Tone’, ‘Toning/Strengthening’, ‘Shape Up’, ‘Yoga’ (my favourite), ‘Pilates Abs/Pilates’ and some others sporadically through the week after work. I am working these around two new societies I am joining: a dramatics society in Doha and Qatar Photographic Society, as well as volunteering at an animal shelter.

Beauty is only skin-deep, and if you are unhappy with something, or feel like something is missing, you can add more meaning to your life :).

I decided that I would start taking progress pictures of how I get on with weight fluctuation/weight loss/muscle definition.

I already have the diet down pat, so now to up the fitness regime.

This is me, much curvier a weight than what I am personally happy at:

This is me, age 3. As a baby/toddler I was chubby. I like cute chubby kids:

And again, here – slightly older (the blonde one in the yellow jumper):

This is me aged – around 14 years old. I began thinking I was ‘fat’ as I had a round face. But no matter how much weight I made myself lose, I couldn’t get my face to slim. I got over that by about 16 years old:

The same year, I really controlled what I consumed and ended up wearing a size 4-6 UK jeans! I couldn’t fit into those now – and I wouldn’t want to – that’s too skinny for my frame:

As a gangly teenager with blue/green hair, holding the sheep bag:

The last day of school, my weight had fluctuated again. I was taking pills for my very bad spots, which in turn made me gain weight (yes – I’m the one in the pale blue jumper. And yes – I was smoking in the picture – very bad I know):

Since being an adult, not a teenager; my slimmest pictures – that I could find, are below:

(2008)

(2008)

(2008)

(2009)

(2010)

(2011)

Whilst still trying to keep some pride, here are some recent pictures of  me having gained weight over the last few months:

(I really had to crane my head out of my neck to avoid the double-chin in this picture).

(bear in mind I’m breathing in my bulged belly a lot here). – Whenever I eat potato or bread my stomach swells to that of a 5 month pregnant women. I have gluten issues. Which is why I am now bread, gluten and sugar free (as well as being vegan of course).

Lots of women and men experience gains and losses, celebrities like the following – for example:

Kate Winslet

Fergie

Janet Jackson – AKA: Give me your abs!

Christina

Kirstie Alley (love her in Look Who’s Talking. Gorgeous eyes)

Khloe Kardashian (I think Khloe is the most attractive Kardashian sister. I know they’re not shows or bags that we should pick out who’s prettier, But if I’m being honest – I do. She has such a beautiful smile).

Kelly Osborne

Tyra Banks

Mila Kunis – but she’s beautiful eitherway.

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Stroup

Since I’ve been back at the gym and proved my eating my stomach has been the first to notice:

After Week 1:

After Week 2:

 

Update…Week 3:

…

So we’ll see. Life gets in the way sometimes, of training, fitness classes, yoga, home-cooked healthy meals – these kinds of things; we all know that. But as long as we are happy and comfortable in our one skin – that’s all that really matters. You could be a size 20, or a size 6 – whatever suits you and your life; that’s what makes you shine.

I find Dawn French attractive as much as I do Keira Knightly; they are both beautiful to me. Maybe I view people and things differently – I don’t know. Maybe Dawn French’s inner beauty and humour shine out so much it makes her as attractive as the younger leading lady Keira. Maybe I’m just not as into skinnier chicks. Who can say.

What I can say is…Be happy, be true, be you.

Kirstiie xxx

Also…I love baking (vegan) desserts too much to be too skinny ;)

This is one of my vegan cupcakes – banana spilt!

You can can the recipe at my foodie blog:

http://houseofvegan.wordpress.com/

Enjoy! :)

27

Another Birthday, another day getting older…Another day – needing to find a good wrinkle cream for fear of old age creeping up on me unawares!

Last week saw me turn 27 years old.

Yep – the big 2. 7.

(My fella got me these beautiful white roses. They were delivered to my office, so I brought ‘em home with me – I turned bright red and bashful :)).

(And these gorgeous Tiffany diamonds on a white gold setting. So special).

My friend, who is in her early 30s asked me yesterday if I had started to use wrinkle creams. I said I hadn’t as yet, but I know that prevention is better than cure, so I should be on the lookout for a good one…The most important thing is that it is cruelty-free, not tested on animals and vegan.

I would rather have a weathered face than the knowledge that I have contributed to the pain, torture, misery and inevitable death of another being. No matter what species they are.

Especially beings that can’t talk…Or won’t be listened to.

Nevertheless, I need an anti-aging cream/wrinkle cream.

At the moment, I do have a skincare routine; depending on the time I have on that particular morning, or how tired I am at night; it usually consists of

-Make-up removal; using an oil-based cleanser/make-up remover – that concentrates on eye makeup and mascara..I wear a lot of this.

- Toner, non-acidic; just to bring my skins PH levels back to normality.

- Coconut oil – 100%. Yep – the same one you use for cooking. My friend Tessa, recently introduced me to oils in skincare routines, and this has definitely been making a difference to overall glow and smoothness.

- Rose water – Yep, the same one you use for cooking also. I use this last, after the application of the coconut oil, it removes the greasiness, and makes my skin feel ultra soft!

- Moisteriser – This is a must. I use it all over, especially on face, neck, elbows, arms, knees and feet. I get dry skin so it’s really nice. I also have very oily skin in certain areas – my face; namely T-Zone; so definitely combination skin here!

What is your skincare routine?

Do you use oils? What kind/s?

