Showing posts with label bikini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bikini. Show all posts

Throwing Shade on Body Shaming

Nearly two weeks ago on #WCW or Women Crush Wednesday, I received an alert on Instagram. Someone tagged me in the comments section of a photo by up-and-coming songstress Justine Skye. She'd posted a picture of me (similar but not the one above) from the Jungle Gurl campaign I did years ago. I can't tell you word for word what Justine said, but she mentioned that she liked my body and I inspired her to workout. I was flattered. Minutes later when I decided to comment and say thanks for the love, I noticed other people's responses. While there were those comments that encouraged Justine and commended me on my physique, a lot of the other stuff I saw I didn't like. In the same breath that people were telling Justine she should be happy with her shape, they were shaming mine. Once again, this isn't verbatim, but things like She's too skinny - She ain't got no booty - She's not even in shape were in the mix. Talk about rude. Before I could take screenshot or even respond to the criticism, the photo disappeared.

Justine must have deleted it. With thousands of likes and tons of comments, I wondered why she'd gotten rid of the post. Perhaps the pressure on her was too heavy. Or what if she didn't want to deal with the naysayers. Maybe she couldn't take the heat, but I can. Justine Skye is a young, talented vocalists whose star is rising. She's just 18 years old and very impressionable. What others say about her music, her life, and what she likes probably means a lot to her. But just because she deleted the instagram photo doesn't mean the conversation is over. Hold up, let me put on my boxing gloves. It's about to get ugly.

Round 1 - If you don't have anything good to say, keep your mouth shut. Women are already self-conscious enough about our bodies. Some of us stand in the mirror and stare at our flaws. "If I could only get rid of these stretch marks." "My boobs sag." "My stomach isn't flat." We don't need you adding in your two cents too. What if we all walked around shouting out your shortcomings? Could you handle that? Ladies if you're guilty of this, I'm really disappointed in you. Did your mother not teach you any manners? It's enough that we have to deal with men verbally degrading our bodies, but we shouldn't have to fight our own sisters too.

Round 2 - Justine Skye has every right to admire someone else's body, and it does not mean that she doesn't love her own. There may be parts of her petite frame that she absolutely adores and others she wants to tone up. But that doesn't mean she's going to go under the knife to get her ideal physique. Come on! I may love J Lo's and Beyonce's booties, but who says I'm going to get a Brazilian Butt lift or injections to achieve that. Ok, I realize that some people will go to extremes, but if you notice someone you care about shifting in that direction offer encouragement. Don't knock another chick's body in your attempt to lift your friend up.

Round 3- I am a freaking human being too. Oh so because I'm a model or some person you don't know means it's ok for you to talk trash about my body. Hell no! If you want to ridicule me for my taste in music, my political views, or even the fact that I don't like ketchup, that's fine. But cutting me down because of my body, my hair texture, my race or the freckles on my face is completely unacceptable. Do you think I can help the way I look? Sure I can gain some weight, hit the gym, eat more carbs, get a fancy celebrity trainer, but I'm pretty sure that I'll still look like this. What you see is what I look like naturally. Flaws and all. I woke up like this! What gives you the right to judge me? What title do you hold that says it's ok to try and shame me? I am happy. I am healthy. I love my body. I get the feeling you can't say the same, and that's why you're trying to talk sh*t about mine.

TKO! Don't hate. Jealousy and envy will get you nowhere. You must think that the only way to bring yourself up is by cutting other people down. If that's the case, I doubt you'll ever be satisfied with that person you see in the mirror. Learn to love to yourself and accept your body. I know it's not easy, but surrounding yourself with good people and positive images will help. And for heaven's sake, keep your negativity to yourself. What goes around comes around, so say nice things about other women instead.

Sound off: Have you ever thrown shade on another woman's body to make yourself feel better?

