I am totally flabbergasted!

Little ole #MsSurreyCurve2015 got a feature in The Mirror!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/first-ever-plus-size-social-media-campaign-5813832

They have featured a beautiful shot of me taken by the ever so talented Chiara Aprea and they quoted my submission entry for the +Simply Be #CatwalkContender search;

These days the media puts such pressure on us to conform to what is seen to be physically acceptable or desired.

Different strokes for different folks though...so what one person dislikes, another might crave.

Every single one of us in this world is unique and our differences make us interesting and something to be celebrated.

People deserve the right to enjoy life regardless of their weight, size, height, colour, age, sexual orientation, religion etc.

The Rubenesque Effect is a group of 8 plus size models (of which I am one.)  Together, we are striving to promote body confidence, self love and acceptance of the body you are blessed with.

This world is filled with too much hate, so we wanted to celebrate with positivity.

When we saw the Victoria Secrets shot promoting "The Perfect Body" it got us thinking that perhaps that slogan could've been more inclusive of all bodies, because what one person considers perfect may not be the same in the next person's eyes.

So...we shot this...

#everyBODYisbeautiful

Follow us on our journey...

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Debz of Wannabe Princess has had another brainwave to add further value to the #WeAreTheThey statement.

Today we are hitting back again but this time we are dispelling all the "THEY shouldn't wear that" rumours.

Well guess what... #WeAreTheThey and We will NOT be told what NOT to wear!

1. Tight Clothing/BodyCons

Up until late 2014 I had never dreamed of wearing a body con dress but with the right shapewear & a spoonful of self confidence I have embraced the Body Con with both arms!  

2. Leggings

Leggings are my go-to on the weekend and they can even be dressed up so why would we not want to wear them??

3. White

White can be a tricky one as sometimes it can make me look wider but it's one of my favourite colours so I'll be damned if anyone is gonna tell me to stop wearing it!

4. Bright colours

I have always worn bright colours - they really brighten up a day. I don't even understand they theory about not wearing them!?

5. Bold patterns

I personally think they distract attention away from my lovely lady lumps!

6. Horizontal stripes

Why ever not - I always wear stripes without a care in the world!

7. High heels & Skinny Jeans

I am short - so without heels I feel so small!  I will never stop wearing heels and as for skinny jeans - I live in them!

8. Bikinis

Daniella & Sian have amazing bodies and I think they look fantastic!!

9. Crop tops

 Here we have Sheivelle, Sian & Daniella proving that any size girl can rock a crop!

10. Short skirts

Most of my work dresses are verging on indecent! But hey, I think I look pretty damn good!!

11. Shorts

...BUT WHY NOT DAN LOOKS HOT!!!

12. Fishtail Dresses

This dress made me win the +Scarlett Jo Selfie Competition - It's a winner in my eyes!

13. Dresses with side splits

I personally love this dress - it's girly and makes me feel fantastic!

14. Make up

This is the silliest of all - cos what woman doesn't feel fantastic with a splash of lippy??

15. Pencil Skirts.

I do love a pencil skirt, me.. what exactly is wrong with a pencil skirt anyway?

All in all - I say, if you feel fab in it - where whatever the hell you want!

#WeAreTheThey and we EMBRACE fashion!!

I have been chosen to represent the whole of Surrey in a National competition; Ms British Beauty Curve 2015.

I am thoroughly humbled to be picked as one of the 20 finalists, all the other ladies are simply gorgeous and I cannot wait to meet them all in person.

Miss British Beauty Curve is a pageant style competition for women all over the UK who are a size 14+. The competition is designed to empower women to embrace their shape and be body confident whatever their size.

The finals take place at Epsom Playhouse on August 8th 2015.  As soon as tickets go on sale I will leave you a link!

Many people have asked me why I want to be involved in a pageant and why does this competition mean so much to me.

The last 6 months have cemented something for me; the firm belief that I am worth much more than I have ever given myself credit for.  The knowledge that my fate and happiness lie entirely in my own two hands and I have the ability to move mountains if I want to.

In short, I have done two things in the last 6 months; firstly I made positive changes towards improving myself in more ways than one; mind, body & soul.  The other thing is I stepped outside of my comfort zone, took risks and tried new things.  Both these things gave me the confidence to embark on this journey.  My health has improved, my mindset; inspired and my soul rejuvenated...I am happy! 

Confidence had to grow from inside first...when I started to love me, I wanted to please me so I did little things that made me happy and here I am today with a long road ahead of me and many more changes yet to come.

This competition is my chance to show people that you can be whatever the hell size you want to be and still be beautiful, intelligent and successful.  I want to reach out to the people who are struggling with body confidence issues and tell them it's all gonna be OK and I am here to listen and help wherever they need me.  If I can inspire just one person to make a positive change in their own lives than I have won already.  

To me it's not all about winning the title, it's about spreading a very important message that WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL and different and that is what makes us unique.  Giving another voice to the plus size community of women who make up a large portion of today's society, whilst stamping out people shaming altogether.  It is NOT ok to discriminate against another person for their size, race, weight, hair colour, sexual preference, disability, religion or anything else that sets us apart from one another. We should be celebrating each other not dragging each other down, bitching, hating and throwing shade gets you nowhere!

As we get closer to the finals you will see my long string of sash emblazoned selfies and you can join me on my mad rush to get all my outfits together.

Between now & August 8th I want to spread the word of the competition as much as possible...I will shout from the highest rooftops if I must!

