Rock it as you are!

Me at my photoshoot last November 2018

I am not a fan of photo shoots.  My friend arranged one many years ago in the 1990s and another one that took place in November last year.  You may know of these so-called luxury photoshoots. The sales people accost you usually when out and about doing your shopping and invite you to attend a day of pampering.  As part of the pampering day, they offer to do hair, makeup and give you manicure.  Changes of outfits up to 4 – 6 are allowed and they throw in one free photograph.  Their thinking is probably that once you see the fabulous photographs on completion of the shoot you place an order.  These photographs are not cheap and I have seen people place orders in excess of £600.

The photoshoot my friend and I went on in the 1990s  was a disaster as far as I was concerned for all sorts of reasons.  To me, the photos looked so bad and in the end, the only one I chose could not be used due to nip-slip that I only discovered once the photograph arrived in the post.  This was before the days of quick digital fixes so the one photograph has been lying around in my collection waiting to be scanned and cropped.  If I can work on it, I will add it to this post at a later date.

Anyway, the main photograph in this post is from the November 2018 photoshoot.  Once again most of the photographs were disappointing so I had to choose the best of the not so great bunch.  The makeup artist was meant to apply natural makeup but I thought that the finished product looking muddy and boring. I wiped off the lipstick she used on me and borrowed plum lipstick from my friends. I only ever tight-line my eyes three-quarters of the top of the lid and don’t bother linking the bottom so I hated the eye make up as well. I feel like I don’t look myself at all.

This time there was a Spanx-slip rather than a nip-slip.  I pondered sending the photograph back for a retouch but thought better of it. The good news, however, is that although I don’t weigh a lot less than when the photograph was taken, this dress fits me differently today and I can wear it without Spanx – provided that I suck in my belly – particularly the aggressive lower muffin top 😂😂😂 You win some and you lose some!

On the upside, I do honestly think that for an oversight midlifer I don’t look too terrible and my cellulite problem is not as apparent or as bad as it is in my head. Saying that I also think that Chris Rock is right about black women generally remaining body confident even when they are on the curvier spectrum.  Whether you think that is a good thing or not is a blog post for another day. 

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy fashion and beauty exactly as I AM as I work my way to a stable healthy weight and I encourage everyone to do the same

I have been taking a break from the scales even though I can see changes in my body since I ramped up my gym routine on Odell’s return from holiday. I am also planning another change to my diet. More on that in my next blog. Until then it’s

#nototheyoyo #yestoastablehealthyweight #yestoastableweight #notimetopauseformenopause

Julie

Author Julie

Lawyer (co-founding partner/solicitor of a legal aid practice), blogger, feminist, lover of fashion & beauty. I believe that there are two types of people - the living and the dead. Age has nothing to do with it.

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