'Air'brush away those imperfections
The truth is the majority of these 'Cover girls' have been airbrushed to perfection. Kate Winslet, Mariah, Beyonce and Rachel Stevens are just a few celebs that have all gone under 'the airbrush.'

Unfortunately this procedure only lasts as long as the picture does, and seeing your fave celeb in person often reveals a completely different picture ...one which reveals cellulite, pimples and dare I say it?..un-toned flesh...

Being surrounded by images that promote physical perfection is enough to make anyone feel inadequate for looking 'normal'!

'..I'm a Barbie Girl...'
But are these images really so 'perfect' anyway? The 'Barbie Doll enigma' is something that has recently been bought under the microscope. Apparently men say that 'Barbie' has the ideal figure. (After having two children, that really is quite amazing feat).

Guys...sorry to disappoint but I recently heard that if Barbie was an actual person, her back would be too weak to support her DD cup breasts and if a real woman had the vital stats of Barbie she would eventually die due to malnutrition.

I wonder if Pizza Hut delivers to her 'Malibu beach home'?

This may sound like an extreme example, but women everywhere strive to achieve similar looks, which ultimately could have devastatingly similar consequences. The number of young girls and women suffering from eating disorders is steadily increasing each year, and whilst more effort is being made to make people aware of the risks, we need to question whether being surrounded by a media that is seemingly obsessed with looks is doing more harm than good? And can we hold the media responsible for the fact that most women aged 16-60 are constantly on some sort of diet? It can't be proven that the media affects the way we think, but it certainly helps... especially when our favourite celebs are continually endorsing weight loss and exercise videos.

Back in the real world
So what is the answer? Celebrities promoting exercise is certainly not a bad thing in itself; we all know how important exercise is whatever your shape or size. However we need to inject a dose of reality. We need to keep in mind that for many celebrities, their bodies are their careers. They can afford to spend all day working up a sweat at the gym, whilst 'Chad' their personal trainer encourages them to "Feel the burn."

In contrast, for us mere mortals who juggle our time between being career women, mothers and wives, fitting in a session at the gym is often the furthest thing from our minds. A compromise is in order..

There are now loads of different ways we can look and feel like we too can pout and thrust our way to cover girl status. Forget the embarrassment of walking into a Beauty Salon and whispering to the immaculately made up receptionist: "I'm here for an anti-cellulite seaweed wrap." Instead help is at hand in the form of such gems as caffeine tights (yep you heard me right); "I'll have a pair of caffeine tights and a latte to go." www.caffeine-tights.co.uk is offering three pairs of tights for £49.99, and before you think I've completely lost the plot, they actually look and feel like ordinary tights. Here comes the science part: they contain microscopic capsules of caffeine that stimulate the breakdown of fatty tissue. They claim that after wearing them for just 3 weeks it's possible to lose 2 cms on each leg!

If mixing coffee and clothing isn't your thing, how about a range of incredibly sexy Body Toning tights from . These tights claim to make you look slimmer and are completely seamless, fitting discreetly under trousers or skirts - a great way to feel and look good.

And remember girls you don't have to be a size 8 to look good in underwear. Check out the Uniquely Woman lingerie supplier selection by typing the word "lingerie" into the keyword box on the search page and you'll be delighted by the extensive list of lingerie supplier results that come up.

Bye Bye Barbie
The phrase 'nobody is perfect' leads to the notion that 'perfection' does exist; but remember perfection is a subjective concept that the media try to represent through over tanned, over airbrushed, and over paid models.

Self-esteem is the real issue here, so improve yours by ignoring Barbie and her airbrushed pals, and concentrating on celebrating your individuality. There are loads of ways of perfecting YOU. You'll be surprised at what a new outfit and some caffeine tights can do for your self-esteem - trust me!

- Article By Carley Dale