I had organised a date with a guy after meeting him on a dating website.

He turned up, looking nothing like his profile photo. He also had a growth in his eyelid which I couldn't help but watch move every time he blinked.
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​Pre-Covid I had made plans to grab a bite with a guy I was interested in. We were going to a local restaurant and it had been a while since I had dated so I was extremely nervous. I told my big brother about it and he said he was free that night so suggested keeping an eye on me.

​I didn't know that meant locating himself at a table right near where we were seated and giving the guy a death stare all night. It was really uncomfortable and needless to say we didn't go on another date after that.

​I had a first (and only date) with a boy I had been chatting to over social media. I was excited as we had really good banter and he was good looking.

I put a lot of effort into my appearance and thought I was looking super cute.

I got to the pub I was meeting him at, and saw him sitting over in the corner.

I went up, introduced myself only to have him reply there must of been a mistake - he was expecting me to be thinner!

​Regardless to say I turned on my heel and marched right back out of that pub before unmatching him.

​I had been seeing a guy for a little while and I thought things were progressing well.

I suggested one day meeting at the dog park with our pooches and alarm bells started ringing when he told me he wasn't ready for that step in the relationship - for me to meet his dog!
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​IT'S likely you have heard of OnlyFans before - a British content service by subscription that now has creators and subscribers in every corner of the globe.

For me, I only became aware of it when former Supercars driver Renee Gracie joined, and after declaring she earned a ridiculous amount of money, the media attention was intense.

Recently an anonymous follower posted a question about OnlyFans on the Pure Beauty VIP page.

It was empowering and refreshing to see a number of members were very much in favour of females expressing themselves through means like OnlyFans, if that is what they wanted to do.

Content makers on OnlyFans has drastically spiked lately with the havoc Covid has wreaked. A quick Google search will show creators can make $100,000 a month, although $180 a month is the median.
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​Laura* echoes Ana's sentiments.

"With age, I have become a lot less reserved about my body," she said.

"All females have boobs, we all have butts and fairies.

"And for me, the beauty of OnlyFans has been my confidence has grown immensely.

"It doesn't define me, but people pay money to view my content; to view my lingerie clad boobs or butt!"

Laura isn't as experienced as Ana with the OnlyFans game but has still enjoyed healthy takings from it.

She said she joined the website after reading about it on the news and thought she had nothing to lose by giving it a go.

"It's been a surprising experience for me, enlightening, interesting, sometimes daunting," she said, sharing she has come across a couple of interesting characters.

"I have had a couple of fans who have struggled to understand the boundaries and become obsessive somewhat, but you need to be very firm with them.

"Likewise, I've had some very interesting requests but will only ever do what I am comfortable with."

Laura finds it frustrating when she heard people refer to it as easy and quick money.

In actual fact, she said, she spends at least a couple of hours a day networking, promoting her page and trying to build her audience, on top of her day to day job.

"And that is probably on the lighter end of the scale when it comes to creators promoting themselves," she said.

"The best way is through social media and there is an endless rabbit hole of options to explore - Facebook groups, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok and Twitter.

"It's time consuming and tiring - just like any other job!"

There are a select number of Laura's family and friends that know of her presence on OnlyFans, and thankfully all of them have been accepting and encouraging.

"But there is still a stigma attached," Laura said.

"The creators, the subscribers, they are going about their business, they aren't hurting anyone so what is the big deal?

"It might not be for everyone, but no-one is forcing it on you.

"Just don't judge those who make the decision to create material or subscribe to the website."
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