Size 20 UK reality TV star in a monokini...and the press likes it?!

Once again, here we are back again on recurring Foxy Roxy topic: Why is the UK so much more accepting about plus-size females than the US?!
They best thing is that women over a US size 12 (UK 14) aren't event considered plus size. They are just considered as chicks. In my experience, you are either hot or not in the eyes of the Brits, size isn't discussed.
British reality star Gemma Collins was recently snapped on holiday sporting a revealing monokini, and the press has been applauding her 20lb weight loss and encourage her by referring to her as "slimmed-down". In this country, people would be outraged and this reality star would be lampooned all the way into an eating disorder.
Good for her! I applaud the fact that she is confident enough to go out on holiday in front of paparazzi in a skimpy suit and not covering herself in a tarp. I also applaud and understand the desire to lose pounds but not your curves. The fact that she wants to get to a size 12 and STOP, i think sets a healthy and realistic standard. All too often to celebs become skinny-obsessed after one unflattering picture and don;t know when to stop.
Tabloids have called her new figure "sexy"!! She is sexy, though, I don;t think monokinis look good on anyone and would have chosen a more supportive suit. But cheers to her for rocking it!

WOW!! I am impressed with you British tabloids and reality TV. Bravo! Check out the Daily Mail's Article here 

On this side of the Pond we are on the heels of the massive scandal of American Apparel's XL Model search, claiming that the zaftiq winner Nancy Upton "wasn't their demographic" and somehow defining plus-size girls as a weird sub-category of woman who is no larger than a 12 and can take pics of her "backing up her junk" in spandex.   The nasty letter from the American Apparel creative director points out that they always embraced the plus size community by carrying up to a 3XL in some styles. What a joke! The only things that would fit over a size 12 in that store are the gross manly beefy-Ts that should be screened for concert Ts not considered fashion.

 American Apparel, and America in general, in my humble opinion seems to glorify young, anorexic, disturbingly nubile tarted-up things so much so that that all women in the public-eye are shamed if the paparazzi catches even a tiny bit of cellulite. (see above. I mean this girl looks 14!) A star over a size 4? Stomach pooch after eating a sandwich? Start the pregnancy rumors. Sad.

There is more to life than weight, and we forget that. Women are women. Some are hot at size 6 some are hot at size 16. Good for England for letting their celebs be any size they want to be!!!

Stop the madness - Love yourself

After being so empowered by body image in Europe last week, I come back to the States only to stumble across a blog post about this banned Body Shop ad and found some really pathetic statistics: 

(from blog:  http://blog.bridgetteraes.com) Two out of five women would trade three to five years of their life to achieve their weight goals.

• A study found that women overestimate the size of their hips by 16% and their waists by 25%, yet the same women were able to correctly estimate the width of a box.
• After viewing images of female fashion models, seven out of ten women felt more depressed and angry than prior to viewing the images.
• Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents.
• 30% of women chose an ideal body shape that is 20% underweight and an additional 44% chose an ideal body shape that is 10% underweight.
• The average U.S. woman is 5’4” and weighs 140 pounds whereas the average U.S. model is 5’11” and weighs 117 pounds.
• 59% of women would never try on clothes in a large communal dressing room.
• 39% of women buy things that are too small, planning to look smashing in them when they lose weight.
• 62% of women own jeans that don’t fit anymore.

ENOUGH ALREADY!! As long as your weight is not causing health problems like, high blood pressure, high sugar or cholesterol etc. I say it's time to be at peace with our bodies.


I know how difficult it is to keep positive under the pressures of society. I have belittled and berated for being a size 16. I was forced to go on harmful prescription diet pills from a young age by a weight-obsessed mother. Yes, I was half my size but at what cost? My heart, metabolism, and joints were damaged, along with my self-esteem and perspective. Once you become obsessive, you will think you are obese even when you are thin. So sad.


Then I decided to kick the diet pills and realized that life is too short to spend it torturing yourself, I regained confidence and never looked back. Sure I wanted to lose weight, and I have and continue to, but I don't have absurd goals nor do I think the goal is to be skinny as possible. Being a size 4 would never look right on me. Find the size that seems right and healthy for you - it may even be what you are at right now!! If you do want to lose weight, the only healthy way to do it  will take a while, so why bother being miserable for one more day while you are in the process? If you are a size 12 or under, PLEASE get real and love your body. You are below the average American size which is a 14. You are are not fat.


Everyone has something to be proud of.  I just met an inspiring young woman named Jessica Burks who founded "Feeling Fabulous," a foundation to help women navigate all of the conventional beauty pressures and enhance your inner confidence. I think these days we need more people to help us embrace how fabulous we are in in own skin. Check out www.ImFeelingFab.org

Face your fear of the mirror and spend some time focusing on positives instead of negatives. This process is better if you are wearing lingerie/clothing that makes you feel sexy. Find your favorite feature, start learning to accept yourself as you are, and be sure to try to rid yourself as many negative people in your life as possible. Now I don't mean surround yourself with phony kiss-asses, but just limited those who perpetuate toxic thoughts and tell you that weight is all there is to life and success.


That is clearly not the case!! You can be happy, successful, date a lot, and accomplish anything at any size. Self-confidence and determination is key, but so is support.


So if you know or are dating someone who is struggling with body issues, remember to tell them how beautiful they are and give them the love and affection they deserve.  Eating disorders and image issues are constant battles for some, so please be patient, supportive and remind them why you are around: because you love who they are.


Statistics show that the vast majority of women of ALL shapes and sizes have body image problems. Enough is enough!!! Embrace yourself. Embrace life. Embrace your friends. Life is too short.

