LOOKING at my reflection in the mirror, I felt delighted to see my petite size 8 figure once again.
But as I glanced up to my face, the gaunt woman staring back at me came as a shock.
After having treatment in 2019 and becoming a single mum in lockdown, I’d gone from 7st to 13st in four years.
So I recently turned to to regain my former shape.
I didn’t regret it, but the side effect – ‘ – as seen on celebrities like , wasn’t something I’d bargained on.
I was 38 years old, but my , gaunt eyes and thin lips had aged me overnight.
One relative had helpfully pointed out my new “jowls”; at a family gathering, while strangers on X told me I looked like a drug addict or permanently unwell.
I would be lying if I said it didn’t hurt.
When I first gained weight, it didn’t bother me at first.
Yes, none of my clothes fitted me my 5ft 4ins frame any more, but I was simply grateful to be alive for my daughter Mabel, now seven.
My mind was taken up with getting through my separation from her dad and surviving the . Baking banana bread was more of a priority than working out.
But as the trauma of my illness and break-up eased, I realised I wanted to feel like my old self again and ditch the stretchy leggings I had become so attached to.
In December 2023, I headed back to the gym four times a week and tried to eat less – but the weight was slow to drop off. Some weeks I didn’t lose anything, despite trying so hard.
It didn’t help that medication I was taking for OCD [Obsessive Compulsive Disorder] was an appetite stimulant. But stopping that wasn’t an option.
After speaking to an online pharmacist I decided to try the jabs, which cost £179 a month.
I had a false start with , which gave me stomach pains, before settling into using in June 2024.
Over a 12-month period, I dropped back down to a size 8, without any of the anticipated stretch marks or loose skin. It felt great to wear my old clothes again.
But while I didn’t love how my body looked at 13st, I preferred the appearance of my face compared to when I was skinny.
DRAMATIC CHANGE
It had fullness and shape, my skin glowed and there were barely any wrinkles.
I was dismayed by the dramatic change that came with slimming down and knew that no amount of ‘miracle’ potions would ease the deep lines either side of my mouth, loss of volume in my cheeks, or the dark circles under my eyes.
For the first time ever, my skin felt crepey and dull, plus everything below my cheeks had dropped that little bit further south.
I considered more jabs to help and spent hours researching cheek fillers, nasolabial fold treatments and those skin rejuvenators that can bring back volume.
Some of the before-and-after photos online looked amazing.
But realistically, I knew I’d be lucky to walk out of a decent clinic with any change from £1,000. And even then, it would not be a permanent solution.
I don’t regret the jabs one bit. Now I’m back to a healthy weight, I have more energy and confidence.
At the same time, it’s not shallow to want to feel good when I look in the mirror.
If makeup can help me restore my pride when I see my reflection and make the best of what I’ve got, it will be a much cheaper fix – and easier for a busy single mum to recreate at home.
Follow the six simple steps
TOP makeup artist Aimee Adams reveals the tricks she used to transform Rebecca’s look – and how others can use them to counter the signs of ‘Ozempic face’
START WITH THE SKIN
Opt for products that contain collagen and hyaluronic acid, to restore brightness and improve the tone.
Make-up isn’t , but working from as healthy a base as possible will make the best of what you have.
Nip+Fab Hyaluronic Fix Extreme4 Jelly Eye Patches are perfect for an instant boost (£19.95 for 20 pairs, Boots).
TIME TO SHINE
Your base needs to reflect the light away from those grey hollows, so avoid heavy matt foundations and concealers.
I like Sculpted by Aimee HydraTint Moisturising Tinted Serum (£20, Boots) and Jane Iredale Smooth Affair Brightening Face Primer (£44, Amazon) to get a dewy feel.
KEEP AWAY FROM THE KARDASHIANS
It might work for Kim and co, but contouring will only make you look more gaunt.
Opt for a classic pink or peach cream blusher that isn’t too oily on the apples of your cheeks instead, to add fullness and a flush of youth.
Water-based Delilah In Bloom Radiant Liquid Blush in Tiger Lilly (£23, Next) is perfect, set in place with a blush powder.
GO FOR GOLD
A smokey eye won’t make your eyes pop if they are looking sunken.
Choose a golden eyeshadow to counteract it and add brightness, with a soft and smudgable brown eyeliner.
Finish with a couple of little lash extensions on the outsides to open things up, curl them and add a coat of Avon Exxtravert Extreme Volume Mascara (£9.50, Avon). Fill out those brows too, with Merit Beauty 1990 Ultra Fine Eyebrow Gel Pencil (£21, Sephora).
BE NATURAL
A bold liner and lipstick is overkill and will seem fake.
Choose a shade similar to your real lip colour if you really want to add volume, like e.l.f Love Triangle Lip Filler Liner in Soft Pink (£4,elfcosmetics.co.uk), plus a dewy or glossy finish.
If you want more extreme results, try PS Plumping Lip Serum (£3, Primark) – it can sting, but the difference is noticeable.
SET AND MATCH
Makeup can gather in the lines of your skin unless you set it properly after applying.
Sprays are popular, but a powder is longer-lasting and works well with creamier makeup, if used sparingly. You don’t want it to become cakey.
I’m a fan of English Mineral Makeup Fairy Godmother (£59,englishimineralmakeup.co.uk).