Do you swear by a product? Perhaps an unusual one – I’d like to hear it! :)

I’ve recently been looking into homemade face masks, and am experimenting with grapes, strawberries, banana and oatmeal! It’s fun…And yummy.

Are there any foods you use on your skin/hair?

Sunless tanning

Since the 1960’s the rise of sunless tanning has risen astronomically.
Links have been made by health authorities between exposure to the sun (as well as sun-beds) and incidences of skin cancer.

As a person who lives in a majorly hot country, blessed with sun most of the year; I have to be careful in the sun; I ensure my makeup base has SPF 15 (Mac foundation in No.18), make sure I drink plenty of water, and don’t tend to sunbathe. I do, however, enjoy having a tan.
I personally avoid tanning booths/sun tanning beds and tanning pills at all costs and if anything, am an advocate for self-tanning moisturisers, tinted lotions and the fare – temporary, wash-off and better for…You!

Items commented on in this blog are opinion only and all come with a large HEALTH RISK.

For the basic scientific factoids and background; Wikipedia says ‘Tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. The process is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or from artificial sources, such as a tanning bed, but can also be a result of windburn or reflected light’.
We know that many people consciously tan their skin for different shades, for various reasons. And in turn many people use skin lightening tools.
Some people use sun bathing, some prefer the use of artificial tanning methods.
Some people use chemical products, which can produce a tanning result without exposure to ultraviolet radiation. These are becoming the ‘safest’ and most popular types of products; such as lotions, spray-tans and even tinted moisturisers.

As a society, generally speaking – we are aware that casual exposure to the sun has moderate beneficial impact, including the production of vitamin D by the body. And as time goes on and we become better educated, we realise that excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays has detrimental health effects, including possible sunburn and even skin cancer as well as depressed immune system function and increased risk of accelerated aging.
Many sunless tanning products are available in the form of creams, gels, lotions, and sprays that are self-applied on the skin. Another option is the use of bronzers; cosmetic products that provide temporary effects. There is also a professional spray-on tanning option or “tanning booths” that is offered by spas, salons, and tanning businesses.
Spray tanning does not mean that a colour is sprayed on the body. What is used in the spray tanning process is a colorless chemical, which burns the dead cells located on the top layer of the skin, resulting in a brown color.

Sun beds

A sunbed, or tanning bed is a tool that releases ultraviolet radiation (typically 97% UVA and 3% UVB, +/-3%) to produce a cosmetic tan.
Because of the adverse effects on human health of overexposure to UV radiation, including skin cancer, cataracts, suppression of the immune system, and premature skin aging, the World Health Organisation does not recommend the use of UV tanning devices for cosmetic reasons. In fact, most tanning beds emit mainly UVA rays — which may increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Misusing a sunbed by not wearing goggles may also lead to a condition known as arc eye (snow blindness).
Occasional acute injuries occur where users carelessly fall asleep, as in the case of Marty Cordova and Kerry Corum.

A German medical company named Heraeus made the first indoor tanning lamp in 1903 as part of a research study to help patients with Vitamin D deficiencies. Much later, a German scientist, Friedrich Wolff, used indoor lamps in the 1970s to study the effects and potential benefits of sunlight on athletes. When he discovered that his subjects were getting tan as a side effect, the idea was born.

Dr. Wolff introduced and patented his lamps in the United States in 1978. He later sold his company, Wolff Systems, to his brother Jorg, who founded Cosmedico, Ltd., one of the largest manufacturers of low-pressure sunlamps.

A growing trend is the home tanning bed. Many people are now opting to own their own tanning system instead of going to the salon. The primary reasons are for convenience and privacy. As more and more people and establishments seek to ban young adults from commercial salons, home tanning with the control of a system that allows UV by skin type and a timer may encourage additional sales.
The average home system has 16 to 24 lamps, and in US Dollars costs around $2000 to $3000, making its price competitive (over a number of years) for tanners who frequent salons regularly. This has led to an explosion of retailers that feature smaller, home style tanning beds both on the internet and in traditional retail stores.

Pills

Although gels, lotions or sprays that contain DHA are said to be the most reliable and useful, there are other types of products on the market. Tanning accelerator; lotions or pills that usually contain the amino acid tyrosine claim that they stimulate and increase melanin formation, thereby accelerating the tanning process. These are used in conjunction with UV exposure. At this time, there is no scientific data available to support these claims. And on a personal level, I would avoid things like this at all costs.

Fake tan lotion/gel/mousse

These are usually known as DHA-based products. These products are available as gels, lotions, mousses, sprays and wipes, some of which also use erythrulose which works identically to DHA, but develops more slowly.

Spray tan/spray-tan booth

Professional spray tan applications are available from spas and salons by both hand-held sprayers and in the form of sunless or UV-Free spray booths. The enclosed booth, which resembles an enclosed shower stall, sprays the tanning solution over the entire body.
DHA has been approved for cosmetic use by the FDA. Because DHA does not use the skin’s melanocytes to make the skin a tan colour, it is recommended as a cosmetic disguising cover for vitiligo patients.

Air-brush tanning

Air Brush tanning is a spray on tan done by a professional. It can last five to ten days fading with every shower. It is used for special occasions or to get a quick dark tan. At-home airbrush tanning kits and aerosol mists are also now available.

Tinted moisturiser

A recent trend is that of lotions or moisturisers containing a gradual tanning agent. A slight increase in colour is usually observable after the first use, but colour will continue to darken the more the product is used.

