Author and model Roz Purcell has gone make-up free on the cover of Irish Country Magazine.
The monthly mag says it is the first makeup free cover shoot for an Irish glossy magazine.
Picture via Irish Country Magazine
In the April edition of the magazine, cover-star Purcell has opened up about her insecurities and attitudes to beauty, as well as the negative comments aimed at her.
Talking about make-up, Purcell jokes: "I think I was orange for about 10 years.
"I remember my mum saying your fake tan is so bad, it's so streaky, and I actually said, ‘I'd rather be streaky than pale’.
"I had this image of what I wanted to look like and what I thought was beautiful, from what I’d seen in magazines and on TV.
"In 2010 big hair and loads of makeup was the look at the time, when I look back I am scarlet for myself, I look awful, but we all looked awful together."
When asked about going make-up free for Irish Country Magazine, Purcell said she thought it was "amazing".
"I was all up for it but then the day before the shoot I thought to myself, ‘oh my God, I'm actually doing a shoot for a magazine with no makeup on and I'm not allowed to do anything - I don't even have the safety of having a big fancy blow dry."
Picture via Irish Country Magazine
Speaking about her career as a model, Purcell said she came out of it "absolutely hating the fact that I didn't have a voice."
She says: "People judged you only on your aesthetics, and that constant pressure to never change was tough.
"As women our bodies want to change. Our skin is going to change. I think I'm in a really good position now where people follow me because they like my personality, not because they don't want me to ever to change my body shape, or anything about myself.
"I'm a woman, I'm going to change. It’s normal to have stretch marks, to have cellulite.
"I don't see why I'm getting a pat on the back for sharing mine, but if I'm making it more acceptable by sharing it, then great."
Picture via Irish Country Magazine
The former Miss Universe contestant said that comments about her body don't bother her but Purcell says she gets abuse for her accent which gets to her.
"I have people in Dublin saying, ‘oh I can’t understand her bogger accent’, then I'd have people in Tipperary saying ‘she has such a fake Dublin accent’," says Purcell.
"When I first started doing TV I went to elocution lessons. I remember thinking ‘God, I've really let this affect me that I'm actually going to lessons’."
You can read the full interview in the April issue of Irish Country Magazine.
