Kim Kardashian’s New Fragrance Campaign Claims to Be Body Positive

Kim Kardashian just dropped some major hints on Instagram about the second rendition of her KKW Body fragrance. It seems like this time around, she’s aiming for a message of diversity and inclusion.

Over the past few days, Kardashian has been posting close-up photos of women’s bodies that cover a range of shapes, sizes, and skin tones. She did a similar tease before the launch of the first version of the fragrance, but all of the photos were of her own body.

The photos she posted last time hinted that the fragrance bottle would be shaped like herself. So the new photos could suggest that the new bottles will be shaped with body diversity in mind. Now that’s a beauty product we could get behind.

RELATED: Why Kim Kardashian Wants You to Google Pineapple Juice

But while much of the Internet is applauding Kardashian for her attempt at body positivity, others are questioning how inclusive the campaign really is.

“Love this, but hair is humanly. So where is the hair?” one user commented, referring to the fact that none of the models appear to have any body hair whatsoever. (Unlike real women, of course.)

Another user had a hard time believing Kardashian’s body-positive intentions. “Love that you’re showing body diversity, however I’ve seen many times on your show how disgusted you and your sisters were with the very thought of stretch marks and cellulite.”

That user is referring to the uproar around the show a few months ago, when Khloé praised Kim for her “anorexic” waistline in a series of videos shared on Instagram. That’s not a good look for someone who is now claiming to promote self-love. 

RELATED: Kim Kardashian Is Being Praised for Her New ‘Anorexic’ Looks—and That’s Triggering and Dangerous

Okay, so the KKW Body campaign might not be the most progressive we’ve seen (sorry, but #AerieREAL still takes the cake in that category), and we don’t typically associate the Kardashians with body positivity. Yet this is still a step in the right direction.

Sure, the campaign might not include body hair, but it does celebrate women who are much more realistic looking than the models we typically see in beauty product ads. And since Kim Kardashian is a trendsetter, hopefully other brands will follow her example and kick the inclusiveness up a notch. 

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4 Ways Your Workout Should Change After You Turn 40

Make these changes now, and you’ll be as strong as ever at 40, 50, and beyond.

There’s no getting around biology: with the passage of time, we all become a little stiffer, squishier, wobblier. But that said, the 40-something you can be as strong as ever. This is the message behind Fitness After 40 ($19; amazon.com), a practical guide by orthopedic surgeon and mobility specialist Vonda Wright, MD. The trick, she says, is exercising smarter. Below we’ve pulled four tips from the pages of her book that every active woman should take to heart.

RELATED: 20 Health Mistakes You Need to Stop Making Before You Turn 40

 

Work on your flexibility every day

As we age, our tendons and muscles tend to get tighter, and our risk of injury—tendinitis, in particular—goes up, says Dr. Wright, who directs the Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She compares stiff connective tissues to dried-out rubber bands. One hard tug and the brittle material tears apart. This is why you need to stretch daily, she says.

One of her favorite techniques: foam rolling. “Essentially the log of hard foam serves as a rolling pin to break up small adhesions and scar tissues, thereby increasing blood flow to problem areas,” she writes in her book. “Foam rolling first thing in the morning (after a hot shower) leaves you limber for the rest of the day.”

Dr. Wright is also a big believer in dynamic stretching and warm-ups, which involve slow, controlled movements (like shoulder rolls and sumo squats) rather than static stretches (the grab-your-ankle-and-hold-for-30-seconds kind).

“Flexibility is so easy to ignore,” she writes, but it’s essential if you want to stay active. Mornings too crazy for yet another task? Stretch on your lunch break, she suggests, or in the evening while you watch TV.

RELATED: 8 Best Foam Rollers to Ease Your Aches

Use your muscles—or you’ll lose ’em

It’s sad but true. Between your 25^th birthday and your 50^th, you could lose up to 10% of your muscle mass, Dr. Wright explains. Then over the next 30 years, you could lose another 45%. And it gets worse: Lost muscle is typically replaced by fat. “This fat makes us bigger all around because a pound of fat takes up 18% more room on our frame than a pound of fat,” she writes.

But it doesn’t have to be that way! You can prevent muscle loss by using your muscles. As the years go by, strength training becomes increasingly important, she says. Although by “strength training,” Dr. Wright doesn’t mean what you might think.

Step away from the weight machines

“Most of us grew up in an era when ‘strengthening our quadriceps’ meant sitting on a leg press machine and pushing a sled of weight up a slope,” Dr. Wright says in the book. But have you ever pushed a sled uphill with your legs in real life? Probably not.

She wants you to train your muscles the way you actually use them—and build what’s called functional strength. For example, in real life you use your quads in coordination with your hamstrings, butt and core to pick up kids, climb stairs, and load Ikea furniture in the car. So skip the leg press and do squats and lunges instead. (For more functional moves, check out this circuit from celebrity trainer Juliet Kaska.)

RELATED: 10-Minute Moves For Strength, Speed and Agility

Work balance exercises into your regular routine

Stand on one leg like a stork. Really, give it a try right now! Tougher than you expected? We often don’t realize our balance is going until we’re toppling over, says Dr. Wright. Part of the problem is that with age, the neuromuscular connections that help keep us upright slowly decline. But the good news? Those nerve pathways “can be entirely reclaimed by specific daily attention,” Dr. Wright assures. She suggests taking up tai chi, Pilates, or yoga, all of which can improve stability; or adding balance moves (like side leg raises and toe raises) to your usual workout. And every day, practice that stork impersonation while you brush your teeth.

 

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