Wash-off tan

Bronzers are a temporary sunless tanning or bronzing option. These come in powders, sprays, mousse, gels, lotions and moisturisers. Once applied, they create a tan that can easily be removed with soap and water. Like make-up, these products tint or stain your skin only until they are washed off.

Tan powder

As the above, the tan colour can be easily removed with water. Soap&Glory have recently come out with a spray powder.

Bronzer/make-up

If you read Tribe of Mannequin’s post on Contouring – look at the bronzing powders etc., these can make a real difference to your look. A subtle sun-kissed look without having for fork out for a professional spray tan, or without going through the hoopla of applying fake tan at home.

Tips/need to knows:
* Tanners can stain clothes. It is therefore important to look for fast drying formulas and wait around 10 to 15 minutes for the product to dry before dressing.
* For the 24 hours after self-tanner (containing high DHA levels, ~5%) is applied, the skin is especially susceptible to free-radical damage from sunlight.

Okay, so there are the technical options and a brief run-down of each. But hey, hold your horses! Let’s look at why. Why are there all of these options? Why do we do this to ourselves?

Historically and culturally

The term “tanning” has a cultural origin, arising from the colour tan. Its origin lays in the Western culture of Europe when it became fashionable for young white ladies to seek a less pale complexion.’

Acquiring a suntan has been popular for many years and is still one of the free and most enjoyable relaxing pleasures in life. However, a golden or dark tan was not always measured as desirable as it is today.

Throughout history, tanning has gone in and out of fashion. In Western countries before about the 1920s, tanned skin was associated with the lower classes, and lower class work, which would have commonly been outdoors.
Women even went as far as to put lead-based cosmetics on their skin to artificially whiten their skin tone. However, when not strictly monitored these cosmetics caused lead poisoning. Achieving a light-skinned appearance was achieved in other ways, including the use of arsenic to whiten skin, and lightening powders. Other methods included the wearing of full-length clothing when outdoors, and the use of parasols. The preference for fair skin continued until the end of the Victorian era.

In 1903, Niels Finsen was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for his “Finsen Light Therapy”. The therapy was a cure for infectious diseases such as lupus vulgaris and rickets. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be a cause of rickets disease, and exposure to the sun would allow vitamin D to be produced in a person. Therefore, sun exposure was a remedy to curing several diseases, especially rickets.

Shortly thereafter, in the 1920s, Coco Chanel accidentally got sunburnt while visiting the French Riviera. Her fans apparently liked the look and started to adopt darker skin tones themselves. Tanned skin became a trend partly because of Coco’s status and the longing for her lifestyle by other members of society.

In addition, Parisians fell in love with Josephine Baker, a “caramel-skinned” singer in Paris. Those who liked and idolised her idolised her dark skin also. These two French women were leading figures of the transformation tanned skin underwent, in which it became perceived as fashionable, healthy, and luxurious.

In the 1940s, advertisements started appearing in women’s magazines which encouraged sun bathing. At this time, swimsuits’ skin coverage began decreasing, with the bikini making its appearance in 1946.

In the 1950s, many people used baby oil as a method to increase tanning. The first self-tanner came about in the same decade and was known as “Man-Tan,” although it often led to undesirable orange skin.

Coppertone, in 1953, brought out the little blond girl and her cocker spaniel tugging on her bathing suit bottoms on the cover of their sunscreen bottles; this is still the same advertisement they use today on their bottles of sunscreen.

In the latter part of the 1950s, silver metallic UV reflectors were common to enhance one’s tan.

In 1962, sunscreen commenced to be SPF rated, although in the US SPF labeling was not standardised by the FDA until 1978. In 1971, Mattel introduced Malibu Barbie, which had tanned skin, sunglasses, and her very own bottle of sun tanning lotion.

In 1978, tanning beds appeared. Today there are an estimated 50,000 outlets for tanning, whereas in the 1990s there were only around 10,000. The tanning business is a five-billion dollar industry in the United States.
Also in 1978, sunscreen with a SPF 15 first appeared.
The 1980’s saw the convertible BMW as ‘The Ultimate Tanning Machine’. The widespread of indoor tanning salons and the launching of California Tan beneficial and protective skin products created a breakthrough in the technology of tanning.

2000 onwards; at the dawn of the new millennium tanning took a new dimension with the entry of Southern movie stars, singers, models and fashion designers with beautiful bronzed swept skins and bodies. The perfect sunless tan is till now, the craze with quality self tanning products.
Today, conscious of the risk of too much sun, thousands of brands of all SPF levels products for adults and children are abounding and eventually, will everybody out in the sun.

Trends

Choosing natural
Some of the most beautiful women in the world are not sun-tanned to the high-heavens with an orange tone. The key point here, is that the natural look tends to be most beautiful.
For example if you have natural olive skin, your hair and colouring match for a reason. And that’s beautiful. Someone with light hair and colouring like me would look overdone with Cheryl Cole’s tan for example. Beyonce looks at her most beautiful when she has bronzer on her already gorgeous glowing skin, not when her skin-tone appears more pale in magazines!

