One of the most famous transs*xual fixtures on the New York party scene has opened about the plastic surgery that's behind her larger-than-life look.
Amanda Lepore, 46, reveals in a first person piece for Into The Gloss that after having a s*x change at the age of 19 she went about getting three breast augmentations, buttock implants and even had her bottom ribs broken she she could achieve a smaller waist.
'I think Raquel Welch and Cher did that, too,' she said of the unusual procedure, adding: 'It’s illegal in the U.S., but I had it done in Mexico. They break the floating rib in the back and push it in, so there's no scar.' continue.....
Following multiple nips and tucks, 5ft 2in Ms Lepore boasts a perfect hourglass figure measuring 38-22-38.
Facially she has had lip injections, fillers, Botox, a nose job, a forehead lift and her hairline lowered.
Her inspirations included Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe and Jessica Rabbit.
'Rather than emulate the girls I grew up with who made fun of me, I decided I wanted to look like a movie star. It was like an escape,' the dancer, singer and party host recalled.
Luckily no major alterations were required, as Ms Lepore said she had 'very girly features' to begin with and would often pass for a girl in her early teens.
Asked how much her cosmetic work has cost in total, the busty blonde declined to provide an answer, merely stating: 'There is a reason I am labeled ‘The Most Expensive Body On Earth’.
She says that her s*x change from male to female, was the most painful procedure she’s had done.
'It didn’t hurt when I got it done at the hospital,' she recounted.
'But they give you a dilator as part of the healing process, which you have to keep in for extended periods of time to stretch the vaginal opening.
'If I could have a crystal ball and see what I look like now - you know, modeling, hanging out with Daphne Guinness - I'd be like, "Wow, I can't believe this"
'It felt like a knife. It was the most painful thing I had ever experienced.'
In the late Eighties Ms Lepore moved from Cedar Grove, New Jersey, where she grew up, to New York.
She left behind her father, an Italian-American chemical engineer, and her mother, a German-American housewife who was schizophrenic and spent much time in mental institutions.
Although both found it difficult to accept their daughter's transgender identity at first - refusing to take her to ballet lessons and stopping her from growing her hair long - they eventually supported her transition.
Ms Lepore's father withdrew her from public school - where she was already isolated - hired a private tutor and even took her to a psychologist who helped her obtain a hormone prescription.
After moving to New York Ms Lepore established her career as a nightlife figure, partying at night and spending her days working in a nail salon, as a dominatrix, and later as a cosmetics salesgirl for Patricia Field.
'I really associate glamor with being happy. If you put on high heels and lipstick or get a new outfit, you feel great'
One evening while hosting at a bar in downtown Manhattan, she met celebrity photographer, David LaChapelle, and began collaborating with him.
It was this partnership which ultimately helped her to achieve international acclaim as his muse.
She has since appeared in fashion magazines, including French Playboy and Vogue, and scored cameos in music videos for artists including Elton John, The Dandy Warhols, and Grace Jones.
Looking back on her career success, Ms Lepore previously told Interview Magazine: 'When I was in the hospital getting my s*x change, I was just wishing I could be a pretty girl working in a mall.
'If I could have a crystal ball and see what I look like now - you know, modeling, David LaChapelle, hanging out with Daphne Guinness, singing with Lil' Kim, and traveling all over the world, I'd be like, "Wow, I can't believe this."
She is currently working on a new music album and getting her memoirs ready for publication.
When it comes to fashion, Ms Lepore says she likes tight-fitting clothing that shows off her 'tiny waist.'
And on the beauty front, she says she always does her hair and make-up herself because she's very particular about her look.
'I've had my boobs done and my bottom rib broken and pushed in - I think Raquel Welch and Cher did that, too'
She likes to use a combination of foundation, concealer. blush, powder, topped off with a carefully applied brush of bright lipstick.
'Once I put my make-up on, it really doesn’t move. If I’m traveling, sometimes I will sleep with it on so that I don’t have to do it again - I’ll get off a flight and do whatever I'm doing with it on.'
She has also been using a variety of creams to hide scars on her body after being involved in a car accident last year.
The charismatic performer concluded on her made up look: 'I really associate glamor with being happy. If you put on high heels and lipstick or get a new outfit, you feel great.
'It's a celebration of loving yourself, and the whole ritual of it is so great.'
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