In this issue

We’ve all had snide comments directed at us by nosy aunties — the furrowed brows coupled with a poke in your belly or squeeze of your arm followed by “Ahh, you’ve put on weight, noh”. But, what most fail to realize is just how much it affects us deep down. As a teenager, you’ve got a plateful of things to deal with (exams, impending university applications, boy trouble, parental differences etc) and when you throw insecurities and low self-esteem to the mix thanks to mortifying comments, it can become too much to handle.

If not dealt with, your 20s may be no better. While some of you can push past the unpleasant statements and come out on top, others may flounder so much so that it affects the moves they make in their career, love and life. Women will always be subject to body shaming at one point or another irrespective of dress size, life achievements and overall health.

But, in this issue, we’re embracing our flaws and spreading the word that we’re all beautiful. We dug deep with 4 incredible women who’ve dealt with some of the worst kinds of shaming, and team Cosmo got real and revealed their own insecurities and how they cope. What’s clear is that loving yourself no matter what the haters say is vital. Click through for more…

How To Get The Best Of Your Intuition

"In 2016, I was 24 and well on my way to achieving my life's dreams I'd been working on since school. But for no reason I started getting sick, became extremely lethargic and an alcoholic. I was not happy at all. It didn't make sense to me or my friends because I was doing everything I loved. Or so I thought. Out of nowhere, this tiny voice started nagging me to the point where I had to listen to it. The moment I did, I gave up everything I thought was my dream and went down a different route. Tbh, I've never felt more like myself than I do right now. It wasn't easy, listening to that little voice, and it took me more than a year to get accustomed to the irrational things it made me do. But, they all made sense in the end." Yeshani, 27.

4 mins

How To Cope When A Loved One Has Breast Cancer

Dealing with a loved ones suffering can sometimes be tougher than dealing with your own. LAKSHIKA PINTO helps you find ways to navigate through the pain.

5 mins

Body Shaming At Work: How Lankan Girls Deal

Sometimes irrespective of the type of career you are in, you can get shamed for how you look. This can be jarring and reallyshouldnt be tolerated. Chances are, you probably have difficulty dealing with it all. So how do you work through it all? With the help of those whove gone through similar instances, let's take a look at how we can overcome body shaming at work.

6 mins

How I Did It

NilminiGunaratne, Vice President Marketing,DFCCBank PLC is a vivacious as it gets. Shes made a mark for herself in her industry and, as she proudly proclaims, she did it her way. Here, she talks about the trials she faced as a woman in the field of marketing, the importance of setting aside time for yourself, and her guiltiest of pleasures. All hail this powerhouse!

4 mins

The Wonder Of Self Love

Hailing from bishops college and currently pursuing her undergrad degree in psychology, Amaya Suriyapperuma rose to fame just over a year ago at ASUS LankaComic Con 2017. She dressed up as the infamous dc comics heroine wonder woman and was subjected to ludicrous cyberbullying and social media harassment. Little did she know that it would be this unfortunate turn of events that would lead her to become the confident, bubbly young woman shes grown into today!

4 mins

The Bold And Beautiful Movement

With a dynamic energy that has revolved around various roles like teacher, dancer, amateur actor, financial marketer, writer, strategic planner and currently, cause marketer as the General Manager of vision1, ShanukiDe Alwis has always carried her confident stance on body positivity wherever she has gone.

4 mins

Bounce Back Stronger Than Ever

The Gaia Kodituwakku youd meet now didnt come with her titles (think fitness guru, entrepreneur and radio personality); she was the girl you accidentally struck up a conversation with at a party and wanted to be friends with forever. Her humble dude attitude and strong female persona left me with the impression that she has persisted despite all obstacles thrown in her path.

4 mins

Why​ Do You Love The Bad Boy?

Imagine this: Piumi, 25, is scrolling through her phone currently flooded with messages from a variety of guys interested in her. And, really, why not? Shes beautiful, makes logical decisions for the most part and is both strong and affectionate. She wonders who she should reply to and she picks the most unenthusiastic hi from this dude with a James Dean-esq profile picture (ooh, hes cute!). Over the next few days, their conversation intensifies and they decide to meet for coffee. A few dates in and her nights seemingly feel longer when she barely gets a response to her Hey, are you there? Eventually, he does respond with Sorry, was busy, babe before he totally falls off the grid and ghosts her (Sorry, you have been blocked).

3 mins

Mind & Body - Are You In Love With The Shape Of You?

Weve all had insecurities about our physical appearance. It all starts from the youthful days of watching cartoons, going on to drooling over celebrities in magazines and now scrolling through social media. Theres nothing wrong with wanting to look like yourfavouritestar, but should you really be letting it cause so much anxiety about the way you look? Team Cosmo spills the beans on their insecurities and how you too can strike a balance.

6 mins

I Tried Crescendo Fasting… And This Is What Happened

When Yasodhara Kariyawasam realized her constantly getting ill was linked to being overweight, she decided to make drastic change. Heres how she got on.

4 mins

Read all stories from Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka

Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka Magazine Description:

At the heart of every feature, column, tweet, and post is the ethos that Cosmo must inspire women to be the best they can be — on their terms. Whether that’s by empowering them through campaigns, giving them the confidence to ask for that pay rise, offering them honest relationship advice, or helping them hunt down those heels, Cosmo engages with the reader on an emotional level deeper than any other magazine, providing solid, intelligent advice she really trusts.