Tans gone good

Extreme

Tanning gone wrong

Tanning addiction

‘Tanning addiction’ is a rare condition where an individual appears to have a physical or psychological addiction to sunbathing or the use of tanning beds. The mechanism of the compulsion is unknown at this time.
Accordingly to Wikipedia, in 2005, a group of dermatologists published a study showing that frequent tanners experience a loss of control over their tanning schedule, displaying a pattern of addiction similar to smokers and alcoholics.
Biochemical evidence indicates that tanning addicts are addicted to an opioid release experienced during tanning. When frequent tanners took an endorphin blocker in a 2006 study, they experienced severe withdrawal symptoms, while infrequent tanners experienced no withdrawal symptoms under the same conditions.

‘Tanorexia’ is the term often used to describe a disorder in which a person participates in extreme tanning to achieve a darker skin complexion because they perceive themselves as unacceptably pale. The syndrome is different than tanning addiction, although both may fit into the same syndrome and can be considered a subset of tanning addiction.
Serious cases of tanorexia can be considered dangerous because many of the more popular methods of tanning (such as those mentioned above) require prolonged exposure to UV radiation, which is known to be a cause of many negative side effects, including skin cancer.
Although the term “tanorexia” has been commonly used by the media and several doctors to describe the syndrome, both the word and syndrome have not been widely accepted by the medical community, and is considered slang by many.
Extreme instances may be an indication of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a mental disorder in which one is extremely critical of his or her physique or self-image to an obsessive and compulsive degree. As it is with anorexia, a person with BDD is said to show signs of a characteristic called distorted body image.

Recent reviews

Me without any fake tan (2004):

Me with fake tan (2011):

Me with bronzer (2012):

Temporary fake tan
Step by step: TO COME SOON!
Wash, Exfoliate, Moisterise, Mitt up and tan!
Stay away for clothing and objects until dry, around 15 minutes. I find painting nails at this time, or tidying/organising items in your bathroom passes the time ☺.

Most importantly of all, be happy in your own skin, you only have one set, treat it like a temple and don’t abuse it :).

Thank you for reading, come by again soon!

Kirstiie @ Tribe of Mannequins

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Crazy for contouring

Since I started contouring; on pretty much a daily basis, I’ve been addicted.
Addicted to how you can use the bones and various areas of your face to – for example, highlight certain features, make other features seem less prominent, and altogether create a more polished and defined look.

Recently, make-up secrets of cosmetic artists to the stars, have come out to the public; aka: little ol’ you and I! Especially since the emergence and, indeed now explosion of reality television; we’re seeing stars and celebrities in their everyday getups (to a point – scripted/unscripted) often without a (completely/full) made-up face.
Whilst it is true, many of these stars have Photoshop to thank (I mean, you gotta’ sell a magazine, right?); much of it comes down to make-up, before retouching digitally.

Women all over the world use facial, and indeed body contouring – with cosmetics to appear thinner, more toned, or muscular, to appear more sun-kissed, and ultimately, more confident.

Just like with painting; contouring uses highlights and shadows to create different depths on the face, using your natural bone structure to highlight and emphasise your biological features and make the areas you’re less proud of, less obvious.

From a slightly wonky nose, to a round face; contouring allows the wearer/user to really almost re-shape their face and features (keep reading for tips and tricks!)

Having a round face myself – made more obvious from head-on pictures – hence the avoidance)…(No matter how many times I try to tell myself it’s ‘love heart-shaped), contouring has been a real lesson! It’s enabled me to emphasise my naturally high cheekbones, and slightly hide the roundness of my face-shape. It’s enabled me to make my nose appear smaller and more defined; and my eyes larger and more prominent. It’s enabled me to look more bronzed and healthier. These are definitely things I look for in make-up; and things I never thought would be possible; just with one make-up set of two-three colours.

Contouring – extreme version/not completely blended for visual purposes.

Contouring; less highlights used; emphasise on jaw, cheekbones and brows.

Obvious nose-to eye contouring; what seems to look normal in a darkened bathroom with one light; may not look normal in broad day light…Hotel bathrooms = issues.

Natural contouring; using mostly peach tones and mediums; and avoiding darks – even to shade.

Natural contouring; using mostly peach tones and mediums. Dark was used to contour, and a light sweep of powder was used to ‘set’ the makeup in place. This also finishes of the smooth appearance – which is why it should be used minimally.

Contouring; using highlights, cheek and contour shades.

Without contouring.

Extreme overdone bronze/medium on cheeks. Made worse by artificial lighting in the mall – not good! This is why less, is definitely more.

Colours

Light (For highlighting)

This part is fun! Accentuating parts of your face with highlights – the lightest colour – done with a concealer a shade or two lighter than your skin tone/usual foundation, I use a lighter concealer stick for the under eye part; avoid wrinkles right under your eye – or blend well; and gently– not a good look!). Once rest of contouring and blush etc. is finished, you can go back with a little highlighting shadow and run it, subtly down your nose in the centre, also top of cheekbones, and brow bone – I do this when rest of eye make-up is complete; especially after I’ve finished filling In my brows.

Medium/cheek (to bronze/blush)

This is a fun part too! When I’ve finished contouring, I apply the blush; which often – is the same colour as my medium tone – that I use on my forehead (top-hairline); others may prefer a more peachy or pink tone, it’s all relative. It’s all dependent on what you like, what suits you, and your own skin tone.

Dark (to shade/contour)

Of course the dark shadow must be blended! Bleeended! I can’t emphasise that part enough.

Celebrity examples of contouring

The Kardashian clan

Kim Kardashian with one of her make-up artists; Mario Dedivanovic. Apologies for the repeated image, however it’s a very good example, and can’t be ignored ☺. I was surprised when I saw this picture. I didn’t before realise she had so much make-up on. Then I started contouring; and it completely makes sense why someone would want to apply it to someone’s face!

