Essex Girls. Laura Ziepe

      Jade looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She wasn’t what you would call ‘skinny’, especially since she’d got over her heartbreak and was back to eating slabs of Galaxy, but she was very slender. She had always wished she had bigger boobs like Kelly, and when she had the money she was definitely going to get her boobs done. It was so common in Essex that it was almost odd to have real ones! Kelly also had the curvaceous bum she wished she had, instead of her flat, saggy one, but she definitely would only go as far as a boob job, nothing ridiculous like bum implants! Overall her figure wasn’t at all bad though; going to the gym twice a week at university had paid off. She decided to wear her new lemon jewelled bikini and was pleased with how she looked in it. It was quite padded so gave the impression she had some boobs and the bottoms were stunning, with tiny encrusted jewels along the top. She’d never seen swimwear like it. She had to admit though, the colour would look better with a tan. Maybe she could put some fake tan on? Just until she got a proper one? She quickly got out her St Tropez set and quickly but artfully applied some. She just wouldn’t be able to go in the sea in case it came off patchy. She applied her sun lotion on top carefully, making sure she didn’t miss any part exposed to the sun. There, she looked better already. Now she just had to do something with her hair.

      ‘What shall I do with my hair today? It’s so boring,’ she moaned to Kelly as she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

      Kelly looked up with a sparkle in her eye. ‘I’ll curl it for you if you like?’

      ‘Do you think it’ll look okay curly? I don’t want to look like I’ve got a poodle perm.’ Jade only ever wore her hair straight or left it to dry naturally, which gave it a slight wave.

      ‘I know what I’m doing, trust me. I’m a professional.’ Kelly took the curlers out of her drawer and plugged them in.

      ‘Thank you. I’ll put a bit of make-up on while they’re warming up.’

      Jade didn’t want to look overdone; she somehow needed to look natural, yet amazing. She plucked her eyebrows carefully and coloured them in with her pencil from Benefit. She brushed sparkly tan Barry M eyeshadow on her eyelids and coated her lashes with mascara. Then she put bronzer on her face and cheeks as well as blusher on her cheekbones, and finished with a clear lip gloss.

      ‘Does my make-up look okay?’ she asked Kelly, who was tying up the straps on an amazing purple glitter bikini.

      ‘Perfect. Not too much and not too little. You look gorgeous. Sit down and I’ll do your hair.’

      Jade knew it was ridiculous. Curling your hair just to go to the beach? She would never have dreamt of doing this in her wildest dreams a few months ago, but there was just something about Marbella and the people there that made it acceptable. She had to admit, Kelly did a good job and her hair looked very glamorous and bouncy. Kelly then backcombed all the back and sides. Wow, she was good. Her hair looked huge. She’d even give Cheryl Cole a run for her money. Jade then went over her make-up as she waited for Kelly to get ready.