According to refinery, In the years before plus-size fashion began making notable strides towards diversification of style and price point, and more inclusive size ranges, makeup was the only way many plus-size people could feel part of the fashion and beauty industries. Yet even so, makeup brands largely ignore plus-size consumers in their imagery. The exclusion feels impossible to justify when one considers that lipstick and eyeshadow have no size limit. 

If we take a look down Historyville, we can tell that beauty and fashion trends have only regarded slim, or ‘Slim thick’ women. Plus sized women are often stigmatized, feel uncomfortable in their own skin and end up taking extreme weight loss diets and also, committing suicide due to lack of self esteem. 

In an interview with popular singer Lizzo by the people, she talked about owning her body and being comfortable with it. She also talked about the stigmatization she often faced growing up. 

“The funny, fat friend. I played that trope in high school. Or the friend who is gonna beat your a– ’cause she’s big. Or it’s the big girl who’s insecure ’cause she’s big,” she explained. “I don’t think I’m the only kind of fat girl there is. I want us to be freed from that box we’ve been put in.”

Lizzo has been one of the few people in the industry that builds confidence for plus sized women. She challenges society and constantly shows the world that it’s okay to be fat or put on some weight. Being fat is completely normal and has nothing to do with you.  Studies have shown that people get fat for so many reasons. Some people have eating disorders, some gain weight as an effect of a drug, while some are fat because of genes. We should never body shame plus sized women because we never know what they are going through. Jennifer Kuk, a professor of kinesiology and health science at Toronto’s York University, said in an article with The Atlantic, ‘The fact that the body weight of Americans today is influenced by factors beyond their control is a sign, Kuk says, that society should be kinder to people of all body types. 

Since the advent of social media, plus sized women are being encouraged to feel comfortable in their own skin. It was more difficult in the past, and women seen as plus sized were stigmatized, killed and regarded as outcasts. It wasn’t so common in the olden days, and if you were fat, you would seem like the odd one out. Thankfully, lots of brands encourage plus sized women to ‘own their body’.

Brands like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Target and Old Navy sign plus sized models to catwalk for them, making the industry of plus sized models more popular, as opposed to the usual slim models who walk the runway. Popular plus sized models include Ashley Graham, Tess Holiday, Barbara Seppe Ferreira, Lizzo, Kate Wasley, and many more.

Many known beauty brands also encourage plus sized models. A lot of celebrities have created their personal beauty brands which have encouraged plus sized models to feel comfortable, and show the world that ‘contour doesn’t work for slim people only’. Examples of these beauty brands include:

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

Fenty beauty by Rihanna is one of the most popular beauty brands in the world today. According to Forbes, Rihanna is now worth $1.7 billion, Forbes estimates—making her the wealthiest female musician in the world and second only to Oprah Winfrey as the richest female entertainer, of which the bulk of her fortune (an estimated $1.4 billion) comes from the value of Fenty Beauty.

Fenty beauty has encouraged women to feel comfortable in their skin, and a majority of her models are plus sized. Her lingerie line, Savage x Fenty is often praised for always using plus sized models to model her clothes.

R.E.M Beauty by Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande is the latest celebrity to venture into beauty with the launch of her makeup brand, R.E.M. Beauty. R.E.M beauty has existed for over a year now, and has since impacted the world of beauty. She makes products for people in several skin tones, and encourages people to be comfortable in their own skin, irrespective of their race, personality or size.

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

Popular actress, singer and songwriter Selena Gomez created Rare Beauty to create awareness on body positivity and mental health. Katie Welch, the brand’s chief marketing officer said in an interview, ‘When we set out the vision of the brand, it was to create this safe, welcoming space in beauty and beyond. We’re supporting mental well-being across age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, cultural background, physical or mental ability, and perspective.”

Dragun Beauty by Nikita Dragun

Nikita Dragun is a public icon and popular transgender. She created Dragun beauty to empower beauty lovers of all shapes, skin tones and sexualities. They create transformational makeup that celebrates people of all ages, races, sizes, genders + identities.

Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner

Kylie cosmetics by Kylie Jenner came into the limelight in 2014 with just lip liners and lip kits. Now, Kylie cosmetics have evolved into various beauty products, including skincare and baby products. With her love for makeup, she is able to share her passion with the world by creating suitable beauty products for everyone, irrespective of size, race, and ethnicity. She also hires plus sized models to market her beauty products.

The beauty industry has helped in body positivity in many ways. We can’t help but acknowledge the internet and social media in promoting this narrative as well. So, if you're a plus sized woman and reading this article, always feel comfortable in your own skin.