And her confidence positively radiates in every amazing image in this fantastic campaign. “After all, there is no such thing as the perfect body!” Mel exclaims. “We need to celebrate how unique we all are.” Looking phenomenal, how does she see her body now, compared to when the Spice Girls were in their peak era? “Oooh… is that a fair comparison? I’m in my forties compared to my teens and twenties!” she says. “It’s harder staying in shape, but I feel so much better when I really push myself to exercise, to eat right and to just feel like I am totally comfortable in my skin. I am never going to have the body I had as a teenager, but this body has given me three children. It’s been through a lot of ups and downs, so I’m very grateful to this body.” EXPRESSING HER FREEDOM What does she love most about her own body? “I love my curves, I love the fact that my body is strong, and I love that I have brown skin. I love that I’m still standing after going through a lot in my life, including a ten-year abusive marriage. I’m a survivor. My body belongs to me, so part of the reason I did this campaign was to express my freedom.” KEEPING IT REAL - UNAIRBRUSHED IMAGES As part of the campaign, Pour Moi and Mel B both agreed on no airbrushing on all campaign imagery, which was very important to Mel. “We all have lumps, bumps, creases, cellulite and stretchmarks that maybe we don’t want, but they are part of who we are. I was very keen NOT to airbrush these images because I am real, I am honest, and I don’t want to have my waist slimmed or my thighs trimmed because it’s not who I am…” A HEALTHY BODY “I exercise – you can see my workouts on Instagram – I eat well – I don’t deprive myself of food or cravings - and I look after myself,” she divulges. “I’m proud to be 48 years-old and fit and healthy. I don’t want to be part of an unattainable, airbrushed campaign that actually makes women feel bad about themselves, because it’s not real.” “We all come in different shapes, sizes, colours, skin tones and all of them are beautiful. We need to celebrate all body types and shapes! To me, it’s about fit, healthy bodies, confident bodies… it’s about loving the body you are in!” How does she encourage and instil this ethos in her daughters so that they, too, feel confident in their bodies? “I tell them they are beautiful. I never talk about diets - I talk about health, fitness and strength.” UNDER PRESSURE? RELAX AND THINK FIT! How should women learn to love themselves unconditionally? “We just need to relax and stop putting pressure on ourselves,” Mel advises. “We need to think less about being thin and more about being fit. We need to honour our bodies and appreci-
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MEL B