Kim Kardashian – Contouring can make such a difference! Taking into consideration, age differences, eye make-up changes, brow alterations and fake tan relaxation; her make-up looks natural, sophisticated and beautiful.

Kim Kardashian – pictured here with friends; including Kelly Rowland; all of which have contoured face make-up. The nose contouring is slightly obvious; but due to it not showing up as well on camera – necessary. The light reflects the lighter, highlighting shades; especially below their eyes – beautiful.

Kim Kardashian – Her cheekbone contouring is blended extremely well and naturally; her brow bone looks amazing (as usual!) with the highlighted eye shadow and the shadowing of the dark to light eye shadow across her lids is perfect for this look. Tamed with a sexy, glamourous cat-eye with false lashes, and natural, glossy lips – this looks is romantic and natural – in comparison to her looks that incorporate harsh lashes and crimson lips.

Kourtney Kardashian – Kourtney is the most petite sister, but this doesn’t make her standout less. She has beautiful make-up in this picture. It’s dewy, sun-kissed and glamourous. I prefer the Kardashian sisters with this kind of look – the smokey, mysterious eye, the blushy peachy pink cheek, nude, glossy lip, bronzed skin and highlighted eyes (under eyes) – it gives an ‘old Hollywood’ look, which I think is just beautiful.

Khloe Kardashian – I think Khloe is fun. She gets a lot of stick from the press about being the ‘less attractive sister’ and other such ridiculousness. But I think she’s beautiful. Here, you can see how contouring and highlighting has extenuated her features and given her an overall glow. It has given her complexion a healthier look and it has given her face and cheekbones and more defined effect.

Other Celebrities’, contoured:

Serena Williams – the contouring and highlighting has made a massive difference to her overall glow. This is what Jennifer Lopez relies on to keep-up her ‘Glow’ brand.

Amber Heard – she’s definitely one of my current ‘look’ crushes. She carries of f the vintage bombshell look wonderfully; she has amazing bone structure, and a megawatt smile.

Rita Hayworth – Gorgeous. And, contoured. Yes – you read correctly, folks; it’s not as obvious as celebrities’ tend to have their make-up in today’s magazines, but Rita used to contour her brow line regularly. This is detailed more in the Facial Contouring: Forehead section, later on.

Megan Fox with beautiful applied make-up. Her bronzing and blush creates a very healthy glow, and finished of with the gorgeous pink lip; this is a lovely fresh, romantic look.

Extreme Contouring

I know this is extreme contouring; however it doesn’t detract from the fact that she has gorgeous features that are definitely extenuated. Celebrities usually have their contouring slightly overdone as it shows up less on camera. However, mixed with harsh lights and paparazzi flashbulbs – the make-up really shows up.

Nikki Minage with over-done nose contouring, also – the lack of mascara on her bottom lashes mixed the extreme false ones on her top lips are killing me!

Yes, you guessed it – that’s a still from the awesome ‘Shaolin Soccer’! It’s very 80’s, by which I not only refer to the extreme shoulder-pads and ‘Pat Butcher from Eastenders’ earrings; but the lip colour, blusher and nose contouring.

Contouring facial features

There are five basic facial shapes: oval, square/rectangular, round, heart and diamond. Most women prefer to create an illusion of an oval face shape and other just want to enhance their facial shape. The following are techniques for creating an oval illusion for the basic shapes.

Diamond-shaped face

Characteristics:
Narrow forehead
Narrow Chin
Wider cheeks than jawline

Objective:
To balance Forehead and jawline must appear wider

Techniques:
Apply regular foundation before contouring makeup
Apply lighter shade of foundation at angle on both sides of forehead
Apply lighter shade of foundation at angle from middle to bottom of jawline
Apply blush on the ball of the cheek in a crescent shape. Blend outward out toward hairline

Heart-shaped face

Characteristics:

Widest across forehead
Tapers down to cheeks, then down to narrow, sometimes pointed chin
Jawline is not prominent

Objective:
To balance face
Forehead must appear more narrow and lower half of face more wide

Techniques:
Apply regular foundation before contouring makeup
Apply darker shade of foundation on either side of forehead
Apply lighter shade of foundation at either side of jawline
Apply blush starting under the ball of the cheek
Blend away toward the center of the ear

Round face
(This is me, folks! – Which one are you?)

Characteristics:
Width about same as length
Short forehead
Wide cheeks
Roundness through jaw

Objective:
Create more definition Forehead and jawline must appear more narrow

Techniques:
Apply regular foundation before contouring makeup
Apply darker shade of foundation in an arc on either side of forehead
Apply darker shade of foundation on either side of jaw up to tip of ear. This will eliminate fullness in these areas
Apply blush on the ball of the cheek beginning at point just outside of center of eye. Extend to temples near hairline.