Light As a Feather

The summer just snuck up on us. One day we're bundled up in sweaters and scarves, and now we're shedding our layers for swimsuits. Ugh, I'm not ready. Yesterday I was relaxing by the pool with some girlfriends and we were all lamenting over this situation. We thought we had more time to prepare. You know, cut back on the carbs, eat more leafy greens, and actually make an effort to hit the gym. Yeah, that didn't exactly happen. But what's the big deal about shedding weight for a beach body anyway?

The idea of dieting has been around since ancient times, but it wasn't until the 1800s that fad diets hit the market. People have resorted to chewing and then spitting out their food, taking arsenic, and even digesting tapeworms to lose pounds. I would like to think that we're a little more sensible and civilized now, but the idea that we need to go to extremes to look thin and attractive still remains. We've traded in the parasites and poison for lipo and crash diets.

As models, we are asked by our agents to stay in shape which isn't too much to ask. When you show up to a job as a 6 and the client is expecting a size 2, that's definitely a problem. A professional model is required to maintain a certain look, and unfortunately the look can be interpreted as skinny. That idea of beauty and weight spills over into how the average woman thinks she should look. If you see thin models and celebrities that pop culture says are pretty, then you think you should aspire to look like them to be attractive too. There are very few people who are immune to these persuasive images. I even size myself up with those thin models, but I know that super skinny body type is definitely not healthy for me.

So how can you stop being so critical of your own love handles? Face reality. Those celebrities you idolize with the super sculpted bodies work out for hours with a trainer everyday and do expensive juice cleanses to lose weight. That just isn't possible in the real world. What you can do is incorporate more fresh fruits and veggies in your life and stay active. Also, you've got to forget about the numbers and focus on how you feel. I avoid scales, because I think they're evil. Instead, I consider my energy level. If I'm sluggish or stressed, then I know my body is in bad shape and I need to do better. Last but not least, the ancient Greeks thought walking around naked was good for weight loss. I'm not big on losing pounds, but I love the idea of actually taking a good look at yourself in the nude. Instead of avoiding full length mirrors, run right up to them and strike a pose. Get used to the idea of accepting your body and liking it. Sure there may be room for improvement, but you don't need an extreme home makeover.

Getting back to the original story... after finally stripping off our coverups and sulking over the lack of prep time for bikini season, we all were able to relax. Stretch marks... yeah, we've got them. Cellulite... oh, there you are. Hello, bloated tummy. You can't photoshop your body in real life and in real time. What you see is what you get and there's nothing wrong with that.

Drum Roll, Please

Get excited! After just one week of competition, it's time to announce the winner of the #ImaJungleGurl bikini giveaway. Yes, summer is almost over but you can never have enough swimsuits. Am I right or am I crazy? So Without further ado...

Congratulations to Alexis also known as msfabuLEX. She represents New Orleans and rocks big, beautiful natural hair. Among other things, this renaissance woman is also a model. How perfect!

Here's why Alexis won the contest. She says:

This girl is so wild and free that it's intoxicating. I want to be like Alexis when I grow up. Congrats again, hot mama!

Are You A Jungle Gurl?

Listen up, hot mamas! The summer may be winding down, but me and my friends at Jungle Gurl think it's always bikini season. So we put our pretty little brains together to give you a deal you just can't resist. Put it this way, if Rihanna is wearing Jungle Gurl you should too. Wink wink!

It's a giveway. You deserve something awesome so here's what we've got for you. I am super big on individuality and inner beauty, and Jungle Gurl promotes those ideas too. So we're doing a contest all about celebrating women who embody this type of freedom. And maybe that's you. Just say yes.


One lucky winner will be selected at random to receive a free Jungle Gurl swimsuit! Sounds good, right?
Here's how to enter:

-Follow @JungleGurl and @NikiaPhoenix on Twitter.
-Send a tweet about what makes you a Jungle Gurl and use the hastag #ImaJungleGurl. You can even include a cute photo if you like.

It's just that easy. The contest ends at 11:59 pm PST Thursday August 23. The winner be announced via Twitter. Good luck, lovelies!

P.S. Make sure you get in on this Jungle Gurl Summer Sale featuring the Mikaela gold leopard print bikini as worn by Rihanna. It's so hot!