One in three women would rather be overweight than have bad skin, a survey revealed.
Researchers found one third of females would rather face the prospect of putting on a few pounds and buying larger clothes than going out in public with spots, wrinkles or dry skin.
It also emerged when it comes to ageing, one in five women are more concerned about crow's feet, furrows and facial creasing than developing middle aged spread or going grey.
A spokeswoman for Simple said: ''There has always been a lot of pressure on women to keep trim and stay in shape.
''For years women would rate being thin more important than anything else.
''But over time women have begun to realise that not looking after their skin at a young age will make them age quicker than putting on a few pounds.
''As you get older, putting on weight and getting wrinkles is inevitable but the more you look after yourself at a young age the longer it will take to see the effects.''
The study of 2,000 women also exposed the top 10 beauty wish list - with good boobs, sparkling white teeth and a year-long tan accompanying good skin.
Other factors which make women feel beautiful and confident include a mane of thick hair and a pert bottom.
But shockingly, one in five women claim they have never felt attractive or sexy - and one in 20 are utterly mortified about their entire body.
The poll also found the average women would like to weigh eight stone nine pounds, be a dress size 10 and be just over five foot five inches tall.
In reality, the average dress size for a UK woman is a 14, her average height is five foot four inches and she tips the scales at around 11 stone.
The average woman will only go as far as describing themselves as 'slightly attractive' - with nearly half being embarrassed by their bellies, 27 per cent hating their love handles, and 17 per cent disliking their face.
Tellingly, only a meagre one per cent of the women polled classed themselves as 'very' attractive.
But despite such low self esteem, British women DO try their best to look and feel great.
In fact, in a bid to defy the aging process, ladies will splash out a whopping £1,032 a year on beauty treatments, face creams and make-up.
Daily, women spend up to 42 minutes making sure their hair, make-up, skin and clothing looks just right - that's the equivalent of 11 whole days a year on preening.
Although a massive 80 per cent of women said there is too much pressure on them to look good all the time.
And being brutally honest, most women realise health and happiness are far more important than what they look like.
A Simple spokeswoman added: ''While most women hope to look good all the time, they also realise this isn't the be all and end all - and it is much more important to put good health, relationships and lifestyle above vanity.
''But at the end of the day, having a youthful complexion can rub off on other areas of your life - as it can make you feel more positive and more confident about the day ahead.
''There is nothing worse than waking up with bad skin, it can affect your mood for the whole day from the way you treat people to the overall success of your day.''
TOP 10 BEAUTY MUST-HAVES
1. A good, clear complexion
2. Being slim
3. Wrinkle free
4. Good dress sense
5. White sparkling teeth
6. Having a glowing tan
7. Thick hair
8. Pert bottom
9. Long fingernails
10. Young looking hands
