The body confidence movement is taking the world by storm. Women are stepping up and accepting their bodies for what they are, not what society expects them to be. Instead of hiding away behind layers and layers of clothing, they’re letting it all hang out, liberating them in the process.

While there’s nothing wrong with traditional beauty standards, many women find them oppressive. Crafting a perfectly curvaceous body that meets the requirements of magazines is no mean feat. It takes time, genetics, the right lifestyle, enough money and a commitment to living well. Not everyone has those things. 

Unfortunately, some women feel excluded from being able to share their bodies with the rest of the world because of their shape and weight. And that’s not right. Everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves with confidence, no matter what set of cards nature dealt them. 

That’s why the body confidence movement is taking off. Women are finally realising that they don’t need to be a certain shape or size to fit in. The reality is that only a very small percentage of people conform to official beauty standards. The vast majority do not. 

So how can you become more body confident and embody this movement in your beauty routine. Let’s take a look. 

Change Your Mentality

Before we even begin discussing cosmetics, we need to talk about your state of mind. Even if you tell the world that you’re happy with flaunting your body, you probably still have an inner voice saying things that you don’t want to hear, like you’re ugly or don’t fit in. 

That inner critic – as psychologists sometimes call it – comes from the fact that you unconsciously compare yourself to other people. You see a woman with a body type that you’d like and then worry that you don’t match up. 

If you’re in this state of mind, the only way out is to change your mentality. You need to reimagine how you appear and stop the criticism. It’s not about what you look like to other people that counts – it’s how you feel about yourself. 

Discard The Sarong

How many women do you see at the beach or pool wearing a sarong? Chances are that there are a lot of them. 

There’s nothing wrong with sarongs, per se. Their original purpose was to provide an attractive way to cover yourself up while out of the water. But today, they’ve become a kind of shield that stops anyone from seeing what your body actually looks like. And that’s where things have gone wrong. 

Getting rid of your sarong can actually be a liberating experience. If you’ve always wanted to wear a bikini, then do so. Nobody is going to stop you, regardless of your size or shape. 

Cover Your Body In Bronzer

Bronzing agents are among the most powerful ways to radically transform your appearance, especially if you have pale skin tones. They give you a renewed sense of confidence and make you feel ready for the summer. Taking your clothes off feels better when you’re glistening radiantly.

What’s more, bronzers are inexpensive and much safer than tanning. They don’t damage your skin while making it appear more luscious at the same time. 

Redistribute Your Fat

Nobody is saying that you should lose weight. But did you know that you can distribute the fat around your body to your heart’s content with cosmetic surgery? 

The process is super simple. The surgeon removes fat from somewhere you don’t want it, like your belly or thighs, and then puts it somewhere you do want it, such as your hips or breasts. 

This procedure is actually the basis of fat transfer breast augmentation. And because of how it works, it’s incredibly safe. You’re just using your body’s own fat, so there’s no chance of your body rejecting it. And you’re not relying on implants either, which can rupture and break. 

Change Your Hair

We’ve been focusing mainly on the body so far in this post, but what about the top of your head? Your scalp can be a major source of body confidence – or the opposite, as the case may be. 

Switching up your hairstyle is a great way to embrace the body confidence movement. When you choose your style instead of allowing society to select it for you, you fundamentally change your experience. You don’t take orders from anyone. 

For instance, if you’ve always wanted a pixie cut, don’t wait for anyone’s permission to get it. Just go ahead and do it. The same applies when it comes to dying your hair. If you want to make it all-green or all-purple, then that’s your prerogative. It doesn’t matter what your family, community or work colleagues say. It’s your hair, your choice. 

The same goes for other hairstyles that change how you feel about yourself. If dreadlocks are something that you want to try, then go for it. If you fancy wearing a bonnet like Jamima Puddleduck, then nothing can stop you. 

Shop On Plus-Size Clothing Sites

The clothes market is changing massively in response to the body confidence movement. Today, anyone can get amazing clothing, no matter what their size or shape.

Why is this happening? Well, it’s mainly being driven by online e-commerce stores distributing plus-size clothing exclusively. That’s right: as you probably already know, online retailers are distributing L, XL, XXL and XXXL clothing for everyone, breaking out of the traditional constraints. 

You know what it’s like: you go into a conventional clothing store and find a top that you absolutely love. But then when you flick through the rack, you can’t find one big enough for you – disaster. The only thing you can do is mooch home with your head bowed low, hoping for better luck tomorrow. 

That’s not the case, though, for plus-size clothing brands. Almost always, you can find something beautiful that fits. And you can wear the same desirable clothing as skinny types. 

Start Wearing Dresses

Sometimes, skinny jeans and crop tops can make you cringe. Just the thought of them evokes images of constricted blood flow and sweaty crevices. 

But there’s no reason you need to go down this route. Why not just go old-school and wear a dress? 

Dresses are, in many ways, the most relaxing item of clothing you can wear. They drape over your body naturally and don’t constrict your movement. You have plenty of room to move both your arms and legs. And, so long as you don’t go for a fitted dress, you also have space in the midsection too. 

Brands are creating more and more dresses for every body type. So it’s worth shopping around and experimenting. You never quite know what you’re going to find. 

Use Cosmetics To Enhance Your Beauty

It doesn’t matter what size you are, you can always use cosmetics to enhance your beauty. 

Any woman, for instance, can use serums to create dewy skin effects. You can also take hyaluronic acid pills to firm and hydrate your skin from the inside, making your face look fuller and more beautiful. 

Makeup is also a great friend for when you want to impress. Thick red or purple lipstick combined with eyeliner instantly changes how you feel and reminds you of how sexy you are.

Embracing the body confidence movement, therefore, isn’t just something you do in the recesses of your mind. It’s also a practical matter. Dressing in new clothes, wearing your hair differently and even transforming your body are all ways you can take part in it.