Square/Rectangular-Shaped Face

Characteristics:
Width of cheeks and forehead are similar
Width of jawline and forehead are similar
Prominent jawline
Angular overall appearance
Rectangular face is longer than it is wide

Objective:
To soften angles Forehead and jawline must appear more narrow

Techniques:
Apply regular foundation before contouring makeup
To make forehead appear more oval, apply darker shade of foundation on either side of forehead and blend
To make jaw appear more oval, apply darker shade of foundation on either side of jawline and blend
Apply concentration of blush directly on the ball of the cheek. Blend toward the top of the ear for a square face and middle of the ear for a rectangular face

Oval-Shaped Face

Characteristics:
Equal distance from hairline to eyebrows, from eyebrows to tip of nose and from nose to chin
Wider forehead than jawline Prominent cheekbones gently taper to oval chin

Techniques:
Apply blush just under the ball of cheekbone, directly below the outer part of the iris
Extend in smooth arc, fading toward top of ear

Overall contouring basics

Rita Hayworth contoured along her forehead, chin and cheekbones. Rita was actually Mexican. Stylists in Hollywood went to great lengths to make her features seem more ‘European’ in appearance, including electrolysis to her hairline and lots of contouring.

Ava Gardner contoured along her jaw, nose and cheekbones.

Nose

Contouring & Highlighting Techniques for Different Noses:
Flat Nose
Apply highlight down the center of the nose, avoiding the sides. Smooth and blend down the centre.

Broad Nose
Slim down a broad nose with a foundation that is one shade darker than your natural skin tone. Sweep along the sides of the nose with a small, firm makeup brush. Start just below the inner corners of the eyebrows, and end at the sides of the nostrils. Stroke a lighter shade of foundation down the bridge of the nose. Blend well.

Long, Wide Nose
Apply darker shade of foundation on either side of the bridge of the nose.
Extend down along each side of the nose and blend.
Extend contour down, between, and around nostrils, covering tip of the nose.
Blend.

Narrow Nose
Sweep concealer that’s slightly darker than your natural skin tone down the centre of your nose. Then use a lighter shade on the sides of your nose and nostrils.

Many people have bumps or slightly off-centre noses that they wish to fix. This can be done via the magical of make-up, to a degree.

Soften a Bump
Apply darker shade of foundation directly on bump and blend.
Apply lighter shade of foundation on either side of bump from bridge to nostrils and blend.

Straighten a Crooked Nose
Apply darker shade of foundation on to the bulging side of the nose and blend.
On the opposite side of the nose, apply a lighter shade and blend.

Basic nose contouring:

Marilyn Monroe used lots of contouring on her nose, cheekbones, and hairline.

(This is one of the same tricks that Marilyn Monroe would use; since I found that out around a year ago; I use it often!)

Jennifer Aniston with nose contouring example.

Naomi Campbell with nose contouring down the sides.

Eyes

Apply makeup primer onto clean lids. Press base eye shadow colour on from lash line to crease. This is the lightest shade on your current palette, and it serves as the backdrop for any contouring work you do.

Take an eye shadow brush with a small, flat head and use it to press your darkest eye shadow colour into the outer edges of your top lids in a sideways “V” shape. Blend hard edges away so that your new contour color melds with your base shade.

Finish the rest of your colour eye makeup application in either case by smoothing a subtle highlighter onto brow bones and fading away noticeable edges in the product. This separates your brow bones from the other parts of your eye, just as contouring gives you more of a crease.

My tip: I use a thin, small brush and apply a small amount under the bottom lash, almost lining it underneath.

Good basic colours for natural eye contouring

Advanced application techniques

A gorgeous example of good blending and contouring of the eye

Brushes for contouring

(Picture for visual purposes; by NO means do you need all of these brushes, I don’t have this many!)

Foundation Brush: Used to apply foundation to the face and typically made from synthetic fibers. Most foundation brushes have a small, rounded brush head shaped like a tiny spatula.

Concealer Brush: Concealer brushes look like mini foundation brushes. Being smaller than foundation brushes makes them better suited for covering blemishes or for applying liquid concealers in hard to reach places like the corners of the eyes.

Angled Brush: An angled brush is ideal for sculpting noses. Keep it small so that you have more control over where your product ends up.
There are also larger versions for contouring on forehead with bronzer.

Powder Brush: With a large, fluffy brush heads and soft bristles, powder brushes are ideal for applying loose powder to the face.

Blush Brush: They resemble smallish powder brushes with either a sloped or rounded tip. Great for applying blush or bronzer to cheeks.

Eye Brushes: There are lots of eye brushes to choose from, but the basics are:

Highlighter brush: I use this usually to sweep across the brow bone – under the eyebrows – above where the top and lightest shade of your eyes shadow is. I also use this to sweep highlighting product down the centre of my nose, and often top of cheekbones, and sometimes – underneath where I’ve contoured to my cheekbones for more definition.

Eyebrow Brush: Eyebrow brushes have firm, angled brush heads like the tip of a marker. Use them to apply powders, creams or waxes to brows.
Eyeshadow Brush: Not as stiff as an eyebrow brush, eyeshadow brushes have square heads used to evenly apply both powder and cream shadows to eyelids. I reach for this brush so often that I might as well have it permanently attached to my hand! Expect to use these a lot.

Eyeshadow Brush: Not as stiff as an eyebrow brush, eyeshadow brushes have square heads used to evenly apply both powder and cream shadows to eyelids. I reach for this brush so often that I might as well have it permanently attached to my hand! Expect to use these a lot.

Blending Brush: Like the name implies, blending brushes are used to blend different colored products and to wipe out harsh lines. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Not as firm as eyeshadow brush heads, the heads of blending brushes are usually tapered. This will be your second staple brush (behind your eyeshadow brush).
Crease Brush: Fluffy and soft, crease brush heads come in several different shapes, from thin and tapered to round and fluffy. The shape you choose will depend more on personal preference than anything else. Look for a brush head that feels soft against your eyelid and fits into the hollow of your eye.

