AD – This is a paid advertorial with Femme Luxe but all thoughts are my own
If you saw my previous collaboration with Femme Luxe, you’ll have read about my own journey with confidence. Particularly body confidence. It’s a journey I’ve been on for decades. A journey that continues to ebb and flow like a rollercoaster. But one that I’m learning more about every day.
Taking photos of myself has always been out of my comfort zone. I spend FAR too long admiring other influencers and bloggers who seem to have so much sass and confidence in front of the camera. Who pull of poses I would look like an absolutely goat doing. But collaborating with brands like Femme Luxe has really allowed me to step out of my comfort zone.
Before we get into the tips and the things I’ve learned that I’d love to share, let’s take a quick look at the two pieces from Femme Luxe I was sent for this collaboration. Starting with the Jade Green Crop Ribbed Two-Piece Co-Ord Set. I am absolutely in love with this set. This is by far my favourite piece I’ve been sent from Femme Luxe.
I’ve never owned a Co-Ord Set surprisingly because I’ve always loved them. This set is perfect. Just perfect. My concern with two-pieces is the sizing. Especially on sites where you have to pick one size for both pieces. My top half is smaller than my big bum, big hips and thick thighs. So sizing can often me an issue for me.
I chose a size 14 for this set and it’s perfect on the top and the bottom. It fits absolutely perfectly, is so soft and mega comfortable. I feel like this is the sort of set you could dress up or down, depending on the day. I love the colour as well – I’m a huge fan of green and feel like it really compliments my reddish hair!
The second piece I chose was the Wine Ruched Midi Bodycon Dress which is very much out of my comfort zone. I adore dresses like these but my confidence has always been too low to consider it. Although this is obviously I dress I won’t be wearing to the shops, I really like it and look forward to dressing it up when I have something fancy to do!
I adore the colour of this dress. I’m a big fan of anything wine or maroon colour. The fit is really great as well – a little baggy at the top but that’s only because I have small boobs. This isn’t a dress you can really wear with a standard bra either, so I’ll have to invest in a strapless bra to avoid any slips! I’m hoping this dress will help me embrace my bottom-half curves a lot more!
If, like me, you’re on your own body confidence journey, here are some tips from someone who is very much still learning but also making positive steps forward:
Start really really small
Nobody is suggesting you need to take a bikini photo shoot straight away. Starting really small but starting somewhere is key to your body confidence journey. It could be the smallest thing, like wearing a new item of clothing that you don’t usually wear or sharing a new photo of yourself of social media.
Celebrate the small achievements
And following on nicely from the above point, celebrating those small achievements is really important too! Because they are a BIG deal. Perhaps not to someone else but if they’re a big deal to you then that matters. Heck, even treat yourself to something nice if you manage to hit a achievement you’re proud of!
Interrupt those negative thoughts
Negative thoughts will come up regularly and that’s normal. So the first thing to remember is that it’s a normal thing and there’s nothing wrong with you because of it. However, you do want to make sure you put those negative thoughts in the bin QUICKLY. Consider a mindful image whereby you’re removing those thoughts from your life!
Avoid negative self talk
Thoughts are one thing but talk is another. We’re much more in control of our words – so if you find yourself speaking negatively to yourself, STOP IT. Easier said than done, I know. But sometimes I’ll literally say the words “STOP IT!” out loud to myself to ensure I get the message and interrupt that chain of thoughts an words.
Focus on what you DO like
Especially when it comes to taking photos – which is obviously been a real struggle for me with my body confidence. I’ve learned to focus on what I DO like in a photo and build on it from there, rather than going straight to what I don’t. For example, if I take a photo that I don’t like, I’ll look at it and think “right, I like my hair in this one so what can I change for the next one to make it better?”
Remember that social media isn’t real life
Social media can play a huge part in how you feel about your body and how your confidence is on any given day. It does for me. It’s important to remember that filters and editing software exist and gets used more often than not. If you edit your photos, other people do too! There’s nothing wrong with it but just something to keep in mind next time you start to compare.
I hope these suggestions help you if you’re just getting started on your body confidence journey! Have something to add? Let me know in the comments!
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