Irina Shayk Says She 'Has No Time For People's Opinions' On Whether 'She's Too Sexy' Or 'Not Skinny'

Irina Shayk has revealed the huge effect her daughter had on her life and says she has "no time for people's opinions." In her feature for Harper's Bazaar's May issue, the model said that her six-year-old daughter was a big part of why she "started to love myself even more."

Shayk also noted the amazing values she learned from her grandmother, whom she described as her "icon in basically everything." Elsewhere in the interview, she shared a piece of advice to help those who don't feel beautiful.

Keep on reading to learn more.

In her cover story for Harper's Bazaar's latest issue, Shayk talked about learning to love all her imperfections following the birth of her child, Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper, six, whom she shares with actor Bradley Cooper.

She said, "My daughter is a big part of why I started to love myself even more. She'll say, 'I love Daddy so much, I love Mama so much, I love Nana, I love Babulya—' who is my mom. Then she goes, 'And I really love myself.' And I'm looking at my daughter and I'm like, 'Wow, I wasn't like that at six year sold...'"

Knowing how impressionable kids can be in this social media era, Shayk said she is teaching her daughter to have values that are not centered on superficial things like "putting on masks, putting on makeup, brushing your hair, putting on nice clothes."

"Every time we send her to school, we're like, 'Just remember kindness and love.' So I think that's what true beauty is."

Shayk also revealed how she learned these values, saying that her grandmother, whom she described as her "icon in basically everything," instilled them.

The model recalled how she admired her, particularly her strength and positivity, and how she was pro-natural.

Shayk shared, "She never wore makeup and would use this stuff from the fridge, like strawberries or cucumbers, for her face. She was always so positive and grateful for every day and was like, 'Always be yourself. Be kind to people.' That's what true beauty is."

Now that she is a mother, she is not letting it stop her from flaunting her femininity, regardless of what people might think or say.

She said, "Sometimes I wake up and I feel cute and I think, 'Oh, should I put these pictures out on social media?' One voice says, 'Oh, but people will say, 'You're a mother.' And I'm like,'But what does it mean?'"

She added, "You're a mother, but it doesn't mean you cannot go outside in a tiny little skirt or put a sexy picture up."

Lessons from her grandmother and daughter have helped Shayk grow a tough skin, which she says helped her deal with naysayers during her early days in her modeling career.

She recalled hearing remarks like "Oh my God, she doesn't really look like a model. She's not skinny, she's too sexy, she's never going to be a model" but never given any thought to it.

"I have no time for people's opinions. Why on earth would I click and read 2,000 comments? I kind of don't rely on it," Shayk said, noting that balancing her parental responsibilities with her career took all her time.

Ultimately, all that matters to her is just having the backing of her loved ones and family.

The mother of one said, "I have my friends, my family. They love me, and I know who I am. I don't give many, many S-H-I...you know this word, what people really think about me."

Elsewhere in the interview, she gave a piece of advice on what one should do when they don't feel beautiful, describing such periods to be a "disconnection of your inner energy."

She said, "It's very important to take time for yourself. It doesn't matter if it's 30 minutes or one hour; just connect back and listen to your body and think, 'Why do I feel that way?' ….Everyone needs to find something for themselves. Meditate, go to an infrared sauna. Just do five minutes."

Shayk further noted that the solution did not lie in going for a quick facial, saying that one needs to figure out what was wrong within.

The model said, "It's not about your external look; it's what is inside of you. That's how I would reconnect to myself and try to feel connected and put together inside. And that's how I feel pretty outside as well."