This isn’t to say that if you don’t have these brishes that you can’t apply make-up, much less – contour! I contour with four brushes at times! A powder brush (largest of my brushes), powder brush (second largest – about half the size of my cheek for easy blush application – and also used for contouring forehead with bronze/same colour as blush for me usually). And a small brush for applying dark contour powder on face as well as dark eye shadow. Also a small but slightly wider brush for highlighting on face, nose and brow line.

I’ve attempted to use a brush to apply foundation, and personally, for me – I prefer using my hands. I used a Mac foundation without a squirty expeller and dab the bottle little a mini-ketchup bottle onto my left palm. I then use my index finger’s tip to dab on face all over, or where coverage is needed.
Concealer comes straight from the stick onto my face.

So whether you’re a contouring newbie, or an ol’ pro. I hope you enjoyed this post; and learned something new along the way; I know I have (I had no idea Rita Hayworth AKA: Margarita Carmen Cansin, was of Mexican decent – did you? Any-other secrets you’d like to share, feel free to drop me a line) :)

Thank you for reading, come by again soon!

Kirstiie @ Tribe of Mannequins

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Get blushin’!

With just 47% of American women today wearing blush compared to 1948, when 66% wore it (InStyle), blusher is in urgent need of a revival.

Blusher can be your beauty secret weapon. Providing a healthy, natural colour, a sunkissed glow.
It can also be horribly overused.

Bourjois creme blush, and Maybelline’s Dream Mousse Blush in ‘Dolly Pink’ are gorgeous with blonde hair. A red berry stain works beautifully with brunettes.

Dream Mousse Blush uses advanced technology to air-whip the mousse, it feels virtually weightless and glides on quickly and easily creating a unique, silky texture without fading or creasing.

I’ve put together a step-by-step blush guide, including what should be avoided and tips for that perfect apple’d-cheek look:

1. First, choose a tone using your natural colouring as your guideline. According to InStyle, the trick is to find a colour that matches your cheeks when they’re flushed after exercise or being out in the cold. Another trick is to match your lip colour. Fair skin looks great in rose, olive in peach & dark skin in apricot or even red.
I am fair skinned, unfortunately. And would love to be olive. I love wearing dolly-pink blush, red tones don’t seem to suit me, even though my lips are naturally quite red.

2. Now that you have the colour, choose the right formula for your skin type. Powder is typically best for oily & combo skin. Cream is great for dry skin, and appears more natural. Liquid and gel are great for oily skin.
I tend to apply a creme blush first on the apples of my cheeks and then sweep some powder over the top to set it.

3. Use a professional full brush instead of the tiny little brush that comes with the blusher. Also, I’d use a separately brush for your powder, you don’t to end up with a pink nose!

4. Put the blush on your brush, tapping off any excess or put a dab of gel / creme on your fingers.

5. Look into the mirror and smile. This helps you figure out where the ‘apple’ of your cheek is.

5. Since you want a healthy flush, it’s best to apply blush only to apples of your cheeks. Keep color light & blended.

6. If you’ve gone a bit too heavy on the powder blush, a bit of translucent powder over it will calm it down. For cream blush, blot the color off with a tissue. Since gel & liquid blush ‘stain’ the cheeks, the only way to lighten them is it wash your face, moisturise and reapply your makeup, this time more sparingly.

7. Finish your look with a sweep of translucent powder.

8. Extra tip: For a sun-kissed sheen, dab bronzer powder on your forehead, chin & nose BEFORE you apply the blush. To make sure it doesn’t look like a stripe, use “a big brush & a light hand,” suggests makeup artist Bobbi Brown in Lucky Magazine. Those with darker skin tones should try a caramel-color bronzer (not orange) paired with a yellow-based blush, suggests makeup artist Jeanine Lobell in Elle Magazine.

Expert tip:
Feel free to experiment with different ways of shading. Makeup artist Shane Paish suggests in the InStyle, to try a C-shape shading. To do this, apply a sheer highlighting powder in a c-shape from your temples to your cheekbones. It should go from the center of your brow bone to the center of your cheek, Paish said, “like the shape of a parenthesis.”

Tips:
- Clean your brushes with baby wipes. If you don’t keep your brushes clean, they’ll gather bacteria and transfer it to your skin.
- For a sexy look, dab a little shimmery blush on the highest point of your cheekbone nearest your eye.
- Using powder blush? Always sweep it in one direction. Going over & over or around and around causes streaks & can hurt your brush.
- Cream blush is great for mature skin. It blends easily & therefore looks very natural. For gel or cream blush, dab a dot on the apple of the cheek and two smaller dots up the cheekbone. Blend the dots together up to the hairline.
- Dusky pink blush will warm up any tired-looking skin.

I’m off to the mall to pick up a peach blush, I’ve been stuck on dolly pink and / or rose for a while now, but I think it’s time for a change…An experiment. Time to refresh my look, again!

Update:
Having purchased a Bourjois peach undertones blush, I still gentley brush a little pink over the apples of my cheeks (not pictured below – peach only), I think it’s just a matter of looking nicer with blonde hair.

Don’t be shy girls, get blushin’!

New Foundation and Primer review

Pictures above featuring newly purchased Boots own refirm and lift foundation, Maxfactor colourmatch concealer and Bourjois peach blush.

