The Naked Truth: Kim Kardashian

"I don't get why everyone is always going on about my butt. I'm Armenian. It's normal," says Kim Kardashian. "My butt is probably not as big as you might think, because I have small legs and a small waist, which makes it appear bigger." Even so, her curves helped rocket the 29-year-old into a one-woman multimillion-dollar earning industry. But they used to be nothing but a source of tears. "I was wearing a C cup by the time I was 11. I would go to bed and pray, 'Please, Lord, don't let my boobs grow any bigger,'" remembers Kardashian. "I hated what was happening." Growing up in Los Angeles surrounded by blonde California girls, the five-foot-two-and-a-half-inch brunette found solace in the vintage images of Sophia Loren and Raquel Welch tacked on her wall. "Those became the healthy bodies to look up to. Then came Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lopez. I related to them," she says.

Now she's learned to be happy with her looks. "I might have a little bit of cellulite. I might not be toned everywhere. I might struggle in this area or that. But accepting that just empowers me," she says. Taking care of herself is part of it. "I'm trying to eat better — which is a struggle. I like carbs," she says, laughing. "I didn't [used to] work out. I do now, even when I'd rather sleep in. I'm a firm believer that you should be your best you." Kardashian still has shy moments. "A good six months have to go by before I'll leave the lights on for a boyfriend," she says. And she didn't love her 2007 Playboy cover. "I'm sorry I did Playboy. I was uncomfortable," she remembers, though at the time she was excited. "Go for it," she recalls her mother saying. "They might never ask you again. Our show isn't on the air yet. No one knows who you are. Do it and you'll have these beautiful pictures to look at when you're my age." This time around, Kardashian is much happier. "It's definitely scary, but it's very liberating," she says. "I think the message is embrace your curves and who you are. I feel proud if young girls look up to me and say, 'I'm curvy, and I'm proud of it now.'"