It’s not just in Brazil where the butt has become a huge thing – recent pop stars such as Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian have been an important source of the growing desire to increase bum size. Whereas some of us up our squat numbers at the gym, others are increasingly turning to plastic surgery to get an instant big butt. In 2015, statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) showed that butt surgery was the fastest growing cosmetic procedure. The Brazilian Buttlift as it is referred to involves two possibilities. A silicone implant is inserted into the butt, giving permanent and instant results. Another option is fat taken from other parts of the body through liposuction and transferred into the butt. The advantage of the latter is it apparently produces a natural looking and feeling result, yet these results may diminish in time as the fat there and be lost like any other part of the body.

The beauty industry uses the Brazilian butt as a marketing tool across all segments of this area. The Brazil Butt Lift (not to be confused with the Brazilian Buttlift surgery) is a workout designed by Leandro Carvalho who is always referred to as the Brazilian Butt Master. He boasts impressive clients such as Victoria’s Secret Angels model, Alessandra Ambrosio and promises that his workout lifts, sculpts and firms the butt naturally (and with a lot of sweaty hours in the gym). In the skincare world, the new cream Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is marketed as softening the skin on your butt whilst making it look firmer and healthier. Using ingredients native from Brazil such as Cupuaçu and acai, it promotes once again a product to get the Brazilian rounded butt.

What gives Brazilians such a desirable butt may stem from the incredible ethnic diversity of African, indigenous, and European roots. In Rio de Janeiro, the outdoor and beach-centric lifestyle also plays an important role – Cariocas (people born in Rio de Janeiro) want to feel comfortable and feel they look good when they are on the beach on those tropical, sunny days. As a result, working out, exercise, and sports are an integral part of life, all of which helps towards developing a shapely rear. Defining why Brazilians favour a good bum over other body parts is simply put down to a factor of personal and societal preferences, as with all countries and their unique tastes. One thing is clear: as the candidates for the Miss Bumbum competition prepare themselves for the stage and microscopic scrutiny to decide who wins the title of country’s best bottom, the message in Brazil is that the butt is a great asset.