It’s always a gamble getting a new foundation…It is for me at least. Will it be too flaky, too cakey, will it be too thick, too thin? Will it be too greasy, too oily?
I always test it out a little before I buy it of course, but I didn’t test it over the top of primer. And the results are not good.

I decided to purchase the new Photo Ready foundation from Revlon in Vanilla, and I expected the results to be at least a little like the name…But it is so cakey and makes your skin look worse than before. If you don’t have already even skin…In which case the need for so much concealer, foundation and powder would decrease, then this foundation doesn’t really work.

The new primer I bought is by N07, and at an introductory price of AED 70.00, which is around 13 Pounds Sterling. I managed to get it at a bargain price of AED 10.00! So naturally, I picked up two.

I hadn’t opened one or tested it out before I left the store, and when I applied it the next morning, I discovered it is actually a white cream, this does blend into the skin completely however, but unlike my previous transparent gel-appearance Primer, base cosmetics don’t seem to slide on as nicely over the top. Leaving the cakey and rough appearance.

The foundation works quite nicely on the forehead, cheeks and chin, but my problem areas are, and pretty much always have been since my teenage years – the nose, and over the nose to the cheeks below the eyes. This is where the cakey-ness commences.

I decided to look around and find out what other users thought of the Revlon foundation, to see perhaps it’s just a matter of basic skin types vs. foundations, but 8/10 people has experienced a cakey and/or greasy appearance with Revlon Photo Ready Foundation.

When I double-checked my make-up before exiting my car on my way in to the office this morning, I gasped in horror at the sudden cakey lumps that had formed around my temple hair-lines and right eyebrow, I spent the next few minutes trying to correct this without my make-up bag of tricks that I had unluckily left at home today.

Verdict = not a happy bunny. However, I will give it another go without using primer beforehand, as I have heard that when mixed with moisturizer, etc it doesn’t glide over pores and cover blemishes as well. We shall see.

The benefits of Vaseline.

Review on the benefits of using Vaseline on your face as recommended by a friend and subsequently a 40 year old who looks 20…
If you can’t believe her, who can you believe?! – Vaseline to be tested on my face for a period of 4 weeks

* COMING SOON*

Skincare – Part 1: spots.

A friend of mine wrote to me today, although we’re at different ends of the globe, I love reading about what she’s getting up to, her remedy’s, her stories, her tales of new motherhood (and seeing pictures of her TOO cute little guy) :).

She asked me if my blog will include posts about Skin Care. I wasn’t sure at the time, but then I read her story and it echoed mine. I knew I had to write something that affects so many people out there; especially teenagers. And when we’re that young, our minds, consciousness, sense of self is very much in development and our minds are like sponges. We take everything people say literally and personally…I did at least. And the ‘smallest’ things…(Well to us now), seemed just so big at the time. We take things to heart and they affect us, often for the rest of lives – or for a good long time after-wards at least, I know this from experience.
Things can give you complexes, can almost alter the way you see yourself. This is from the media, or from peers, either-way it does touch you deep inside.

This seems a little deep probably for a post about Skin Care, but ‘bad skin’ is something close to my heart in the sense that I suffered a lot from it as a teenager. Even when my face cleared up – around the age of 16, I could still see spots, I would plaster on mounds and mounds of make-up in an attempt to ‘cover’ what wasn’t actually there. Emphasize my eyes by applying SO much eyeliner, eyeshadow and mascara in an attempt to draw away from what I thought was severe acne.
It was almost ingrained in my head…In my eyes. I’m not going to sensationalize this post by stating anything along the lines of body-dysmorphia, but rather – offer some potential solutions to anyone who may stroll across this page and be in my teenage shoes.

My personal solution; although it may well differ from yours as we all know our skins is different and reacts differently.

I’d tried lots of things – seeing a dermatologist, taking prescriptions medicine to clear up the spots – which actually made me gain weight…A spotty, overweight punk looking-teenage goth isn’t the look I was aiming for at the time!

My Dad came home one day and handed me a little squeezy tube of Tea Tree Oil. I started to apply it all the time – I even slept with it on; my spots starting dissipating and although didn’t go altogether (I still had the usual minor T-Zone issues) they were A LOT better.

I now cleanse, tone, moisturize, apply an eclectic array of beauty products and eat healthily.

My friends story plays out as follows, and her solution differs from mine completely.

“I’ll tell you my story. I was a normal kid until the age 11. Every girls nightmare came true: acne began. So young! I was dubbed “rocky mountains” by my brother because that’s exactly what my forehead looked like. My mom never did anything with her skin! So she never taught me how to take care of mine. Commercials advertised Clearasil, Neutrogena, and Clinique for difficult skin but it did nothing for mine. The big Noni juice trend did nothing. I got prescriptions but still nothing. Scars mark my journey trying to find the solution. Finally, 3 years ago, I did.

Something so simple…Sea salt baths.

A friend of mine I was working with told me to do this 3 times a week. I felt I had been given a golden truth! My skin cleared! My youngest brother and sister were still in their teens with serious acne, and like me nothing worked, until they had salt baths!
For my brother it was instant results. To this day I am still amazed and wonder why did it take me so long to know of it. Please tell the struggling acne prone population about salt baths. You’d be their hero because, that friend that told me, is mine. :)”

I hope this may help, even a little, anyone who may randomly surf across this post one day and make you feel better about yourself. As long as you’re comfortable in your own skin and are happy with the way YOU are. That’s all that matters :)