Holiday in the Sun: Diets,Dance and Deals on Couture Duds -Get ready for the beach!

Hello there sexy ladies! No, this blog post has nothing to do with the Sex Pistols song, but it would be admittedly cooler if it did. It's about winter daydreaming and with all those orbitz and travelzoo sale emails, planning fantasy vacations is so easy. If you are anything like me (and don't live in a summery locale) you are so sick of this winter! I usually love fall/winter so that I can wear cute tights, boots, and sweaters. I am over it.

All I can do these days is dream of nice warm places I can escape to...and all the amazing stuff I can wear! Tune in this week for features each day on the travel style-picks for different destinations: Miami, Hawaii, French Riviera, Hamptons and a Mediterranean Cruise!

This post is about what to do beforehand to get beach-ready!

I suggest that the first thing you do before heading on your sunny vacation is grab the lotion and an incredible new pair of shades. I am obsessed with designer shades, but I have found some incredible ones for $5 on the street too. As long as they look so glamorous on that you don't want to take them off, then you are set. I have cherry picked a few of my favorite pairs to inspire you - from classic glamour to funky, beachy colors:

Tom Ford, "Miranda" $258 (my all time faves!)

Chanel, "Havana" $339

Emilio Pucci, Aqua Gradient, $360


If you want to try out slick designer shades, but are having some sticker shock go immediately to www.avelle.com and RENT  the hottest new couture accessories!

AGAIN,  PLEASE CHECK BACK EACH DAY FOR HOLIDAY PACKING GUIDES TO FIT EVERY BODY AND RESORT STYLE!!

BEAUTY REVIEWS: 
OK and now for a list of things you need to remember to get done before getting on that flight, aside from picking your best beachwear. 

1. Build that base! Weather you like the tanning booth or spray tan, hit the tanning salon and banish that pasty, winter skin. Since I can tan easily, I am a fan of high pressure tanning beds. Just 1 or two 12-min. sessions and I have a nice glow.  Spray tanning is a bit more tricky because you have to pick a shade that will work with your coloring. Spray tans do NOT have to make you Jersey-shore-orange - they actually have very light colors, perfect for people with fair, sensitive skin that freckles instead of tans. Ask you salon for help choosing a color and always go one shade lighter than you think, because you can always go in for one more coat if you need it.

2. Get ready for the swimsuit! Foxy Roxy is all about loving one's curves -no matter what size. As long as you are healthy and happy, who cares what the tag says?! That being said, if you want to look a bit more svelte before hitting the sand, I have a few tried and true ideas.

•  First of all, DO NOT take diet pills or try some fasting gimmick. It is unhealthy and will actually slow you metabolism later. Instead, I am a huge fan of the Special K two week challenge to lose a quick 6 lbs or try  The Rice Diet - on which I who have failed at every diet on earth-  lost 20 pounds in 1 month!! It was also great to cleanse my palate and get me to appreciate eating right.  No smoking, caffeine, booze, sodium, meat or processed food for 1 month was actually easier than it sounds because I got results within 3 days.  Go to www.livestrong.com to calculate what your resting metabolic rate is and see what you can eat to lose what you want.  
• Move that body! Want a fun way to tone while learning hot new dance moves before vacation? Take up Zumba! A mix of latin, hip-hop and music video dancing you have a blast while blasting through up to 900 calories a class!!  Find a class near you at www.zumba.com Beware: this class can kick your ass. Stay hydrated and take a breather when you need it. 
• Don't care what the scale says, but want to smooth out a few lumps and bumps? Here is a quick fix for cellulite. Even gals who are a size 2 have cellulite and it is the most stubborn thing to deal with. This is the best that I have tried that give good results in a few weeks but the results are not permanent sadly. With Ionithermie you can lose inches of water weight and smooth out dimples in only 1 session! It is expensive but you get far better/faster results than many endermologie massage treatments that are equally pricey. I lost 2 inches off my thighs in 1 hour, but it only lasts a few weeks until water weight creeps back, unless you do sessions regularly. Find a salon in your area here. They are around $150 per session and all you feel is warm vibration after they wrap you in magic mud and electric pads.  It's a little annoying but virtually painless
• Body wraps are great for smoother, firmer skin and an inch or two of water weight loss in a day but beware of the "at home' kit gimmicks. None of them work. I have tried many.  Instead find a salon near you that does inch loss body wraps - they are both effective and soothing. The warm heat is relaxing your skin is left smooth and supple. 
• Exfoliate! You have been in dry winter weather and it's time to give your body some luster. Make your own body scrub  that energizes and smoothes your skin using coffee grounds. Freshly exfoliated skin is best to get even results if you use self tanners, too. There are many scrubs out there but I thought it'd be cool to give you an idea that can be made with stuff you have in your pantry - saving you more money for pina coladas!
• Wax. I shouldn't even need to tell you this. You have been bundled up under so many layers for so long you just may have forgotten about your trusting waxing lady, but time to giver her a call. Seriously. For sensitive skin try hard wax instead of wax with strips. 
• Hot, Hot Feet! Either at home or in a salon, time to do a quick mani/pedi so you are sandal-ready. Go wild with Minx Nail decals (check out my beauty review in January) or paint on a bold hue. Right now I am obsessed with juicy shades of neon watermelon red - a few of which you can find at the drugstore by Sally Hansen. 

Now that you look your absolute foxiest, get ready for my destination style and swimwear guides this week!! 

Damn girl. You look as hot as the Miami sun!
xoxoxo