I want people to see me and say if she can do it then so can I!

So join me on this journey and support #TeamSurrey

You can show your support by using the hashtag #MsSurreyCurve2015

xx

Repping Curvy Ladies all over the world at #LondonFashionWeek & #LondonFashionWeekend with my +Ms Curvaceous UK girlies was such an honour.  Fashion week is usually stacked full of smaller framed fashionistas so we really shook up the vibe by injecting a "plus-size" dose of extra Curve to the mix.

I had the pleasure of interviewing some amazing fashionistas and photographers alongside Patreece, from Doller Crem'e.

All my girls looked fantastic & totally on trend - take a look-see at this little flipagram of some of the outfits we wore on Day 2!!

Day 1 (right); 

My entire outfit came from +Simply Be

Mono - Sole Diva Ankle Strap Court Shoes

Grazia Waterfall Jacket

Wet Look Super Skinny jeans

Inner top - no longer available

I lucked out with this gorgeous faux fur trim swing coat for a mere £20.00, the wool hat was £4.00 and the boots were £3.99.

It was an amazing opportunity to get out there & network.  It was so interesting asking straight size models and fashionistas whether they believe that the Plus-size ladies had a place at London Fashion Week.  I expected people to be hesitant or be caught unawares by such a question, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how welcome we were, everyone I interviewed was very PRO-Curve which in my opinion is a huge stepping stone for the plus size community.

I was proud to be involved and it was so much fun to be snapped all over the place.

I had an amazing time on both days xx 

What a night! The vibe was buzzing and so were all the models, eager to get out there and flaunt their curves on the runway.

We had a long day ahead of us, filled with rehearsals with the legendary Reuben P. Joseph, hair & make up with the MCUK Glam Squad and costume changes provided by the awesome sponsors; +Simply Be , Rosie Red Corsetry, The House of Dynasty Viviana Collection, Eldimaa Fashion and many others.

You could feel the nerves in the room but none of those nerves made it to the catwalk. The girls walked with poise, confidence and attitude!

Reuben is a brilliant choreographer; he oozes style and confidence and has a walk that all the girls envied. Over the last few months he whipped each of us into shape, he was tough & strict but his methods worked and he transformed each of the girls from Bedroom Divas to Catwalk Models in such a short space of time. Without his knowledge, expertise & intricately precise choreography this show wouldn't have been possible.

Behind the scenes the MCUK Family were hard at work preparing & maintaining calm through a sea of chaos. I'd like to take this time to thank every single one of the family & stylists for their hard work in the lead up to & on the night; you made this all possible and your efforts are appreciated. Theo, Melyssa, Valerie, Leon & everyone else; we thank you, you guys rock!!

MUA extraordinaire; Lien Vy brought her A- Team to make up the MCUK Glam Squad of talented MUA's, Hairstylists & Stylists enlisted to make our girlies look fabulous! Thank you to each of you for sharing your talents with us & making us look gorgeous!  If you are looking for a stylist then make sure you contact Lien Vy of Seventa Image, she will hook you up!!

The event was covered by a whole host of digital media excellence; but here are some notable mentions; Carlo & Francine of Doller Crem'e, Duchess, XOCubic, Wolf Media, Dan K Photography, Petros Gilazgi, Josh Daniels Pictures.

The venue was bubbling with excitement as the show began... 

It was such an honour to share the stage with all of the finalists their pictures do not do them justice; they are by far more alluring in person and such big kind hearted women too. Every single girl was simply beautiful and poised to perfection. Any one of them could have stolen the crown. All my fellow Ambassadors looked sensational as always and we all thoroughly enjoyed strutting in our gorgeous gowns down the catwalk.  The previous contestants also took the stage, all us newbies watched in awe as the pro's sashayed down the runway.

The performances by UK based artists Che Lingo & Asia Love were awesome.

The panel of amazing judges; including; Miss British Beauty Curve; Emily Blake, CEO of SLiNK Magazine; Rivkie Baum, CEO of Evolve Magazine; Rianne Ward, Stunning Model; Jada Sezer & gorgeous & inspiring Model & presenter; Sabine Gruchet had their work cut out for them in choosing one of these lovely ladies...

As the top 5 finalists were announced; (Hannah, Netsai, Serena, Pippa & Cerise) we all waited eagerly in the wings to hear the final result...

Top 3; Serena, Netsai & Cerise

It was anybodys' crown all of these ladies deserved it..

Finally...The wait was over and Cerise was crowned Ms Curvaceous UK 2015.  Her aunt ran on the stage and jumped on her in excitement, knocking poor Cerise to the floor (as if she wasn't bowled over enough!)  She has a huge year ahead of her with many opportunities lined up. Make sure you watch this space for an interview with her once the news has sunk in!

The night was a huge success and I cannot wait for the next contest...Make sure you register your interest now for Ms Curvaceous UK 2016 via the website.

2015 is gonna be a busy year for us Ambassadors, many things in the pipeline and I cannot wait to work with this group of intelligent, beautiful & inspiring young ladies.

If you missed the event don't worry, there's always another party...just don't be foolish enough to miss another!!

Did you attend? Do you have any pictures to share??

You can see a selection of my photos here

Here's a few candid photos, selfies & behind the scenes pics of our photo shoot on 19/01/2015

Photographer: Petros Gilazgi 

MUA & Hair: Verona Miller & Kirsty Huntley & All the girls individually.

Official photos will be released at a later date.

Find out what the ladies thought of Petros...