body image

So many women are obsessed with the idea of losing the "last five pounds." But will losing it really make you any happier?

The other day I was speaking to a friend of mine who was slightly dismayed. She had just visited a cosmetics counter to replace her worn-out favourite colour of blush, and the salesman had tried to talk her into another product: a cream to reduce lip lines, the wrinkles that allegedly form around your mouth.

A recent story over at Time.com — "Girl, You are So Not Fat! Does 'Fat Talk' Make Anyone Feel Better?" by Meredith Melnick — explores the idea of "fat talk," the "Oh god, these jeans make my thighs look huge" variety of lady exchange that happens everywhere from H&M dressing rooms to 3am cab rides. Apparently, a new study has found that this kind of talk makes women feel worse, not better.

I recently noticed that the sizes in my closet run the full gamut, from extra small to large, in shirts, skirts, dresses and jackets. And I also noticed recently — while shopping for summer shoes and so, of course, also pausing to try on a wide variety of dresses — that it makes me happy when I fit into a four or six or some equally small size.

While I'm loathe to admit it, sometimes a really bad hair day can really throw off my mood. Ditto with a giant pimple in the centre of my face.